#I love how real these characters are. The flaws are so beautifully done that I both love and hate their choices.

[novella-lover]

Daisy Jones & The Six is awesome I will not hear otherwise —

I’m a little over half way through and I don’t have time to read a lot this week! But I’m gonna try and make time to finish this ✨

[bohoteacher]

Navigating Betrayal: Reconciling Admiration with Disillusionment

Like many Neil Gaiman fans this month, I've been shocked and distressed by the news regarding the SA allegations. I won't go over the details, as they're readily available online. I'll start by saying that I believe the accusers, and even the most lenient interpretation of events is still troubling enough to discredit Gaiman. For a long time, I didn't know what to say. I was just shocked and, somewhat naively, felt betrayed. I don't typically idolize actors, authors, or other public figures—I'm here for the characters, they're who I love and believe in. So, how did I end up believing in this man and his rhetoric?

I only had a parasocial relationship with him, which is to say no real relationship at all. But I took his Masterclass on writing, spent hours taking notes, and learned from him. I feel betrayed by someone I saw as a beloved teacher. I know this is insignificant compared to what the women who came forward experienced, but it's a valid feeling, and I needed time to process it. My initial reaction was to throw out and discount everything he’s ever written or done—of course it was.

This isn't just about my love for Good Omens, although how can it not be? I learned so much from this man—about writing, about not being too hard on myself, about the creative process. I read his books to my middle school classes, and we all learned how to be better people from them. Today, I saw and bought Instructions, a children’s book by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Charles Vess, from the used bookstore where I volunteer. It was a used copy, so no royalties will go to him. It’s a beautifully illustrated book where the main character walks through a land that clearly symbolizes life, learning lessons like saying please and "if any creature cries to you that it hurts, if you can, ease its pain." How could someone write this and then do what he did? I asked myself. "What an evil hypocrite," was my first thought. But then I recalled a line from another author, Stephen King. In The Stand, a character is described as "awake at the lectern, but asleep at the switch," meaning they know the right thing to do and can talk about it, but in the moment of choice, they act without integrity.

I don’t know if I’m making sense, but I think it’s too easy to label Gaiman as simply evil, as if he intentionally manipulated us by saying the right things just to make us read or watch his creations. The reality is likely far more complicated. Within this man is the amazing, thought-provoking, life-affirming wisdom that many of us have tried to live by, but also the hard, thoughtless, selfish cruelty that led him to abuse young, vulnerable women. The wisdom does not justify the abuse, and the abuse does not nullify the wisdom.

I think it's too simplistic to say Gaiman is despicable and always has been, hiding it from us all along. This doesn't acknowledge the complexity of human nature—that there is potential for both good and bad within us all. As it’s said, possibly by Terry Pratchett or possibly by Neil Gaiman, “It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.”

Gaiman is a man who has done some fundamentally good things and some fundamentally bad things. I can’t forget either one.

This is just my opinion. I know some people want to cancel him, while others want to exonerate him. You do you. As for me, I will continue to love Aziraphale and Crowley. I will continue to read and create fan-fiction. I will continue to find comfort and wisdom in books that have meant so much to me over the years. But I will also remember that they were created by a very flawed man whom I can no longer trust.

I understand that opinions on this matter vary widely. I know some people might feel that not discarding everything associated with him is wrong, but this is where I stand. I’m not looking to debate this or be told how I should react. I just needed to process my thoughts in writing and move forward in the way that feels right for me.

[halfhoursonearth-writes]

Can you recommend fanfiction that you personally really like?

Yes! Love this ask. I’ve never made a Zutara fic rec list partially because I’ve read so many wonderful stories over time that I find the prospect daunting! 

But there are absolutely certain stories that I have a personal soft spot for, that I return to again and again. And that’s my criteria for what’s included below. This is a sampling of fics that I find myself coming back to, in no particular order. I may come back and add more, because this list is so far from exhaustive. A mix of ratings (marked), so keep that in mind.

Wish I Was the Moon by Like a Dove (T), post-canon: There’s so much that I love about the way this one-shot explores Katara’s character and what she faces post-canon, how she frees herself, strikes out in the world and finds her way home. Her feelings for Zuko, and her inner-conflict around them, are rendered tangibly, both through scene and subtext. A really good example of how an author can show a character’s lack of/journey to self-knowledge without breaking voice.

