#I feel like I’ve been seeing a lot of negatives surrounding season 2 already

[kazscrows]

I think this is an absolutely perfect way of putting it. I really really enjoyed season 1 and it already changed some things involving the Crows, but it was still amazing!

[hekatekun]

The metanarrative’s grand narrative: Osomatsu-san’s characterization throughout the franchise

The growing cynicism throughout the entire Osomatsu-san franchise shows itself in season 3 with more prominence than anything prior. I think that’s pretty common amongst any “long-running” gag comedy - replacing a plot with spiteful commentary that’s admittedly pretty hit or miss at times. However, it invariably creates a negative but pretty funny character growth, and I love the way the show (I’m including the movie too as “canon” material considering season 3 has referenced it way too many times for me to disregard) has set up this metanarrative across seasons. Long post ahead.

Obviously, Osomatsu-san is self-aware and has a casual relationship with itself. No linear plot (though S3 seems to be trying it out and I’ve enjoyed it - I love that they’re willing to experiment), rather a collection of unrelated skits; and so it points out its own metanarrative because of this “lack of consequences.” With comedy comes impermancy and Ososan AND -kun will always bounce back from that week’s insanity. From the Oxford Dictionary, a metanarrative is “a narrative account that experiments with or explores the idea of storytelling, often by drawing attention to its own artificiality.” Basically: a story about stories.

On top of this, is what I’m calling the “grand narrative,” which is often used interchangeably with metanarrative, but here I’m making a distinction to make it less confusing. Of course, Ososan is a story about stories, but with that comes a story it’s not directly telling, which is where most of the (little) character development is taking place. This is what I’m going to call the grand narrative of a show whose premise is being a meta-aware comedy. I’ll admit I’m by no means an expert on these subjects, but storytelling methods are something I enjoy trying to analyze. As a media format, Ososan really utilizes the fact that it’s a tv show.

Right off the bat S1E1 makes it clear what to expect: Nothing. Not a damn thing. But, the show had already been cleared for this first season, so it has to be produced. This same episode’s preview is done by Osomatsu, which I’m just gonna quote instead screenshot because there’s too many.

“...we plan on properly starting the anime the next episode.” “...you ended up with an extra minute, so you need me to do something to fill it?! Actually, is this anime going to be okay with episode one being like this? I’m getting worried about how the rest of this is going to be...” “There, I used up a minute! [EPISODE ENDS]”

Episode one is not only batshit referential, but downright mocking the state of anime in 2015. Which, truthfully, I don’t have much to comment on in that regard, as I’m not an avid anime fan. However, it does this under the premise of being indecisive about what kind of anime they wanted the Osokun reboot to be. 

They’ll do just about anything to stay popular and relevant considering that is, quite literally, all they have going for them as characters in the series and just being characters in general. They may be pieces of shit, but they’re likeable pieces of shit. The dynamics they’ve built upon to be entertaining is encouraged, and they’re basically just roleplaying different skits and fucking around.

All the AUs! All the skits! They’re just playing! They’re just fuckin’ around!! They couldn’t come up with any interesting plot nor could they “graduate” from being anime protagonists and join the real world, so they just fuck around and make a gag anime!

Even if we follow both as the audience, the show makes a difference between the what’s them in their “normal life” (crazy begets crazy, no?) and what’s their “show.” But, really, that’s just one way to look at it, as they don’t really follow any rules as a show. I could say the Joshimatsus are separate characters from the sextuplets, and it’d be a “correct” interpretation. It doesn’t really matter - I’m choosing to examine it all as being the six of them just running around and playing, because being entertaining and having fun is all they know as characters. Besides, having it blended together beyond recognition reinforces how it prioritizes entertaining us, the audience, above logic. Storytelling doesn’t need to make absolute spatial-temporal sense for it to be enjoyable to fans.

In any case, that mentality really seems to be what pushes their character development negative, as they look to reinforce habits and rituals despite them being really detrimental for them in the long run. They know they’re popular characters as is, and with really everyone from staff to fans encouraging this behavior further, so they see no point in fixing what isn’t really broken.

I found this 4 year old article from Manga.Tokyo discussing the Ososan phenomenon in Japan because while the craze died off pretty quickly in American anime circles (which deserves a whole other post), Japanese fans went fuckin’ nuts.

This portion caught my attention, as it makes sense that entitled and enabled asshole children would grow up to be entitled and enabled asshole adults. The article also goes on to compare them to idols (even beyond the F6 spoof) and that they are rooted in being comfort characters above all else. 

It’s worth a read, especially because Japanese fan response is what drives majority of the content post-S1, and, inevitably, ties into their character development. 

They know that they’re Characters, particularly Protagonists. You know what happens to protagonists? Everything works out. Just about every single story created has stuff working out for protagonists. In fact, we have a whole genre made that separates stories with bad tragic endings from our Normal Stories. Ososan is a comedy, not a tragedy, so surely there’s gonna be some payoff somewhere along the road, especially as the seasons and other content are still being pumped out. To a self-aware, entitled, enabled protagonist, assuming everything is just gonna work out for you isn’t that far off from your narrative truth.

However, Ososan is a gag anime, and a lot of gag content (like 4koma mangas) is dropped for other projects before any emotional cathartic ending is provided for characters and fans alike. So, three seasons and a movie later, nothing has happened. It’s a great idol cash cow with a Family Guy filter, and the characters (and writers) don’t even bother to hide it anymore. And I know I’m being hypocritical concerning my definition of “canon material” but I think this portion from one of the drama cds “Choroplex” basically summarizes my point:

CHOROMATSU: Wait, don’t make this into a gag! You don’t even care about becoming employed, right? KARAMATSU: There’s no way that could happen... CHOROMATSU: What kind of future are you imagining? Is it nothing but this? [HUGE PAUSE BEFORE THEY MOVE ONTO SOMETHING ELSE]

They’re parodies of themselves and are running out of ideas. Stagnation and decay is normal, if not unavoidable, at this point in time for them. They’re just 20 somethings who’ve hit a wall but they’re too scared and insecure to bring about permanent positive change. It’s easier for them to fall back into normal patterns and joke off the rest.

They have an antagonistic relationship with expectations. They can’t handle a single iota of expectations, or responsibilities. They’ve never needed to worry before, so why bother now? Once the biggest hits on the block, now they’re just guppies in the ocean, and there’s nothing they believe themselves to be able to accomplish to keep up with this big brave new world. This is epitomized in S3E15, where old man Osomatsu tells a bastardized version of the Tortoise and the Hare, blatantly projecting his feelings onto it. Again, too many screenshots so let me pull more quotes (bolding for my own reference):

“The place that the tortoise thought was the goal was not actually the goal. His journey down the road of life still continued on. The tortoise was quite tired, but he continued running anyway.” “No one actually knew who was in front anymore. There are too many people above you.” “After the tortoise found out how society worked, he thought, ‘So this is the difference in talent? No amount of hard work is going to fix this. All right. I’m done competing with others.’”

S3 has left more questionable endings than its counterparts. The last 2 skits I referenced don’t even a gag to them, and the marriage skit doesn’t play music for the entire second half of S3E5. There’s more involved too. I haven’t even brought up the rice ball twins becoming actual entertainers in their universe, or how they introduced this whole AI subplot only to reject it because All Six Of Them aren’t interested in expanding their little corner of the world. Here’s a transcript of the ending preview from S3E1:

“Hey, hey, Osomatsu here. I thought we were saved from being replaced, but I guess we get new characters next week. Man, we’re busy. New encounters, changing surroundings... We’re NEETs to begin with because all that is a pain. I guess a lot can happen after three seasons. [EPISODE ENDS]”

The sextuplets’ mindsets are extremely self-centered, which is also an environmental thing (the parents don’t even really care that they’re NEETs, for one) and an understanding of what they ought to be (epic successful protagonists). They also have a very black and white mentality, all or nothing. They’re extremely sheltered, and once they realized where they stood in society at large, they just gave up. To them the world is divided between winners and losers, and somehow, “inexplicably,” they found themselves to have fallen from grace. But they’re protagonists, that has to count for something! Everything’s gonna end up okay, right? Well... what this show has told them: No, not at all. They are consistently compared and warned of Iyami, and are perfectly aware of this fact, and have come to internalize it as a truth rather than a reversible self-fulfilling prophecy.

Too many screencaps, taken from the S3S5 marriage discussion:

JYUSHIMATSU: I wonder if we’re gonna get married someday, too. CHOROMATSU: Well, I mean... probably? I’m not exactly sure, but... TODOMATSU: What? You’re gonna get married, Choromatsu-niisan? CHOROMATSU: Huh? Well, yeah... someday.

Surprise! They have commitment issues! The same group that couldn’t commit to a fucking plot! Though their personality issues have several factors involved, I can’t overlook the theater motifs abound. Life’s a stage, and they’re performing entirely unscripted and it shows.

Do I think all of this is 100% intentional on the writers’ part? No, probably not. There’s also an extra layer here regarding contemporary Japanese commentary that I’m not familiar with, so I just ended up focusing on the characters. I can’t be in the writers’ heads, but whatever decisions are being made by executives regarding censorship and “compliance” are reflected in these character changes that result in being significantly more bitter and defeatist.

In the all or nothing, winner-take-all mentality, the only way to save face at this point, in their minds, is to own up to it - act like it’s what they wanted all along. And, hey, it’s funny to watch, right?

“Why is Osomatsu all my examples”, you might be asking. Well, he’s the damn blueprint for it all. The leader of the bunch, the first personality to grab your attention, has had all his issues projected and ricocheted in their echo chamber.

Ultimately, my point here is that you could think their “canon characterizations” (though canon means nothing in a show like this) as being intertwined with the nature of their self-aware existence. They’ve shown you all their tricks, the smoke and mirrors are getting boring, and they’re stalling long enough the story seems to be moving on without them - in spite of them. And when something genuinely threatens their way of life, they don’t know how to respond.

You can play it all straight, of course. Remove the meta jokes and all the same plot points can be hit, but, as a slapstick comedy, it’s able to easily add this additional layer in that I appreciate. I’ve said it in my last post and I’ll probably say it in more, but with comedy comes sincerity - the caveat of all the cartoon violence is that, on some level somewhere, this is how they really feel.

[eagles-translated]

Answering Eagles questions before the season 3 finale (Part 2/2)

I've received a bunch of questions since 3x08 and 3x09 dropped, so I compiled all the questions into two posts. I had to split them up because Tumblr only allows 10 images per post. Anyway, keep reading to see my answers and enjoy! 👇

There might be some kind of collaboration between Amie and Ludde like last season—we have only heard snippets of Ludde's song submission to the music school and it wouldn't surprise me if we saw Amie perform the song in its entirety in the last episode. I touched on this a little in part 1 of answering these questions.

It seems like Amie singing at the end of the season has become kind of a recurring theme. She performed “Follow” in 1x08 and “Second Sight” in 2x10 (on the radio, but my point still stands). I wouldn’t be surprised if they followed this trend by having Amie perform a new song in the season 3 finale.

I'm not sure if she'll recommend Ludde to the record label, though. I honestly still feel like Amie's whole storyline with sending in a rather basic demo written by two teenagers with little to no experience and then getting praised on it with comments such as "it's going to be a real summer hit" felt so unrealistic to me. Maybe they only said that so Amie would accept their offer or something, but that's still very strange because she would have still said yes without a doubt.

I can understand that they thought Amie was marketable as a person and there was this bonus with her having gone viral before on Felicia's Instagram, but that demo did not seem good enough for me to be immediately released as a single and then have them decide on the spot that Amie would be given a contract.

I mean, come on. It never felt earned because we never really saw Amie struggling with her songwriting journey to achieve this dream. Sending in one demo to one record label and having them immediately want to make a whole album with you just doesn't happen in real life unless the song is extremely good or you have a very unique voice. Amie is really talented but there are hundreds of people just like her, if not thousands. I was never convinced by her getting signed so quickly in season 2.

I understand that they wanted to establish her as a successful artist, but that felt so rushed. I was so sure that the record label would screw her over and steal the song rights to record it with another artist who was already established, and that we'd have to see Amie work even harder to achieve her dreams. But we didn't get that at all. Where was the struggle?

Anyway, I'm getting a little off-topic here. To be honest I have a lot of problems with the writing sometimes, even if I still love the show and its characters. Of course I wanted to see Amie achieve success (and I was happy when she did), but the journey there was so bizarrely easy.

She didn't start to seriously work on making her music career become a reality until season 2. Amie had dabbled in music prior to that, like when she auditioned for the school band and did that performance of Follow, but she didn't truly start to work towards it until season 2 when she decided to have her work sent to professionals in the business. And then, just five episodes later, she gets contacted by the record label in Stockholm.

To put this into context—season 2 took place somewhere around March, and episode 5 around three weeks into April. So when Ludde first started helping Amie it took less than two months for her to get signed. You could argue that the song was just that good or that Amie is just that talented, but it never felt like a realistic storyline to me.

So, back to your question! I need to stop getting so sidetracked while answering these haha. I don't think it would be realistic for the record label to hire a teenager with no professional songwriting experience, likely a very small portfolio of his own work in both size and variety, having a criminal record, and on top of that being infamous in the press for abusing his ex-girlfriend. If Amie offered the ultimatum to her label that she'll only return with Ludde, who has an incredibly bad reputation right now, it feels like she would be running the risk of losing the contract entirely.

There's only so much her label can put up with. We've seen Amie ignore their calls with no intention of reassuring them that she's coming back soon. Honestly, with the way things are looking right now it makes the most sense for the contract to be dropped. By Amie or by the label, I don't know.

The episode description for the season finale says that Ludde will get some sort of justice and it could be about his music (or something related to whatever Andreas is doing).

I believe Amie will be doing a live performance of Ludde's song at a New Year's Eve party in episode 10 but I doubt that Ludde will be picked up as a producer. If he actually does I would find that to be a very unrealistic plot point, to be completely honest with you.

This is an issue I had with 3x08 and 3x09 as well. I had a hard time actually enjoying the moment between Felicia, Klara, and Amie knowing that her family was getting increasingly worried for her and even thought for a short moment that Felicia was lying dead at the bottom of the ocean. All that could've been avoided.

To add, it didn't make a lot of sense to me that when Klara finally decided to call someone she called Amie instead of Elias. An ex-friend of Felicia's instead of her brother who could've helped a lot more. What was Amie supposed to do when she showed up at the hotel, exactly?

