#I like characters fighting back against the narrative & the mc I guess

[thegreatcaptainusopp]

It’s funny too bc Water 7 is what made me switch over to Usopp as my favorite like this is what won me over tbh. I was all in on Luffy at the start and then getting to this part and seeing Usopp’s role in this arc I was sooo intrigued by him. Like I’m sure to Usopp this was probably one of his lowest moments but it impressed me for some reason? The narrative was certainly directing you to feel a certain way abt all this but I didn’t really feel the exact way about it I was intended to. I guess he won me over there the same way he did to Luffy & Zoro & Nami in Syrup village lmao

[onebizarrekai]

random rant about ranmaru under the cut because I spent the entirety of yesterday thinking about him

yttd 3b spoilers

I’m gonna fight. the more I think back on what they did with ranmaru the more it looks like they were trying to dispose of him

like. seriously?? they killed him off during the trial without a second thought and didn’t even make it an option to save him?? I thought he was gonna be the new bastard because sou has the brain cell now

it’s almost like they made him go rogue in order to make the player not like him and not miss him when he dies but it literally had the opposite effect. he’s interesting now and they just weeded him out without a second thought or word, even though he was almost a main character during the whole of chapter 3 since he was hanging out with sara the whole time. he was part of a darker part of sara’s character arc and they just…… threw him out

those two had a really compelling dynamic especially because sara and ranmaru seriously had this brains-in-sync moment that encouraged ranmaru to make bad decisions

they were tied by a string of fate and EVERYTHING and they didn’t even make his death meaningful at all. and it’s not like they killed every single doll either, they decided to give a handful of them the chance to survive and none of them were, y’know, the guy the mc spent the whole chapter with and got attached to

and because they threw him aside like that, some players are calling him a disposable trope aka a yandere, because for some reason, his desire to survive, affection for sara and bad ideas are not worth exploring or taking seriously

in all honesty they barely made ANY of the doll deaths meaningful during the russian roulette game. they just went “all right gotta save gin” (which is understandable but still) and didn’t emote at all besides minor displeasure at killing their new friends that they just spent the WHOLE chapter gaining affection for and learning to team up with

and like yes. it’s true all of the dolls were dead people, but look me straight in the eye and tell me why the doll you’re supposed to care about the most  narrative-wise (besides mai) is a locked death that didn’t even get any attention drawn to it

you didn’t even get to see how sara felt about it. she just went “uh oh! ranmaru betrayed us! what a nutcase” and then kinda wiggled away until ranmaru died in the trial EVEN THOUGH ranmaru was literally becoming her friend before he went off the rails.

it’s like nothing in the chapter happened, it’s like none of them went through a rigorous electric shock minigame in order to save his life

I’d almost say that this is a showcase of how apathetic sara can be when she’s been turned against, but she didn’t have anything to say about it

like why does the stupid glasses guy get surviving rights. like for mai and kurumada it KIND OF made sense because mai got character development and kurumada kinda did too and he also almost died and they charged him and all, but glasses guy? and not ranmaru, who also got character development like the other two? there were 3 dolls that got development basically and one of them got offhandedly killed while being replaced by some rando who got zero development that I can’t even remember the name of.

I mean like I guess gin needs someone to look after him since qtaro died but also am I really gonna take a rando over a fave who MIGHT have the capacity to have some sense talked into him? or hell, even an interesting impact on the story.

dude. I want to see sara juggling not one but two bastards. I want to see sou and ranmaru not getting along. I want to see ranmaru being a wannabe problem but because he’s such a twig he just gets suplexed immediately by keiji. sara gin keiji sou and ranmaru really sounds like a terrible dream team to me

unless of course ranmaru gets brought back as a floor master since midori got wasted ahhahahaha that thought just crossed my mind very quickly

but also it’s very unlikely that they would do that. and it would also be stupid because it would require them to rewrite him into being a floor master and change him entirely. not to mention they could bring midori back at any time since he’s a doll (though there’s no saying they will)

anyway long story short ranmaru was a striking opportunity to develop sara some more in terms of her darker parts but if the way that they handled him is encouraging people to throw him under the bus, is everything really fine and dandy

I’m not even saying he should be a locked survivor (considering that he is very dead and his doll body probably isn’t permanent) I’m just saying he should be taken seriously and maybe even have a chance of living after the russian roulette part rather than just being cast aside

.

this is an unrelated question as well but sou’s 0% survival rate goes unanswered. midori said that everyone was set up to be given an evened out chance of survival but sou still ended up with nothing, somehow. we also don’t really have a team-antagonist either because sou mellowed out so much, despite his burning hatred for sara for making him survive instead of kanna (I guess he met midori again and then backed way down, but that doesn’t change the fact that sou spent the first 2 chapters being an antagonist and even tells the player about majority votes at the very beginning)

I kinda thought that ranmaru was going to replace him just a little even if ranmaru is an impulsive idiot who doesn’t know what he’s doing but that didn’t happen

OH YEAH. speaking of which I know we’re only halfway through chapter 3, which is probably why majority votes haven’t come up again, but doesn’t it seem awfully strange that the deciding factor of who survives in the russian roulette game was rigged, pre-programmed luck?

maybe ranmaru’s desire to win by teaming up with sara and killing everyone was just breaking the system too much

[aspoonofsugar]

What do you think of the theory that Penny is coming back? I really don't see it but everyone seems sure she is.

Hello anon,

I actually agree with you and @hamliet here.

I mean, in a story nothing is set in stone. In particular, in such a long series what has a specific meaning in a moment of the story can be discussed and deconstructed later on. However, as for now, I think the framing around Penny’s death is very clearly sad, but cathartic and a fitting conclusion to her arc (and to the Atlas arc as a whole).

I am writing a meta on her arc, so I won’t write much about it here.

Still, I actually think the narrative has gone out of its way to suggest that if Penny were to die again, things could not be fixed so easily:

Ruby: Even if the worst does happen, you can always reactivate her again, so maybe try not to worry so much.

(...)

Ruby: You gave her part of yours?

Pietro: Yes, and each time I rebuild Penny, it takes a little more. If people get their wish and she's destroyed, I won't be able to…

Someone may suggest that Pietro might be willing ot sacrifice himself for his daughter. After all, it is a recurring trope in fiction. Still... one of the point of Penny’s arc in the climax of volume 8 is that she has grown:

In volume 7 she receives the Maiden’s power, while at the end of volume 8 she is the one who gives it away. Her receiving the power is framed as an aknowledgement of her personhood. At the end of volume 8 she is able to do the same for another person:

Winter: No, Penny, you were always the real Maiden at heart. I was just a machine. Just… following orders.

Penny: You’re my friend.

She is literally becoming Winter’s blue fairy and is doing for her what her two fairies did for her.

She is entrusting Winter with the power, like Fria did with her. This happens because Winter has symbolically grown into her own person throughout the volume.

However, Penny is also doing something way more important. She is doing what her true fairy did for her:

Ruby is Penny’s true blue fairy because it was Ruby seeing Penny as a real girl that made Penny feel human.

Here, she is doing the same for Winter.

In short, our Penny has grown until she has become not only a “true girl”, but literally a “blue fairy” of her own.

Because of this framing, it would not work for her to be treated as a child by the narrative once again.

Moreover, last time Penny has been revived because of this:

Pietro: Died? I guess, in a manner of speaking, she did. But we were able to recover her core from Amity Arena once it had made its way back to Atlas. It took me some time, but…

Pietro needs her robotic core to revive her, but it is gone:

Personally, I also think it would not work structurally. Penny’s sacrifice is a very powerful scene. It literally ties together ALL the themes of the Atlas arc, her own character arc, Winter’s arc and much more.

In order to bring back a character after such a powerful ending... one needs time to build a narrative that does not pail in comparison. It would need to be very complex not to cheapen her sacrifice and honestly... Penny is not a main character.

She is an important one for sure, but she is not one of the main eight whose journey we are following and she is not Cinder either. She is more like Pyrrha in terms of importance in the sense she is one of the main characters of a specific arc. Pyrrha was the Vale’s arc MC and Penny was Atlas’s. She is literally at the centre of the Atlas’s plot-line. However, she is not at the centre of the whole story.

Finally, as @hamliet noticed...this does not seem to work for the themes of the whole series as well. As a matter of fact the whole story started because of this:

God of Light: You must learn the importance of life and death. Only then may you rest.

The Gods might be assholes, but they are important thematically, as it is the cycle of life and death.

Salem’s inability to understand the cycle after all is why things turned out this way.

Even if you want to blame the Gods’ pettiness for what happened... it is honestly still the same. After all, what is the root of their conflict?

God of Light: I am abiding by the rules we agreed upon!

God of Darkness: Rules that I now see are ever in your favor. And yet the day a mortal comes to pray at my feet before your own, so do you arrive to lay your judgment upon me!

The root of the Gods’ conflict is literally that humans worship the God of Light and are scared from the God of Darkness. Humans only value life, but escape and do not accept death.

You could argue that it can’t be it because Light is actually the one against resurrecting Ozma, while Darkness initially agrees and changes his mind when he discovers Salem went to him as a last resort.

However, there is another thematic reason for this.

Light and Darkness are not only Life and Death, but also Order and Chaos.

This is why Light is lawfull and wants to respect the cycle. This is also why he is totally unable to offer Salem any kind of emotional support whatsoever. Everything is in subordination of the rules and of the law.

This is why Darkness acts only following his emotions. A person comes to him for help? Screw everything, he is helping her because she chose him. Oh wait, she considered him only as a last resort? Nevermind then.

Let’s highlight that these oppositions are literally mirrored in the two Kingdoms that host the relics of Creation and Destruction.

Atlas is an authoritarian and military country.

Vacuo is unstable and lacks a strong government.

This is also why one of the themes linked to creation was control.

In short, accepting and understanding the cycle of life and death is literally one of the heart aspects of the series.

By this, I do not mean that one should glorify death and this is conveyed once again by Salem herself.

Salem started her story refusing death, but then she has grown to despise life. This is why she can’t free herself. It is not one or the other... it is about loving life and accepting death.

Let’s highlight these two sides of Salem are conveyed through two members of her team:

Hazel is unable to accept death. He could not grieve her sister and refuses that she has made a specific choice to fight and to accept the risk of death to protect others. This is why it makes sense he finally dies doing that same choice.

Tyrian glorifies death and destruction and I would find it very ironically if he dies begging for his life instead. (Or something similar, but I do not think Tyrian will have such a sympathetic death tbh).

In short, coming back to life is actually never framed that positively in RWBY. Salem and Ozpin see it as a curse and in Penny’s case it was a property of her robotic body and we know Penny had complex feelings over it.

She wanted to truly feel alive.

This means the ability to feel somebody’s else warmth:

But also the pain:

At least, this is how I see things so far. Anyway, to each their own and we’ll see how things develop.

Thank you for the ask!

[mira--mira]

When and why do you think Madara gave up the dream of the village, or did he have it in the first place? Since its implied that Hashirama tired to make peace the second he became clan head only for Madara to refuse him until Izuna's death. Why do you think it took Madara so long to agree when he dreamt of it with Hashirama when they were young. Or do you think that he was just humoring Hashirama when they were young and never had that dream?

Ooh I have a lot of thoughts on this! Okay, so first of all I whole-heartedly believe Madara and Hashirama shared the same dream when they were young. I’d even argue that Madara started to have it first. In Hashirama’s flashbacks (which my god, I wish we had Madara’s perspective on that so much) to me it seems like he’s frustrated with the fighting and the war but can’t quite vocalize the idea of peace. It’s when he meets back up with Madara and Madara tells him to trust someone you need to know their guts and presents that as the unlikely but ultimate way to make peace that Hashirama latches onto the idea and then they develop the idea for the village specifically together until it becomes their dream, and once Madara abandons it, becomes “only” Hashirama’s.

As for why Madara didn’t agree immediately when he became clan head, I have different two different theories, and a whole lot of realisitc overlooked complications. The first and most bitter theory is at this point in the overall narrative the ‘Uchiha are genetically pre-dispositioned to evil’ theme has picked up steam and the reincarnation reveal is right around the corner. To make Naruto’s ultimate triumph of ‘winning Sasuke back to the side of good’ the most meaningful, Hashirama and Madara (and Asura and Indra before them) had to fail by the narrative design. Naruto is the child of prophecy and the reincarnation of ninja jesus, he’s the Most Special right now. None of this is helped by the fact that we don’t get Madara’s side. We don’t know why Madara refused peace. If that was explained, if Madara even referenced it in his fight with Hashirama I would be less bitter and more inclined to believe there was actual narrative weight in that decision. But it’s not and while I love part 1 baby Naruto with all my heart, ever since the child of prophecy plot point was brought up and all throughout the war arc I am most happy when we are not following him because the world bends to accommodate him as the mc more than usual at the detriment to other characters.

Now for a not bitter theory, with the scraps were given and a lot of guessing lol. Madara’s decision not to accept peace immediately once he becomes clan head, should narratively tie into why he broke off his friendship with Hashirama in the first place. We know the river confrontation happened, but we don’t know how the Uchiha discovered was meeting Hashirama, or their reaction to it. Personally, I love good dad Tajima, but realistically I think his reaction would be similar to Butsuma’s. Madara would be threatened with being labeled a traitor to the clan. However, the real crux for me would be Izuna. Izuna is Madara’s main priority from what we can tell. If Tajima suggested, or threatened, that Madara’s meetings with Hashirama would directly lead to Izuna’s death...I can see that being a greater fear for him. Neither Madara or Hashirama would want to be banished from their clans but the knowledge that his friendship with Hashirama was the cause of his brother’s death would be the single worst outcome for Madara. Cue the actual river confrontation, with Tobirama and Izuna clashing and then both dads trying to kill the other’s kid that was Madara’s worst-case come true. I don’t think he went into the confrontation with the intention of breaking his friendship with Hashirama. They both tried to leave early to prevent the confrontation after all. But when it happened and Madara was faced with that...he did the only thing he could think to do to protect his brother even at the cost of his own happiness. The agony of that choice was the Sharingan moment for me. From there it gets blurry but the way I see Madara is he felt he couldn’t go back on that decision and he internalized it. He made it and getting close to Hashirama again, listening to him and accepting peace, would still ultimately lead to his brother’s death. This could explain why after Izuna died, he gave it one last go and when he was defeated ultimately accepted peace. His worst case had come true. Izuna’s dead and, in a twist of fate, he died because Madara chose to not to accept Hashirama’s friendship when he could. 

The above is kind of my “main” theory, directly from canon explanation. It gets complicated by other ideas that weren’t addressed at all, but would reasonably come up if the narrative was focused on this time rather than Hashirama’s entire backstory being just that, a backstory. We know the Uchiha and Senju had been at war for generations and the overall terrible conditions of the Warring State Period as well as how ninja clans were hired as mercenaries...beyond that...there’s not a lot. A major consideration to Madara not accepting peace should be the political climate. Were there multiple daimyos (I ask this because the Warring States period was analogous to Japan’s Sengoku period and there were multiple daimyos fighting for power. Who would have the money/need to hire multiple clans to fight against each other if there was just one?) was there just one? Madara is the leader of a clan but he can’t just decide to do things if it would possibly jeopardize the Uchiha’s ability to work, get paid, and eat. Then you have the politics of the clans themselves. There were Uchiha defectors and they were at least willing to accept peace, but we get no indication about the clan’s changing attitude towards the Senju or peace. After being grievously injured, Izuna was still against it. There could have been a group that was completely anti-peace and a group that was pro-peace and how would Madara reconcile with that especially if he wasn’t a beloved leader? I do think Madara as clan head could make the decision ‘we’re making peace with the Senju’ but then forcing two enemy clans to cohabitate that hate each other...even if they were tired of war Madara would be risking his clan’s wellbeing on Hashirama’s word. I think Madara could believe Hashirama but the rest of the Senju? That’s a different question altogether and raises it’s own concerns. 