Refraction by caroes3725 (E), post-canon: When I started reading Zutara fanfic (for me this was in 2020), this was the fic I was looking for—a deep, realistic-to-canon, in-character exploration of how Zutara could unfold after the events of ATLA in a way that gives Katara in particular the arc she deserves. Really well-done development of the Fire Nation court world, well-developed characters, shining dialogue. An amazingly well-worth-it slow burn.

Wildfire by rainstormdragon (E), post-canon: To me this story is kind of a steamy Zutara thesis. The characters are so spot on and alive, their flaws are on full display in a way that feels realistic, and their chemistry is powered by their compatibility—matched in passion and stubbornness, and also in what they want from life. And I think it really gets Aang, too, which is something that can be hard to find in ZK fic. Also really hot, but that's only part of what makes it really shine.

Partners in Learning by evergreenonthehorizon (T), Modern AU: One of the things I love in modern AUs is watching an author weave that invisible string between these characters. Sometimes, it’s by writing narrative arcs that parallel the series, and sometimes it’s by drawing out the personality traits that make the characters both lovable to readers and such a compelling match and watching that spark bloom into flame. This beautifully written story does that so, so well in a really compelling Modern AU setting. Zuko and Katara here are so wonderfully lovable, and it’s a joy to watch them fall for one another, too.

Journeys by Smediterranea (E), Modern AU: In real life, I want to see my friends in relationships with people who can recognize why they’re so particularly amazing. That potential, I think, part of the appeal of ZK as a ship, and that’s part of the special magic of this fic. Watching these two characters get to know one another—really see one another—and fall in love deliciously sweeps the reader up. Plus, really fun, in character cameos from the rest of the Gaang along the way.

Spark, set fire by marijayne (T), Modern AU: literary fanfic, and I mean that in the best way. This story is beautiful and bittersweet, the latter is not often something I seek out in fanfic (where I hide from life), but here it’s gorgeous and worth it. The world building here is really cool—allows the author to explore some of a set of cultural issues/interactions that both echo the ATLA world and ours. The characters are so tenderly drawn (dadko especially)—and the connection between them builds beautifully and tangibly—and the longing is…chef’s kiss. 

Wrong when it's right by nire (T), Book 1 Canon Divergence: Before I read this, I couldn't imagine wanting to read a Book 1 Zutara. After, I wanted more. Bickering, bed-roll sharing, shared heat, tenderness and common ground. A delight from start to finish.

Anyway, thanks for asking and happy reading! <3 And if you want more recs, let me know.

[infamous-if]

Hi Amy! I just wanted to pop by to tell you just how much I love your IF.

Like, I've always had a soft-spot for band/music-related content (e.g. Choice of the rock star was actually one of the first games I ever bought/played in this genre, despite all its flaws) and THEN you come in (like a wrecking ball) with the most stunning, well-written, richly-layered, beautifully-crafted band-IF of all time!!!

I never stood a chance, really. Also can I just say that the way you set up MC and Seven Lawless's backstory and the tension between them now—I loved every minute of it. [I really liked how you revealed it piece by piece (and it still has more to give)—real masterclass writing right there, god.] And, the conflict/reason for their break-up is heartbreaking and so real and understandable.

And ALL of the characters are so loveable and multi-dimensional and just fun to be around. The story/world too is so immersive. I could gush about how much I love the IF for hours and hours but yeah, suffice to say I absolutely can't wait for Chapter 2.

All the best with your writing, and take care of yourself! <3

ALLIE <333 thank you so much! It means a lot coming from you especially since both CT:OS and Merry Crisis are my favs! (Qiu is one of my top fav ROs across the board 🥲)

The way you’ve written the dynamics and the web of relationships with all your characters is not only so well done but so fun to read and it really immerses you. Your writing is so good and I love all your characters and I’m always checking out your posts and updates because I am ITCHING for more 😢 so happy to see you getting so much love, you deserve it!!!