I know there was the thing with Klara only knowing Amie's number off the top of her head, but there is no reason why she couldn't have gone down to the reception while Felicia was sleeping and asked to use a computer just to get a quick message to Elias. Like, "hey, Felicia attempted something bad but she's safe with me, we're at this hotel in this room but she didn't want me to call anybody, I don't know what to do". That would've been so much better than keeping quiet about the situation for nearly 24 hours.

I know that Klara probably has trauma from leaving her dad at the hospital after his suicide attempt and that she probably didn't want to go against Felicia's wishes. I understand the first part 100%. But Felicia was in a very bad place emotionally and was thinking that her whole family hated her when that wasn't the case. I feel like in a situation like that you kind of have to be the bad guy just to ensure the family that Felicia was safe. Even if everything turned out alright in the end, it could've gone so much worse if Felicia had wanted to be kept hidden for longer.

The ending of 3x08 was super tough to watch and I can't imagine the feeling of thinking your only daughter/sister drowned herself after you just yelled at her and showed no support. Klara couldn't have known any of this, but I feel like she should've at least contacted Elias if she wasn't taking Felicia to a hospital.

Elias calling Amie would've been an easy solution to this whole debacle but we would've lost the drama. It's still somewhat of a plot hole though, like you said.

Thank you for reading that whole post @detectivejulesohara!

The clip you're referring to was posted on Yandeh Sallah's Instagram account, so not in a trailer for this season.

I think that was either just fanservice or it will appear in season 4 since it was posted in May of this year, and I believe the filming of season 3 had already wrapped by then.

It might indicate that Elias and Amie will be a couple by season 4 (this actually seems very likely regardless if this is actually part of a scene or not).

I think Elias is getting increasingly frustrated with hockey and the fact that he doesn't really have any other ambitions to strive for. He was raised with nothing but hockey surrounding him and it's in his blood. Elias got drafted to the US at around the same age as Mats, but Elias left after a year because he just wasn't progressing.

That must feel like a huge step back, and on top of that Mats was probably thriving in his successful career around the age that Elias is now. It's a tough difference in success to have weighing on your shoulders when you're in a team that's second to last in the rankings.

There's even the accusation in the press that Mats paid for Elias to advance in the rankings, and I'm sure that's going to affect his career negatively.

I think Elias overworking himself could also be the result of him feeling like he has to prove that returning to Eagles—a small club that is probably having their worst season ever—was in fact the right choice and not the death of his elite hockey career. That choice was very questionable from the very start and his agent advised against it. Even Mats found it strange. Elias said that he didn't really have a choice most likely because of the clause in his contract, but then he also claims to Mats that things just turned out that way.

Ludde: You don’t regret coming back [to Eagles]? Elias: I didn’t really have a choice.

The idea that he didn't have a choice in the matter doesn't seem accurate. His agent told him there were other alternatives like Jokerit (a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland) and that they could find something better than Eagles. Elias seemed kind of defeated already and the decision to return to Eagles didn't feel thought-through at all. It's almost like he just didn't care.

Agent: [...] Jokerit has called and I’ve had a great conversation with them, so they’re on. Elias: You know what? Let’s skip all the trouble. Let’s go with Eagles, it’ll be great. Agent: What? Elias: I’m so tired of moving all the time anyway, plus I’ll be close to my family. Agent: Wait, I thought that you— Eagles has big economical problems, and… Sorry, but their season started awfully. We can get a better team. You understand, right? Elias: Yeah, but we can’t get a team that needs me as much. Plus— If they say they want to see development, I’ll give them that. Agent: Wait— They’re under the line. We’re talking about qualifying down directly. You can’t in earnest believe you’ll change that on your own. Elias: It’s perfect. I’ll only go up, as you like to say.

It also seems like he's maybe realizing that hockey isn't everything and that there are other things he might want to explore and pursue in his life. I think Elias is feeling kind of stuck right now. He's been training his whole life for one purpose which is a professional career in hockey, and maybe he feels like Mats wouldn't allow him to quit. That option doesn't exist to him.

Like you said, Mats had that comment where he labeled Ludde a "quitter" and Elias stressed the fact that there shouldn't be anything wrong with losing interest and deciding to pursue something else.

Mats: Can you imagine that he’s just quitting? I mean, I’m completely— He really didn’t strike me as a quitter. So fucking close. [...] Elias: [...] Ludde, he’s… He’s not a quitter, he’s just didn’t want it anymore. That should be fair.

However, quitting is seen as failure to Mats. Mats dropped everything when he got drafted. He left his relationship with Petra seemingly without a second thought, because hockey comes before everything for Mats. Felicia even mentioned back in season 1 how her father was just a voice in a telephone for most of her childhood. He barely had any presence in her life because he was busy with hockey.

When Klara tells Elias that he's always putting hockey first, he gets angry but he doesn't outright deny it. In fact, he kind of changes the subject to shift attention away from Klara's claim.

Klara: This— You haven’t changed at all. You’re always putting yourself first. Elias: Excuse me? Klara: Yes, it’s either you or hockey. Elias: Stop! What the— Klara: I can’t take this. Elias: Are you leaving now? I wasn’t the only one you dumped. You’ve been acting like shit to Felicia. Yeah, and Amie and Ludde too, for that matter. You haven’t thought about that? So don’t come here and say I’m the egoist.

This is kind of an interesting thought—that maybe Elias subconsciously knew that was Klara is saying is true to some degree and that he has been putting hockey first. He decided to get on the train to the draft combine in Seattle instead of staying with Klara, and a year later he realizes that things didn't turn out the way that he'd planned and he returns to Eagles.

Maybe Elias is trying so hard to be someone who he just isn't, and it's affecting so many aspects of his life negatively. He lost Klara, he had to repeat almost his whole last year in high school because of moving to the US, and now he seems to be stuck in Oskarshamn. He's previously expressed to Amie that this isn't necessarily where he wanted to end up.

Elias: [...] Hey, is it just me or is there something about this town that… It sort of feels like no matter how much you try to get away, it… It pulls you back somehow.

It's kind of strange that he doesn't want to be in Oskarshamn, and yet he was the one who chose to return. Maybe he somehow feels like he has some purpose there because it keeps pulling him back. He just doesn't know what that purpose is.

Elias tried coming back to Eagles to turn things around for them, and they did win a game against the Capitals but that victory was later tarnished by the fight that broke out between the two teams (and to add to this, the loss of Ludde who used to be one of the star players and Klara as a sponsor). That kind of overshadowed their whole victory. Elias was very determined to do something to help and it very much feels like he needs Eagles to succeed—he needs to sort of "redeem" himself.

Elias: [...] Can I do anything? Can I go talk to— I could go talk to the sponsor. Mats: Let’s deal with it later. I’ll solve this. You have to go to school now. Elias: But we can finish talking— Mats: You can— No. Try to think of something else. Alright?

I think that Elias's desperation for Eagles to do well could absolutely lead to him eventually deciding to be a coach. He doesn't really seem to want the life that Mats had after seeing how success turned out for him—a broken family that he barely cares about because hockey occupies his mind more than caring for his children or repairing the relationship with Leila.

I think Elias being a hockey coach could suit him, but I would also love to see him exploring things outside of hockey—maybe even his interests outside of sport entirely.

I kind of agree with you on this. Klara has apologized to Felicia and been forgiven, but we've never seen her properly apologize to Amie for filming that video of her and posting it on social media. Amie and Ludde were in the wrong, yes, but that video being posted was humiliating for both of them. They had to deal with the ramifications of that for months after with the whole school judging them in silence.

To be fair, the video was posted a long time ago in the show's time frame (nearly two years ago if I'm right?) and they all kind of moved on from it. To add to this, maybe she felt it would've been kind of awkward to apologize with Felicia in the room.

Felicia was so hurt by that video being posted and I think it would feel very weird for her that Klara would apologize for posting the video when it's the sole reason Felicia found out what had been done to her. Without that video, she would've probably gone a few more months without being told what happened at the Halloween party.

I'm waiting for a Klara and Amie reconciliation in this season finale. I feel like this is something that should be discussed between just the two of them, and maybe they'll sneak in some blessing from Klara with the whole budding Elias and Amie relationship? I'd be happy with just a reconciliation, though, but I'm unsure if we'll get one. I have a feeling they'll start the season finale with a time jump and I don't know if Klara is even going to be in Oskarshamn by that time.

If we don't see them reconnecting in the season finale I will be pretty disappointed, to be honest.

Thank you! I really appreciate you too @lunawedlers (your gifsets are absolutely magical)!

This question was sent in a while ago but as season 3 had just started airing I was very excited to see the development of Elias and Amie, mostly because the director had been hinting on Twitter that something would happen between them this season. I've been really interested in them ever since 1x03 and so far the wait has been worth it.

I think all episodes have great visuals, but if I had to pick one I would probably say 3x06. All those shots of Elias and Amie on the walk through the park, the drone shots, and then the view from that bench spot were so gorgeous visually. That answer is more of a scene rather than a whole episode haha, but I think they really made the beauty of Oskarshamn stand out in those shots.

I think Amie will have some sort of performance in the final episode of a new song and that Elias will be watching her! After reading the episode description for the final episode and seeing that there will probably be some New Year's Eve party going on, I have a feeling that Amie will be performing. She's always had a performance of a new song in every season finale and this one should be no exception.

They tricked us a little in the season 3 trailer with us thinking that Elias would be at one of Amie's concerts in Stockholm, but now I'm sure that this scene fits in at the New Year's Eve party.

I think we should keep our expectations low for a kiss between Elias and Amie. They just started developing their relationship, and I like the slow pace they're going in. They're not rushing anything. I also have this feeling that their development has deliberately been so slow because they're sort of "saving the best for last".

Elias and Amie are fan favorites and their relationship has been very talked-about from the beginning. I can see the writers maybe having decided to push their relationship more towards the end of the show, which is why we haven't really gotten any Elias and Amie content until now. That's frustrating if you're impatient and I've seen some people thinking that maybe Elias and Amie won't happen at all, but I don't think we need to worry at all. The fact that Elias and Amie's development has been so slow should indicate that they're much more likely to be endgame.

A kiss in episode 10 could definitely happen, but I don't know. Maybe they'll drag it out further. As I've said before, if they don't get one in season 3 they will absolutely be getting one in season 4. I've noticed that it's always best to keep your expectations low when it comes to this couple.

The episode description for the season finale said this about Elias, which some have interpreted to be about Amie.

New Year’s Eve is here. [...] But is Elias brave enough to say what everyone else already knows?

This could mean anything, really. I'm actually leaning more towards this being about an individual thing rather than Amie being involved. It could be about Elias admitting that he's been overworking himself and not eating properly, or coming clean about the fact that maybe he doesn't want a career in hockey. This is something that everyone else already knows, so I think it might be about hockey.

Felicia has observed the overworking, Mats has told him to stop with it, and Ludde might've had some inkling about it while he was still on the team. Even Amie has probably also noticed that he's been spending a lot of time at the gym lately.

I could absolutely be wrong about this though.

Thank you for the question @lunawedlers!

This is a hard one because season 3 has had so many strong episodes already, and usually my favorite episode ends up being the season finale because it's basically the culmination of the whole season. I really loved 2x10 for this very reason since the ending montage was so well done.

If I had to pick between 3x01 - 3x09 though I would probably have to say it's a tie between 3x04 — Date night and 3x05 — Wounds! These two episodes showcased what Eagles should be all about so well, which is relationships plus the struggles you go through as a teenager in a small town, and then of course hockey. The hockey game episodes are really good, even if I don't think 3x05 topped 2x05 (the game where Ludde got tackled and knocked out).

I loved the contrast in Date night of the budding relationship between Elias and Amie and then that fight between Felicia and Ludde on the cliff. That whole scene between Felicia and Ludde on the cliff was actually really beautiful, especially when the sun had gone down.

It was interesting to see how this sweet gesture from Felicia turned into a fight between the two of them. I thought that was very realistic, because no matter how big of a gesture Felicia made to apologize there were still underlying problems that they needed to talk about.

I also loved the "non-date" between Elias and Amie in this episode. It was cute to see them goofing off before the movie started and then talking about it on the way home. I liked how Elias could connect to her on how they had both returned to Oskarshamn.

The recent episodes that dropped last week (3x08 and 3x09) were very strong and discussed some important subject matters, but I had a few problems with them that I discussed in a question above. They were dark, but not necessarily bad because they needed to happen.

However, I have to say that I prefer Eagles when it's about hockey and teenage relationships. 3x04 and 3x05 made me kind of nostalgic for season 1 and I liked the vibe they both had.

I agree, but I think we could maybe get a combination of both! Relationships can have all these romantic and sweet traits like you described, but also be more passionate and show public displays of affection.

I think Elias and Amie fit the more laid-back and sweet characteristics, but we have yet to really see what Amie is like in a relationship. We've seen her with a crush on Ludde and we got a glimpse of that thing she had with Robin (which was apparently a relationship but I did not pick up on that at all), but we don't really know what Amie is like in a relationship. Maybe she's never really had a "real" one, either.

Nevertheless, I'm excited to see what's in store for Elias and Amie. I'm very positive that they will eventually become a couple in season 4.

[pedroalonso]

it’s so funny to me how the fandom is so divided about palermo’s development there is no middle ground in any of the arguments i’ve seen so far

Martín has always been a divisive character from the start and I honestly love that for him. lmao. But yeah, In truth, I can’t scroll through the LCDP tag without seeing someone ranting about Palermo, either negatively or positively regarding his arc this season.

And after thinking about it for a while, I realize that a large chunk of people’s arguments (my own included) are deeply rooted in personal interpretation and biases. We all have our own takes on a character. We project either our likes or dislikes on them, depending on our own life experiences and beliefs. It’s not wrong to do so, it’s literally a normal thing humans do. To personalize a story in a way that resonates with them.

But at the end of the day, characters are not sentient beings. They are narrative tools to tell a story and move the plot forward. While we can get a gauge of the “basics” of a character from the stuff we are presented with in canon, we can never really be certain about “who they are” because they aren’t real. Their development is dependent on what kind of story is being told, and writers will always adjust their characters to fit the current narrative.

In terms of Volume 1, the writers have always hinted that they wanted to make the final season “an explosive one”, meaning they wanted to make it more action heavy. And looking back on it now, they succeeded in doing what they set out to do. The new season was like an action movie. Lots of gunfire. Explosions. It’s easy to brush it off as LCDP mimicking another Hollywood blockbuster to increase viewership, but I think it made sense. It showed us how dire their situation is in the bank. How much deep shit they were in that the military was willing to bomb the building and inadvertently kill hostages just to catch them. And the first volume ended with the MAIN CHARACTER getting killed off. Like the stakes were so high not even the goddamn narrator survived. The show is literally telling us how fucked things are for the band.