The concept of making peace and creating the village is a complicated matter, much more so than two boys declaring they’ll be the strongest so everyone has to listen to them. I really think this point in the narrative just kind of...had to exist with the way Kishi wrote the story esp with the upcoming Indra/Ashura parallels. Realistically there would have been a lot of reasons Madara couldn’t immediately accept peace even if he wanted to. These could have been hinted at, but because I think the ultimate goals of the backstory was 1. to lay out Madara’s villain origin and 2. to hint at Hashirama failed where Naruto will succeed and all of this has to be delivered as quickly and effectively as possible, those other possible reasons weren’t explored. I would have liked a line or two of dialogue between Hashirama and Madara about this, especially whenever Madara mentions Konoha isn’t his dream and ground it in realistic obstacles rather than ‘space alien goddess’ will manipulating him for x amount of time’ but...you know.

Hashirama and Madara’s relationship was well developed and great, but Naruto suffers the mot imo when realistic longstanding problems come up, especially if they’re problems caused by historical events or the current socio-political climate. The biggest evidence of this is...what were the great shinobi wars about? Why did they start? What were they fought over? When did they end? What were their consequences? It’s...surprisingly hard to answer these vital questions and “why didn’t Madara immediately accept peace?” ultimately falls into the same category for me. 

This is all from Madara’s perspective and tbh I could write a whole thing about why Hashirama was so gung-ho about immediate peace and the pro/cons of that but this is already way too long lol.

[the-lightning-strikes-again]

Hi, @pilotkinkade! No worries about a delay—real life and school are way more important than critical analysis of a cartoon, lol. I’m thankful you got back to me, though. I appreciate your response posted here—and no, it didn’t feel patronizing at all! I can see what you mean about things.

In terms of Wikipedia’s definition of white savior as a cinematic trope, I can see where that could be applied to the entirety of the VLD show as you mention, even in aspects to the Balmeran episode. In VLD, I do see how in every case, the largely unprepared MCs save a group of people and in doing so, usually learn something about themselves/achieve a power unlock that makes them personally stronger, especially compared to the people they assist/save, who remain without such power-ups. Or, in various other instances, Team Voltron is shown as “more enlightened” in ethics or willpower, etc. compared to the people groups they’re trying to save/convince to join their cause. That concern absolutely does make sense, and it’s definitely a problem that our paladins are placed on that kind of pedestal and that it’s...celebrated?

I also felt this line of yours in my soul, lol: “i think this is an issue with voltron: liberating a country, let alone a whole planet, is a long, tiring, bloody process. i guess voltron by its nature circumnavigates that, but. it is, to say the least, frustrating to watch.”

Yeahhh lol, I think in terms of how it handles war and heavy situations, VLD accepts a lot of “this isn’t realistic war/politics” moments by virtue of it being a Y7 cartoon? Its fantasy violence is targeted for, I guess, 7-year-old American boys... So, I think when we sensed those more adult themes and moments of realism, we wanted the show to naturally follow up on those struggles more, but I remember an interview where the dev team talked about having to cut politics because the stakeholders felt it was too adult for the target audience, RIP.

But just thinking about this larger conversation about the unsettling images and implications of VLD Voltron’s power as savior…I keep wondering if “savior complex” is in some way inherent to the franchise as a whole by virtue of how it was fitted to a young American audience back in 1984? Like, not only did the original pilots from 1981’s Beast King GoLion get white-washed for an American audience, but it seems like the whole story structure got some pretty major adjustments, and some characters got altered for better (I’d argue 1984 did humanize Lotor and other antagonistic aliens) or worse in various ways (the Voltron pilots became “foreigners” to the war they grew to fight in as the most powerful warriors, instead of the GoLion storyline of the pilots being a band of escaped slaves)…And that’s all on top of the original story being rated much higher at TV-14, while Voltron: Defender of the Universe 1984 was sanitized to Y7.

I wonder if these decisions in 1984 feed into the tangles and weird power structures/savior narrative we see in VLD?

I feel like the only Voltron iteration that really reflects on and questions the “powerful savior” narrative is the one that was rated for older audiences (16+), which is the Dynamite Comics (2011), written by Brandon Thomas...

It was perhaps one of the most innovative versions of Voltron, even though its artwork is criticized for its quality. I say innovative because Team Voltron actually recognizes that they and their machine have been fighting in the name of a corrupted Earth just interested in further conquest and corporate control of its own, and that Earth is actually no better than Zarkon or other despots. It’s a really sticky mess. So we really see Team Voltron try to disavow themselves from that past and their leaders, at the same time that the team and Drule Empire both are realizing that a far darker force (sentient rift creatures, basically) has been instigating the entire war across the universe, using Voltrons to carry out its will, and poisoning people against each other. In this iteration, team Voltron is not the most powerful, nor are they even the only Voltron. And anyone in this iteration could learn powerful magic. So it’s a really complex backstory that tries to unite long-standing opposing groups together under fairly equal powers. And while it’s clearly still got some problems, I really appreciate what writer Brandon Thomas was trying to do here. It feels like a critique on DotU 1984’s mentality around Voltron, while also reaching back to Voltron’s 1981 Beast King GoLion origins—in which, in that version, the pilots were actively victims of the war and had intense, personal reasons for further involving themselves to stop Zarkon.

VLD seems to lift a lot of plot points from the previous Dynamite Comics, along with GoLion. But in doing so, VLD seems to strip out a lot of involved backstory and the past gray morality of Voltron itself. Which seems to reverse the reboot back to its 1984 “yay we’re here to the save the universe” fluff.

An anon recently joined in on our discussion here to suggest that maybe the trope we’re looking for regarding Allura specifically is called “xenos savior trope”? Which appears to be in reference to the larger genre concept of a foreigner of any kind outside the group being the only one who can actually save the day/that group. So it seems to be related without necessarily taking on some of the criteria I suppose I apply to white savior complex specifically….

About Allura’s sort of “Chosen One” hyper-abilities even as an Altean… You’re right that the show isn’t terribly explicit about it. Episode 1 prefaces some of Allura’s powers by referencing that they exist because her life force is tied to Voltron. I talk about it in an old meta here if you’re interested. (I also have this other meta too, where I try to argue that seasons 1-5 have details suggesting Alteans aren’t inherently a master race, but that world-building contradicts the latter half of the show which hinges on that master race concept. But the meta itself also gets into the screenshots about Allura’s life-force tie and her abilities vs. Alfor’s.) 

Ultimately, the show certainly doesn’t take time after episode 1 to reiterate why Allura would be so special, but her tie to Voltron is the only thing I can think of for why she’s on such a different level even from Honerva or Alfor, both of whom also made it to Oriande. 

I keep thinking about what it would mean to fully update VLD for modern audiences, and I wonder how things would have felt if every major race involved in the war’s scope were still represented by the paladins (reflecting the s3 OG paladin diversity, which did feel really cool). And if everyone had magical abilities but simply that different cultures had different understandings or uses of it—but that they weren’t inherently incapable of learning another’s way. I wonder how much that would have changed VLD as a show…

[class1akids]

I completely share your feelings about the events in 286 being super frustrating after the highs of 284&285, but I can't help but feel that this frustration is absolutely intentional on Horikoshi's part. Kacchan's selfless act is ultimately much more important to his character than any immediate impact it might have in this particular battle. And I can't see Deku as he is now reacting in any other way, and we are absolutely meant to be as frustrated by this as Bakugo is (and as Aizawa... (1/3)

and others have been in the past). I definitely don't think Horikoshi is glorifying Rage!Deku (yes, he gets pretty art, but well, the best art in this arc has been Shigaraki's!) - Hori's made it very clear since the beginning of the series, and now repeated it through Bakugo, that Midoriya's behavior is not just self-sacrificial but self-destructive, and can be very harmful to himself and others - and ultimately, as Bakugo has pointed out, it comes down to his inability to see any worth... (2/3)

in himself as a quirkless child. You've said before that you thought Midoriya's flaws aren't sufficiently explored by the narrative, but I think this has been his biggest flaw since the beginning of the story, and has been rather consistently explored (3/3)

These are good points. Yes, Shigaraki taunting Deku about how pointless Bakugou’s sacrifice was makes me feel like that it is exactly how we are supposed to feel, but I’m hoping there to be more pay-off than Deku just entering rage-mode, but something bigger that affects the narrative in the big scheme of things. 

You say that it’s an important character moment for Bakugou himself, but since the scene is a direct, intentional parallel to the Sludge Monster incident, let’s imagine that scene with just Deku running in, getting scolded for getting in the way and going home. Everything else happens the same, but All Might never tells him that it was Izuku who inspired him in that moment, never tells him he can be a hero, never gives him OFA... Wouldn’t it change how we readers and Deku himself feels about that entire scene? Would it be an important character moment for Deku on his journey to be a hero without any pay-off whatsoever if he didn’t gain anything and didn’t save anyone, but just proved that he’s willing to risk his own life even if he realistically can’t achieve with it anything? What would be the value of that?

So I think that Bakugou’s sacrifice deserves narratively a pay-off that pays its dividend into Bakugou’s own arc, rather than just Deku’s (by enabling rage mode). Otherwise, to me it will remain really unsatisfying and bleak. Further reinforcing the idea that Deku gets always rewarded for acts that others suffer for.

I also see Deku’s supposed lack of self-worth as something that’s not very convincing to me and often contradicted by the story itself. Selfless sacrifice, getting the job done “no matter what happens to me” is not really a self-worth thing or not even a Deku-thing, but a quality that the real heroes have. This is why All Might recognizes him in the first place, not just with a head-pat, but someone worth putting his full, unconditional faith into, that’s the quality we see from Mirko in this arc as she charges forward despite her lost limbs, from Hawks when he prioritizes taking out Twice over saving himself from Dabi and I don’t feel the narrative framing those acts as sign of lack of self-worth.  Also, Deku’s acts of heroic recklessness pay off every single time - in the Sludge incident, against Muscular, against Overhaul. He always comes out as the moral (and physical) winner.

There is also Deku’s motivation - which is helping people - but not only that. He wants to help people in one particular way, by being a hero like his idol. So at the core of it, even if it’s centered around saving others, it is about Deku himself, fulfilling his own very specific aspiration, exactly the way he wants to. I think that requires a secure self-image to be able to go after a dream against all odds and so stubbornly believing that he can make it. Wouldn’t a person lacking self-worth be more likely to settle for “less”?

I think the writing is fuzzy on Deku’s arc to the extent that I am genuinely confused what is the point Horikoshi is trying to make with it - if any - or what flaws he wants me to believe Deku to have. 

At most, what I’m thinking may be his arc, is a Frodo-type of journey, where he starts off on an adventure that he always dreamt off, and at first feels like a fairy-tale of getting everything he ever wanted as a reward for his good qualities, but it gets turned more and more into a nightmare and a burden he never signed up for, but still rising to the challenge, with the end being that in order to save everyone, he’ll have to sacrifice the power he dreamt of (if my theory about destroying AFO means also destroying OFA turns out to be correct). 

This is why I feel like we are overdue for the story to let Deku fail in some real way with consequences that he has to grapple with. If the vestiges win this fight for him, then it just proves again Deku right - he doesn’t need anyone, nobody else can measure up, and he should have just done it all by himself letting Shigaraki touch him right back in chapter 275 before Gran Torino dragged him away.  

So much bloodshed would have been spared - Bakugou, Aizawa, Gran Torino, Ryukyu, Endeavor - everything they did feels so useless? 

But I hope that we will get a more satisfying answer than that and the vestiges are there maybe to buy some time for Deku (and do more exposition about OFA as a power) rather than to win it for him, and what saves him will be the efforts of everyone put together, wearing down Shigaraki’s ridiculously OP body one hit at a time until he falls apart...

I guess I’m just very attached to the teamwork narrative, where everyone’s contribution is what makes the protagonist’s victory possible, and where all those characters are on a journey of growth themselves, rather than tools in the arc of the MC. 

[pinepickled]

Hello Pine! I hope things are going well. If you're still accepting asks for the Fanfic Ask game, I have a few. C,D,K,S,T and X? You don't have to answer them all if you don't want to.

Thank you for the ask Shy! And I never feel bad about answering these, so don't worry! They're super fun~

C: what character do you identify with most?

Hmm. I identify in part with many characters, but one sole character who I identify with the most just doesn't exist, I'm afraid. I identify with Mammon for his simultaneous stress reliever role in his family and how ostracized he is. I identify with Rei, from 3 Gatsu No Lion (March Comes In Like A Lion) for his quiet participation in his own life, trudging in an endless march with no reprieve in sight and pain wherever he turns. I identify with Natsume from Natsume Yuujinchoh for his need to hide the ugly, misunderstood parts of his life, even from those who live that very same life and seek to help him, or seek to drag him along the path they walked.

D: is there a song or Playlist you associate with a fic?

I dont listen to worded music when I write 🤣 I usually watch TV or have a lofi beat in the background. I'd say Monochrome Kiss is the closest I've come to listening to a song while writing, and it's a banger.

The song:

The fic it helped me write:

K: what's the angstiest plot you've ever come up with?

Aha, so many. One I currently have the first two chapters written for and I'm just procrastinating on publishing is a dark one for sure. It's a/b/o bc that's just how I roll, and the protagonist has to reckon with the fact that he is constantly at the mercy of Alphas more powerful than him, not because of his own gender as an Omega, but because of the shackles put on him as a consequence of his desire to help people. He needs to abandon his ideals of self sufficiency that arose from the abuse he endured trying to save his kingdom, and rely on the people that society has demanded he rely on from the beginning. It's like?? A double full-circle, I guess. He starts out wanting to help people and being able to ask for help to do so, while also being pressured to give up his ideals and become the good mate he's supposedly supposed to be. In the middle of this circle, he gets brutally beaten into giving up his ideals and is forced to live with the person who ripped this part of his soul out, but as time goes on he begins to sympathize with that man. The man eventually let's him go, but not before he has thoroughly given up his dreams of helping people, deeming them stupid and childish, and has lost all capability to ask for help when he is in pain or danger. Hundreds of years pass, the second love interest (first one being the man that slaughtered his dreams) comes into play, and he regresses/moves forward to relying on the people who hurt him for the power they lend to him out of good will to help people once more. He cannot help people without relying on these people, he cannot rely on these people without crushing his own mental structure again to fit into this mold. He snaps because of this, losing all ability to be upset at his situation, and happily indulges in the privileges of the people he is submissive to. It's a happy ending by all other means, but the journey to get there was long and brutal. Did he win? Depends on how you look at it.