Can’t wait for more and whenever you have other stories or literally anything you write I will gladly consume it all *grabby hands*

[saintobio]

hello babe!!!

howre you? i wish you a lot happiness!!!!

anyways, i wanted to say that i understand how yn has her heart sickness, because everytime i think about sn&sy, my own heart hurts a lot, even more so after the last chapter. ch 9 was so heavy and angsty that i cried and i don’t cry that much because my emotions have been numb. what’d you do? how can a normal person write that? i take multiple breaks reading these chapters and sometimes even my absolute addiction and temptation is unable to make me read them all at once.

it’s just so appreciable how you write so beautifully. i love reading your fics not just because of how well they’re written, but also because it makes me feel an intense pain, and i love that pain, i want that pain. that’s not me saying that i don’t want yn to be happy; because idc about gojo as much as i want yn’s happiness. she’s done some ‘not-so-good-things’, but she’s also been through such agonising times and she just deserves happiness at this point of life and for someone to choose her, to love her despite her flaws. and as much as i want gojoyn to be an endgame. it’s fine if they aren’t, because they’re both mature people and deserve happiness. i hate how gojo has treated yn in the past, but i’m also kinda impressed by how far he’s come. i understand him going for akemi, as much as i hate how he chose yn’s bff, but that’s understandable, (i’ve s family member who had a similar accident and after that brain damage, he’s not been the same person, and coming from that, i think satoru went for the person who took care of him the most.) i’m suicidal on behalf of my sweetheart yn. i just want her to be happy, and cared for in love. and i want someone to pick her. and on this heartbreaking journey towards a happy ending for them, i’m in for all the heart-wrenching angst and rarely heartwarming moments!

it pisses me off how akemi went for her bff’s ex husband and istg i hardly care about how she fell in love(?) with him, because babe your bff had a life and death situation because of that man, how can you approach him??? it doesn’t matter that she’s moved on, you still do not go for your bffs ex, that’s a girl code. she may be a good person (questionably so, but hey, im not a pious hermit either to be judging her.) but she’s a real bad friend. her guilt is questionable when she she asks for a family from satoru right after she feels bad about betraying yn. like at least give time for that guilt to fester. i’m sorry i’m ranting. these are my personal feelings. and i love for writing akemi. she’s a well written character, much more than many other characters that i’ve come across.

sera. my baby. my queen. i do not stand by what she did in sn, but goddamnit, i’ve always loved her and her dedication and her aspirations. she wasn’t always bad, and i’m sure had the fic from her pov, we would have liked her more. because shes hardworking, and headstrong and FUNNY. and i love how she stood by yn, and her character development has been so beautiful. she deserves sukuna so much. they’re both my babies. i love that she could get this in her life.

there will be a lot of errors in this ask, and please forgive me for them. i’m extremely tired. exhausted even.

till next time, babygirl!

💌🫶🏻

thank you sooo much, i’m kinda glad you can feel the pain through my writing bc i guess that means it’s effective ? :’D i write way too much angst to the point where i just can’t tell how angsty something is bc i’m alr so numb lol T-T

but aaaaaa ur description of sy!yn hits hard while i’m writing sy10. idek if a person can realistically have this much anguish in her life but i do share ur sentiment of wanting her to just be happy, even if it means she won’t end up with gojo in the end 🥹 it’s the idea of acceptance and letting go that just hurts so damn good. tysm, it’s such a good perspective to read!

[traceofexistence]

The Q&A from last night with Sam, put Karlach in a lot of perspective.

age wise, because of what Karlach says about her sex life, Sam prefers to think of her as a young adult during being Gortash bodyguard +10 years in Avernus

so between 28~30+

I have personally estimated a 27~33, but I'm old so I preferred the older options in my headcanons lol

that being said Karlach is played to be a bit immature, especially when it comes to romance. which makes sense, since she was young when she was taken to avernus and there she stayed celibate by choice as she couldn't trust anyone.

we do have lines of her being very sexually frustrated, and burning her tent while masturbating, and getting too excited. Which means she even had to keep her self pleasure toned down, because of the damn engine.

the soul coin analysis is soo damn interesting and well written. it plays on Karlach's morality and character. (consuming soul coins is equal to war crimes, and they are also addictive like crack)

and she has consumed them, even though she knows that she condemns a soul by doing so, and she has a craving for them, and you have to speak her out of it, as tav, and she has to make the choice herself when you play origin.

we know from her back story, in game dialogue etc, she's been around the wrong crowds as a kid(especially after her parents died), and as Sam pointed out, she probably had made some very bad things as Gortash bodyguard, that she justified, as "being loyal" to the person who helped her.