So with that said, the characters adjusted to this “action” movie vibe the writers wanted to go with. And I think they all acted accordingly. There was less conflict within the group because they worked together to beat a common enemy, setting aside their personal issues to get the job done and survive. And while it’s true that some character arcs (Palermo’s especially) had to be set aside, it was because they HAD to in order to move the plot forward. How much sense would it make if Martín kept raving on about the gold when the Bank was literally exploding around him? He’s a chaotic asshole, yeah. But give him more credit than that, he’s not an idiot. The gold can wait. He needs to survive NOW.

And again, narrative wise, who he is in Part 5 directly connects to his last scene in Part 4. He made a promise to do better and they followed it through in literally the first episode of Volume 1, where he’s shown to be more remorseful for his actions. If he just went back to being an angry asshole, it wouldn’t have made sense because otherwise, what was his last scene in Part 4 supposed to be for?? Just for funsies?? No, of course not. They were already foreshadowing where his arc was heading in Part 5.

And I know LCDP sucks at maintaining continuity. There are a lot of plotholes that haven’t been addressed because they probably forgot about it or deemed it unnecessary. (Like me, for example, wondering if Martín knows it was Helsinki who blew up the tunnel that resulted in Andrés death??? Like I want that angst PLEASE).

But, hear me out. What LCDP fails in continuity, they make up for emotional terrorism. Not only are they more than capable of killing off likable characters (NAAAAIROBI), they are also very good at making unlikeable characters… not always loveable. But understandable, in a way. More empathetic. For example: Berlin was 100% a disgusting dipshit in the Mint, yes, but in the end when he sacrifices himself to save the gang and you find out he and the Professor were brothers this whole time? That was a twist. Maybe you didn’t end up liking Berlin, but you felt pain for Sergio for losing someone so obviously dear to him. They made you feel sorry for seeing this asshole go.

Which brings me to my final point. Characters are used to convey a theme. What do they represent in the story? Berlin’s thematic arc in the first two seasons, for example, was him going from a villain to an anti-hero. From the moment we find out about his terminal illness, we knew he was going to die either way. You can see him grappling with his mortality — about the inevitability of his death. And it seemed like he was planning to live out his last remaining years being an asshole surrounded by a shitload of money, until he ultimately dies from his illness.

But then, he sacrifices himself. Not only does he escape the “humiliating” decline that was to befall him when he escapes, he also gave meaning to his death. He, the heartless evil bastard, made himself the hero in the end. How rude!

So, when it comes to Martín, we have to think: What is his purpose in this story? What is the theme he’s trying to convey? Is it the tragedy of an unrequited love? Or is it learning to let it go?

Because looking back in episode two of Part 3, Sergio recruits Martín in a dirty flat in Palermo, littered with empty liquor bottles and Martín himself looking like a mess. When he broaches the topic of the heist, Martín can barely mention Andrés without his voice cracking. And when he and Sergio do discuss Andrés, he screams and gets angry and cries. He was obviously still mourning Andrés, who at this point, died FIVE YEARS AGO. That is not… a normal grieving period. May it be due to the lack of a support system after Andrés’s death (since I doubt Sergio visited), or the lack of real closure between him and Andrés, or something else, the point is… Martín Berrote was not okay. He was still clinging to Andrés in some way. Still unable to move on.

So when Sergio proposes to do the Bank of Spain heist and Martín accepts, his thematic arc began. He is introduced as Andrés’s long suffering best friend who was in love with him for years until he was eventually discarded. A lot of his moments in the show discuss and convey this dynamic. From him telling Sergio he loved the plan as much as he loved Andrés, to Nairobi confronting him about Berlin, to Martín himself telling Helsinki how Andrés leaving him made him the “asshole” he is today.

His theme is not just about his love for Andrés, but his grief and suffering because of it. Where the show will eventually take it is still debate-able, and we’ll have to wait for Volume 2 for that. But viewing Martín’s whole arc in this way, through the scenes they chose to put about him, and the way they connect it to the main plot — his development this season did not come out of the blue. It made logical and narrative sense. It all connects! This was the kind of story they wanted for him from the start.

[hangrypa]

s/p first year as a PA

I was hired as a hospitalist primarily for the transplant service. However, in the setting of the pandemic and staffing shortages, I am all over the place now and work in almost everything non-pediatric and non-surgical. 

In my first few months as a PA, I was incredibly overwhelmed. I went from being a learner who switches specialties every month to a fully-fledged provider making life-or-death decisions on an hourly basis. Oftentimes I’d find myself in the room of a patient actively crumping, surrounded by the patient’s family and multiple nurses awaiting instructions on what to do to save the patient. I thought that I faced a lot of pressure in school, but it was nothing compared to this. 

And just when I started to get a hang of it all, the pandemic hit. What a nightmare. As mentioned above, I was hired to work with with transplant patients. Prior to the pandemic, my transplant colleagues and I were masking and gowning for almost every patient: 1 surgical mask and 1 gown per patient and per patient encounter. But once COVID hit, we were rationing PPE. 1 N95, 1 pair of goggles, and 1 face shield for the pandemic. 1 surgical mask per week, and 1 gown only if a patient had Cdiff or a history of MDRO bacteremia.

What did the pandemic mean for our transplant patients? 

Our patients are on immunosuppressant medications to prevent transplant rejection. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for them to fight infections. 

Our department did what it could to prevent COVID. We'd test patients on admission for COVID, regardless of symptoms or exposure history. If they were positive, they went to the COVID team and quarantined on their unit for a period of time and had to test negative before returning to our unit and being transplanted. We took many other measures to reduce COVID risk to the best of our ability. 

People still died. To see someone get transplanted successfully and then die of a virus is horrifying. Unfortunately, despite our admission tests, sometimes patients contracted COVID within the hospital. Patients would be happily FaceTiming their family one moment, telling them all of their plans for once they were discharged- then the next day they'd be intubated. We tried Remdesivir, Dexamethasone, prone positioning, etc. But the virus moved through them quickly, and these efforts often were too late. No amount of hoping and praying brought them back. 

As a first year PA, I learned to go to an empty conference room, close the door, and remove my mask before calling to the family of the deceased. This way, as they gathered around the phone in their homes, the family could hear me unmuffled as I delivered the news. Also, this way my tears didn't ruin my mask for the rest of the week. 

I learned a lot this year. It's been a mixture of crying and laughing. There are times that I question why I ever became a PA, and then there are times when this career feels like home. In addition to transplant, I’ve also been working in the  ED, IMC, ICU, inpatient hospice, clinic, and infusion center these past 6 months. I’ve learned quite a lot along the way.

Lessons learned as a first year PA:

1. Check your pager hourly: This is in addition to checking it whenever you get paged. Sometimes I’ll get paged while I’m rounding, read it, and then forget about it. Now I go through my pager at every hour to ensure that I already responded to all my pages and then answer ones that I missed/forgot.  On a semi-related note, a while back I wrote about good paging etiquette.

2. Let people know when you're out: I work a rotating schedule. As a result, it’s hard to predict when I’m in or out of the hospital. Sometimes I’ll come back on service and find urgent emails or texts that are a few days old. Now I leave an away message with my return date and my supervisor’s contact information on both email and hospital text. If someone really needs to get a hold of me, my supervisor has my personal cell phone number.

3. Be conscientious of what time you consult: I generally try to get all of my nonurgent consults done before 3pm. Many services have only 1 resident covering after 3pm, so I try not to page/call unless I have an emergency. 

4. Call the nurse if something needs to be done urgently: Being a nurse means being the ultimate multitasker. Room 5 is due for his IV Amphotericin, Room 2's Foley is supposed to come out prior to void trial with Urology, Room 1's infusion completed and is beeping, and Room 4 is a bit altered and yanked out her PICC. Now I’m placing an order for Room 3 to get IV Lasix due to concern for pulmonary edema. However, the nurse may be preoccupied with Room 4 and not see the order in the computer for some time. If I really need to the patient to get the Lasix right way, I’ll place the order through EMR and then call the nurse and see what their situation is. If they’re crazy busy with Room 4 and likely to be unable to get to the Lasix within the next 15min, I ask whether they’re okay with me asking another nurse to give the Lasix now. Usually the answer is yes.

5. Value your nurses: Nurses know the patient best. They’re the ones answering call bells, giving meds, doing dressing changes, etc. Unfortunately they oftentimes bear the brunt of everyone’s frustrations, from patients to patients’ families to attendings to managers. Not to mention, they’re the ones doing the dirty work. Bedside nurses are the heartbeat of healthcare, but they also are high risk for burnout. Always support your nurses, whether that’s volunteering to answer a patient’s family member’s 17th phone call of the day or responding to a patient’s call bell yourself. 

6. Know how to get a hold of someone quickly: It’s less than ideal to page someone repeatedly. At my hospital, if I need to talk to an attending urgently, I call the operator and ask them to connect me directly to the attending’s cell phone. If a patient is crashing and we’re not in the ICU, I dial the emergency number and call a rapid response, which sends people running into my patient’s room. 

7. Plan your discharge meds from Day 1: The goal of every admission is to treat the patient and then discharge them safely. Send medications early for prior auth and call the pharmacy to make sure that they have medications in stock. (One time a patient’s insurance didn’t cover Levofloxacin, of all things.) 

8. Keep social work and care coordination aware of all needs from the start: Does your patient looks unsteady? Place a PT/OT consult and let social work and care coordination know that the patient might require home therapy services and/or DME so that they can start looking at services and companies that may be covered by insurance. Does your patient have a central line? They’ll likely need a home health service to teach them how to care for it daily at home. Do they seem to require frequent transfusions? They’ll probably need labs on discharge. Is the patient’s living situation safe (no heat/AC, possible abuse at home, financial difficulties, etc)? They may need alternative housing.

9. The attending is not always right: Generally speaking, the attending has the last say on how the team manages a patient. However, I’ve come across situations in which an attending’s decision put a patient in more danger. Sometimes asking them about their decision can help steer the care plan toward better patient care. Other times you just have to stand your ground and be okay with being on the receiving end of an attending’s misdirected rant. Report these instances to your manager and to other higher-ups.

10. Always have gloves in your pocket: You never know when you’ll find a mess. Or which part of the body someone asks you to examine. Or how hygienic a person is (or is not).

11. Verify weird vitals: I was very new when I walked into work, opened a patient’s chart, and promptly bolted down the hallway when I saw a patient’s O2 sats recorded as 15-20s. I found the patient sitting up in bed, eating breakfast, and bewildered by me bursting into the room. Turns out that overnight someone mistakenly recorded his respirations as the O2 sats.

12. Remove whatever tubes you can: Anything entering the body is an infection risk. Does your patient still need that Foley placed by the surgery team? No? Yank it (don’t actually yank because ouch). Is your patient A&O and able to eat without aspirating? Remove the NG tube. Does your patient have good veins and require infrequent transfusions/labwork? Pull their central line.

13. Take a buddy with you to emergencies: Two heads are better than one. Even if you’re a seasoned provider and well-equipped to manage an emergency, you might need another body to help with performing CPR, making urgent calls, grabbing supplies, etc. 

14. Ask your patients about premeds for procedures: We all have different levels of pain tolerance. A procedure goes far more smoothly if your patient is comfortable. Note: if you’re going to premed with Ativan or an opiate in the outpatient setting, make sure they have a driver.

15. Be good to your charge nurse and unit secretary: I don’t know how they do it. If I had to manage the unit’s signout, patient complaints, calls from other floor, being yelled at by providers, verifying paper orders, and finding beds for incoming patients- all at the same time - I’d lose my mind. 

16. If your patient is mad, just shut up and listen: There are many things that you can’t control: the time it takes for a patient to get a room, the temperature of hospital food, the dismissive attitude of your attending, etc. And oftentimes the patient knows this. My reflex is to want to apologize for things and overexplain why different things are happening. But sometimes the patient just needs to rant. Take a step back and just listen. That can make all the difference.

17. Fact check your notes: The framework for your progress note often is the note from the day prior. It sounds obvious, but make sure that you go through the note and make updates and changes accordingly. If today is 01/15, there’s a good chance that the Fungitell from 12/31 is not still pending. 

18. Try to learn some nursing skills: This is one of the areas in which I most envy my NP colleagues. If a patient’s IV pump is beeping or their central line need to be flushed, I oftentimes awkwardly step out of the room and look vacantly into the distance for a nurse. I’ve finally figured out how to spike a bag (albeit I do so very slowly, and it certainly makes the RNs giggle some). I talked to our unit’s nurse manager, and she’s willing for me to learn some nursing skills from the staff during a slow day- we’ll see when thing slow down!

19. Be kind: Generally speaking, being in a hospital is stressful. Patients are feeling out of sorts, and staff are working with constant dinging in the background. I rant plenty on this website, but I’m kind to everyone at work (with few exceptions) because it makes things more comfortable for everyone. Additionally, if you are always kind to your patients and colleagues, your reputation will speak for itself. One time I was walking down a hall with poor reception while on my ASCOM with a notoriously standoffish nurse from another unit. My phone cut out. She called my unit’s nurse manager to complain, and the nurse manager told her that I would never hang up on purpose. My interactions with the nurse going forward were always more pleasant in nature.

20. Support your team: The best colleagues are not the smartest colleagues; the best coworkers are the ones who have your back. Whether it’s a medical emergency or just a strange situation, it’s important to be supported and to give support.

I know that I’ve learned a lot more than this, so I’ll likely be adding to this throughout the year. Happy Snow Day, all!

[dawn-of-tomorrow]

shoutout to @punishing-gray-raven-ocs for this ask game~!!

original post is here

god, this became much longer since i now i have 5 PGR OCs, ahahaah :'DDDD

1) Are you excited about Autumn starting? Why or why not?

Yoko: Of course~! After all, who wouldn't be excited to either sleep an extra hour in or just be around the people you love, all cozy indoors~.

Higetsu: Looks like things will become noisy again, but I don't mind it. After all, it's fine to have fun every once in a while.

Artemisia: I personally do not mind it. What comes and goes, will come and go. Such is the seasons, after all.

Pollux: Halloween~! Hot cocoa with 'mallows~! Food~! Hehe, so many things to choose from, wonder what I'll prepare for Castor~. Maybe if I ask Teacher for an extra day off, she wouldn't mind.

Castor: Uncertain. Castor has no opinions regarding the changing of seasons. It is simply a natural order of the world.