(It should be up on ao3 after Kakashi Bingo and Whoregumi)

Then there's my personal story, a novel I'm writing in hopes of getting it done for NaNoWriMo. My MC, Clyde, has severe anxiety and paranoia. He cannot function without using his husband, Kai, as a crutch- but Kai dies in a freak accident. Clyde, unable to function in the city he currently lives in without Kai, goes back to his home country. The home country isn't very religious in general, as their religion does not really call for much worship and such outside of simply knowing the legends, but Clyde comes across one of their religious symbols: a suit of armor known to drive it's wearer insane yet gifting great power in return. The more unstable your mental state when first putting it on, the more power you gain in return. It immediately latches onto Clyde, and the other suits of armor deem him too dangerous to live. It's really just a chase story. Clyde is being chased by his husband's corrupted spirit, the other suits of armor, and the looming mind break. He wants to live... but he doesn't. Not without his husband, not like this, but he has no other choice because whether these spirits chasing him are the product of the death of his husband or a prank on Kai's part, Clyde can't tell. All he knows is Kai didn't die, and Clyde can't die until he finds him and gives him a solid punch to the face for doing this. It's dark on the sole premise that Clyde's mental space goes down, down, down, and it doesn't really get better till the finale. If you can call it better.

S: any fandom tropes you can't resist?

~SO breaks your heart so you fuck their dad~

T: any fandom tropes you can't stand?

Taking characters wronged by the narrative and excusing their behavior by imagining a world where they didn't rebel. Take Sasuke for example: his entire clan was ostracized, the jobs they could get regulated to police work only so the village would hate them, their children stolen and brainwashed into the military, their precious eyes ripped out to further the village heads power, and then the entire clan was genocided by one brainwashed teenager from their own clan, whom they refused to fight against due to his age and the fact he was from the clan. These are all reasons for the sole survivor, Sasuke, to be upset, yes?

Yet time and time again I see AUs where people "fix it" by "making Sasuke a good guy" and having him live peacefully in the village that killed his people. Like. Fuck off. Sasuke, despite what shitlords like to say, is not the antagonist of Naruto. He is a companion to Naruto, the one that says "you have been wronged. Be angry. Don't hate me, join me."

But kishi doesn't know how to write for shit so that plot was lost very early on.

X: a character you enjoy making suffer:

Uh, let's see

Mammon, Lucifer, Xie Lian, Kaeya, Toji, Kakashi, and Natsume.

Thank you again for the asks Shy!

[snowtimeisbesttime]

Thoughts and questions on Pesterquest Volume 7, routes 1 and 2!

-Considering how we get to Equius in his route, Nepeta just sat down next to Sollux at the top of the list of Potential Volume 8 Guys. We know their names, where they live, and we've also accumulated a good bunch of mutual friends. Also i just really want to see them..... (sollux could also share a volume with aradia (or feferi, or even eridan i guess), but we've had some eclectic troll groups so it could be anything)

~ROUTE 2~

-Terezi makes the :? face, all's good

-Getting hit in the head real hard counters retcon powers, apparently.

-Of course Vriska immediately tries to reconnect with Terezi once she's able to (read: is no longer forced to routinely murder random trolls)... its all in the vrisrezi.

-We get a snippet of Alternian Law, and it basically says that if you exist (/consume resources) on Empire territory while being 1- a mutant, 2- an alien or 3- a criminal against HIC aka a rebel, you Must perish. Considering that MC gets by perfectly fine in Friendsim (them having crimson blood was the biggest danger), but Joey apparently has to disguise herself as a troll.... oh boy I wonder what could bring such a change in the law!!!!!!!!!

-Speaking of changes in the law, we've got 3 versions of legislacerators now: from the ancestral era (said to be a mix of prosecutors and bounty hunters), from Hiveswap's time (where they seem to actually have a good amount of power even in Alternia- see Tirona deleting MC's criminal record), and finally, from Hivebent's time (iirc Terezi said in Homestuck that it was pretty much an office job- she's probably basing her whole thing in her route off what she knows about the legislacerators from her ancestor's time, which she also canonically liked better.)

-So, based on what we see in Pesterquest, legislacerators would have seemed a bit like performers, putting on a show for the audience- which does kinda fit with them working close to subjugglators. (It should be said that we have very different frames of reference for those three versions; respectively we have Neophyte Redglare, the five Troll Call teals -which are focused on their own, very different things- and Terepy Pipes herself.)

-why yes, mc's wearing a maryam original. (they haven't acquired any new clothes this volume though...)

-Actually the coin flip thing's brought Terezi a lot of pain... obviously when she killed Vriska all the way back then, which haunted her enough to have her explicitly tell John to prevent it from happening; there's also that one doomed Dave that went to sleep in his quest bed and later got jack noir'd...

-As it turns out, Terezi's just trying to keep her loved ones safe while hoping she might eventually be able to change things from the inside... just like another friend of us. And when MC instinctively tries to zap to Tyzias, they pop up at the Weird Hallway Of Tposes again. Which Terezi can describe as a nexus of metaphysical realities because she's dreamed about similar places.

-and we knew that whatever tyzias tried to do hadn't worked, because hivebent's alternia still sucks, but. Either we're purposefully barred from interacting with Friendsim friends because this is Pesterquest we're playing, or we can't reach her because she's dead. All there is to see now is if the Scourge Sisters will succeed where so many failed...

-Terezi does kinda get uncomfortably close to the Truth Behind Things when she says that they're all victims of the big picture... and that when they fight, the one who painted it laughs because they've already won...

-Looks like her first reaction when faced with the loss of Vriska is to get clowny... this isn't the first time Gamzee's been a distraction.

-Also, what he says when we zap to his hive implies that he's aware that he gets murdery whenever he's not high on pie, and in fact eats the pies to NOT be murdery... so why'd he run out in the meteor, again? Wouldn't he make sure to have a renewable source of them, if the alternative is killing his friends?

~ROUTE 1~

-Even if they can't consciously access their memories from Friendsim, MC still has them- and can use them for zap locations. God I hope they do go back to their hive and look through everything...

-mc: “Oh, Equius. Maybe he's chill.” equius: *currently beating the shit out of a robot*

-He does try to be cordial at first, if only because MC's friends of Gamzee. And then Karkat speaks for MC's sheer friendship power, which then kicks along the whole friendship thing.

-MC kinda looks a bit like Aurthour. This is certainly a thing. (also was aurthour's eye already bruised in equius' good route and i forgot?? or was that a ~fancy temporal bullshit holdover~ from his short end???)

-He didn't want to kill MC, even if he can't bring himself to say it. (iirc he was amongst the only ones to NOT attempt to kill anybody back in murderstuck, together with Karkat...)

-Equius has a fancy gamer chair.

-Of course the second MC shows him their teleport powers he wants to go see Nepeta. I mean say what you want about Equius but the guy's got his priorities straight. And of course as well, the T-pose guy from the funky troll hell nexus hallway of metaphysical realities won't let us skip ahead to her. (tpose guy speaks in white, just saying)

-On the one hand, acquiescing (for now...) to the wishes of someone he perceives as being of higher status of him isn't out of character from Equius. On the other hand, by now whenever any character shows hints of getting their minds fucked with by the narrative I immediately reenact that meme with the samurai holding a cat and a sword and other synonymous memes.

-At least MC and Equius get to talk about society, friendships, and the role they both play in people's lives. And we get confirmation that while big strength is an indigo thing (and that not every indigo has it), Equius' STRENGTH is on a whole other level.

-And in case getting to see the Nexus Hallway in both Equius' and Terezi's routes wasn't enough, in Equius' bad end we start screwing up the timeline in a... more esoteric way. Um, thank fuck we didn't get Paradox Space (comics) involved too, i guess?

-Horns are really sturdy, and we don't get to learn more about troll biology because whenever Equius starts talking about it whomever he's talking to bails. Admittedly, the first time was kinda understandable.

-how did equius break his horn? yes

-How in the fuck did grub Equius get to the Caverns??!?!!? Was he found by a random jade when his meteor landed?? Did our No SGRUB AU make it so the beta trolls were hatched regularly???

[lizzybeth1986]

Why I Won't Be Interested In Book 3 of RCD (even if there's a wedding...and I'm a sucker for weddings)

Book 1 was okay for me as a start to the universe. I was disappointed in the lack of balance between the LIs, and the poor treatment Victoria got, but I was hoping Book 2 would be a step towards rectifying that and keeping a better balance.

Then we got the note at the beginning of the book that it would deal with "issues of harassment and discrimination". Weinstein? I thought. And I was half hopeful, half nervous. Hopeful because this book was about the film industry, particularly Hollywood, and the writers looked like they wanted to address that. Half nervous because I knew when that moment came a part of me could find it triggering. In any case, I was ready to read this book and see how it would play out.

Some things it did right. Content warnings were given - both at the beginning of the book and in the chapter where Viktor Montmartre attempts to assault the MC. Her friends/LI came to her support immediately and the 30-diamond scene that followed was sensitive in the light of that situation, and had the LIs share experiences of discrimination inside/outside the industry. Teja talks to you about the "boys' club" among directors, Victoria tells you about the constant sexual harassment she faced from a co-star who she had to wait years to expose, Seth has a rare moment of projecting his pain from years of bullying on the MC when he insists she immediately do something about it before apologizing and opening up to her, Matt speaks not about his own experiences but the discrimination his father faced during his early years as a Latino actor struggling to get good roles.

So what do I have a problem with? Two things. I'll start with the thing that pissed me off - but not as much as the second one did:

The LIs

No one who has played this series is a stranger to the imbalance when it comes to Matt Rodriguez in comparison to the other three: Teja, Victoria and Seth, first from Book 1. Matt gets the lion's share of the attention and narrative space, Seth and Teja disappear for chapters at a time, as does Victoria who has to deal with writing that does her character a complete disservice, to the point where the writers thought nothing of letting her physically attack the MC. The latter could also only be allowed into the film via diamonds unlike Matt and Teja who you could forgive and kiss for free. There was enough backlash to force the team to change dialogues in the book...which meant a better balance of content per LI the next book, right?

Cut to Book 2, where Matt still gets the lion's share among the original lineup, the other three still get guest appearances in this story at best, and Victoria is still hardly around. Only difference is this time Seth and Teja are made to act like squabbling toddlers instead of the professionals they were in the first book. Added to this is the inclusion of the HWU-alumni LI Hunt (you could have a moment with Addison but that is all you get, and you don't get to do much with her in the finale either. I guess we'll only know if she'll be an LI for sure next book).

While it's great that they're there, it was still at the cost of the other LIs. These two haven't gotten many diamond scenes in this book, which I put down to the timing of their own arcs (Addison gets just one prominent diamond scene really, and Hunt gets a few - including two in the finale). So I'd like to look at the original lineup, to see if they'd gotten better treatment this book:

Matt: Very prominent in the story from the beginning. He gets extra time with the MC in an early chapter so he can tell her in secret that he's part of the same film. He is in the cast of Double Agent with her. She interacts with him regularly and gets multiple diamond options, including that of sharing a room with him, practicing fight scenes, taking him to the hospital and eventually sharing with him (for free) her news about The Last Duchess. The MC's decision to call out Montmartre on safety violations on the set emerges from the horrendous injuries Matt sustains while shooting for Double Agent. He is the catalyst for why she disobeys despite her initial plans and eventually gets fired. He has more opportunities and overall - even without the diamond options - seems closer to her than everyone else in the book by default.

Victoria: While they've toned down the aggressiveness they gave her in Book 1, and made her a lot more approachable, they go the other extreme of hardly showing Victoria at all. The MC is involved least in her storyline (where she is working on an interesting crime film called The Godmother) and there's very little you get to know about the movie or what she's doing otherwise. The only plus side is that she is the one who relates most to the MC's plight, having experienced sexual harassment from a co-star in the film Cross to Bear, and having had her grievances brushed aside because of how powerful the actor was. She also speaks of the MC as being brave for leaking out the news about safety violations in her NY diamond scene, and gets to lay it down to you exactly how tough it is. While the little content we do get is...nice, it doesn't make up for the horrible treatment meted out to this character in Book 1, and it doesn't try much to provide her the nuance she deserves.

Seth and Teja: I don't want to club these two together - them being my favourite LIs, both unique and amazing in their own right - but the book leaves me no choice. Both are done pretty dirty in RCD 2, and in some sense I feel like they've gotten the worst writing this book. They have an advantage in that the MC is involved in the making of their film, and she gets to meet them here and there in the series. However most of her free time with them is spent having to watch in horror as they fight and bicker and push forward their own visions without reaching a compromise. Eventually, their 'solution' seems to be a result of the MC handholding the two into solving a puzzle together.

Why do I think this is the worst writing/treatment that could be given for the two when they are being given some attention? Because their portrayal for most of this book does nothing to improve/build on what was already there, but completely against how their characters were built instead, in ways that can make people lose interest in them overall.

The Seth of Book 1 received his first blow in Hollywood when his amazing script was rejected, but dusted himself off and found alternatives instead. This has been a recurring theme with him. Even when his standup career experiences a setback in the series, he is quick to recognize on his own that his succumbing to that negativity is not going to help him, and with or without the MC he tries again. When she is accused by practically everyone of being a leaker, he is the one who looks out for her and reminds her of the lesson she taught him. The Seth of Book 2 doesn't try to diffuse the tense atmosphere, doesn't try to find middle ground. The character as he was originally portrayed would be glad he's this involved in the film. If anything, he would try and work things out with Teja, and come up with a solution that does justice to both their visions.

Teja in Book 1 was an overworked, underappreciated assistant director, who at different times was either treated like a servant to do Marcus' every bidding, or a talented protege who had to make up for her boss' inadequacies by holding everything together and making sense of his 'vision', and who later on does a brilliant job as a director. Teja knows what it's like to not be listened to, to be treated like her opinion is nothing compared to the director's "grand vision". She knows what it feels like to be not valued much on the set or outside of it, and they seem to remember this briefly in her diamond scene after the assault, where she speaks about a "boys' club" of directors that won't take her seriously. I could understand some level of aggression as a way to maintain her control over this project, but I simply do not see her allowing her petty squabble with Seth ruin her film. No one is as aware as she is that a good working environment is essential to a successful film, but here she is contributing to the overall negative atmosphere. They're hardly the same person, the Teja of both these books.

Most of all, the writing does them an incredible disservice by having their argument take precedence in their stories over the MC's plight most of the time, have them focus on themselves more than they would on how she's doing. Are we even talking about the same people anymore?? Seth was the MC's fiercest supporter when she was being accused of the leak. Teja, even in her anger, thought logically as soon as she got the call from Matt's agent and spent her time trying to confirm that it was him before speaking to the MC first, for fear that he would find out and do worse. Do you really think these same people would drag this friend/girlfriend of theirs into their petty fights, not work out a solution themselves and not keep in mind what she's been through? Would they really be so self-absorbed that they wouldn't stop bitching behind each others' backs and taking breaks from each other, to actually think about her? To the extent that she'd have to handhold them into finding a solution to their conflict? Seriously??

It was an acceptable premise destroyed by shitty writing. The problems that arise when friends work together professionally, the tussle between two visions for the same project. But both these characters are largely proactive people. They take initiative to make a difference in the atmosphere of the workplace if something is wrong. The Seth and Teja of Book 1 would have at some point (earlier) sat down and tried to work things out themselves. They would have been honest with each other and tried to see a way to combine their visions into something that made sense. And they wouldn't need to be pushed into that process: they would take initiative themselves.

Most of all, they would not look at a woman who had been through a traumatizing situation, and think oh, lemme just bitch all day about the other friend to her. They would try and make things better for her. They would try to put her first. So while Victoria struggles with being pushed aside in the story, Teja and Seth have to deal with characterization that seems to have been written by a team that doesn't even know their characters.