So Karlach as we have seen in the game, she's very loyal, and she despises being tricked and betrayed. but if you show her care she will stay with you forever.

she's not above murdering people as long as she does it to protect herself and those she cares about.

if tav signs the contract with Raphael, she's very angry (understandably so) but she vows to go back to avernus for you, and break the contract for you, because you are worth it, she will go back to the place she hates the most, the place that she choices death over returning to, but she will do it for you, because you have treasured her, kept her as your companion, romanced her, fixed her engine, killed for her, even advocated for her when you barely knew her.

that's why it hurts her so deeply, when you betray her.

I also love how Sam poked on the fact that Karlach has done some very bad things, but when she escapes hell, she is adamant to start anew, and do good by choice

and I think that's the most important aspect of her character, she wants to do good by choice.

I also love Sam's opinion on Lae'zel

she rightfully criticizes the space racism that is going on, but also acknowledges that Lae is very young, and a product of her upbringing, therefore redeemable.

and let's be real here, contrary to some people's believes, Lae, does change dramatically throughout the game, even before she realizes that her whole world was a lie.

I bring up Lae in this Karlach post, because Sam mentioned her, and how Karlach just outright attacked the tieflings (her own kin) to save her, without a second thought, because Lae saved her from the nautiloid.

and back to Karlach

is she best girl?

ABSOLUTELY

nothing will change that

does it means she never done anything wrong in her life?

absolutely not.

sadly in recent years, fandoms suffer from what we call "purity politics"

if a character is not 1000% the purest of pures who has never done a wrong ever, then they are bad and we should be ashamed for liking them.

but purity politics is stupid, and do not belong in my reality.

like every companion, Karlach is beautifully flawed, and she's best girl because she sees the positive first, actively chooses to be good, and she finds the join in life, regardless of what fucked up situation she's in.

she's also fucking adorable so what's your argument really against her being defined best girl I dont understand.

remember friends

DON'T! POKE! THE KARLACH!

[thetryhardaesthete]

Ranking Books in the Mick Riva-Verse

Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favourite authors, and the Mick Riva-verse is a fantastic collection of standalones. While I love all 4, I wanted to make a ranking of them. Do let me know your opinions (respectfully, of course)!

4.Daisy Jones and the Six

Let's be clear, I really love this book. I know it's probably TJR's most devisive in the Mick Riva-verse, but I thought the format is really clever and the characters felt so real. I will admit, I preferred the series slightly more

3.Carrie Soto Is Back

The most recent installment and my current read as of right now. I'll admit, I didn't like Carrie Soto when she appeared in Malibu Rising, but reading her story made me understand her a lot more. I adore the father-daughter dynamic and how it shows the cost of ambition, I'm not even a sports fan and this made me want to play tennis again - I haven't done that since P.E class!

2.Malibu Rising

I see this one getting a lot of flack, which is a shame because it's fantastic! The characters have amazing dynamics and are individually just as strong, not to mention the themes of family and self-identification make this an underrated read

1.The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo

This may be the obvious choice, but it's popular for a good reason. It's beautifully written with flawed, realistic characters, it's one of those books that stayed with me long after I read it

[whovianwatchingstartrek]

A Whovian Watches Star Trek for the First Time: Part 079 - Attack on the Medical Storage Station

Star Trek: Enterprise - Season 4 Episode 5 - Cold Station 12

The cold open to this one was great. It was a simple history lesson between Arik Soong and the Augments as children, but it did wonders in establishing Soong's ideology and how he indoctrinated to him. It's really good because what he said is technically the truth, humans apparently do fear genetic modification, but the way he twists that to his own cause is just great writing.

After the intro, we cut to Enterprise in the modern day, and the crew have touched down at that same location from the flashback. Of course, since the augments and soong are going to "liberate" more Augments, they're not here.