2) If you are excited about Autumn, what is your favorite Autumn activity?

Yoko: Seasonal activities aren't complete without any festivals~!! You name it, I'm gonna try out everything! Halloween is definitely a part of the fun~.

Higetsu: I'm already expecting both Yoko and Kamui to drag me into any and all celebrations they can join and come across, so scratch sleeping an entire day off from my list.

Artemisia: In the past I used to bake seasonal pies to share with my friends and family whenever Autumn arrived...... haaah. It's been so long. Apologies, don't mind my answer.

Pollux: Castor and I used to roast chestnuts whenever we could, hehe~. Even to this day, I can still remember the smell of the last chestnuts we roasted as humans. Ah, of course, I'm pretty confident in my pumpkin carving skills-- you'll regret doubting my abilities, haha~!

Castor: No comment. Castor has no preferences for any activities. ... However... it might be nice to... attend an Autumnal festival along with brother, Teacher, and everyone........ no, it is nothing. Do forget about it.

3) How would you like to enjoy Autumn once the war is over?

Yoko: Of course, I'd invite everyone to a slumber party back at home. There's a lot of guest rooms that we haven't used in a long time, so everyone can either share a room or have their own~! ... Ah, but I'd probably have to ask dad, er, father about that.

Higetsu: After the war Autumn celebrations, huh.... haven't really thought about that. ... Maybe, I'll sleep an entire day away? Then plan out a relatively small get-together between Gray Raven and Strike Hawk.

Artemisia: ..... I have no plans yet. But... it would be nice to just spend the day with the kids(Pollux and Castor), taking them on an outdoor trip, or even just a peaceful stroll and shopping spree in the stores

Pollux: Mhrrmmm.... Argh, too many things to decide on~!! I'm decide then!!! But I'll definitely make sure Castor survives until then, so we can experience an Autumn where he can live a peaceful life again.

Castor: I....... Castor is.... uncertain. After the war... Castor has never thought about what to do after the war. What does Teacher and brother have to say about this? ....Is that so? Then I will follow their guidance.

4) Do you enjoy Pumpkin Spice-scented foods and/or products?

Yoko: Hehe, yeah~. Ah, I'm not a glutton though! Even I can't eat too much without hurting my stomach, uuuh.

Higetsu: Just to an alright amount. I'm not so crazy over such things that I'd eat them almost constantly you know.

Artemisia: Hm, perhaps just a little. It's fine to enjoy such delicacies every once in a while.

Pollux: ALL OF IT~!! Ahaha, sorry sorry~. But the more the merrier, right, right? Plus, that means there's all the more I can pretend I can't to eat anymore so I can give to both Castor and Teacher~.

Castor: No comment. It is simply a matter of which is the most appealing to my taste and smell regulations, that is all.

5) Are you going to decorate your dorm for Autumn or Halloween?

Yoko: Naturally~! Gray Raven will celebrate Autumn, and I'm already planning out our Halloween decor layouts with Lucia, Liv, and Lee.

Higetsu: Kamui already begged me and Chrome earlier if Strike Hawk could also decor the base with seasonal decorations. I didn't mind it, and though Chrome needed just a bit more pleading, he was fine with it so long as everyone cleaned up the place once the season is ending.

Artemisia: I've already given Pollux and Castor permission to decorate the base as they see fit. I trust that they won't go too overboard.

Pollux: That's such an obvious question with an obvious answer~. Of course we will! Teacher's already given us the go-ahead to decorate the Aegis squad, and we already have the decor ready~. Castor and I'll begin right after this interview.

Castor: Affirmative. Brother wished to celebrate the Autumn season and Halloween, thus we are to put up decorations in our base soon.

6) Hot cocoa or pumpkin spice latte. Which one would you pick, and why?

Yoko: It's gotta be pumpkin spice latte! Hehe, the foam one reason, but the taste is the best part! I hear people say it's too sweet for them, but personally I think it's fine? Mhm, well, everyone's preferences are different after all, so I don't judge~.

Higetsu: Hot cocoa, although pumpkin spice latte is alright too. It's nothing much really, I just prefer the taste of cocoa over the latte.

Artemisia: I have no preferences for either. If anyone were to offer me one of the two, then I'd take the one they're willing to give away.

Pollux: Both! Because Castor likes both, I can just buy either of the two and we can just have one of each. Hehe, don't tell Castor this, but I can tell that he enjoys having hot cocoa with 'mallows, so I often sneakily put in at least a few of them in his drink when I can~.

Castor: .............both. I... Castor is uncertain. The flavor of the beverages simply taste exquisite. That is all. ....but hot cocoa with marshmallows dipped in... I am uncertain as to why, but my chest is heating up at the thought of it.

7) If you're a Commandant, are you throwing any Autumn or Halloween related activities for your squad?

Yoko: Naturally! Lucia, Liv, and Lee all deserve to have have fun and enjoy the season too! They keep pushing themselves to do a lot, and I wanted to give them even just a bit of fun before going back to work.

Higetsu: ....So what if I am. Everyone at Strike Hawk has been working hard, so is it such a surprising thing that I want them to also take a time-off and enjoy themselves? ... Don't you dare tell them though.

Artemisia: Certainly. Although it's been a long time since I threw any Halloween or Autumn-related parties, even a simple celebration of the seasons would suffice. ... But if those two want a grander celebration, then, I suppose I could ask "that person" for a favor or two.

8) What would be the perfect Autumn-themed date for you?

Yoko: Hmmm, there's so many choices for that~.... but spending the day inside the cozy indoors with Lee doesn't seem like a bad idea either... hehe~. But it would also be nice to go out and have a picnic with everyone, just having fun.

Higetsu: Making jack-o'-lanterns, having a horror movie marathon night, going shopping for Halloween costumes and other related stuff, making seasonal pies and donuts.... What? I'm only saying these because Kamui's a huge bubble of energy, so he most certainly would wanna do a lot of things for a "date". ...It's not that I wouldn't enjoy it either though.

Artemisia: A date? No comment. I have no time for such things. Besides... I'm not qualified for such normal and mundane peaceful activities.

Pollux: Bzzzt-!! Nobody will be taking anyone on a date here~! Ah, but an outing with Castor and Teacher word be nice though. I wanna see those two happy, since they're... bah, nevermind. You heard nothing~.

Castor: Negative. A date is an event one goes with a lover, is it not? Then Castor is unable to go to one. ....Hm? You can go on a date with either friends and/or family instead? Is that so. ... Then, perhaps going to a carnival would be nice with brother and Teacher would be nice...

9) Do you enjoy rainy weather, or does it make you gloomy?

Yoko: Well, so long as it's just a light rain or a heavy rain that doesn't last long. The best part of the rain is afterwards, provided the weather didn't disrupt the surroundings too much, aha~.

Higetsu: I don't have any particular feelings towards the rainy weather to be honest. ...Except for the fact that it makes me feel a bit drowsy, damnit.

Artemisia: The rain, huh.... the weather has given me both joyous and grieving moments. I don't hate it, but I don't like it either.

Pollux: I hate the rain. ...Shut up, I won't elaborate why. Move on to the next question before I tear your throat out.

Castor: I.... I don't have fond memories of the rain. But if a mission requires to trudge through even rain, then so be it.

10) Cuddling up next to your favorite partner, on a rainy afternoon, while watching your favorite movies. Would you enjoy this activity? Why or why not?

Yoko: Ehehe~. Is it that obvious I'd enjoy experiencing that with Lee? Honestly, anything I get to experience with Lee would become a good memory, because it means that we're still together, by each other's side then.

Higetsu: Yes. Ah, wait, no I didn't mean to answer that so quickly-- oi, what's with that smirk on your face!? Quit it, you--!! And don't you dare tell Kamui anything I've said here!!!

Artemisia: That sounds like a lovely scenario, I'm sure everyone would enjoy for that to happen. ...That is why I must work harder for that future, for everyone's sake. ...Hm? What about me then, you ask? .... It matters not. So long as I can preserve the happiness of others and their loved ones... then I can get through anything.

Pollux: Something so mundane and tranquil as that.... heh. Not everyone's deserving of that~. But, it would really be something if Castor were to ever finally experience something like that, Teacher too. 'S why I want them to find even the smallest bit of happiness in this crappy world. ....Oi, cut out that footage afterwards and don't share it, else I'll kill you. Heh, am I joking or not~ that's the question~.

Castor: Negative. This scenario requires a lover for this to occur. As Castor has none, then Castor cannot answer this question. ...Hm? Then choose someone close to you instead? A fine alternative. .... would it be alright if I answered a group? Specifically.... the Gray Ravens, Strike Hawks, brother, and Teacher....

[fizzingwizard]

Episode 13! I don’t have all that much to say about it. But there were three things in particular I really liked!

Sorato moments! It may be small (I mean, they’re kids and they’ve known each other for like a day), but no one will be able to say Sora and Yamato didn’t have any development in this season!

Sora Getting Shit Done! She’s as cool as Yamato. Scratch that, she’s cooler than Yamato. She’s honest and compassionate. She’s brave like Taichi, values her friends as much as Yamato, AND she can get along with both of them. Bahahaha.

SO MANY adorable Jou&Gomamon moments this episode. Like seriously. SO MANY.

I’ll just tack some here:

More below!

So our two groups are still separated! Jumping ahead, but next week we’ll see MegaKabuterimon, and that rounds out two episodes for each group. But that still leaves Zudomon’s appearance. Just a hunch, but my guess is we’ll see him the episode after which will be the reunion episode too. If not, I suppose the groups are gonna stay separated longer, but this is my guess.

So, once again, our kids have been in this world for Not Very Long At All. It doesn’t seem like they’ve had to stop and sleep so far, though they’ve eaten a bit. Probably it’s still the same day in digital world time o.o It’s completely plausible that they’ve been sleeping and we’re just not being told about it though. This is a kids show, next week Koushirou could be like “we’ve been walking for a week!” and we’ll just have to roll with it lol. But until that happens, I’m going with it’s been about a day and almost everyone’s easily got two evolutions under their belt. Evolving is much easier in this season - Taichi and Yamato even got a Jogress already - so it’s definitely past time to throw out old concepts of how evolving work. The kids clearly have Crests, but they don’t know what they are, which means that’s a thing we’ll be seeing in the future. In spite of that, they can evolve to higher levels. So, maybe something else is in store for them when the Crests become important. Very interesting.

We are back with the trio who’s got their shit slightly more together. Except for Jou’s stomach. Was really amused by Yamato using binoculars. I assume Sora brought them. I’m so used to Taichi’s telescope, but it only makes sense that each group should have some working gear!

Also par for the course, Yamato looking at what’s ahead while Jou’s being sick and Sora’s in between helping them both :P

They find this thing. The hive of brainwashed mecha soldier bees. The person who wrote this episode has definitely had a bad run in with suzumebachi.

As they try to escape, Jou immediately falls off Birdramon.

Me: “Oh no! Someone go help him!”

Gomamon:

Me: “NO NOT YOU”

Like I know they’re partners... but Gomamon doesn’t even have hands. xD All he can do (and all he does do!) is fall together. They’re partners so it’s not surprising, but still... Wheeeeeee!

Honestly though it is just so adorable to me how useless Jou is and how hard Gomamon tries for him... even though Gomamon has a lot more excuse for being useless. I mean, he’s made for a water habitat.

Gabumon: “Jou’s with Gomamon, so he should be okay...”

-___- You know nothing, Jon Snowmon. You know nothing about how much trouble Jou can get himself in

See!?!?!?!??!?! DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THEY’RE OKAY TO YOU, GABUMON??? EAT YOUR WORDS!!!

This is what happens when you try to too hard to make a bee cute. So overdesigned xP It’s like hitting me on the head saying “I’M CUTE, LOOK AT ME!! I’M CUTE!!!” like chill dude, it’s ok. just chill

I guess it works on Sora though, she’s as concerned for this cutie pie as she is for Jou... maybe more.

We make a quick switch to group number 2 who are finally living up to my expectations for how nuts they are. Koushirou’s connection is turbulent, to use the lingo Tumblr always pisses me off with!

Mimi offers to help. “My grandpa can get you a better one!” She... she tries.

Taichi offers to help too. “Times like this you just gotta whack it!” Koushirou looks appropriately terrorized.

I’m so relieved to know Taichi and Mimi are both still batshit.

Yamato and Sora hatch a plan to save Jou by getting themselves captured too. Honestly the show doesn’t spend enough time on the cool stuff like hatching this plan! It just happens! It def got me thinking how brave and cooperative Sora is. Like, we already know Yamato is cool, and he has more experience in the digital world than the others. But Sora just rolls with it. She’s not freaking out, she’s thinking things through, and she can help strategize. 99 Adventure was like “Girls don’t need to do things like pedal swan boats or take watch at night!” This ones like “Girls can definitely do those things! As long as they are pink when they do them!”

Jou and Gomamon arrive in the hive where they are immediately separated... and Jou is thrown out with the trash. BAHAHAHA. GEEZ this show will not ease up on Jou!!

by the way... Gabumon... ARE YOU EATING YOUR WORDS YET!?!?

Sora and Yamato make it inside and hitch a ride on Garurumon...

... They both jump like this when they need to get off so Garurumon can evolve. With jumping style like that, Sorato is a ship made n heaven.

Fuck everything I said about Gomamon working best in his water habitat, IT WAS ALL A LIE. First swimming through sand, now this. Jou has LITERALLY NO EXCUSE for being as useless as he is anymore

also Wolverfish is back, I am some day going to make one of those old geocities shrine sites just for Wolverfish

They are surrounded on all sides though, so what should we do? “Go down.” Yamato, DID YOU FORGET WE ARE IN THE AIR.

Once again Sora is A-OK with all of this! Jou’s the only one having a normal human reaction to A HOLE OPENING IN THE FLOOR OF AN AIRBORNE VESSEL

Gomamon T____T Jou would be mince meat without you

It turns out that Yamato’s shitty plan wasn’t so shitty after all, because either he and Sora talked about what they’d have to do if the couldn’t stay inside the hive, or Sora is psychic. Or just that good at cleaning up after hot-headed men. Anyway yeah Birdramon to the rescue.

For a hot second there it looked like Yamato was going to be like “We don’t have time to save those Digimon” again. Which, I thought we worked through last time, so I was confused. BUT it turns out he only wanted Sora to know he’s got her number. He’s figured out she’s not the type who can turn her back when someone needs help, even if she’s got her own priorities to think about. Sora’s selfless. Yamato clues into that. AND HE TOTALLY SUPPORTS HER <3

Urrrk can Yamato do anything that isn’t Cool

I just love the way he holds them.