All in all, the only LI that actually gets adequate attention from the original set is Matt. It's extremely unfair on fans of the others, and it's quite deflating to learn that they didn't learn their mistake from Book 1 and actually work on maintaining balance in Book 2.

Book 3 implies that a wedding is in the horizon (which is possibly why the [original] LIs get to confess their love to her in the Book 2 finale), which means we might get to meet the LIs' families (I'm not going to hope, though) and learn more about them personally. (alternatively it could more likely refer to some other high profile couple with a big wedding where we get to shine as guests). They've also seemed to find people who want them in their work. So perhaps things might look up for them. But this book? This book seems to have forgotten how to write them.

At this point they might as well scrap everyone else and make Hunt and Matt the only LIs in the books. Because they're the only ones who seem to even matter anymore to the team. And inform the fandom now so we can dodge the bullet that is Book 3.

Is This A Powerful Message...Or A Plot Twist?

The book doesn't treat what Montmartre did so much as an issue that happens in real-time Hollywood, as it does a plot point. It happens, the player gets to choose how the MC responds and how she describes her feelings to her friend and LI, there is a plan in place aimed at exposing him and tactics Montmartre uses to disempower her, which finally leads you...nowhere.

The narrative never actually gives us a clear idea what this plan is supposed to be, what the MC is supposed to find, how the LIs who suggest this plan are involved. We're just supposed to know there IS a plan. Had the safety violations not been discovered, what would the MC have done? All we get to see is her in dire conditions (unless we spend the diamonds), determined to push through because she would somehow thwart him through means that the reader doesn't actually seem to get from the text.

Once she gets out, the focus goes on to Hunt who - if the reader so chooses - has already had some sort of moment with the MC in the speakeasy earlier in the book, and who is now her knight in shining armour when she's fired. The MC gets to act in his period film on the condition that it is kept secret (something she promptly forgets when she visits Matt in the hospital) and the focus shifts from the assault (if there was any focus there at all) and the aftermath to landing this plum role and proving herself again.

Hunt and the MC can get closer if she chooses, and some affection is already hinted at in the books even if you don't really romance him. Which can be discomfiting for those who don't want to, and who feel it's too much too soon for someone who faced assault already from an authority figure. I understand there's a balance they have to strike here - there was, after all, a demand for characters from the HWU-verse to be featured more prominently - but the fact that what the MC went through pales in comparison to this new development in the narrative...just makes the story even more imbalanced.

She does mention the assault to both Hunt and Addison - to Hunt when he confirms that she is no longer working in Double Agent and to Addison in their Chapter 12 diamond scene, but not very much of a thought is given to this issue after that. The focus moves entirely to the preparation for the film, the romance with the new LIs, and keeping these shoots a secret while occasionally communicating (through diamond options mostly) with the other LIs.

There is no indication that she's met other people who have suffered through Montmartre's abuse of power, no further exploration of how deeply-rooted a problem it is. And if you're going to make Montmartre's story a reference to Weinstein...it needs to be important within that story, not occasionally referenced to, with the MC saying "I'm sure other women have gone through this" in a few scattered places. It needs to have a stronger presence in the story itself.

And if this was avoided because RCD was supposed to be a 'fun, lighthearted' take on Hollywood in the first place...why put in a heavy subject there? Why imply that you will offer commentary on this issue when there is very little of it? Why, if you don't know how to give it the focus it needs? It doesn't need to be referenced every single chapter but at the very least it should be clear how important an issue this is to the MC, her friends, the industry as a whole. It goes straight from Montmartre's sexual harassment to his attempts to bully her into silence to calling out safety violations to the next movie.

Sexual harassment and silencing are very, very important issues within the film industry. If you're going to reference real-life incidents and movements in the books, you really need to be doing justice to that - not flitting from one plot point to another and treating what Montmartre did as a mere twist in the tale. The story doesn't need to be on this and nothing else, but what happened to her and to other women should have at least have been the core theme of this book. Not brought back at the last minute when the writers finally remember "oh this needs to be wrapped up, too".

The big message is suddenly left for the end, the Montmartre chapter closed with the press immediately believing the MC on this, Apricott standing by her strongly if you spent extra time with her (and in a general sense if you didn't), and Montmartre getting only a taste of the comeuppance he deserves. Most of us know this is too good to be true - it often takes years and a long line of survivors, and people who knowingly look the other way to get to this point of justice. But I would have been alright to this end, to a certain extent, if this was a theme dealt with properly in the book...which it wasn't.

Book 3

Had I not lost interest in this series altogether, I would have probably listed out what I'd hope for in terms of portrayals for the next book - the biggest of which was that they would at least hint at how differently the industry works for different women of colour.

A white woman's experience is different from an Asian woman's experience is different from a Black woman's experience is different from a Latin American/South Asian/Middle Eastern (all three of whom face massive challenges in accepting roles unique to them) woman's experience in the industry. At least three of those would face immense difficulties in getting consistently good work, are called in for roles that are stereotypical and tone deaf and do nothing for their careers...and sometimes good roles of those ethnicities are given to (surprise surprise) white performers. I recall thinking, once D&D and The Senior started regularly using different parents for the MCs and hinting at their variant experiences with regards to race and ethnicity, that this would be a wonderful way to go for RCD.

But I'm not sure I trust this team enough to handle that with the nuance required. Not even when their own original LIs - two of whom are women of colour - don't get to address racism in their own narratives (unless it's Matt, who has a secondhand experience of it through his father - something he will only address in diamond scenes). Not when Teja has just one reference to her first generation immigrant parents and their plans for her in a diamond scene, and her experiences as a Indian-American kid are mostly ignored afterwards.

Tbh...I don't give a shit anymore when the next one comes out.

[justanotherdumpingground]

Chapter Reviews: June 18-22, 2019 + Plan for TRH

Wishful thinking Chapter 11:

Dang, things have gotten more tense because of Charlie forcing the MC to accept a bribe to pay for her dad's medical bills in order to silence her. What's really crazy is that Anna coincidentally arrived at the hospital after Charlie left.

Ouch at the MC losing her telepathy. And even more so when Aubrey said he wished she would say something to make him feel better. Honestly, what is wrong with this selfish moron? The MC's dad just got hospitalized, which is causing her stress, and that is what he said? If he wants to feel better, then he sould've just go back to reading his explicit books for all I care. At least Jaime and Anna are more supportive.

Well, hello there, Ellen. I know we'll have to work with you to take Charlie down. Sure she's no saint, but there's no denying that she's up to something, and she has made valid points. Not to mention that she mentioned working on an environmental piece, which foreshadows this whole shebang. Considering it a situation where the enemy of my enemy is my friend, though the MC and Ellen are still far from friendly to each other.

Nightbound Chapter 10:

The fight against zombies was pretty intense as far as I'm concerned. I'm glad everyone, MC included, put up a good fight. Even better was when I picked the premium option to sound the horn and summon a giant alligator to fight the zombies. The real and pleasant surprise is that the alligator AKA Chompers is surprisingly friendly towards the MC. I hope to see it again.

I kinda didn't expect the bloodwraith summoner to be revealed in the middle, mainly because I thought it would be revealed near the end. Anyway, I find Cassiopeia and Thomas intriguing characters. Cass was undoubtedly used by Thomas, who exploited her desperation for companionship stemming from childhood. That didn't excuse her actions, but it ensures that her actions and motivations make sense. Likewise, Thomas's hatred of the supernatural coming from their perceived abuse of power shows how one can go great lengths in response to perceived injustices. Definitely captured my whole interest.

I'm looking forward to see how the meeting with Lord Elric goes as well as his monster tear. What if he has secrets to share for the MC?

Passport to Romance Chapter 15:

I feel like I'm not shown much of London aside from the Tower Bridge and a few food the main cast at, but I never saw any pictures of. Just shows how this book fails to immerse me in terms of both plot and decisions. I don't even pick the option to help Marisa call Tristao out, for instance.

Honestly, what is up with William suddenly promoting Elliot to a top spot in the family company? At least there's a board member who objected to it because she knows Elliot is unqualified for the job. I mean, all he does is mooch off of the family money as he travels around the world.

At first, it seems like the main cast finally gets a taste of what it feels like to not having enough money to keep up with their blog, but because of this story, they finally find a way to do it *cough*Elliot*cough*. And not to mention Yvette's right to be angry at the MC's ungrateful behavior for their unprofessional behavior.

Honestly, it's good riddance that this story's a standalone. I was okay with it for the first few chapters, but nothing really interesting happened, and my interest gradually decreased. There really should've been conflict in this story aside from the MC's struggle with maintaining their blog's integrity amidst Yvette's demands, but even then it has little effect on the story. Not to mention that the main cast isn't that great except Sumire, who's ultimately wasted potential because she doesn't even have a subplot nor any conflict with anyone.

Platinum Chapter 5:

When Ellis Knight said he's providing the MC the best apartment for her, I was expecting a recycled background art of Adrian Raines's luxurious suite, not Nadia Park's apartment. Oh well. At least Platinum MC's rise to fame is less easier than I thought. Yet at the same time, I need to keep an eye on Ellis because he might pose a threat in the next book if this story turns out to be a success.

Anyway, I like Zadie, Ozone, Luna, and Wade already. The clothes Zadie provides to the MC are beautiful, and I look forward to work with the other three.

I'm still uninterested in the romance aspect. Sure it's nice to have friends among famous singers like Avery and Raleigh, but as I've said earlier, I'm burnt out on the romance aspect that I just need to shift my focus away from it. That hasn't stopped me from feeling cautious on the potential scandal my MC just got herself into with Raleigh, however.

Red Carpet Diaries Chapter 3:

Why are we using Chazz's vision instead of coming up with my own? And why does he suggest cutting out an important female lead? As a player, I barely know about this Secret of Ninradell crap, yet the narrative doesn't allow me to know what it's all about. At least he's right about not every movie having to be romance. This should apply to most, if not all, Choices stories, even if getting rid of Byrony would ruin the movie.

Meeting with Marianne was okay, though it was also weird that she also suggested getting rid of Byrony. I seriously think she shoehorned the romance aspect of her book. At least the MC has the rights to the movie.

Premium scenes with Hunt and Matt? No thanks. I'm interested in neither, not to mention that I've chosen to be exclusive with Victoria.

The Elementalists Chapter 11:

It was nice and relaxing to spend time with Shreya and learn more about her family. I admire her and Nehal's ambition, and I wish her luck in her achevements.

I picked the premium outfit but not the hair because I love the former and feel eh about the latter. It doesn't do much aside from compliments, but I still love the outfit. Anyway, it was fairly easy to get Kavya's support despite the chaos that was about to follow. And I finally get answers from Greygarden Waithe. Man, I can't wait to see how this mystery unravels.

Bloodbound Chapter 6:

Dang, that was a mind-blowing chapter! Seeing Gaius fight against the council member easily grabbed my full attention. Every time Adrian and Kamilah seemed to have an upper hand, he easily showed them he isn't to be trifled with. Thank goodness they, along with the MC and Jax made it out safely.

Oh, of course Priya is in cahoots with Gaius. I never liked her since I first played Bloodbound, and. Sure she's a cunning villain, but she's also really psychopathic, selfish, and egotistical. Can't wait to bring her down to a peg like I did with Nicole.

Pity I couldn't afford to go after Jameson and determine his fate. This premium option is definitely on my to-pick list.

Man, Lester's death recorded live and used to persuade vampires to join his cause or die sets the tone for darker things to come. My guess is that Clans Raines, Sayeed, and Matsuo will oppose him while the other three will join him. Regarding Lester, he's starting to remind me of Jocelyn Wu in some ways. Sure they're unsavory people, but they set their priorities straight. In Jocelyn's case, she may be a bully, but she knows the moss creatures Redfield unleashed are a true threat compared to her targets. In Lester's case, he knows the feral problem and Gaius are bigger threats to his power than some clanless upstart like Jax. He's someone I have a begrudging respect for.

Anyone upset that Kamilah and Lily are sidelined for now in favor of Adrian and Jax? A part of me thinks Lily should've gone instead of Jax because of her technological expertise that might come in handy. As for this Seraphine lady, I'll see whether she's friend or foe.

On The Royal Heir:

For The Royal Heir, I've decided not to write reviews on this. Instead, I'm writing something like annals that embellish the MC's journey. Stay tuned for them.

[kaiju-z]

DnD 5e One Shot - The Dragon and The King

So, last saturday our group had our second one shot. I’m writing this up first, because the first One Shot was a Winter Solstice one that takes place in the near future of our party and stuff happens in it (will write down an episode on that once we catch up).

Our ranger @unholysavior​ was the DM for that one, so our regular dm @lozwithasideofcheese​ got to play with us again as a player.

Our party consisted of:

Reed, the Firbolg Ranger (as played by our Goblin Barbarian player Hayden) and his companion, the mountain lion and BEST GIRL Ginger;

Kit, the Changeling Rogue (as played by our DM);

Gamin Steak the Eldarin Necromancer (as played by our Half-Orc bard @langsty-mc-langstface​);

Nemo Olzien, te Aasimar Paladin (as played by our Air Genasi Monk, @kittehr​);

and lastly Esteban “Ban” Carrera, the Halfling Cleric, as played by me.

We started at 5th level and were called to the court of King Adavier (a rather empty court as we found out later on). He tasked us with the job of arming ourselves in the town of Greenburrow/Greenborough (I’m not sure on how it’s written), climb a nearby mountain and fight a 500 year old tyranical red dragon atop the Stone’s Peak of the mountain.

He will pay us “handsomely” 40 gold pieces each for the task and immediatelly we should’ve figured something was wrong with the job. It felt off. But I think we were mainly distracted with Gamin’s shenanigans. Gamin was a bit unhinged (and by a bit, I mean a lot) and almost dove out of a window.

He also secured himself bones from the royal catacombs??? I don’t think we ever followed up on that.

After some shenanigans (for some reason I wrote down that the king sleeps commando style?! Gamin was great, XD) in the court and introductions to each other outside the king’s castle, we made our way to GB. On the way there we avoided a fight with highwaymen?? I think that was a thing that could have happened. But we were too perceptive to be caught by surprise, so they never made their move.

Ban, after some reluctance, ended up riding on Ginger’s back along the way to GB and Reed talked to some horses to get their take on how they were doing in the service of rent horses (Tap once for doing ok, tap twice for nah).

Kit basically robbed Gamin in plain sight, but we all rolled low enough to where we didn’t see her pull that off.

We learn that Gamin doesn’t remember where he lives, but he wants to go home. He wasn’t always like this, the insightful Ban understands from his rolls (It felt so nice to play a character, who doesn’t roll low on wisdom checks X’D). And before we reach the outskirts, everyone but Kit flexes. Yep. Even Ginger.

In the outskirts of the town we meet a black dragonborn named “Dennar” (or Donnar? I’m not sure on the pronounciation), who lives outside of town in a barn, painted black. Gamin adopts him immediatelly.

From Denar’s snoot to our ears, we learn that Sleekclaw isn’t a baddie. In fact, he’s the protector of these lands. Kind and wise. Which gets us to start questioning the king’s motives. (Us not being locals, but travelers from our own paths, we don’t know much about the local lore).

It seems that ever since the king took the throne, he has been a tyranical ruler, who would wreck any town within his kingdom??? He held hostility towards all the non-humany races (Dragonborn and Tieflings included).