Archer finds some old recordings of Soong raising the Augments, particularly a birthday party, which confirms his parental love for them is real, and I'm still really excited to see how that dynamic plays out. Later we cut to Soong on the stolen klingon ship, and he deerly misses Raakin, and is genuinely saddened by his death. The way Malik also manipulates the way he tells the story, to make it seem like an accident is beautifully sinister.

The Crew also encounter one person who was apparently left behind in the colony. They over power him quickly after he attacks, and take him aboard enterprise. Phlox does some analysis, and apparently he doesn't have any of the other Augment's enhancements.

The augments and soong are heading to Cold Station 12, a Human and Denobulan run facility where the Augment embryo's are stored. Apparently, we're finally going to meet Phlox's friend Dr Lucas who's the director of the facility, and Phlox also has briefly worked there before, and he requests to be part of the boarding crew. While these preparations are being done, however, the augments arrive at the facility and easily overtake it.

Smike, the non-augmented augment is an interesting character. Him coming to terms with the fact that everything he was told about earth is wrong is an interesting character arc. And phlox's personal concern over his friend is also excellent.

We also get some more insight into Archer's father, who was briefly brought up in the previous episode, who died of a disease that could have been cured by the kind of genetic engineering that Soong is fighting for. Putting the conflict so close the archer personally is really interesting. I'm excited to see where he lies on the topic by the end of this arc.

Malik and Soong are still fantastic as villains. I'm still loving Soong's energy, and I'm starting to see lines drawn between where the two stand on certain issues. The methods of torture he uses to get the codes for the Embryo's out of Doctor Lucas are genuinely terrifying. Throughout the episode, Malik and Soong's disagreements push closer and closer to boiling over and I just can't wait to see who wins out when that happens

The Enterprise crew that gets transported onto the station are very quickly captured, and Soong's reunion with Smike is really touching. I like that Soong is playing the cognitive dissonance game over the other Augments treatment of Smike, and not seeing it as the obvious flaw in his ideology that it is. His genuine parental love is still there, and it's just a really interesting trait to have Soong happily support Smike's decision to work with the Enterprise crew, even if it's going against his own goals. Soong is a really fascinating character. Malik however, has other plans for smike, and kills him while Soong is in the Embryo storage.

At the end of the episode, Soong gets away with all of the Embryos, and Malik also decides to take some alien pathogens with them to use as a weapon, and we're left on another cliff-hanger as they escape and all the pathogens on the station are also set to release and kill everyone on the station.

This episode was another excellent one. A lot my conclusion here is gonna be exactly the same as yesterdays, I'm just loving this arc's themes and particularly it's villains. Soong and Malik are just really fascinating characters.

[missweener]

Review- Life skills outside the curriculum

Life skills outside the curriculum- Endrina (63k, E) *spoiler warning*

People don't talk about this fic as much and it is criminal. If you haven't read it, save this review for AFTER you read it! Harry doesn't end up going to Hogwarts. That's because he runs away from the Dursley's before receiving his letter.

I have never read an AU like this and I wish there are more. Harry's a street boy, and his story is sublime, his feelings are intricate, his actions are justifiable. He's got me rooting for him no matter what he does! His character in this fic was portrayed beautifully and I binged the whole thing in one sitting.

One thing I hate about some fanfics is how sudden the Drarry relationship is. However, in this one, it's sweet and believable. Draco runs away from home after a few years in Hogwarts because of his unhappy homelife recently. His parents are kissing at a noseless madman's toes and he's to take the Dark Mark. After fighting for his life on the streets of London, he stumbles upon professional survivor Mort (Harry's alias) and eventually they improvise, adapt and overcome their way through life. It's very interesting and domestic and I'm all for it. The relationship progresses gradually and the hints of romance is there.

Harry also has trauma from the Dursleys, which makes complete sense and I don't know why some writers just gloss over it like it didn't affect his whole childhood. The Malfoys are also great, but that could just be biased as I like the "Malfoys are good parents but not people" troupe.

Now come the complaints. I HATED the ending. It was awkward, rushed and out of the blue. Harry and Draco get kidnapped by Werewolf Death Eaters after an epic chase sequence. It was so stressful it got me with my head in my hands. They get taken to Malfoy Manor where crap goes down. Finally, Harry deals the punch of the century to Voldemort's nonexistent nose and they escape via broomstick. This is where it goes downhill.