Sora faces off with the hive... who’s blast causes a volcanic eruption or something!

Birdramon fights back!

It’s not very effective!!!

Now as much as this is supposedly a Sora episode... she’s had some cool moments but it doesn’t feel like Her Episode as much as last week felt like Mimi’s ep, or the weeks before felt like they belonged to Taichi and Yamato. So actually, that makes it strike number two for Sora, although this episode is definitely better than episode four. It’s not fair. I’m just glad we got some new stuff for her this time, but the writers seem so determined to make her the “good girl” that they forgot character development needs to involve some stakes. So, in place of that, they just do another montage.

First Sora reflects on how useless Jou is.

Then she reflects on how hot Yamato looks when he’s totally helpless.

Then she thinks about how the two of them remind her of pitiful baby bees.

The result... Garudamon!!! Always my favorite Ultimate evolution.

It’s a laaaaaaaser battle!!!!

Yamato’s like “Holy crap I’ve got to get with this girl”

We then set up the intro for next week’s episode, with Koushirou’s computer starting to work again, though not completely. I want it to not work at ALL so Koushirou can be like “i’m no longer useful to my friends, woe is me!” and his friends can be all “Koushirou you’re my best pal no matter what!” and then he saves the day using his noggin. If it was good enough for Mimi’s grandpa it’s good enough for you.

I’m also amused to learn that in spite of apparently selling computers, Mimi’s grandpa too is an advocate of hitting them to make them work.

Agumon mimicking every adorable thing Taichi does is adorableness overload.

Taichi once again offers to smack the computer, like the Taichi of my childhood. However, he claims he’s joking. He’s a 21st century kid after all.

Agumon tells him hitting the computer will hurt his hand, so he should let Agumon do it instead T___T omg that’s the cutest thing EVER I’d give this episode ten stars for this moment alone

but ignoring adorable Taichi/Agumon and Jou/Gomamon moments, I’ll give this episode a 6.5/10. It was almost there! It really needed more Sora though! You know, the spotlight character of the week??

I just don’t feel her as convincingly as the others... which is in part intentional, I think, because that’s Sora. She doesn’t talk about her own feelings so much, she’s private, but she cares very deeply about those around her. I absolutely am with that, but I think that’s really challenging to write, and it wouldn’t bother me so much if we were getting more development in small ways for all the kids all the time. Instead the primary way is these spotlight episodes. We had them in 99 Adventure too, but there was more dialogue between the kids. Watching this episode, I had a thought like “This reminds me of a formulaic Pokemon episode.” As in, there’s someone to rescue, we rescue them, it has little to no consequence for us on a personal level and next week we won’t even mention it happened. At least this episode, they did mention Neemon’s group, to show how this is a pattern for Sora. I’m gonna cross my fingers that means Sora’s going to come out big in the future, we just gotta believe in her and wait. That being said, I’m not trying to be negative, I am also happy that we got these bits for her at all, and especially that we got it confirmed that Yamato sees through her as much as she sees through him!

Next week’s preview...

Kabuterimon: koushirou, you are helpless without your computer, never forget that!

... x’D not

Totally stoked for a Koushirou episode. I hope it kicks butt. Even if it doesn’t, we still get a good helping of my boy Koushirou. <3

[mrssarablack]

1. What’s your sexual orientation?

Heterosexual. 

2. What are you obsessed with right now?

Hmm, I really don't know. I have my usual things that would qualify but my "obsessions" but they don't often consume me to a high degree, so I have a hard time dubbing anything I like a full blown obsession. 

That being said, it's probably tiktok. The obsession of the moment, I find myself on the app entirely too much because it's just a fun party and oh the things that lead to little research dives are fascinating. Mostly it's the musicians that get me. I love creativity and am forever amazed by the collaborations and straight magic people make in the time allotted... but it takes up way too much of my time when it really shouldn't. I have better things I could be doing. 

3. Ever done any drugs?

Yup. 

4. What piercings do you want?

None. My ears are pierced to the degree I like and I don't really desire anything else to be pierced. 

5. How many people have you kissed?

Enough. 

6. Describe your dream home.

The house I live in outdoes anything I could possibly come up with. I'm very happy with my home, but I'd be happy most anywhere. If I'm honest, I'm a bit Aladdin-like when it comes to living arrangements. My dream home list, if I only considered myself, is the very low bar of a roof over my head  that has a beautiful view. Bonus it has a pool but it's not a requirement. 

Clearly, where I live outdoes that by a longshot and I'm very lucky to have the things I have. I'm not unaware of that fact. 

7. Who are you jealous of?

There is no way for this not to sound like a humble brag in my head, but no one. I've never been the jealous type. There's so much unnecessary energy in wanting what someone else has and jealousy is a negative you just don't need in your life. It's much better to focus on your own joy and not worry about what others are doing. 

8. What’s your favorite show to binge?

Schitt's Creek

9. Do you watch porn?

I have. 

10. Do you have a secret sideblog?

No, I don't.

11. If you could teleport anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

I don't know, I'm good, but somewhere warm and with a beach, I guess?

12. What’s one of your fantasies?

I really only have one and that's of my mother apologizing for what she did. 

13. Do you have/would you get your nipples pierced?

Nope. 

14. How would you spend a million dollars?

I probably wouldn't. 

15. Are you in a relationship?

Yes

16. Do you follow porn blogs?

No, but I'm pretty sure some have followed me...🙄

17. Are you angry with anyone right now?

My mother. It ebbs and flows between anger and indifference. Depends on the thoughts I'm having surrounding the why of it. 

18. What tattoos do you want?

I don't want any. 

19. If you could change your name, would you? What would you change it to?

Maybe? But probably not. I don't particularly like my name. It's kind of dull, if I'm honest, but at the same time it's my name and I don't have a replacement in my head for it. So, I'm Sara and I'll forever be Sara. It's alright. 

20. What is something you’re obsessed with?

I already answered this, but I suppose my general obsession is pokemon. I like the games and the lore. The whole thing is fun and I enjoy it a lot. 

21. Describe your best friend.

She's like sunshine. She's bubbly and sweet. Anna has optimism for days. She can be a little naive but people also see naivety in what is actually her stubbornness. She won't give up on people even if she should. She sees good in almost everything but she isn't unaware that bad exists.

And because of this her kindness shines. She'd help a stranger without hesitation or a need for anything back. She very much is a person who would stick her neck out to save a life. She brings out the best in people and makes it look effortless. She is kind and caring but has a determination that can tackle damn near anything that becomes an obstacle. Anna's a force to reckon with and not many people realize this truth.

22. Tag someone you think is hot.

@nikolascblack

Did you really think I'd pick someone else? 

23. Who are five of your favorite bands/musical artists?

This list alternates with moods. I love so many bands and artists. But right now the top five are:

Nikolas Black

AJR

The Beatles

Ok One Rock

P!nk

24. What are three places you want to travel?

I really am that person if given the chance to just pick a plane and go I'd probably take it. I just want to experience all the places so here are the first regions that came to mind...

Italy (like all of it) 

Spain/ Barcelona 

South of France 

25. Describe your perfect Friday night.

It's getting warmer so, right now, it's an evening with Nikolas on our back patio. Fire up the grill and enjoy a meal outdoors. Maybe spend some time in the pool. End the evening with a warm blanket and a cuddle. 

26. What’s your favorite season?

Summer. My skin may take issue with the sun but I like it best when it's warm and sunny and being outside. 

27. What’s your pet peeve?

When I am listening to music… I probably don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone. I do not like when I'm interrupted when my music is on. 

Also, if I'm doing art or sewing … be aware I might get snippy if you choose to interrupt my flow. I like reaching stopping points before I'm asked to change gears. 

28. Who is the funniest person you know?

Probably Jakub. He's the king of one liners and his sass gets me. 

29. What’s the most overrated movie?

I'd say Avatar, was not impressed by space Pocahontas….

30. Tag someone you want to talk to but have been too shy to message.

... um... I'm not really the shy type. If I wanna get to know someone.... I'm going to be friendly to them and start a conversation.

31. Do you like paper books or ebooks better?

Paper books but I do register I read more electronic ones. The library system is nice in that format… when I actually finish a book. I don't read that fast so I have like 3 waitlisted at any given time three or four times over just so I can finish it … 😅 

32. If you could live in a fictional world, what world would you pick?

Pokemon? 

33. If money was no object, what would your wardrobe be like?

I dislike questions that make me feel like I'm bragging. Or that could be seen as such but my wardrobe wouldn't really change because my boyfriend allows me to use his funds from time to time to have the nicer clothing items I like. Which sit right alongside my jeans I got from TJ Maxx. Legitimately, it probably wouldn't change at all.

34. What’s your coffee order?

Cold brew or if it's cold I typically, latte it's usually a hazelnut

35. Do you have a crush on anyone?

No. 

36. Do you still have feelings for any of your exes?

I don't. Most of them were pretty shit people. So, yeah… nope, I don't think much on them at all really. 

37. Have any tattoos?

No

38. Do you drink?

Occasionally

39. Are you a virgin?

Heh… no.

40. Do you have a crush on any of your mutuals?

Nope

41. How many followers do you have?

Um… I have no idea. Not many that's for sure.

42. Describe the hottest person you know.

I did this once. I'm not going to objectify him again. So instead:

43. What’s your guilty pleasure?

True crime documentaries or horror movies. I do not watch them often. Nikolas isn't into it and I'm not going to be the ass that takes the tv and makes him watch something he doesn't like. So, I save it for when I am alone. 

44. Do you read erotica?

I have but I don't seek it out. Typically the erotica I have read has been tucked away in a romance novel and was far more than I expected it to go from the synopsis or anything before that point.

45. What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?

I have to go with the one where it was clear he asked me out as some sort of revenge date. His ex-girlfriend was at the location with friends and he kept looking over at her trying to see her reaction. It was bad and I dismissed myself as quickly as I could.

46. How many people do you follow?

Again, I don't know. I know it's mostly friends and artists or designers but I'm too lazy to look up the number because I don't care. 

47. If you could marry any celebrity, who would you pick?

This guy right here:

48. Describe your ideal partner.

There's a theme here...

49. Who do you text the most?

Anna? Our friend text line is usually an all day back and forth.

50. What’s your favorite kind of weather?

Sunny and warm. Weather that screams "beach day"

[clarkgriffon]

i'm pretty new to the show and just finding my bearings in this fandom. how did the writers and the cast rationalise becho as anything but a physical relationship? because echo almost killed both octavia and clarke—for a bit in bellamy's mind, echo did kill octavia. how do you forgive someone for that, let alone look past that and be involved with them on a romantic level? it makes very little sense to me. story-wise, sure, bellamy needed to be 1/2

2/2 very very different from who he was (while also remaining the same) at the end of s4 as compared to the beginning of s5, but this was a lot no? i cannot rationalise it as a person who's watched s1-5 in one go.

I’ve definitely answered this one before a couple times, but it’s been a hot minute since I tackled it so, here goes:

A lot of the reason for BE is plot driven, not narrative/story driven. That’s why it feels jarring. It doesn’t make sense, for a lot of the reasons you bring up in your ask. Bellamy’s experiences surrounding E are entirely negative up to that point- She leaves with the grounders in MW, is directly involved in the blowing up of Mt Weather and in result Gina’s demise, she almost kills Octavia, and is just generally the main antagonist aside from the general threat of Praimfaya in Season 4. We don’t feel like those are two characters who should mesh.

But the plot demanded Bellamy move on in space, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the point of S5 Bellamy is pushing that Bellamy took Clarke’s message to heart (ironically), the message that he needs to use his head too. He is “the head” in Season 5, while Clarke becomes the heart, a total role reversal. Head-Bellamy is rationalist- while E has hurt him in so many ways, he sees her “prove” herself on the ring (though we, the audience, get no proof of this) and after 3 years of refusing to forgive her, he finally lets himself be rational. Speculatively, BE is a fairly new relationship probably starting in around Year 5 on the ring, considering it took him 3 full years to just forgive her. Head-Bellamy moving on is symbolic of the fact he is no longer heart-driven- he knows he should move on, so he does. Secondly, he needs to be in a relationship when he gets down to Earth simply to prolong Bellarke from happening. The writers don’t want that to be canon yet (if they ever do want it to be), and after the overtly romantic S4 finale, they need a romantic obstacle, otherwise plotwise it will make no sense as to why Bellamy isn’t getting together with the woman he just grieved for 6 years and has finally gotten back.

So, there we have it, we know now that Bellamy needs a relationship at the start of S5 for the above seasons. But why E? We’ve established that’s the least likely pairing for Bellamy because of all the mistrust and shit she’s pulled. And the unfortunate response is: process of elimination. Making the dumb assumption Bellamy is straight based on his previous show preferences (Bi!Bellamy will live forever in my heart and soul), we’ve got the following choices: Harper, Emori, Raven, and E. Harper and Emori are immediately out- they already have pairings in space that are solid enough in fanbase and narrative that pairing them up with Bellamy would be a mistake. 

That leaves Raven and E. Now, from a story perspective, this relationship is supposed to show how Bellamy has changed. It’s a plot device basically, an off-screen relationship. In other words: not meant to last. So, we know that Bellamy needs a temporary relationship and that can either be with Raven or with E. Bellamy and Raven, in my mind, makes infinitely more sense narratively, with all the content from S1-4. But what I think conflicts with that is simply the fact that the relationship established here is intended to be temporary. They can’t pair him with Raven because that would be too real. There’s a sizable fanbase for that pairing, they have history in canon, and I think if they broke up at any point, it would cause uproar for making Raven suffer more or getting rid of a ‘real’ relationship. So, that leaves E. The only one left.

It’s a corner they backed themselves into, sending 2 couples along with only 3 single people up into space. There was literally no other option if they wanted Bellamy to be in a relationship.

As a fan and a casual watcher, the very first time I watched Praimfaya (4x13), I thought it was set up for a Braven romance. (I’m not even a Braven shipper myself, I just know that Bellamy and Raven have more history and romantic chemistry by a longshot than BE.) Narratively, that’s just always going to make more sense than what actually happened. Plot-wise, I realize why they couldn’t go there.