We comfort the troubled DB and he basically joined the party from that point (cue the dm making a sheet for Denar, while we have a break).

We continue on the way to the town and find a sword amidst burned buildings. But not from above, which corroborates Dennar’s story to us. We learn, through Nemo, that the sword is cursed and that diamonds are growing from it. According to Reed, the sword is infused with Conjuration type magic. After some more shenanigans between Ban and Gamin (They have a very Order vs Chaos dynamic developing here), Gamin uses a clever way to carry the sword, as it may be useful for later.

The king took power 5 years prior and since then things have been going bad. My favorite quote from the one shot came next. “ It’s like a royalty card! You need to punch a card in corruptness.”

We reach the town, which is covered in diamons of various sizes. It’s disconcerning as we enter town. Greenborough is a small town with a few shops. But that doesn’t really matter, because it’s overrun by these black, red and purple diamonds that have grown all over the place.

Further north in town is the castle of the Lord and Lady, who run the township. Gamin looks at a tree and starts crying after a trip to the secret chat. My heart 8(  Dennar taps him. “You ok?” Gamin: “Peachy!”

Big oof.

Gamin suddenly decides to run for the castle and we end up following him inside. Once in, we all make will saves and for all we know, we all pass. We find the lady, a green tiefling with heart shaped horns,curled up close to the staircase, looking traumatized. There’s blood up the staircase.

Ban tries to comfort the woman, while upstairs, Gamin finds a door blocked by diamonds. And starts magic missiling the shit out o the diamonds. Once he hears a faint cry for help from the other side.

After a perception check (we made SO MANY in this one shot, amazing), Ban noticed that diamonds were slowly growing on the woman’s wrists and throat. It seems that some kind of diamond plague had reached this town???

Gamin shatters a diamond and sees a red tiefling, stuck under diamonds inside the room that was blocked by the diamonds.

It’s at this point that things go bad. Dennar’s legs are petrified to the ground because of diamonds, growing on him (I guess he failed his save D: )

Through quick thinking on everyone’s part we managed to save the Lord and Lady AND Dennar, thanks to Kit’s swing with the greatsword, taking out the crystals on the lady, Reed bringing the Lord to Ban and Ban using some spells to restore both the Lord and Dennar to a non-plagued state.

The couple embrace and we learn more about what happened.

Yep, the king’s a piece of shit and needs to go down. We discuss a gameplan and ultimately agree to talk with Sleekclaw for back up. (I mean, come on. You give us a dragon, we gotta talk to the guy at least!) Ban promisses to keep Kit safe, as she doesn’t want to die before becoming an adult.

Also further developement happens between Gamin and Ban. Ban explains his faith (He’s a Life Domain cleric to Lady Istus). and Gamin is not impressed. Ban understands.

The party go to Aurora’s peak, where Sleekclaw’s cave is. We have a Proclaimers montage. It’s great.

After a callback to when Gamin befriended Dennar, Sleekclaw joins the party and flies us to the king’s domain, where he disguies himself as a person. Kit stealths like a boss and basically becomes a backpack for Nemo.

Before entering town, more shenanigans happen between Gamin and Ban. Ban gets frustrated to a point where he has an outburst at Gamin and asks him to “MAKE SENSE! PLEASE MAKE SENSE!” and I think he cured him (if temproary?!)  of his madness?!

Because Gamin rolls a history check and suddenly remembers EVERYTHING O_O!!!

In tears, on his knees, he reveals his story. His name is Simon Everwinter. He was married to a man named Luke, who tragically died. Simon tried to bring him back through necromancy, but things went wrong and his mind was taken away. (PAIN!!!!)

Simon begs the party to help him remember this, should he forget it. Ban swears to him that he will do his very best to help him remember.

And so, we enter town and meet with the king. We bluff well enough and Reed ends up stabbing the king, initiating a fight that lasts less than two rounds of combat.

Simon ends up with the HDYWTDT for the game, much to Ban’s chagrin.

An argument starts between Ban and Simon over what to do next. Simon wants to raise the king as a zombie, Ban wants to revivify the king and have him stand trial for his crimes against the kingdom. Ginger bites a chunk off the king in the meanwhile (holy shit). The time for Ban’s revivify passes and he ends up distraught over the situation (god, the feels of the whole ongoing narrative between Ban and Simon. Big oof </3).

With the king slain, we have our wrap up. And learn that this game takes part in the same universe as Seon Adventures. But on a different continent. And through a mirror we see our characters from the main campaign.

And that’s how the game ends.

[athyrabunlord]

Thoughts and Notes about ep1-5

This is a continuation of this post here, and some extras too. It’s less casual and more organized this time.

I now have rewatched ep1-3, and then watched ep4-5 which I was strongly recommended to do because those will answer some of my questions.

Tl:dr version - ep4-5 did nothing to endear the MC duo (if anything, it did the opposite), but provided interesting insights on other characters and thus are worth the watch

The (once again very long) version:

As said above, I have now watched ep4-5 as per recommendation because I’m told that I missed a lot from skipping ep4-5, that reading summaries wasn’t enough because that messes up the narrative. Fair enough, I agree with that and therefore decided to watch for myself.

Before that though, I rewatched ep1-3 just to see what else I could have missed. I must say that it was very interesting in this rewatch now that we know more about Nana and Hikari. Many of Nana’s lines in these earlier episodes are indeed foreshadowing. Her friggin’ first line is a foreshadowing.

One thing to add here that I missed mentioning in my previous post is that, yes it’s strongly implied that Karen have not participated in the loops’ Revues/that ep1 is the first time she participated.

==================================================

Notes about Ep1:

The narration of the play Starlight, of little Karen and Hikari and when they made their promise; the play’s cast was the girls in their Revue outfits with Hikari on the very top

Maya pointing out that she couldn’t see Hikari’s heart, which both Kuro and Nana expressed their surprise’; since the scene switched to the stairway, we don’t know what Nana’s expression is then - surprise about that insight on Hikari, the rogue factor, or surprise about Maya able to sense that? Ep7 did reveal a lot, but not all yet

I knew Kirin’s eyes were green but now that I’m staring at them, I think they’re the same/close to the shade of Nana’s green

Hikari would’ve lost to Junna if Karen hadn’t intervened, and then Junna lost due to the element of surprise.

Revue of of Passion - with help of ep8, it’s obvious now why Hikari would’ve lost, she no longer had her passion after all

=================================================

Notes about Ep2:

Just as Kirin warned, both Hikari and Junna reminded Karen not to speak of Revue in public (the first rule of Fight Club is, you do not… cough); Mahiru’s reaction was confusion, Nana’s was surprise, implying this could be the first she finds out of Karen participating the Revue

Maya and Claudine, pls go a get a room X”DDDDD the chemistry between these two good lord

Hikari noting that Karen doesn’t have enough shine, that’s why she wasn’t chosen in the first place; Karen countered that what Junna said made her heart doki/making her want to understand and try harder (on top of the fact Hikari’s back with her here)

Nowhere was it stated that ep1’s 3-way match didn’t count or does count; however, the fact ep2 is “Day 2 Audition” implies there is some sort of impact

Junna said the moment she became Stage Girl was when she was 8; interesting note is that it’s implied she watched a play of Starlight or similar, but the cast was shown as mannequins in contrast to ep1

Revue of Desire- Junna wants to be a star; she wants to shine and step out from the shadows, to surpass Maya and Kuro and thus she tried and tried so hard just to keep up; in my rewatch here, I note that Karen didn’t even talk-no-jutsu… she just said she wants to become stars with Hikari, and the next moment landed that decisive blow

After that, Kirin remarked he now knows why Karen wasn’t originally chosen, implying Hikari and Karen’s fate are shared

Maya defeated Kuro but neither’s stories are shown enough at this point to judge whose desire is stronger

Summary: still cannot accept Junna’s loss. If Junna doesn’t have as much talent as the top girls, she at least has passion and work ethics and desire to win which Karen lacks at this point; even if I take a step back and say Karen’s desire is stronger than Junna’s… so, having a goal to due to a childhood promise is more favorable/stronger in the Revue than a desire to reach the star through hardwork? Hmm. I’ll just say Junna lost because she was overthinking and, quoting her, the simple-minded ones are stronger lol

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Notes about Ep3

Nana seems (pleasantly) surprised when Junna and Karen seem so close; could be due the fact this rerun truly is different

I really must mention I like the start of Claudine and Futaba’s growing bond/dynamic

Kaoruko talking to Mahiru about how Hikari’s presence brought all the changes; it could’ve been just an off-handed comment, or does Kaoruko know more than she seems? (even though ep5 appeared to be her first entrance to Revue and her centric ep6 didn’t confirm that)

Still irked by what Karen told Hikari - “I’ll be back after I win!”; I’ll just put it as her being idealistic and believes that her dream is enough fuel to lead her to victory, especially after the match against Junna

Seriously, Kuro and Maya, I have a room all prepared, go for it, let it all out gah pls just go at it

Revue of Pride - Maya expressing surprise that Karen is even in this Revue; meaning she has never considered Karen as a possible rival, or she thought Karen didn’t have a goal/reason to be top star; she asked Karen just what had she offered in exchange, to reach for the star? Indeed, what had Karen offered?

Kuro vs Futaba, and flashes of the other girls in their Revue outfits (but only Nana’s katanas were shown); was this implying that there have been other matches by this Day 3 of Audition already? If anyone has a chart of who’s fought who already on which days, that’d be great (I’ve seen some on twitter but can’t find them anymore).

Allow me a moment to gush over Maya’s part in the duet of ep3 again. Those lyrics are just so damn good lol. And also goddamit that beautiful animation

Instead of herself, Maya mostly talked about Kuro; I’ve already talked about this in my previous post but yeah, I love them. This is KuroMaya

Interestingly, after her victory, Maya said “the passion with her (Kuro) is…”, trailed off; well, I guess we’ll wait for a Kuro-centric ep to find out more

Hikari trying to intervene but couldn’t; implying Kirin really did sneakily allow Karen to crash the audition in ep1, or Karen has some sort of power that allowed her to sneak in without Kirin’s notice

Conclusion: while Maya is indeed more superior in skills than Karen, this being Revue of Pride implies that due to Maya’s pride/confidence in her skills and acknowledging what’s at stake, she defeated Karen

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Anyway, finally here we are, ep4-5. I took into consideration all the points that those arguments have made against my post and what I should look out for:

explanation/evidence in Karen being so powerful (ie. improving enough to defeat Claudine)

The impact of Karen losing to Maya has on the plot/character development

The resolution of the Mahiru-Karen relationship (as well as, the Mahiru-Karen-Hikari situation)

The Karen-Hikari bond being a strong enough fuel for the viewer to relate to and root for them

Summary/Notes about ep4

Once again we’re shown that little Karen and Hikari’s promise was made after they’ve seen the play Starlight; however this time, while played by the girls, they’re in the actual play’s outfits and the two as the lead; for the first time, we’re shown exactly what happened after the two leads reached the top; Karen was… affected by the red light (interestingly, her own jewel color), and then the scene continued to the next line of how ‘their dreams could never be’

Bana-nice; Nana seems happy at the new term, perhaps because that’s never happened in any of the reruns before

Sigh, really, making a ruckus in the morning, disturbing most of your dorm mates’ rest, and ditching your hallway cleaning duties, that’s just rude and disrespectful; Karen did apologize and promise to be back soon (which she didn’t)

Kaoruko talks to Futaba about the Revue audition, foreshadowing ep6

Hikari reminding/making sure Karen remembers their promise, and the two chatting about various things, while walking around the city dragging her suitcase and making Karen chase after her for the whole day; I’ll… just leave it as because Hikari haven’t been back to Japan for 12 yrs and thus want to do a bit of tour around; also, Karen mentioning she felt that she and Maya were on totally different stage

Important Note: we’re shown yet again that Kuro was practicing, as per all previous episodes; that’s 4 eps in a row; why specifically keep showing her practicing, out of the other girls? I’m really excited for her centric ep

Also seriously MayaKuro please, I beg of you, do something about your sexual tension *writhes* a claymore couldn’t cut it in half X”DDDDDD

Ahem. Kuro asking Maya why she’s in the Revue, and Maya replying she’s jealous at the very thought of someone else being the Top Star; implying she wanted to win to keep their status quo of her being no.1 and therefore, her partner/no.2 will remain Kuro

Hikari trying to warn Karen of the stakes, of what it means to lose at Revue; Karen just assuring Hikari she won’t lose again because she wants to shine, that she’ll be so brilliant and intense that she won’t lose to everyone;

Hikari reminding Karen there could only be one winner; Karen refuted that Kirin never said that - rather, the winner could be whoever presents the most dazzling revue; Hikari is in disbelief since there’s no way they’d get special treatment like that; Karen assures Hikari it’ll be okay (At this point, I think that’s exactly what will happen lol)

Once again, Nana looks very happy about ‘bana-nice’ and that this is the first time they made up alibi to get past roll coll for the absent duo

It was never shown that Karen or Hikari contacted the girls that they won’t be back; sure they ran out of money but, surely their phone still have battery? If not, that’s utterly irresponsible of them to just get out like that and expect things to work out

The rest of the girls are such amazing friends; Karen thanked Junna for doing her cleaning duties; in spite of the dorm head finding out and Junna freaking out about the hardcore training as punishment, the bottom line for Junna is that she’s glad Karen and Hikari are safe; the rest of the girls welcome them back

Conclusion, if you really ship KarenxHikari, you’ll probably enjoy it. If not, well, you’ll enjoy all the other moments and appreciate the other girls.

===========================================================

Summary/Notes about Ep5:

For Mahiru, Karen has always been a source of light, absolutely brilliant; however, so are the others in this prestigious Academy; Mahiru thought everyone but herself is radiant; it’s implied that she’s been struggling with this inferiority complex for a long time

Once again, Nana seems pleased at Karen’s change; however, her gaze was cloudy and displeased when the GroupB girls suggested Hikaren as the leads, that she should move forward and strive for improvement; def foreshadowing of ep7

Mahiru had such trouble waking up Karen in the morning, shown in previous episodes; now, Karen woke up early to train with Hikari, now that she’s made a promise to Hikari that she won’t lose again and will catch up to Maya. Good for her to finally be motivated, but coming from Mahiru’s POV, that’s painful. The unspoken question of “I’m not good enough to motivate you?” lingers in the air

We learn about Mahiru’s background; that she came from a large family, who owns a farm, and it had a been a huge deal for her to get accepted into the Academy, enough to get interviewed

After a bit of… stalkerish behavior from Mahiru (which I suppose is meant to be presented as comical but I just cringe) in which Hikari is always present and thus stopped Mahiru from really doing anything, Mahiru finally snaps, telling Hikari not to steal her brilliance which is Karen; Hikari is irked by the casual use of the word ‘steal’ (which is explained later in ep8)

Mahiru receives the mail about the Revue, marking this as her first fight

Revue of Jealousy - in a way, this makes sense why it’s only now that Mahiru qualifies to participate in Revue; on a side note, I really, really dig the song…

The whole thing is presented as comical in an almost psychotic, creepy way; of course, Mahiru’s completely snapped; she’s scared of losing her place, of losing her shine; she’s the one who had always been by Karen’s side but now…

Mahiru’s. Weapon. Is. Badass.

Also, a note, you -can- intervene in other Revues somehow; if Mahiru or Karen wanted, they could have started fighting Maya and Futaba; Kaoruko and Junna; Hikari and Kuro then and there

Anyway, it’s very painful to watch Mahiru chasing after Karen. “I just want to be useful again.” “Do you not need me anymore?”