We get a whole chapter on Voldemort's perspective of his return, of how he did it, of who and what helped him. It was a neat chapter. I just found it funny how he had a whole "life flashed before his eyes" moment after the lethal punch from Harry.

The thing is, Voldemort was never defeated in the main story. After fleeing Voldemort's grasp, the pair meet up with the Order of the Phoenix through Remus, who was previously in touch with Draco if they needed help. Harry has a verbal altercation with Dumbledore and they leave Grimmauld. They then join up with the main duo Hermione and Ron, followed by the Silver Trio and Blaise. They move into a delapitated unused home. They thrift for furniture, Neville grows a deadly houseplant, it's crazy in here. Finally, Harry had a place to call home. The end. The... End???

At the beginning, Harry treated Draco with caution and suspicion, as that's what had to be done to survive. He literally only told Draco his real name AFTER they started dating, which was gnarly. How could Harry Potter, the boy who lived on the streets, suddenly trust these bunch of people who he's never met in his life? Hell, it's not even like Draco was friends with them, they were acquaintances at best (minus Blaise). The fact he could suddenly call their base home and its inhabitants "home" was outrageous. The ending felt lackluster and ingenuine. I was so disappointed. The epilogue was even more convoluted, but just thinking about it triggers a headache.

I love this fic. Looking past its flaws, it's still a fic worth reading. Everything apart from the ending was flawlessly written. A high 8/10, points bumped down due to its dogarse conclusion.

This one was long, sorry! Thanks for reading :D

[phoenix-flamed]

I could swear you had posted something re. your portrayal and feedback and even if I cannot find it, I will give my unsolicited opinion here - I love what you have done with Elwin. I can say that you have taken a character that unfortunately did not have much screen time and fleshed him out beautifully, in relation to his past, the country he ruled over, his family and personal beliefs.

I love that you try to make Elwin (and Miles) very real and tridimensional in the sense he's not perfect - there are flaws there but they're understandable and balanced with the man we see in the game. I often feel FFXVI tried to paint Elwin as the 'good' ruler we had in opposition to Sylvestre and Barnabas but even if he was comparatively better/a more decent man, you still take the time to detail the many ways in which he failed (or that he believes to have failed).

I am constantly intrigued and compelled to read your musings and thoughts on him, and you definitely made me care for Elwin in a way I did not previously do (at least, not while playing FFXVI for the 1st time). I sometimes forget that his survival AU is 'just' your creation (I say this with the utmost respect) and I think it speaks to the care you have put into giving him a believable 'second chance' - befitting for one representing the bloodline of the phoenix. :)

Thank you for your hard work and for keeping the Elwin agenda alive!

Friend! <3 I've been contemplating how to reply to this, so let me start by saying: thank you for your kindness, patience, and support. You've been a great help and inspiration with your own writing and ideas, and that's to say nothing of all of your help coming up with crossover verse ideas! And of course, thank you for being so accepting and encouraging of "Miles", and being so willing to interact with him!

I'm probably going to repeat myself like fifty million times in this post, because I'm bad at words, but still. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I hope it's okay if I go on a small tangent about some thoughts I have! What you said about the game painting Elwin as the "good" ruler made me remember something -- which I do agree with you! I feel that with Elwin and Anabella, too, as oddly as that may sound. In the case of Anabella, I understand why the people of Rosaria have this more black and white perception of her and Elwin after The Night of Flames, especially with everything Anabella has been doing to them versus how Elwin ruled and was. But I wish the game itself had done better at showing that it really isn't that black and white, that there's nuance to the situation by way of everything that led up to The Night of Flames. I don't know if that makes sense. Hanna, Byron, even Clive himself all mention that Anabella had changed and, in the case of Clive, says that her decisions regarding the culling of the Bearers is uncharacteristic of her. None of the Shields in the little area of Rosalith that we were able to access during the flashback had anything necessarily bad to say about her, at least not in English. (It may be different in the other versions of the game) There was pity for Clive over how she treats him, and mentions that she'd have their heads if their shipments weren't loaded or unloaded on time, but overall the "worst" anyone said was Rodney mentioning her perfectionism or something like that in his Inner Voice thought towards her. There's also the fact that, in my opinion, Elwin seemed to trust her enough to not only not mention her as a potential enemy in his will, or view her as a threat to him, and to trust her back in Rosalith while they rode to Phoenix Gate. Both Jill and Clive's Inner Voices regarding her during Phoenix Gate involve being worried about her. I know Anabella lays out for us what happened when she yells at Clive and Jill in her final scenes, but I still wish we'd gotten to see more, and gotten to see more of Anabella beyond the villain that she became, when there are details that allude to her having not always been that way. Or if she always has been that way, then I wish we'd gotten to see more of her and the Rosfield family before Phoenix Gate, so that it could really drive home, despite the odd behavior and things she says regarding Olivier and Valisthea's future, that she always had been that way, but she kept it carefully hidden in order to deceive everyone until she had the perfect opportunity set up to strike against Elwin.