[flying-elliska]

i know i've been burnt before and i should know better. i realize i know absolutely nothing about how this season is gonna play out, only that two of my absolute favourite characters are gonna be a big part of it. and i know that by now my expectations should probably be on the floor, but. i can't help but get excited for the potential this season has. (1)

i keep rewatching the last part of the clip with eliott, daphné, lola, with the beautiful music in the background, and i feel butterflies in my stomach. a bit like i felt when i first saw eliott... i think lola will strike a big cord. i've not been following any of the drama surrounding s6 and i really don't want everyone's negativity ruin this feeling for me. (2)

i wanna start watching the new season, as if it's a clean slate. erase what happened for a bit, so that i can enjoy this last season, maybe even fall in love with it like i once did with skam france... (3)

I am so there with you anon!

I see it like this : if s6 disappoints us at least it will probably be the last time. But if s6 is the last time - and it definitely will be with so many of our beloved faves - then I don't want to lose the opportunity to get hyped. I am in this fandom because to me the positives of the show still outweigh the negatives otherwise I just would not be there anymore.

And honestly, do what you have to do to tailor your fandom experience. I have blocked so many people both here on twitter and it feels a lot more chill. There is nothing wrong in wanting to focus on enjoying the good parts even for a flawed show ; this is watching TV not bloody activism in the end.

I am also pretty stoked for Lola season - I think her introduction is already super interesting, how she is presented as this outcast and troublemaker but she also already looks so vulnerable. I love the idea of exploring Daphy'a character through a sisterly bond because so much of her character had this feeling of competitive femininity to her. And the connection w Eliott fascinates me (I don't believe for one moment there will be a love triangle there. Lucas's insecurities might play up but otherwise nope.)

I like nuanced criticism and I am not shy about expressing my opinion but I feel like some people will just scream bad writing anytime there is the vaguest hint of conflict and like...you don't have to engage w them if you don't want to. Do what makes you happy!

And yes I feel like this new character could be a clean slate too and I hope the season will surprise us 🤞🤞

[silyabeeodess]

Final Thoughts on Tangled: The Series

Normally, I don’t do many reviews, but since I’ve given my thoughts on points in the series before, I feel compelled to address certain things in the series in a full list.  As I’ve already brought up in the past, I very much have a love-hate relationship with the show.  This is because it has both exceptionally amazing and exceptionally terrible points that I can’t just shrug off--in part, because I’m starting to see them everywhere in a lot of cartoons these days, especially with Disney. Expect me to go over both positive and negative points, and I’ve give my conclusion on the series as a whole last.  There will be spoilers, so if you haven’t watched it in full yet, please do so before checking out the cut below.

Characters

As far as building up a lot of the characters go, I think most of them are really well-developed.  From a main character like Varian to minor figures like Captain Quaid, the creators seemed to have a good grasp of fleshing them out even when if they had a limited time to do so.  It helped the world of Tangled feel expansive and real, with even many of the background characters having their own identity and personalities: We didn’t need their life stories to make them stand out in our minds and they weren’t treated like a choir group used to only fill up space, which can be an easy pitfall when they’re showcased with notable importance to the story. (Moana, I’m looking at you.)  

My issues with the characters largely fall on a case-by-case basis--which will be brought up further below--but there is one general point that did wear on my nerves, and that’s with many of them having what I’d like to call “selective competence.”  By this, I mean that the strengths of the characters seemed to shift depending on whatever narrative the team wanted to tell.  One of the biggest examples of this is King Edmund: We’re introduced to him as a skilled fighter and fierce protector that could match up against not only the members of the Brotherhood like Adira because he trained them himself, but also while simultaneously holding his own for a time against Rapunzel and her friends--however, when he started being used for mostly comedy relief, he couldn’t even defend himself against the Stabbington Brothers who the group has already beaten multiple times over.  For crying out loud, they let him know they were there!  In no way do I think characters need some kind of point system to mark how strong they are--this is a story, not a tabletop RPG--but at the same time there’s needs to be better consistency and planning.  For the point I mentioned with King Edmund, an easy fix would’ve been a sneak attack that knocked him out before he had the chance to react by making him so consumed with the thought of losing his son in that moment that he wasn’t as aware of his surroundings as normal.  At least then there’d be an excuse!  This happens repeatedly throughout the series and with multiple characters though that it’s far from a slip up. 

Another general that focuses more on the girls is the power dynamic.  Look, I’m all for strong women, but not at the sacrifice of things like story or characters, and the show made a bad habit of leaning into that with their selective competence.  Think I’m wrong?  Ok, then explain this to me: How do you have two famed criminals with a known record throughout multiple kingdoms act like bumbling idiots who constantly either cause problems for the group with typically someone like Raps, Cass, or Adira having to get them out of that situation?  And if that wasn’t obvious enough, you have Adira’s little “I don’t get why they named it the Brotherhood because I’m a woman” statement that couldn’t be more on the nose.  

You know what?  I’m gonna go ahead and get to Adira despite her being a more minor character because I couldn’t stand her.  Most of the time when she showed up, I wanted to roll my eyes into the back of my skull because the primary reason she exists is to be a “strong woman who don’t need no man,” which, to be frank, we already have in spades in this show with much better characters.  She’s not impressive or a good role model for young girls: She’s an obnoxious token--and in more ways than one.  For no point whatsoever, she kept disappearing and reappearing in and out of episodes throughout S2 whenever the creators decided to use her--even though the audience is well aware she’s following the group and nothing seems to be stopping her from sticking by them.  They were shown fine with her travelling at their side on multiple occasions, so what was the need to have her vanish off and on when we know she’s just keeping up with them in the shadows anyhow? To top that off, she insists on being needlessly mysterious just for the sake of it despite her sharing similar goals with Raps and the group.  It would’ve been one thing had she just kept the potential danger of the moonstone’s affects on Raps a secret: The best lies are told with a bit of truth and it would’ve set up the mysterious angle of her much better.  Better anyway than her helping them one minute and then beating them up in the next because she “doesn’t like to be touched.” It got to the point where I didn’t care whether or not she could be trusted: I just wanted her offscreen.  

Going back to something positive for a moment though, Raps and Eugene are easily the best in the series (Or at least when they’re alone together, I have notes on both....)  I’m not talking about the romance between them--although that was really well done: I’m talking about how they bounced off of each other.  There’s something to be said about people who are willing to grow beside each other, and that growth shines in their relationship.  If one of them falters, the other is there to not only pick up the slack, but help pull the first back onto their feet.  Both Raps and Eugene have their highs and lows throughout the series and they’re willing to call the other back to earth and be their support when things go too far.  The power dynamic issue I mentioned earlier?  I never see it with them. They’re both balanced and match to each other’s strengths/weaknesses.  Neither of them is a vision of perfection, a knight in shining armor, or a damsel in distress: They’re two people who work in tandem to get through the hard times and simply enjoy the good ones together. 

Since I already wrote a large post discussing Raps and Cassandra, I’m going to link to that here.  For Cassandra though, I can summarize my thoughts on what they did to her character in one word: Butchered.  For both Seasons 1 and 2, the set-up for her was great, but everything after that was mostly an abysmal fall from grace.  They focused too much on her being jealous of Raps and upset over Gothel and ignored all of the problems that had sprung up in their friendship--such as Raps pushing her to the side just as much as anyone else and taking advantage of her friendship.  And then she literally had to ask herself, “Wait... am I the bad guy?” for her to consider that her actions may be unjustified.  Even after that, she immediately jumps back into her “villain” mode when Varian accidentally fired at her and blaming Raps--who’s just standing there--all while knowing ahead of time that Raps signed the decree for the weapon and having already excused it.  I saw glimmers of potential in the finale, but honestly, they fumbled and tripped so much with Cass that, even while satisfied with the conclusion to her arc, I’d far from call it a success.

Lance... This character just screams of missed opportunities. They gave him a great background to go with Eugene’s as these two best friends leaving a life of crime behind to each find their place in the world and then proceeded to make him the butt of a joke just about every second he was onscreen.  I can’t even think of a genuine character trait he had: I just look at him and see Tangled’s version of Olaf.  At least the end where he adopts Angry and Catalina was sweet, but even that felt lacking because all we got out of them were dumb jokes.  We see them together, but hardly in a way that would establish a parent-child bond; more like two siblings outwitting their dim babysitter.  The creators just could’ve handled him so much better, giving him and Eugene/Angry/Catalina more sincere interactions or letting him have a couple of moments to show what skills he brings to the group. They already had Shorty and used comedy among all of the characters anyway, so what was the point of making Lance a walking punchline?     

As for Eugene, I don’t have much to say beyond the points where they just made him out to be a moron like they did with Lance.  I actually really like how they developed them: How, personality wise, he never felt the need to change himself for anyone--he was confident in himself--but nevertheless struggled to find his own identity because of his past, family legacy, and whatever other revelations he came across in the present.  It was an interesting journey, watching him find himself.     

For all the bad I had to say regarding Raps in the post I listed earlier, I will admit as well that she does have some positive aspects.  I liked how her character arc focused on the importance of personal freedom while balancing it with the moral choice of accepting one’s duty to others.  For a time, she’s not ready to rule Corona due to her lack of knowledge/experience and never having the chance to discover what she needed in her own life.  However, she doesn’t use it as an excuse to shirk away from her responsibilities.  She accepts her duty to her kingdom and her people--and even to Eugene to an extent since she does love him and knows it’s unfair if she made him wait forever at her side--but she’s not willing to throw away her own happiness by rushing forward to fulfill them. It’s a balance that’s easy to struggle with, if not to the same degree as a princess, whether from a basic work/life or group/individual scenario or if you’re, for example, a young person rushed from one phase of their life to the next with certain expectations. The cherry on top is that she’s also a person struggling with her own maturity in the meantime, going from careless in some situations to a voice of reason later down the road.  

Overall, Zhan Tiri was a pretty good villain, particularly because she was actually, well, an honest villain.  After years of show after show, movie after movie, constantly being compelled to give their bad guys some sob story that hardly ever makes up for their actions, we’re finally back to getting to villains we love to hate. While I wouldn’t place her on the top tier, she’s still well done overall.  I don’t like her more powerful forms that much--they just don’t seem to have the best designs--but the child form was great.  The team found a good balance of conniving and creepy with her look.  My main complaint is that she can’t learn to shut up.  Now, it’s not the monologuing or even her spilling her own plans that I don’t like. Yes, it’s a trope for villains; however, it’s often used to showcase their arrogance; give the audience some more information about what’s going on in a simple, but effective way; and typically done when either the hero is at their weakest or when the villain is alone/with other villains.  The problem is Zhan Tiri’s timing.  It would be one thing if she monologued when Raps was at her weakest: Instead, she decides to reveal her identity and intentions to Raps well before her plans could succeed, therefore putting them at risk.  Had she not outright said “I’m playing Cass,” Cass’s morality would be placed in a more questionable eye by Raps and the others--further encouraging the conflict between the two young woman, which was what the demon wanted.  Her explaining that to Raps was just dumb.   

Music

I have no complaints.  Whoever is behind this, bravo: You made gold.  

I’d dare argue that the bulk of the songs could easily be any number that you’d hear on a successful Broadway track.  They're memorable, catchy, and tailor-made to perfectly fit in their respective scenes.  Everyone involved seemed to put their heart into the music, making many of them extremely powerful pieces.  The dialogue also meshes really well with the music, allowing the songs to flow naturally in and out of the scenes.  The only time where I’d say it doesn’t quite work would be in Through it All, but considering that the scene makes a point of joking about the musical elements of the series prior to that, you’re supposed to be aware of how unnatural it is, which can give it a charm of its own.  

Art and Animation

Again, for the art, no complaints.  Aside from some minor nitpicks that I’d shrug off--and I mean really minor, like a bird for the beginning of one episode that was huge in comparison to a second flying close to it--it’s beautiful. The style has a strong, painter-like quality that fits with the concept of this being Rapunzel’s story, matching to her--of course--being an artist.  You have these bold, beautiful colors and the team wasn’t afraid of letting them shine at their best, like in scenes such as when Rapunzel and Cassandra are fighting as the sundrop and moonstone.  There were so many nice contrasts that directed one’s focus perfectly on what the creators wanted you to see and that also made for rich, impressive moments in the show.  

As for more subtle details, one that I particularly liked were some of the gradients and the way they’re applied, such as the blush to Rapunzel’s face.  There’s something about that soft speckle around the edges that’s really satisfying, and--when comparing Rapunzel’s design to the flatter skin tone on most of the other characters--it gives her a warm glow that helps solidify her as the physical embodiement of the sundrop.

The animation is also super solid, and any critiques I have on it largely fall to things I think probably had more to do with the script than the animation itself.  For example, there’s the moment when Cass and Raps are fighting in Gothel’s house where Cass ties Raps hair around a pole, in the next moment it’s off the pole and Raps smacks her with it, and then it’s immediately wrapped around the pole again with Raps trying to unravel it.  It’s a pretty obvious and careless mistake to make--especially when you see how wonderfully choreographed a lot of the series is with dynamic camera shots that move fluidity with the characters.  What makes me think it’s more of a script-based problem is that there are similar inconsistencies that happen elsewhere and--while animated beautifully--don’t make much sense. One example of this is in the finale, where Cass is dying.  I tried re-watching the scene and checking the wikia to see how she got a fatal injury in case I missed something, but no: It’s never shown.  It’s like the team decided to have her dying just so Raps could say the healing incantation one final time. If you want to excuse it, you could say it had to do with the moonstone, but then you’d also have to explain how neither of the girls showcase any physical weaknesses aside from their loss of powers when Zhan Tiri takes both of their respective gems. Which leads me to...

Writing 

This is the hardest for me to discuss because so much of it is either really, really good or really, really bad.  I guess to start, I’ll bring up a problem that I noticed mimicked another show, Star Vs. the Forces of Evil.  Similarly to SVTFOE, the last season didn’t focus enough on the main plot to properly flesh it out--albeit, SVTFOE was much worse than Tangled: The Series could ever fear being.  A lot of people try to blame this on “Well, it’s the last season: It’s all they’ve got left to tell the story in.” Ok... Well, yeah, we can talk about how Disney and other companies stink at just letting creators tell a good story in the time they need to in another discussion, but here’s the thing: The teams know well in advance how many episodes they have to work with. Unfortunately, they wasted some of those episodes.  Did we really need to see Catalina as a werewolf?  Did we really need Pascal to befriend a dragon?  Even in the finale, with the more minor characters’ stumble into the Lost Realm, what was the point of it besides humor and getting them out of the way for a bit?  I’d understand if they were episodes for lightening the mood, but they already put so much comedy relief in with the main plot that that isn’t necessary: The mood’s already light enough and there’s just not much time to waste on random filler.  Again, filler isn’t a problem in itself either: You can have it, just don’t let it sacrifice main points that the show should address. One way to have gotten around this was to use more of a two-plot structure with some of these episodes: Plot A would focus on whatever fun the team wanted to have while Plot B could sprinkle in bits of information that the audience will need later for the main story--or they could even have done that with just a small scene to nudge some info in after the episode was done and before the credits rolled.            