After Mahiru’s self-deprecating rant, Karen counters that Mahiru has her own shine and lists all the qualities she likes about Mahiru, making her recall the joy of being accepted to this Academy and so on

And then, Karen won. If going by my above points, this is Revue of Jealousy so in that aspect, Mahiru definitely should have won. If not, still I don’t see how Mahiru so easily lost. As mentioned in my previous post, where is the supposed damage from being repeatedly thwonked by that mace/scepter? Karen did a ‘homerun’ to win but, urgh, she won because she made Mahiru recall her own shine??

Afterwards, we’re shown Mahiru acknowledging her own shine, which has always been there since middle school, and that she won’t rely on anyone anymore.

Conclusion: I tried to remain as neutral as I could but now I’m sitting here, tasting bitterness and just overall horrible for Mahiru. Those summaries I read before were nice and sugarcoating in comparison now that I’ve watched the real thing. If the ep’s intention is to make viewers feel horrible for Mahiru, then in that aspect it’s a successful delivery. If the ep’s intention is for the viewer to accept Karen and root for her… My opinion of her went from neutral to you’re such a horrible friend who doesn’t deserve Mahiru at all. I want to like you Karen, I really do because you’re the MC, but I really can’t, not after ep5.

I feel like full extent of Mahiru’s despair was just dismissed. Her issues, not just the jealousy of Karen being ‘taken away’ from her side, felt really downplayed. Sure, Karen did give her hope and the other others’ acknowledgement at the end, the warm and family-like atmosphere soothe her, but the scale is just too much to justify that change. You do not just overcome years of feeling inferior over one supposedly inspirational speech. Ep 5 isn’t just horrible on the Karen-Mahiru relationship now, it’s a slap in the face to the character of Mahiru. I’m… appalled. Really, put yourself in Mahiru’s shoes.

Now, going back to the four points I listed before writing about ep4-5, none of them are answered/resolved. Karen trains yes, but Kuro has been training for so much longer and she was better than Karen to start with. Karen losing to Maya made her want to start training harder and her plan to defeat Maya is to become more radiant. Um, ok. The other two points I already said above.

======================================================

And so, I’ve come to a final conclusion that:

You either adore Revue Starlight in spite of its faults (or for some people, blind to the faults), and/or ship Karen x Hikari and/or considers Karen a good MC;

or;

You’re still watching Revue Starlight by ignoring its faults because you like the other characters/ships/elements too much, and/or really don’t care for Karen x Hikari and/or find Karen lacking as MC.

If you’re watching the series and don’t belong to the two groups I mentioned above, please, please comment on this and shed some light as the middle(?) ground since it’d be nice to see a completely different perspective.

[mihanada]

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

(back to masterpost)

I might have been silently screaming this entire chapter despite knowing our main characters obviously make it out of here alive.

Chapter 53: Courage (Part 3)

No joke, this chapter really was quite awesome. Aside from the brief fight against Xue Yang in the Yi City arc and a few scuffles with the mysterious face-concealed dude, there hasn’t been much fighting or longer action sequences. Also, I finally get to find out what happened with this giant tortoise thing after hearing about it a while back through spoilers.

So, at first I thought the maple leaves were sort of funny in a cognitive dissonance sort of way, but turns out that they’re quite significant for getting the hell out of this place.

“Wei WuXian, “… What a large… tortoise…””

don’t you love his reaction.

I’m actually kind of surprised Wen Chao didn’t scream his head off the moment the tortoise-snake looked at them. He held it together until it blew out steam, I’ll give him that.

lol this line (”beast craved slaughter more than anything”) seems on par for giant beast thing except it’s probably been stuck in this underground cave for years? is the hole at the bottom of the lake even big enough for it to fit through? it’s probably starving and looking for a good meal haha

“one suddenly started twitching like a worm” very accurate description of Wen Chao, yes.

and welp there goes your only weapon. maybe aim for the eyes next time?

you know, narrative, you conveniently left out why this guy is called the “core melting hand” >.> 

“...as though something was about to be sucked out of his arm...” doesn’t sound too good. I was on the edge of my seat at this part though, like damn, we have a giant tortoise snake wanting to munch people and a guy with a mysterious power called “core melting”...

What is Wang Lingjiao’s problem, geez. Literally, her three helpers are shot down and she just merrily continues to try to burn Mianmian’s face like wtf I’d at least be concerned if I was next to get an arrow in the back??

I wonder if we get to find out her fate later on...

And that’s how Wei Wuxian got his brand! Finally found out, 53 chapters into the story! ...will it be over chapter 100 by the time we get to find out how Lan Wangji got his?

Wei Wuxian really has this hero-like disregard for his own safety as a kid, and he never hesitates in helping others. He’s almost always the first to act as long as someone isn’t holding him back. But, it’s kind of ominous and scary that he’s really so flippant about himself. He even tells Jiang Cheng “there’s a piece of cooked meat here. You want to eat it?” talk about gallows humor. at the same time, this bravado really can’t last forever, can it?

“Wen Chao saw that his eyes were bloodshot and had on a terrifying expression.” think he’s talking about Jiang Cheng here. Ah, Jiang Cheng is still but a youngling, I don’t think his scary face is nearly as terrifying as when he becomes an adult haha.

I’m still wondering how anyone knew a beast was in the area but ok. Everyone is now trapped underground. I’d be concerned if I didn’t already know these guys all survive at least this part of the story.

ah, poor Mianmian, literally this happened just because Wang Lingjiao was jealous. and will we ever learn your whole name.

“Okay, enough, Jiang Cheng, stop carrying me. It’s not like my leg is broken.”

OH, you little shit. Ha. Remember when they were in the Cloud Recesses and he got whipped a bit, then was a drama queen about it and Jiang Cheng carried him? Now he’s more terribly wounded and saying ‘let me down’.

well, this also why he feels no qualms about offering to carry Lan Wangji. he gets carried by Jiang Cheng all the time lol. though, I think by ‘carry’ in this scene they mean he’s got an arm wrapped around his shoulders, otherwise there would be no need to say ‘propped him up’ earlier.

“No matter what, it’s better than waiting for our parents here and doing nothing.”

in a sort of meta sense...what irony. Wei Wuxian would be waiting forever, because he doesn’t have parents anymore.

I dunno, I like that the Yunmeng Jiang is the water sect where everyone’s good at swimming xD

ahh and despite being injured so badly (seared to a human crisp), Wei Wuxian takes charge. truly our lovable mc, right? He still does this in the present, just in a more teacher-ly sounding way.

like I keep mentioning: character consistency.

 “Jiang Cheng raged, “What are you doing?!””

every time I read ‘Jiang Cheng raged’, I laugh. Ah, I really love this guy, asshole that he becomes. let me not bore you though.

also: GOD DAMNIT, NAMELESS LAN SECT DISCIPLE. shame on you. wtf you hit the guy trying to save your asses with a stray arrow you saw that arrows did absolutely nothing to this thing. he’s just lucky Wei Wuxian isn’t the vengeful sort of guy.

ahh don’t you know not to pull out things stuck in your body and preventing you from bleeding out?? >.< I guess not lol. um, lucky it wasn’t the main artery in your arm??

I probably did a low screech when Lan Wangji came to save Wei Wuxian. It’s the first time we get to see him really act reckless and out of his usual composed shell (aside from the times Wei Wuxian prodded him enough to get him to snap), and it’s to save his crush. :3 Granted, Lan Wangji does have a good character so it’s understandable how Wei Wuxian never figured out he liked him. Still, there’s something nice about knowing a guy was willing to get munched on by a giant beast for you??

ouch I winced for poor Lan Wangji’s leg though, they were in a really dire situation here. If they weren’t the main characters and we know for a fact they don’t die or get crippled here, it’d be really scary and tense

ahhh and Wei Wuxian also does not disappoint, literally throwing himself at the tortoise thing and stopping its jaws with his whole body. it’s true though, people can achieve herculean strength in desperate times. And suitably, as soon as the one he was trying to save was in the clear, it no longer could hold out

“The two rows of fangs were already deep into Lan WangJi’s blood and bones.”

uh...ew...and poor Lan Zhan. it’s a good thing this is a fantasy world where we have magic cultivation stuff because it’s doubtful he’d realistically ever be able to heal from all the damage unless he got really lucky.

“Hovering on his back, Lan WangJi’s voice possessed the rare emotional fluctuation, “How could this be pleasant?! Let me down!””

indeed, let’s savor this moment.

“Wei WuXian’s mouth refused to rest even as he was running for his life,”

Accurate. This is literally his character. xD

“Wei WuXian, Oh no, Lan Zhan’s injury will worsen again.”

see his total unconcern about his own pretty bad wounds. Instead, he’s worried about Lan Wangji’s injury, which is actually quite dire.

So...let’s see what happens next. I’m really liking this flashback so far.

(quotes from ExR’s translations)

← back・onward →

[aspoonofsugar]

With all of the forest metaphors that are in the recent chapters, what do you think about the lost girls ova(mikasa's part) where eren takes mikasa into the forest and teaches her to not be afarid of it? And what do you think about zeke in ch 113 trying to escape the forest but levi is stopping and dragging him back in? . i wonder if all of the forests in the series just got extra meta meanings. I would love to hear your thoughts you always write meta beautifully. Have an amazing week!

Hello anon!

Thank you for the nice words!

I have talked a little about the use of the forest in the female titan arc here and I have mentioned it also about Sasha and Mikasa’s arc here and here.

In short, I think that the forest has a symbolic meaning both in the female titan arc and especially in Mikasa’s backstory and side story, while I am not sure it has any kind of special meaning when it comes to Zeke and Levi even if I guess a metaphorical interpretation is still possible.

As far as Levi and Zeke are concerned, the fact that they fight each other in a forest can very well be seen as a symbolic way to highlight how they are both still far from finding a positive resolution to their inner conflicts. I have discussed briefly their fight here:

Finally the chapter has Zeke mentioning the fact that he and Levi can’t trust each other and the caption at the end mentions again this concept aka that even the people who can’t understand each other have each one their own reasons. Basically, at the root of Zeke and Levi’s conflict (and at the root of the whole conflict btw Paradis and the world tbh) there is the inability/unwillingness to communicate. Zeke won’t share his true intentions and even if he did there is no guarantee that Levi will hear him out since he has not gotten over his hate for Zeke. Chapters 112 and 113 are called respectively “Ignorance” and “Violence”. They can be considered as the two flaws of respectively Zeke and Levi and at the same time they are connected to the strong points of both characters. Zeke is one of the smartest and most knowledgable characters of the series, but he also fails to understand others and misreads them. Levi on the other hand is one of the strongest characters, but he is also extremely violent. At the same time he is one of the most good willed and empathetic. They are two paradoxes and probably no matter how intelligent or how strong they are, they won’t be able to reach their objectives without showing empathy, exactly like the whole world will crumble if the people will keep refusing to understand each other.

An interesting point of the fight between Levi and Zeke is that the both of them understimate each other. On one hand Zeke understimates Levi’s determination to kill his comrades in order to fulfill his duty. It is as Levi says, Zeke has no idea of how many people the SC sacrificed in order to arrive where they are and by brushing off their sacrifices he is showing a lack of respect for the people of Paradis. This is made clear also by him basically calling them naive in his speech since they have no idea of how the world works. Levi easily preventing him from escaping by showing his initial assumption to be wrong proves how flawed Zeke’s vision of others is. On the other hand Levi understimates Zeke’s determination to sacrifice himself in order to realize an ideal. Levi wants to believe that Zeke is completely inhuman and that he is a monster. He understimates Zeke’s determination and this is why he ends up hurt.

In short, they are both stuck in a frame of mind where they can not really understand their enemy fully despite the fact that the two of them have both grasped some traits of the other person. For example, Zeke has noticed how caring Levi is to his comrades, while Levi has grasped how manipulative and cruel Zeke can be. However, these traits are not all there is to them and each one of them refuses that the other could be more. Because of this, it is fitting that their fight happens in a forest aka a place which Mr Braus’s lines link to violence and confusion. Both Zeke and Levi display a high degree of violence and the inability to see the situation clearly (and in that arc we have two chapters called respectively Ignorance and Violence).

Generally speaking, a forest is a place symbolic of the “id” and of the subconscious. It is a place where things are not clearly visible and where monsters and strange creatures hide in waiting. In fairy tales and formative stories it is often a place the MC has to enter in order to grow by overcoming its obstacles. I would say that in snk the forest has a similar meaning and this is clear in both the Female Titan arc and in Mikasa’s (and Sasha’s) backstory.

Let’s start with the Female Titan arc. That arc is the arc where the MC go outside for the first time. The beginning of the series makes clear that going outside is something dangerous, but also necessary. This is true for the society of the walls and for the story itself, but also symbolically for the characters who have to leave their comfort zones and to face the “unknown” in order to grow up. That said, the experience of going outside is also highly traumatic and the obstacles the characters meet are difficult to face alone. This is why they need mentor figures like Erwin for Armin and Levi for Mikasa and Eren. The Female Titan arc is after all when these characters are properly introduced and their role as mentors is quickly established. As a matter of fact Armin shows admiration for Erwin and praises him, while Levi ends up saving both Mikasa and Eren and he gives them both advice. It is not by chance that the most important action happens in a forest. This setting has in the FTA a very similar role to the one it usually has in fairy tales. It is a dangerous place full of monsters (the titans) the characters have to enter in order to face their own limits. In the forest we see both Eren and Mikasa coming to terms with their inability to save the people they love and with the difficulties of choosing (trusting others or trusting one-self? And again saving a loved one or killing the enemy?). They do so through facing again a strong enemy aka Annie who is a mirror to both Eren and Mikasa.

Levi’s role in bringing both Eren and Mikasa out from the forest is interesting as well when we think about Mr Braus’s claims that it is the adults’s duty to guide the children out from the forest. We see Levi giving in to hate and immediately after he loses his whole squad. However, he is able to stop Mikasa from doing the same just a little later. At the same time, Annie aka the other kid who is lost in the forest is left alone crying. She has no-one who can guide her outside.

In short, I think that the symbolic role of the forest in the FTA fits perfectly with Mr Braus’s metaphor.

I would say that the forest’s role in Mikasa’s lost girl story fits as well and shows how thematically the story is doing a partial inversion (even if it is probably more correct to say that in the past we were lacking a more complete perspective). I will be quoting myself from one of the metas linked above:

The forest is a place symbolic of Mikasa’s childhood:

And at the same time it underlines a difference between Mikasa and her two friends which is mostly shown in her spinoff story:

For both Eren and Armin the outside (represented by the ocean especially for Armin) is a symbol of freedom and it is something which calls them. Whereas for Mikasa the outside is something mysterious, but also scary. It takes the symbolic shape of a wood which in fairy-tales is a place where the child meets the monsters aka metaphors for formative challenges they have to undergo. In short, while Armin and Eren are excited by the unknown, Mikasa is scared by it.

Mikasa’s childhood world was little, but she was sheltered there and happy. However, in order to grow, she would have had to leave it one day.

As for now, I would add to the above description of how the three MCs perceive the outside this ulterior difference between Eren and Armin i.e. that Armin identifies the outside with the ocean and what is beyond it, while Eren is more interested in the “act” of going outside and of overcoming established limits. This is also why Eren in Mikasa’s dream immediately suggests to go through the forest. It is not really the place itself which interests Eren (after all it is a place he has already explored), but rather it is the idea of making Mikasa go outside from her comfort zone. It is the pleasure of doing something which has been prohibited by adults. Mikasa’s parents told her not to go in the forest and Eren tells her she is not her parents and that she should start thinking with her own head. This is what Eren symbolizes within the first part of the narrative. He inspires people to go against the flow and to think with their own heads. He highlights how it is important to go outside and to overcome limits which are artificial and unjust. The first part of the manga says that “entering the forest is something which must be done even if it is scary”.

This is true also for Mr Braus and Sasha:

One of the reasons why Mr Braus has Sasha join the military is that she can face her fears and grow that way. Sasha has to cross the forest and to go out by herself if she wants to grow.

I would say that right now the characters have all entered the forest and have been struggling with its obstacles and “monsters”. The problem is how to finally escape it. As a matter of fact in fairy tales the characters do not stay stuck in the forest, but are able to go out. If they don’t, it means that they have not completely grown. So, the current chapters put more focus on the limits of what Eren represents. He was able to enter the forest and to bring others along, but it is not sure he knows how to properly leave this giant forest. He seems determined to go deeper and deeper in the woods and the others must choose between following him and staying stuck or searching for another way out.

In conclusion, I would like to highlight once again the relationships between the three main characters and the outside. To do so, I will quote some parts from this post and other parts from this one.

-Armin idealizes the outside world to the point of being naive about it. This is also made clear in the chapter called Volunteers:

Armin’s chapter is called Volunteers  and the focus is on the people coming from the outside world and making  Armin and the others discover how rich the world is. This is Armin’s dream  becoming true. However, he sees that Eren is not excited about it even  if that is supposed to have been Eren’s dream as well. All in all,  Armin’s chapter is about how he and Eren see the outside world  differently. Armin sees it as a possibility, while Eren sees it as a  threath. Armin is curious about it and wants to explore it, while Eren  is cynical and wants to protect his home.

-Mikasa used to see the outside world with fear and she is the character mostly linked to the concept of home. Deep down she wants to recreate her childhood comfort zone, but she can’t. This is also why her chapter is called Demons of the Island:

Mikasa’s chapter is instead called Devils of the Island  and the focus is on Eren’s double nature. Of course we are still shown  Mikasa’s family exploring the outside world and Eren is clearly shown  not as excited as the others. However, the thing Mikasa focuses on is  the fact that Eren has and has always had violent traits Mikasa chose to   ignore. However, he also keeps having kinder traits and deep down he   keeps being a person who wishes to be loved and understood.

In other words:

Armin focuses on the  good side of otherness, while Mikasa focuses on the darkest sides of the familiar.

This is interesting because it makes clear that Armin and Mikasa are somehow complementary both in regards to Eren and to the series as well. To Eren, Armin represents the dream of the outside world, while Mikasa represents home. They are two halves of Eren and this is why he treasures the both of them. In the past, I theorized Armin would have gone to talk with MArley, while Mikasa would have gone to Hizuru at one point. I now wonder if maybe their complementarity will be explored by having Armin stay in Paradis, so that he can help solving the chaotic situation the island is in, while Mikasa establishes a contact with the world throuh Hizuru. I think it might fit the two characters. On one hand Armin has been too idealistic towards the outside world and him helping to solve the situation on Paradis would mean he has gained a more mature understanding of the relationships with “the other”. On the other hand Mikasa leaving her home as she has been already asked to do by Kyomi might work for her growth in a more self-reliant person. That said, things could turn out very differently, so take this as simple ramblings.

Let’s now focus on Eren.

-As stated above, I think that Eren is interested in overcoming limits and barriers. I think this is well symbolized by him literally destroying the walls in the most recent chapters. He has obtained what he wanted in the beginning and has reached the outside world, but this is not enough for him. He is not even a little bit excited. What he needs is another barrier to fight.

All in all, it is interesting that his relationships with Armin and Mikasa might become inverted as well when compared to how they used to be in the beginning:

The  whole scene is interesting. As a matter of fact Eren is in his home  with his mother and Mikasa. He feels safe and warm and doesn’t want to  go outside. However, Armin manages to remind him of freedom and of their  dream of going outside.

I think that this scene is pretty symbolic of what Armin and Mikasa represent for Eren. which is also what @echo-from-the-void​ writes about here.

Mikasa  is home and family (and she is inside the house with Eren’s mother),   while Armin is the dream of the outside world (and he is outside the house).

This is also why Mikasa fails to get through Eren in that situation. It is because Eren needed the drive of going outside and to escape his comfort zone. However, right now things could be reversed.

Armin  had always thought that he understood Eren better than anyone else   because they both shared a dream. However, he is starting to understand him less and less, while Mikasa has shown that she is getting better and  better into understanding him.

Similarly, the dream of the   outside world has been wasted for Eren whose mind is full of Grisha’s   cruel memories. He seems much more concerned about protecting his home   and his loved ones and this might be why he asked Mikasa for warmth in   chapter 123. It is because she has always symbolized that warmth for   him.

In short, I would not be surprised if the scene we have  in the chapter called Wound and in the ones following it were to be   reversed at some point in the near future.

In summary, I think that at the beginning of the story it was important for the characters to enter the forest and to face it directly, but right now they should have become strong enough to leave it and if they do not they will die and never grow up.

Thank you for the ask and enjoy the holidays if you celebrate!

[kasunex]

Yesterday me and @heiligelanze were bored so I made this trash complaining about P4. Don’t read if you like P4. Unless you are very chill about people hating on it. 

we talk about why p4 is not good. 

#1 - Boring characters

Yosuke: Wah wah small town is borin (why doesn't he just plan to move when he's older), also homophobic in way that suggests writers thought we were too. neck is too long. Also not closeted >:/

Yu Narukami: Stupid name, stupid design, stupid fuckin face, I hate him, no character arc or character at all, Gary Stu. Boring peice of shit. Also. Not GAY Enough >:/

Yukiko: Boring. Thinks she's trapped into being innkeeper when not at all. Never tells parents she doesn't want to or makes any attempt to change anything. Only other character trait is laughs (annoying)

Chie: Guyz I like kung fu n meat isnt that quirky, (bc apparently women don't like meat?????) also not gay or trans >:/

Kanji: Almost good. But misleads to think he is good representative media pushing artistic gay man strugling against stereotypes that gays rnt tough. Actually about gender roles but not well explored. Hinted to be bi at best. Atlus u fuckin cowards let me be gay for once >>>>>>>>>://////////////////

Rise: 2 kawaii. Gets annoying. Unwarranted, undeserved crush on main character you cant say no to. (But unlike p3 game doesn't make u with her but we will get to THAT LATER FUCKING P4G)

Naoto: Too good for game. Shoulda been trans tho. 

Teddie: Remove or kill. Annoying af. Tries to steal ur girl. Major mysognist (game is like lol) 

Mitsuo: Insulting to ugly people and to gamer fanbase

Moorako: Insulting to ugly people. Hahah who cares hes dead he was uggo lol

Hanako: Fat ppl r gross rite guys lollolollolllollolololollollololl haha she thinks she's atrratcievew lolololo fat pppl thinkin their hot lololololololo

Kashiwagi: She's old but busted except she looks 30 and treated as gross icky old woman when real teens would be like "I wanna bang dat shit on de desk"

Dojima: Ok I guess

Nanako: Emotional manipulation. doesn't die. unrealistically precious and mature. 

Adachi: Presents as awkward relatable BUT NO ACTUALLY EVIL OVER THE TOP EVIL MUHAHAHA because he couldn't just be a cool guy with a darker side, had to be ANIME CRAZY EVIL DID IT FOR THE LULZ

Namatame: Not built up enough, comes fuckiin out of nowhere

Izanami: Comes even more da faq outta nowhere (GUYS THAT GAS STATION ATTENDENT SHAKING YOUR HAND OBVS EQUALS EVIL OR PLOT SIGNIFICANT LOL) also rips off Nyx and does it shitty

Ameno-Sagiri: Comes even MORE da faq outtta nowhere and vanishes da faq outta nowhere, also irrelevant to plot and meaningless distraction

Margret: Boring af, no personality at all, Elizabeth was more fun 

Saki: Underdeveloped bitch, supposed to be so sad when dies despite not being shown for anythin but bitch also supposed to feel bad for yosuke when she dies even tho she hated him and he would have been rejected anyway seriously wtf

Marie: COMPLETELY IRREDEMABLE GARBAGE FIRE OF PANDERING TRASH. SHOEHORNED INTO PLOT WHEN COMPLETELY MEANINGLESS AND IRRELEVANT. GAME FORCES HER AS LOVE INTEREST WHEN SHE SOMEHOW MANAGES TO STEAL WORST GIRL FROM YUKIKO. ANNOYING TSUNDERE STEREOTYPE. MAKES ME WANT TO KILL SELF.

#2 - Shit plot

Boring af. Crappy tonal issues all the way thru. WAY TO SLICE OF LIFE WHO FUCKIN CARES. 

HEY IM A TRANSFER STUDENT JUST LIKE LAST GAME LOL. Everyone loves me immediately even tho im a lil bitch. 

Oh noes murder of some random chick we never met so sad ;~;

Meet Chie n Yukiko both boring af, immediately like me 

Yosuke is trash can, Mitsuo is creppy and wierd b/c gamers r uggo and uggo ppl are socially inept and suck

Bitchy girl shows up and then dies

Yosuke does1n't get dick wet (he wouldn't anyways but still) so sad 

See TV world, meet worst character in ORGINAL game (assult of bear puns)

fight dumb fuckin demon frog bc yosuke is bored (wtf is dis shit)

Chie is gay bUT NOT REALLY  

Boss of dungeon is too hard, someone went missing or something idk who cares

Meet gay but nOT REALLY

Chases u bc u judge him but NOT REALLY

Gets kidnapped, gay dungeon bUT NOT REALLY actually about gender and cuz he likes cute stuff means he's gay STUPID but actually he's not because gays r icky lol 

Campin time yaya the girls can't cook pffffft a WOMAN CANT COOK TF WOW WOW SO FUNNY A WOMAN CANT COOK WTF WHAT TEH FUCK and also HANAKO IS FAT AND That's' bad

HOMOPHOBIA TIME LOL KANJI IS GAY ARE YOSUKE AND YU SAFE IN A TENT WITH HIM? FIND OUT AT 11

Sexism next day when Yosuke is like I bought u girls sexy swimsuits and will now shame you to wear them ARENT I AN ENDEARING CHARACTER but no dicks are wet except with water (also vomit) including kanji lol abuse (also that could have seriously injured but never brought up BECAUSE ABUSE IS LOLOLOLOOLLOLLLOLLLLOLLLOLLLLLLLLOLLLL) Also game forced u/Yu to be sexist too fuck off game

Nanako is sad whatever who cares

Yosuke wants idol puss so yay idol but shes sad so we stalk guilible peepin tom who is the killer but NOT REALLY while adachi is quirky

Rise is sad that she doesnt know who she is or something fuckin idk STRIPPING TIME BOWCHICAWOWOW also teddie feels useless so everyone dies or smth

Teddie comes out of TV and is now human and annoying mother fucker, Rise is now not sad but KAWAII and Yosuke no longer wants idol puss idk but but IDOL PUSS WANTS BORING FUCKBOY YU DICK (not pandery at all, just your average sexy teen idol wants boring fuckboy)

Teacher is dead he was dick and uggo so who cares lol

Chase after uggo game lover nerd haha dungeon is nerdy game shit lol video games cause violence right guys? Didnt u know that video gamers are all ugly socially inept muderous pathetic freaks????? THATS U BTW UR UGGO INEPT MUDEROUS CREEPY LOSER FREAK LOL 

Also rise cums when you kill enemies 

Now murders are solved rite so lets have celebration!!!! Girls make omlettes but they CANT COOK LOL wasnt that so funny last time joke so nice they made it twice

Summer festival time Rise wants yu dick and Yosuke wants wet dick but teddie claims all three girls for himself and they go without protest despite not wanting to because they are STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS WHO KNOW THEIR PLACE AND KNOW NOT TO BACKTALK THEIR MAN (isnt this game so progressive) 

PERSONA 3 REFERENCES also underage drinking bUT NOT REALLY JUST SEXUAL HARASSMENT BECAUSE LOL also teddie stalks them lol also teacher books SEX HOTEL???? How wacky

You kno how muder was solved WELL NOT REALLY WHAT A SHOCK THE GAME HAD NO PLOT FOR LIKE TWO MONTHS anyways

Naoto is strong masculine manly mc man detective but gets kidnapped and is actuallY TRANS BUT NOT REALLY IS ACTUALLY JUST GIRL AND THINKS SHES CHILDISH OR SOMETHING but NOT REALLY ACTUALLY SHE’s JUST LONELY but not really idefk. Remember kiddies being different is okay!!! uwu (so long as you ARENT ACTUALLY DIFFERENT U FREAKOZOID kill urself)

Cultrue festival Rise wants u 2 do her in school halls balls deep but game doesn't let you????? lame 0/10 

But then YOSUKE FORCES GIRLS INTO UNCOMFORTABLE beauty pagent that they cant back out of even if someone else signed them up under penalty of DEATH AND RAPE (I presume) because yosuke remains such an endearing character BUT THEN girls get revenge by forcing him into drag contest and u and kanji too even tho it was only yosuke because the GIRLS ARE SUCH AMAZING FRIENDS lol girls are objectified lol fatty thinks shes hot lolllollollooololooloololoollolololooll0lkooolloollololoololol (game designers had to stop in order to finish laughing at own jokes)

then drag contest ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww grosssssssssssssss icky teddie wins because................a dude? PASSING AS A WOMAN??????? Totes not transphobic vibes none at ALL

then HOT SPRINGS SLEEPOVER at inn because there is just SO MUCH MORE FUNNY TO BE HAD (isnt this all so relevant to plot and character??? rich narrative very necessary part of story, game would be UNSALVAGABLE without it) 

Girls are bitches and think that guys are perving because hot springs doesn't tell them when it's time for girls to go? ?????? Great fuckin service amagi inn also why would the guys perv by just casually walking in??? Why why why why why qwhyw why why anyways they throw buckets at the guys and it's HILARIOUS and not at all uncomfortable, guys run away in terror and the girls are like YEAH GIRL POWER!!! Then they find out about mistake and apologize like good friends, people and normal humans would b/c even for pervin that was extra  no just kidding LOL They actually keep it a secret becausE LOL GIRL POWER STRONG RELATABLE FEMALE CHARACTERS AMIRITE WHO HASNT ABUSED THEIR FRIENDS WITHOUT ANY FEELINGS OF REMORSE OR GUILT LOL (also nanako saw that all bad influence on child)

since the friendships are all so wholesome and not at all toxic or unhealthy the guys totally write this off and try to explain themselves to the girls. NO, actualyl, since Tedide and Yosuke are still such ENDEARING characters they instead decide to molest girls in sleep RELATABLE but uh oh they accidentally molest fatty and uggo old teacher who looks 30 and then fatty and teach are like cool let's fuck and like REAL TEENS they are grossed out at being offered sex because yuck women over 20 and fatty also why are fatty and "old" lady hangin out anyway?? Apparently if ur gross u hang out together, b/c that's how it works rite. such grea t non contrivences