I’d like to bring up some of the points that I thought could’ve been covered better.  First off, the whole “destiny” thing.  Well, we get what all signs Raps’ destiny is pointing to, but as often as it was brought up for Cass, they hardly explained what she wanted after taking the moonstone. What was her plan?  Initially, she didn’t want to attack/take over Corona. Sure, they tried saying she didn’t want to be anyone’s second, but everyone was going to hate her for taking the moonstone in the first place, so... good work there: I don’t think Cass would be stupid enough not to realize people wouldn’t think highly of her for it despite what the show tried to tell us.  They even missed the chance for some friction between Cass and Eugene after the latter was made the Captain of the Guard: Come on, you know that would’ve set her off!  Even the show questions this by Raps asking Cass what her end goal was in, I guess, the creators’ attempt at patching their mistake too little too late.  

Then there was the oh-so-important eclipse that we’re told nothing about until it gets here... besides that fact that it’s an eclipse.  The way the team tried to build it up through Zhan Tiri, you would’ve thought it was some cosmic magic on level with Avatar’s Sozin’s Comet. From what we could tell though, no, it’s just a normal eclipse.  That’s fine, but then why not explain more about it when everything else involving the sun and moon was amplified to some magical involvement?  

Thirdly, they brought the death incantation back: You know, that spell Raps was stupid enough to think she could control and then somehow randomly did for Varian because plot device despite it later being rendered pointless when the black rocks are then shown to be able to pierce through the amber just fine in S3, so Raps could’ve used those to save Varian’s father instead back when she had control of them?  That death incantation?  Yeah, suddenly it’s a bad thing again.  I could probably write a whole other post on these types of goofs alone, but I’ve been writing this for hours now and I’m almost to the end of it.

To wrap up this section, I will, however, admit that I liked some of the little things they included and would bring up later: I just wish they had done it more.  This is a method I call breadcrumb storytelling, in which a creator--for a specific moment--gives attention to something small that inevitably has a solid payback, often with the audience forgetting about it for a period only to resurface in their mind at the reveal.  One major point I’m talking about here was the use of the Moonstone shard.  Like many others, I actually did think they were going to show it as a sign of Cass’s slow destruction--that the Moonstone was a physical part of her and that by destroying it or overusing its power, it would inevitable destroy her as well.  It was a pleasant surprise to see the shard used as the key to defeating Zhan Tiri, and just how it was used.

Conclusion

So, did I like the series overall or not...?  Eh... I still find myself going back and forth on it.  What I hate about it, I hate with a passion, but the good parts that are there genuinely moved me. The things that worked wrapped up nicely and it was nice, but bittersweet to see the characters get their happy ending because it did feel pretty earned and you do feel sad to say goodbye to these people and this world you’ve become familiar with.  So I wouldn’t call it bad: I’d compare it to car that got totaled in a wreck and still somehow managed to flawlessly parallel park without any casualties after it flipped across the street.  It’s a mess, but I can still smile at it by the end of the day.     

[vegalocity]

Star Butterfly and Janna Ordonia

Character Hot takes

How I feel about this character

Star is my baby girl and I love her dearly, she’s a complex flawed heroine that really was doing her best in a bad situation. And really the post-series hate she’s been getting is mostly unwarranted since like...Ya girls been forced to make heavy adult decisions non fucking stop since the end of season 2 and whetehr destroying Magic was the right decision or not it makes perfect sense that she’d come to see the damn stuff as an overall net negative on the world.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

TENYA IIDA-She’s got a type and that’s the nerdy bois, but like nerdy bois who are also half jocks. Also Iida would be good for her. Marco’s nice but he’s mostly an enabler for her more wild tendancies, as is Tom, Ya Boi Iida would actively challenge her and encourage her to grow.

Hiro Hamada-again, nerdy bois, but Hiro would be an interesting and fun outlet for her to grow through since they’re both very young and able to grow together

Tsuyu Asui-it cute

Jackie Lynn Thomas-Starkie is DEEPLY underappreciated my guy

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Janna Ordonia-Brotp of the ages

Momo Yaoyorozu-I just think it’d be very wholesome

Kelly- one of my big complains of seasons 3 and 4 is that we never really got any Star and Kelly one-on-one hangouts. She was a former Bounce Crew member too you’d think she and Star would have their own dynamic.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Actually wasn’t all that bad of a girlfriend to Tom? At least not in relation to how 15 year olds who are dealing with WAY TOO MUCH OTHER STUFF can be. In fact I’d argue that either of them probably should have known better than to get back together int he first place from how much shit was happening. A lot of the Star hate surrounding the eventual dissolution of Startom is actually perfectly consistent with how she’s always acted around friends. if anything the issue with star lied in the fact that she DID just kinda treat Tom as a friend. She’d take Cheap Pot Shots at him like how she does to Marco and Ponyhead, she’d double book herself and try to juggle everything because she refuses to let one person feel more or less important than the other. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

No matter how much sense it makes with her character, I still REALLY wish she’d been able to find another way to stop Mina. like... a spell for Solaria to possess her and SHE could call off the army or something. Something i’ve considered for my big ‘Star in BNHA’ AU is basically where in the battle against the Solarians all of the friends she’s made along the way, Mewman and Human, all come together to wield the magic of the queens that came before to heal the Magic dimension as one.

How I feel about this character

Primo Crow aesthetic. The trash tier daughter. The Ultimate Gremlin child

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Draco Malfoy- It be funny

Jackie Lynn Tohmas- Long live Janackie

Tom Lucitor- Honestly who the friggity fuck ELSE?

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Star Butterfly- Again, Ultimate Brotp

Marco Diaz- Absolutely hilarious combination of ‘you’re my friend’ and ‘YOU RAPSCALLION’

My unpopular opinion about this character

I honestly can only Imagine Janna seeing her concept of attraction as a distraction and general nuisance than anything beneficial. The other person will have to do the pursuing because no matter if she thinks you’re hot, she’s not interested in you beyond a passing appraising glance.

therefore all of my appreciation toward Janna ships is lightly thinking about how Hilarious and excruciating the courting process must have been. Like a montage of valentines stuffed into her locker being casually incinerated spare the chocolate she’s already eaten, a single rose left on her desk casually getting its petals collected and dried for a spell. if you throw a pebble at her window to serenade her, you’re getting a bucket of water dumped on your head.

Janna is the only teen in Star Vs to not give anything RESEMBLING a shit toward romance and I don’t care how cute anyone thinks their ships are, i’m still taking that to it’s natural extreme.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

really would have liked a Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy esque episode that was entirely Kelly, Ponyhead, and Janna making some mischief. That could have easily been one of the funniest episodes in the entire series.

[superfitfor50]

Reflections on ClexaCon

 This was my first ever con. Next month I turn 50 and I’ve never really found my place.  I’ve always felt that there was something…somewhere I should be, that I wasn’t. I’ve got a suspicion that ClexaCon and similar cons is where I should have been.  I am very jetlagged and very tired.  I’m an introvert at heart and without time to reflect and process everything, which is what I didn’t have this last weekend, it was very tough for me and it will take me some time to get over that.  However, I’m a reflector and so far I’ve reflected on my experience and have not been able to find a single negative thing about it.

However, it’s so true what they say: you cannot please all of the people all of the time but ClexaCon has managed to please many people.  Did they get everything right?  No, they didn’t.  Did they get a lot of things right – yes, I think they did. I know there is a lot of Twitter chatter about things they could have done better, and I don’t disagree with any of it.  I feel that it’s extremely important that the organisers of this event (and kudos for the most part) listen and act on feedback that they receive so that this can become a flagship Con in the community.

Honestly, choosing 10 highlights was really hard, and when I’ve reflected some more I may remember other things.  I have already bored my wife rigid talking about it so it’s your turn. These are in no particular order and fair warning, I am Hollstein trash so make of my list what you will.

1.       My first highlight was the Hollstein panel.  These two genuinely wonderful people, who I had the absolute honour of getting to know a little better over the weekend are, honestly, the people that you most want to hang out with.  The panel, moderated by the genuinely insanely talented Dana Piccoli, was a very fitting end to day one.  I was so tired and suffering from excruciating jet lag, but hearing these two talk, and laugh and perform another one of Dana’s epic sketches, with the honourable addition of Annie Briggs, was an absolute joy. I have to share my favourite line on here when the topic of bike safety came up:

Natasha: But are you…you still wear a helmet when you bicycle

Elise:  It’s been a while

Natasha: No, you should

Elise: I know

Natasha: you’re worth more now

Elise (fits of laughter),

Natasha: Insure that shit!

Elise:  That’s hilarious

Natasha: I NEED YOU!! PLEASE WEAR A HELMET!

Elise, we all need you sweetie.

2.       Another highlight was the conversation that surrounded a particular photo op that I had with Kat Barrell, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Annie Briggs, Natasha Negovanlis, and Elise Bauman, when I asked them if they wouldn’t mind lining themselves up in order of height. So, I won’t go into it but that was the cutest, silliest conversation.

 3.       I had breakfast with Natasha and she is genuinely one of the friendliest, most honest, earnest people that I‘ve met and my profession is literally to meet new people all the time.  There was a point, several points, in the breakfast where, due to the noise of other tables we couldn’t hear what other people were saying and she would ask them to repeat themselves.  However, if she couldn’t hear she would get up, in the middle of her breakfast and go over to that person and talk to them and make sure that she understood what the question was and then she would come back to her seat and ask if everyone had heard it and then she would repeat it and then she would answer it. And to my mind that is one of the most considerate things I’ve ever seen anybody do. She could have just said I can’t hear you, sorry, but she didn’t, she took the time out to talk to people and to make them feel included in the group.  So I’ve been going over and over this again, as I say, I’m a reflector and if I talked too much or hogged the conversation then I‘m truly sorry.  I hope I didn’t.  I don’t think I did but your perception, the perception of people around that table is important to me, so I want to put it out there. I want to put an apology out there.

 4.       Elise’s workshop was TOUGH but so rewarding. I have a big problem with self-esteem, and I have to say the first part of this workshop had me in tears. I hid it well so if you were there don’t feel bad that you didn’t see it. But asking to affirm yourself is something I find very, very difficult and she is a little shiny star and you want to please her.  She’s funny and she’s earnest and she’s just a lovely, genuine person. She was genuinely thrilled by what we created. She wrote us all cards.  These were hand written, hand produced cards that she made for every member of the workshop.  And when I read it, what she’d put inside it, I burst into tears. I’m not going to share what she wrote because that wouldn’t be fair, but it was exactly what I needed to hear at that time, when I felt so overwhelmed with everything after that day.

 5.       Another highlight was the Natasha workshop. I’ve done improv before but, you know, that opportunity to spend an hour with Natasha, being taught by her and just seeing how it differs from what I’ve experienced was amazing. And it was amazing. She was amazing.  She’s open and honest and she’s so involved.  She didn’t stand back, she got involved, she took part in the games, she made so much effort to make sure everyone felt included and able to participate and she was incredible…. but also, it was lovely to see 25 other people coming out of their shell and working with people and seeing them participate.  Some people had not done it before, ever and it was great to see people’s confidence increase and that was an amazing highlight for me.

 6.       Meeting Sarah, or RahRah.  She’s a Vancouverite and she’s an awesome individual and I’m genuinely, genuinely excited to see her again in September when I go to Vancouver. In essence, this highlight goes for anyone that I met, who’s names are too numerous to mention, who I may have interacted with online, and some I never had.  Everyone I met was genuinely warm, friendly and lovely.

 7.       Getting the opportunity to meet the rest of my group chat.  So, I’ve been in a group chat for about 9 months and it was a ClexaCon group chat and obviously we’ve become firm friends online but most of these people I’ve never met before. But when I did, my wife asked me, was it awkward and I’m like no, it wasn’t awkward at all.  It felt like I’d known these people for years. We hung out. We had dinner, we had laughs, we sat together in panels. It was awesome to see them.

 8.       The Clairevoyant panel. These two amazing women.  Annie Briggs and Natasha Negovanlis. Creators, writers, actors, honestly, in my book they can’t do a thing wrong.  I would gladly give my last penny to see a second season, all my money to help them to produce that. The highlight of that particular panel was me overcoming my horrendous fear of asking a question and going up to the mike and prompting a very funny conversation about diva cups.  I was shaking like a leaf both before and after but I’m glad I did it.

 9.       Another highlight was watching Natasha in the improv group.  I was always going to be up for the comedy show and actually bought tickets before I knew she would be performing. She didn’t hog the stage and I wouldn’t expect her to, but she was a glorious addition to that troupe. At one point the improv turned to all things vampire and she knows, she knows how to give her audience what they want because she lifted the rafters when she said she was a vampire and she said it in Carmilla’s voice, of course she did, because she knows that that’s what we want and she has a sense of fun and a sense of occasion and it was amazing to watch.

 10.   My final highlight has to be the Avalance Panel. Caity Lotz was the person that got me into the fandom in the first place with Sara Lance in Arrow.  It was seeing her and others at ClexaCon last year that made me want to go so desperately and, make no mistake, I am Hollstein Trash but the panel with her and Jes Macallan was awesome.  The addition of Katrina Law, temporarily was a sight to behold, if you haven’t seen it please go watch, and to see Jes become so emotional about something and then see the kindness that Caity displayed was so touching.

Other honourable mentions have to go to @comingoutpod and @styriatypical and there were so many other positives, too numerous to mention but significant all the same.

Writing this has been so hard because I had such a positive experience and I know that not everyone had that experience,  I know that I have no comparison that I can make and so I understand that it may not have been great for everyone but my hope is that at least the good outweighed the bad and that everyone had at least something unforgettably good to take away from Vegas.

Our community is fiercely important to me.  Inclusion is fiercely important to me. Anyone who would deliberately seek to exclude anyone, for any reason, has no place in my life. I have no time for those who would misgender, use transphobic/biphobic/panphobic language or in any way make another human being feel less than.

I didn’t meet anyone like that.  These memories will stay with me long after the jet lag is gone, and the rainbow hair grows out. Much love to you all.