Nanako is dying whatever who cares 

Namatame then kidnapps nanako or somth who cares dojima dies but NOT REALLY

then they go to heaven because nanako is sad but nobody gave a shit narukami never cared to ask or try to keep her company isn't he just so GREAT and considerate to the girl being boderline abused and neglected in his own fuckin house no who cares BUT NOW WE CARE RIGHT GUYS

Namatame is cray cray and his boss design is uggo and bullshit

Nanako dies, Yosuke advocates MURDER because he is still SO ENDEARING and player has to chose EXACT FUCKIN DIOLOGUE WITH NOT ONE MISTAKE OR EVERYTHIGN SUCKS AND ITS ALL UR FAULT also in some endings you murder because fuck you 

but then if u dont murder NANAKO WAS DEAD BUT NOT REALLY but only if u dont murder so congrats u were emotionally manipulated into killing the mentally ill b/c ur so great good job

then it turns out Namatame you know how he was cray cray well turns out he wANST REALLY CRAY he just had plot-convient-tempo-insanity-itius as the doctors call it then u talk to him and u know how he was the killer? Welll...NOT REALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY he was actually good guy u almost killed innocent man fck u then u have three chances to guess killer and only u can and if you dont get it in three guesses you get, as the doctors call it, plot-convient-stupid-cant-think-anymore-itius and thus you run out of time and nobody in the world can guess except you and even over the next three months nobody can guess because who cares I guess lol 2 ppl r dead it turns out you know quirky relatable cop man well NOT FUCKIN REALLY he is actually crazy because he's bored and as everyone knows when youre bored you kill also he's sad that he doesn't have talent even tho he is sucessful detective???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? then god bullshit end of world or smth who cares

then everything is over also i forgot teddie disappears so sad but NOT REALLY

Christmas eve sex ( i banged rise on top of christmas cake) 

Girls can now cook character development girls learned how to cook 10/10 v progressive 

Then flash forward to three months later because fuck you and Yu is leavin because idk and the game ends BUT NOT REALLY ashkually you can get TRUE SUPER AWESOME ending if you are able to figure out that you have to go to junes for no reason except fuck you 

turns out the gas station attendent u know him? well he was super bored and he's actually a GOD WOWZERS so amazing did you know jesus was a part timer at a gas station????? NO??? That's why youre playing this sack of shit anyway humanity wants ignorance or so god says (sound familiar, Nyx??) and she almost wins BUT NOT REALLY Because yu has the power of frienship and you know that awesome scene of makoto fighting nyx? Well imagine thaT BUT SHIT b/c no buildup

for all ur xtra efforts u get teddie saying hearts are connected anime KH cliche (wasnt that so worth the extra bullshit dungeon) 

Yu is leaving SO SAD WHAT ARE YOU CRYING ABOUT P3 WUSS CAST? Your friend is dead? GTFO with those 1st world problems NARUKAMI HAS TO TAKE THE TRAIN TO SEE HIS FRIENDS THIS IS THE TRUE TRAGIC DRAMA WHAT COULD BE WORSE

THE END 0/10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

#3 - ASSULT OF THE CASH COWS

so p4 is gr8 rite m8? well no but apparentlly dumb 14yr old boys were like "omg this game half akcnowleges gays exsist so PROGRESSIVE also i can fuck mai waifu n have friends" and so p4 made a shit ton of money atlus saw dis money printin out and were like $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so dey were lyke "lets release a buncha shit”

Persona 4 The Animation: Imagine the same shitty p4 plot but with EVEN MORE HOMOPHOBIA!!!!! also racism!!!! plus MORE FAT JOKES!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahaahahahahah also the animation is piss poor shit!!! Doesn't this sound wonderful????? 

Persona 4 Arena: So Atlus was lyke yannao wat totes goes with our super serious and super "mature" jrpg seriess? Do u kno? BLAZBLUE!!!!! The over the top weeb fighting game!!! YEah son!!!!! So anyways a fighting game comes out with barely any playable characters??????? Great. Fantastic not the least bit fanficy character writing. Also, there is a plot b/c dis shit be canon. Dats right!!! Now you may be thinking "mmmm how does that work????" well the geneiuses at atlus say "B/C SHITTY P3 RETCON CHARACTER IS SAD ABOUT DESTROYING FRINEDS WHOLE TV WORLD BECOMES ARENA WERE PEOPLE HAVE TO FIGHT FRIENDS" and u may hear that and wonder?? "what deh fuck, wasn't tv world gone also when did this ever happen in p4????" to which fanboys proply accuse u of hating fighting games and behead u. 

So at this point in time, P4 is offically dead. It is dead as doornails. but atlus is lyke "Hey let's rape the corpse" and they release shitty remake on overpriced shit system nobody bought. You may be wondering "2012 didn't p4 only come out less than five years ago????" to which atlus says "shut the fuck up and give us money" hence P4 Golden

Persona 4 Golden: Added marie, inistant failure trashfire BUT WAIT!!!! THERE IS SO MUCH MORE!!!! Added events!!! 

a) Yosuke wants dick wet and will cum if he feels boobs on his back!! So Yu and Yosuke team up to get shitty dumb ugly bikes b/c they're sooooo cooool rite mitsuru? You and ur dumb motorbike p4 is the real mature game. Anyway. Then they go hit on girls and yosuke gets one!!! YAY!! BUT OH NO!!! IT'S ACTUALLY STUPID FATSO STILL THINKIN SHE'S HOT WHEN SHE'S ACTUALLY STUPID BC SHE'S FAT!!! She then sits on yosuke's bike and it breaks because lol shes fat get it get it get it get it????? Doesn't this add so much to the story??? RICH NARATIVE RIGHT GUYS?!

b) BEACH TIME!!! Because that's where the real compelling drama is!!! Anyway they go to the beach and yuckerbears kanji is in a speedo!!! Gross!! I hope yosuke doesn't catch the gay!!! Then teddie tries to molest the girls bc he's such an endearing character lol then kanji's bathing suit falls off!!!! How did this happen u may ask?? ANIME MAGIC!! So then they dress kanji in seaweed like birth of venus and girls scream and run. the end. 

c) Fireworks festival yay time ted-fiya so memorable. Yosuke wants to murder Teddie bc PORN so funny haha more fat jokes also teddie wants 2 bang nanako

d) Nanako is sad again whatever who cares

e) Halloween party!!! BUT NOT REALLY!!

f) SKIING TRIP!!!! YAY!!! P3 REFERENCES!!! YAY!!! Shiptease!!! Yay!!! Teddie steals food so Naoto advocates for his MURDER!!! YAY!! IF YOU DID MARIES SLINK YOU GET XTRA AWESOME DUNGEON!! ALSO IMPLIED RAPEY SEX IN THE SNOW BUT NOT REALLY!!! ANYWAY turns out that marie sucked up the ameno sagiri fog! What u thought it just went away on its own?? BULLSHIT!!!! Next you'll be questioning the ever so important role of NPC John Smith in creating Izanami's gas attendent disguise. Or NPC Billy Bob in giving Ameno Saigiri directions to the boss fight. RIVETING DIOLAUGE LIKE "is this like the part in movies where the bad guys lair collapses??????" WORST GIRL IS DEAD BE SAD EVERYONE ELSE IS U MONSTER!!! BUT NOT REALLY!!! INSTEAD SHIP FUEL!!!! Also marie is polite for half second, AMAZES ENTIRE CAST GREAT WRITING!!!!!!!!! dont u love it when ur friends treat u like shit? then there’s a lovely scene where the dudes perv on the girls who are sexaulized and marie attacks them. Riveting. Then they all died and we were all happy. 

g) New years eve. That is all. also new stupid persona evolutions that look stupid. 

h) Valentine's DAY!!! I bang Rise on the da beach!!! Also if u slink with marie at all she forces you to cheat!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!

i) OH, NO! Yosuke is going to have to move maybe idk wasnt he supposed to want to move??? idk shut up. anyways. to keep yosuke miserable his friends have to become a band in TWO DAYS!!!! How will they ever do that??? well guess what with zero experience the entire group becomes master musicians in TWO DAYS!!!!!!! That's right, it's that easy!!!! U 2 can become as good as Green Day in two Days!!!! not that they ever play again lol or ever bring this up again lol. Then the dudes jump into the crowd and lol the crowd dodges thme aand nothing is accomplished. 

j) New super awesome epilogue you only get if you slink marie even tho she isn’t there for 90% of it whatever the new designs suck

Anyway since the game isn't slice of life enough you can now bang rise in the movies and the hot springs also you can go out at night so exciting.

You can now force Naoto into sexy outfits against her will because isn’t it so cute when girls don’t like being objectified??? Also they molest her at the hot springs??? Also 

So yeah P4G sucks ass. But ATLUS didn't stop there!!!! OH no! Atlus then went on to make Persone Q!!! They decided this time to drag innocent bystander P3 as well!!

Persona Q: some bullshit about a dying girl causes the P3 and P4 cast to meet in a wonderful culture festival crossover!! With lovely gameplay and no regression in character!! Chie always had nothing to her past loving meat right????? Also yu can fuck the dog from p3!! isnt this so believable and not the least bit stupid or contrived? isn't it?? Isn't it???????? Not much to say its just dumb surely Atlus must be done now right?? RIGHT?? WRONG!!!!!!

 Now you see since P4G came out, OBVIOUSLY the anime needs to be partially remade! You may be asking, isn't the anime less than TWO YEARS old at this point? Why remake it? Did golden really have such a different story? No. 

P4 Golden Animation: Marie, marie, marie, marie, ten episodes of marie, never goes anywhere, confusing and boring af but look 16 yr olds in bikinis and nude and not totally shit animation so it's ok right? RIGHT? RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! P4 at this point has been raped to death all over again and the corpse is still being fucked and they won't just let it die. BUT NO!!!! Enter p4 arena ultimax!!

P4 Arena Ultimax: B/c the first was so great, they made another!! Game so nice they made it twice!! but now the dark hour from p3 is back because idk we ran out of ideas. Also junpei and koromaru and adachi great. But guess what!!!!!! AWESOME NEW CHARACTER!! His name is sho!! He is the secret son of dude from P3, how is this possible? fuck you. Anyway he is so tragic and sad he hates friendship!! awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! :((((( But never fear!!! The p4 team will show sho the glory of frienship isnt this so interesting and original and great????

p4's violated, torn up corspe now has zero dignity left so atlus decided to reanimate the corpse with dead horse dildos and force it to dance 

P4 DAN: Dancing. Shit dancing. Nobody knows how to dance. Remember how P4 used to be about murder and accepting uncomfortable truths???? Well now its about shittily animated dances. Isn't this so great? Guess what we lean about the characters? We learn that they can't fuckin dance and watching them is cringy af. Also now the tv world is a dance stage because the tv world just does whatever the fuck we want it to. what if a characters shadow is a rapist, would they be forced to rape?? is that how atlus would make a porn game?? if we wanted to make a chess game a famous chess player who feels forced to play chess will then make u forced to play chess. .... so obivously, the P4 fandom realized that Atlus was raping their game and refused to buy it right?? RIGHT??? WRONG. They actually will castrate you with a rusty carving knife if you ever so much as imply P4 is a cash cow.

It totally is tho

[tanukifucker91]

having finished 27-48 of cfvg, let’s talk about it a little

I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first season, although I watched them p much back to back so it’s hard to say exactly when I made that kind of distinction

There were still scenes and episodes I really enjoyed like when Tokoha and Chrono try and get Shion to join the team again, and the beach episode that was, literally nothing like you’d expect from a beach episode. It was a genuinely heartwarming friendship story

However overall I’m seeing bits and pieces of what made much of the plots in the original cfv anime fall flat. There’s a lot of exposition and building up, but then that ends up not really going anywhere and things get resolved too smoothly and too easily to leave the viewer satisfied. If anything I think this might even be a bigger problem in cfvg in some ways, despite the fact that the story in itself of s2 wasn’t that much of an offense. the difference in cfvg is that I don’t feel like the main characters fight hard enough for their victories.

the biggest example is probably after they lost to Demise in the regionals, only to get a chance at a rematch just like that. Ofc they still had to win through THAT tournament, but the opportunity just came so easily. Especially since you don’t get to see many of the actual tourney fights, it doesn’t feel like they’re overcoming any hardships. on the other hand, the characters are well written once they DO get an opportunity to face adversary, especially Tokoha I feel is very well balanced in her strengths and weaknesses and all her wins feels well-deserved, and when she lost it also felt like she lost for a reason.

So, I wonder why that is. Why the writers could recognize what makes a win feel satisfying while still messing up the arguably identical idea that your main characters should have to fight for each opportunity they get.

hanging on to that thread for a bit longer, there’s also the concept of luck. Chrono has the trait of being someone who is lucky, and many of his wins can be boiled down to luck. this is the sort of thing I’ve seen people complain about when the criticize cfvg and especially when they compare it to cfv.

Personally, I don’t have the problem with the idea of luck as a character trait, if anything I think it’s good that the writers recognize that luck is part of the game. because it is. and I also think it’s silly to deny that weird things don’t happen. like double and triple crits happen, heal triggers at 6 damage happen, we’ve all been there. it’s also silly to say that luck wasn’t a factor in the cfv narrative, like maybe Aichi didn’t rely on it much but how many times didn’t Kai pull shit like double crits out his ass (also funny bc I’ve also seen ppl call Chrono Kai 2.0 in like an endearing way but I guess the trigger thing is too much and also unrealistic in the broader context of card game aliens are real and on earth?)

However, there needs to be counter-balance. so far I’m fine with Chrono winning against Ibuki and Jaime with what was basically strokes of luck, because that’s how the anime treats it. It’s meant to show the unpredictability of the game and frankly it’s something I personally like about vanguard so it’s cool. and it’s not like Chrono suddenly gets elevated to pro status because of it either. but just like it’s important to let the mc strive for success to really earn it, not all things should be obtainable just by luck. GX did this very well for example. Chrono and Juudai are very similar, and Juudai’s luck saved his ass many times. But there were also times were his luck didn’t matter, even his dueling skills did not matter in the end because it could not make up for his other shortcomings. Unlike Juudai though Chrono is actually tries to be a good kid for the right reasons and is pretty bright, so now I think, will more or less be the breaking point. Will the writers be able to keep Chrono interesting and well-written? He has a had really nice development so far, so I really do hope so. I wouldn't bet on it though. If anything I doubt it. As much as I want to be positive. 

Anyway s2 was like, just fine. Chrono’s development took the back seat for Shion and Tokoha for the most part but that’s not a bad thing. I like the 3 of them very much, and their friendship is still the highlight of the show for me.

I can’t say I’m super excited about the plot with Chrono’s dad. more like the opposite. i don’t mind cfv taking insp from ygo at all, if anything it’s kinda cool, but the plot with Chrono’s dad and Yuuma’s dad are weirdly alike and the one thing I did not like about zexal was Kazuma’s involvement and the whole “absent dad tries his best for his kid(s) in his own, absent way, actually” trope is old and tired as hell, as if Chrono’s life would not have been significantly better in every way if he hadn’t grown up as an orphan, and I’m not looking forward to hearing the sob story of how Chrono’s dad couldn’t raise his only child

bottom line and this is weird but. main reason i like cfvg is because it reminds me of my childhood. maybe it’s because I never felt like I got be a normal teen or do a lot of the things teenagers do, but watching cfvg makes me relive some of that simple excitement and it makes me really happy. so for that reason alone I’m really looking forward to watching next season.