[toho-literature]

Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red: Pages 46-47 - Rumia Article and Interview

Season 116, Hazuki Issue #2

Demon Lurks in the Dark in Broad Daylight

Adverse effects on summer plants, says expert

Lately, a small sphere of darkness has been sighted in the afternoons this summer. This lump of darkness absorbs all light that attempts to penetrate it as it moves through Gensokyo's fields. While it is unaffected by the light, it does not have any physical effect on anything it comes in contact with.

Its true identity is the youkai of darkness, Rumia (youkai). She abolishes the light around her, which prevents anyone from seeing her and vice-versa. I questioned Rumia as to why she was doing this.

"Because the sunlight is all hot in the summer and I don't like it. This way I'm out of the sunlight and I can beat the heat. If I'm surrounded by darkness, it's always a nice summery night, you know?"

Curious as to what effects being kept in the dark all day could bring, I decided to ask an expert familiar about life out of the sunlight.

"It can only be bad for any plants that end up in the darkness all day. Even if it's only a single day, the results will be obvious. Oh, the youkai inside? Well, it should have no considerable affect on her. On the contrary, there are more youkai that are weak to sunlight. If they can get by without being exposed to sunlight, then they'd do so. On a bright and clear day like today, it's best to stay indoors and read." (Owner of Kourindou)

To prevent any negative effects on the plants, I warned the youkai of darkness that it might be best to not stay in one place. Rumia did not appear to have a reason for creating darkness, other than to avoid the heat. For those weak against sunlight, if you see darkness moving across the plains, it may be a good idea to take a break inside.

(Aya Shameimaru)

(* For more details on Rinnosuke, please refer to Season 115′s special feature article.)

Other Articles

From page:

17 - A Night of the Music of the Winds: Report on the Experience at the Wind Bell Concert

21 - Earthquake Clouds over Gensokyo. Is an Incident Imminent?

33 - The Biggest Watermelon in the History of Gensokyo

Interview

Rumia: What’s this piece of paper?

Aya: An objective article of you.

Rumia: You know, there's been a lot of weird youkai coming into my summer resort paradise lately. That's never happened before.

Aya: If you kept floating around like that, you might have been regarded as something dangerous and consequently attacked, so I wrote an article on it.

Rumia: But if more things come into the darkness it get hotter, right?

Aya: Then inviting an ice fairy in might make it cooler.

Rumia: That would be too much...

Aya: By the way, it’s too dark and I can’t see very well. Could you make it a bit brighter?

Rumia: What’re you talking about? I’ve already let a little light in so I could read this piece of paper.

Aya: It’s so dark that I can’t read my notebook. I can’t take notes either.

Rumia: Geez, if I let even a little light in it gets really bright,

Aya: But I'm surprised that I really can't see anything outside at all. It's a bit difficult to tell where we're flying.

Rumia: Of course you can’t tell. That’s because we can’t see.

Aya: Huh?

Rumia: I bump into trees all the time, but that just goes to show what darkness is all about.

Aya: You simply float about without any specific destination in mind?

Rumia: Obviously. It’s too dark to see, so my view never changes no matter where I go.

Aya: But you’re the reason why it’s too dark to see.

Rumia: Oh, is that so?

Aya: That is so. By the way, why do you hate sunlight so much?

Rumia: You don’t hate it?

Aya: I enjoy both the day when humans are active, and the night when youkai are active. That is why I have enough material for my articles.

Rumia: That's rare. When I'm out in the sunlight, my skin gets all red and I can't think straight, my hair gets all dry so I get split ends, and on top of all that I get really sleepy.

Aya: I think that’s because you’re lacking something.

Rumia: But I'm fine in the moonlight. I don't need to make any darkness at night but it's bright enough to see.

Aya: You seem to fly around aimlessly in the day, but what do you do at night?

Rumia: Nothing much. I just fly around at night, too.

Aya: So your lifestyle has no sense of purpose? It feels like there are more youkai who don't feel like learning or working lately. It's quite depressing.

Rumia: Attacking humans is a youkai’s job.

Aya: But are you exerting any effort in attacking humans?

Rumia: Lately, humans won’t let me attack them. This other time, I got beaten up instead.

Aya: It's because of that that you don't maintain your dignity as a youkai. At the very least, you should be blending into the darkness at night and waiting along the roads.

Rumia: Ugh, that’s too much effort.

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Rumia

A youkai with the ability to manipulate darkness. It’s always dark around her.

Appearances: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil

[piracytheorist]

I got tagged by @mochacake2016. Thank you! :D

Pick 5 shows then answer the following questions. Dont cheat. Tag 10 or more people

1. Once Upon a Time 2. Avatar: the Last Airbender 3. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 4. iZombie 5. The Handmaid's Tale

1. Who is your favorite character in 2?

Zuko!!

I actually like all the characters in this show, they were all so nicely developed that I couldn’t help it. But Zuko was a perfection combination of a tragic past, a jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold trope and the fucking best redemption arc I ever did see. So I was pretty much a goner for this dude.

2. Who is your least favorite character in one?

If you’d asked me that a year or so ago, my answer would have been a different one... but now I’d go with Rumpelstiltskin, merely because of my overall feelings about how his story ended (and how the focus needed for that resolution stole precious screentime from other storylines, yes I’m still bitter). But I’m happy I’ve gotten over my hate both for him and any other character I’ve hated in that show. That was a very toxic feeling that I wish I’d never felt, especially for the amount of time I felt it.

3. What is your favorite episode of 4?

Oh, lol, that’s hard. I actually really liked the pilot? But the fact that I bingewatched seasons 1-4 and then 5 on its own, combined with the fact that I was frustrated with some writing choices give me a hard time choosing one specific episode.

4. What is your favorite season of 5?

Hmm so at first I wrote the current one (third) just out of the feeling of vindication I got from recent events, but overall I realized it dragged on. A lot. Especially the episode set in DC... lots of moments that were clearly there only for the torture pr0n.

5. Who is your favorite couple in 3?

Darryl and White Josh T_T and the development of the last episode I watched shook me so hard T_T

6. Who is your favorite couple in 2?

I mean... I don’t ship them, but I’m adamant in my belief that Katara ending up with Zuko would’ve been a much better choice from all perspectives. So yeah, Zutara. But Sokka and Suki were cute too.

7. What is your favorite episode of 1?

7x14 “The Girl in the Tower”. 

It’s been one year and I’m still not loving Alice any more than I love Killian, but she’s still in second place and this episode is one of the best written episodes of the whole show. 7x07 falls close second because despite its problems the lullaby scene still makes me wanna roll in a blanket and cry.

8. What is your favorite episode of 5?

... actually, I’d go with the one where we see how Luke survived being shot and managed to cross to Canada. It’s the first episode we don’t get to see a shit ton of women suffering, and my whumper side finally woke up and appreciated seeing a guy (regardless that he wasn’t very high up on the potential whumpees list) stumbling around the freezing cold with a bullet wound in his gut. But seeing the Waterfords being arrested wasn’t that bad, either.

9. What is your favorite season of 2?

How does one choose from three impeccably written seasons?

I guess the third one, since it’s the one we saw the climax and conclusion of Zuko’s redemption arc and see him join the Gaang.

10. How long have you watched 1?

I bingewatched the first season a bit before season 2 came out, and after that I watched the show every week. I only watched specific scenes from s6 (I’ve actually only watched two or three episodes in their entirety) and specific episodes and scenes from s7. I still rewatch some scenes once in a while, but not with the fervor I did back during the hiatuses between seasons and half-seasons.

11. How did you become interested in 3?

Netflix recommended it and I’m so happy it did. I had heard about it being a musical with good humor and self-knowledge, but I hadn’t expected it to be that good and exactly what I liked.

12. Who is your favorite actor in 4?

Rahul Kohli. 

13. Which do your prefer, 1, 2 or 5?

Let’s see, lazy writing with one (1) character that I happened to get addicted to, the best writing ever from any perspective (aside from that one) or derpressing torture pr0n?

I’m actually... I love Killian Jones despite all the flaws in the writing of him and his surroundings, and I’d dare say more than I love AtLA. 

So yeah. Even though I’m not proud, I choose OUaT.

14. Which shows have you seen more episodes? 1 or 3?

Well, 1. Even with skipping most of s6 and some of s7, it’s still more, especially if you count the rewatchings.

15. If you could be anyone from 4 who would you be?

I’d love to be Ravi, firstly because he’s dope and secondly, call me crazy, but I’d actually love to... “experience” those monthlies he had. Like, live like a zombie for a few days a month then go back to being a human. Considering how, if you ate the right brains, it seemed that being a zombie was a pretty tolerable experience, and even better if you ate some good brain. I’d much rather have zombie monthlies than period, that’s for sure.

16. Would a cross over between 3 and 4 work? 

Totally. And if they combined CEG’s humor with iZombie s5′s humor, I would probably die from humor overdose. Plus I can already see someone singing happily about being (or not being) a zombie, with Romero zombies dancing around, as they do.

17. Pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strange couple. 

You mean a crackship that no one has thought of?

Ruby and Cruella, lol. The conflict of interests alone...

18. Overall which show has the better storyline 3 or 5? 

Eh I feel like THT dragged on a bit and could have reached the point it’s at now much faster. And I can’t find it in my heart to say anything negative about CEG, truly, so I choose 3.

19. Which has the better theme music? 2 or 4?

I feel bad choosing iZombie for this one... but it’s just that I liked its theme music a lot. AtLA had a great soundtrack in general, but its theme music would fall second here, sorry D:

I’m not gonna tag anyone because YOLO, I’m tagging everyone. You see this, tag! You’re it, go on and do it :P

[ettadunham]

A Buffy rewatch 4x11 Doomed

aka stop trying to make the apocalypse happen it’s not going to happen

Welcome to this dailyish text post series where I will rewatch an episode of Buffy and go on an impromptu rant about it for an hour. Is it about one hyperspecific thing or twenty observations? 10 or 3k words? You don’t know! I don’t know!!! In this house we don’t know things.

And today’s episode is weird and plot-heavy, but I also don’t hate Riley in it, so we’re going somewhere I guess. It also poses the question whether or not Willow would kill someone for calling her a nerd (it’s a toss-up if you ask me).

So, Marc Blucas is officially in the credits, which also means that this is the first time in the series that the ratio of male to female regulars on the show is 2:1. To be fair, this will also be the last time that happens, as we’ll add Emma Caulfield and Michelle Trachtenberg by next year to the rooster, but it’s wild. This is Buffy, and we have 4 dudes and 2 women in the opening credits. We’re not excelling even by Buffy feminism standards here.

(Catch me talk about the opening credits again in about two and a half seasons with Seeing Red. I mean, there’s really nothing much else to discuss about that episode… right?)

With that out of the way, let’s talk some Riley and Buffy.

I’ve been a bit hard on Riley with my comments so far with this rewatch, but I really want to emphasize how much I don’t hate him here. Which is a low bar to clear, sure, but it shows my own biases and what I do and don’t find acceptable in my male characters.

See, my issues about 4x07 The Initiative were mostly about perspective. We were constantly seeing Buffy through Riley’s eyes in that episode and I kinda hated it. Meanwhile, Doomed puts us mostly into Buffy’s shoes as she’s dealing with Riley, and it’s a remarkable upgrade.

We know Buffy. We understand her past, her trauma and her frustrations. But the wonderful thing that I realized that I also understood where Riley was coming from here. I didn’t agree with him, but I understood.

Because Riley doesn’t know Buffy. And Buffy flat out tells him so. He doesn’t understand what she’s been through, what being a Slayer is to her, who she is as a person… And neither does Buffy know Riley.

(Even though Riley’s like “you know who I am”… no, she doesn’t?? You’ve been dating for like 5 minutes. You don’t know who you are, dude. Just because you have a simplistic view of yourself doesn’t mean that that reflects back everything about you as a person.)

From super subtle lines like Buffy saying that Riley just ‘can’t see her scars’ to her trying to make him understand how different this demon hunting gig is for her… She’s laying it all on him. And we, as the audience who was right there with her on every step on her journey, are all in her corner.

That doesn’t mean that Riley’s wrong entirely. We know that he doesn’t have the full perspective on Buffy, but he also manages to hit some truths there. Buffy does tend to have a gloom and doom mentality. Sure, she has a good reason for it, but she’s also prone to depression and isolation. Sometimes she really needs someone to tell her not to try to go at it alone.

So yeah, you know what? I enjoyed their dynamic. I could live with this for the rest of the season.

The Buffy/Riley relationship and conflict wasn’t the only thing this episode tried to set up though. Hell, it almost felt like an episode 7 with how heavily some of these threads will be mirrored by the end of season four.

Case in point: Spike taunting Xander and Willow about their uselessness to Buffy. He went right to the jugular too, hitting them in their worst insecurities. Xander about living in his parents’ basement and not getting into college, and Willow about her past relationship falling apart and Oz leaving her.

They really are all forgetting that Spike’s a villain with all his comedic shenanigans, huh.

The theme of separation between the Scoobies even comes up in the scene where Willow goes to the party. She’s just awkwardly standing around, waiting for Buffy to show. Which she doesn’t - well, at least not until the murder.

And that’s sort of new. We’ve well established by now that Xander feels left out of the group this year, but Willow and Buffy are now dormmates! They should be in sync and spending a lot of time together, and this is one of the first indications we see of that not being the case.

The scene where Willow finds the dead body in the bed is also weirdly framed, to the level that I totally read that scene wrong, even in this rewatch. Like, is it really just me who thought that Willow went home to her own dorm room and the body next to her was Percy? She was upset about Buffy not showing up, and Percy being a lowkey dick, so I honestly thought that the whole reveal was about whether or not Willow did it.

(Maybe I’m projecting from the future too, but alas…)

Instead as it turns out, she just randomly went into a room and laid down there. (Which is already super unrealistic. A college girl going into a stanger’s dorm room without checking her surroundings first??? I don’t think so.) And the dead guy was just the rando that the monster killed in an earlier scene.

On the other hand, I also feel justified about my weird misreading, because in the upcoming scene, Willow is much more upset about Percy calling her a nerd than the dead guy in the bed??? Man, Willow really hates her high school persona. (Probably because she associates all these negative memories she has about high school in general with who she was, and who she was perceived as by her peers and herself at the time. More on that in a later post I’m guessing.)

Oh, and the apocalypse is here. Again. And everyone’s just so done with it. “It can’t be the apocalypse, we already did that.” Iconic.

Anywho, if you take away one thing from this episode though, it should be this: your belt doesn’t have superpowers. So maybe don’t attach a rope to it and attempt bungee jumping???

That’s just physics and fashion design.