When it comes to Sylvestre in particular, I wish so much that the game had better highlighted the fact that neither Sylvestre nor Elwin were wrong in their methods of ruling. Placing aside how they were as people, and speaking strictly of them as heads of their respective nations -- Elwin prioritized the people, while Sylvestre prioritized the territory, the latter being what Anabella believed as well according to her. Elwin isn't wrong, in the sense that without its people, a nation is just empty land, and without the support and loyalty and morale of the people, a ruler is pretty ineffective unless they want to go the route of forcing compliance and obedience. On the other hand, Sylvestre isn't wrong, in that from a logical standpoint, yes, the people can be replaced with others if they die. Whether it be through the raising of more generations, or the assimilated people of nations overtaken by the Holy Empire's rule, there will theoretically be more. But if a nation loses its land, then what's left for it? Nothing except displaced citizens who will then have to become refugees in another nation, while their ruler submits to the authority of that nation's ruler -- and in doing so loses their own authority. I don't know if any of this actually makes sense, but this is my opinion, and something I really, sincerely wish they'd done more to convey!

Okay but all of that aside, no, like I said... thank you. By this point, you'd think I'd be less worried of what people think of my portrayal, or how people perceive the whole survival AU thing, but alas, I am a limp noodle who worries constantly about everything under the sun. So to hear your encouragement and reassurances makes me so happy, as well as comes as a great comfort.

Thank you. <3 It's cliche, but I wouldn't be here -- and my muse wouldn't be as developed as he is -- without wonderful people like yourself who not only continue to encourage me and take interest, but more importantly, who inspire me with their own muses and their own writing and their own work! Thank you, endlessly, thank you. And I am so sorry for the rambling. aklfdjlkgd

@stingslikeabee

[webtoon-thoughts]

Webtoon Recommendations

Number #1: UnOrdinary

This is one of my firsts and favorites, I absolutely ADORE it

Summary from Webtoons: Nobody paid much attention to John – just a normal teenager at a high school where the social elite happen to possess unthinkable powers and abilities. But John’s got a secret past that threatens to bring down the school’s whole social order – and much more. Fulfilling his destiny won’t be easy though, because there are battles, frenemies and deadly conspiracies around every corner.

Why I love it: The plot is compelling and John is extremely relatable, especially at his worst. Well, all the characters are all relatable in different aspects and also flawed. The story can be used as a parallel to our world and it also involves rebelling against the government + vigilantism. The story involves loss, the feeling of being powerless, friendship, enemies, regret, and it’s all put out beautifully.

BONUS/FAVORITE: The story easily could have gone terrible or become extremely controversial since it involves a world where everyone has special abilities, all at varying levels of power. Which once again, can be seen as a parallel to our world. And when you have a parallel to the real world, things can get heated fast.

Number #2: My Reason To Die

Like the misunderstood bad-boy trope? Like extreme emotions? Well this is perfect for you!

Summary from Webtoons: Ji-o’s luck runs out when she gets injured before the tryouts for the national taekwondo team. In the middle of facing what seems to be the biggest crisis of her life, she meets Gyeol, a mysterious boy who changes her life forever. He’s the definition of a bad boy with a good heart, and she finds herself unable to resist his charms. However, she might be playing with fire as he’s someone who’s involved with the wrong crowd. Is falling for Gyeol worth the risk?

Why I love it: Now this webtoon is beautiful. We see a blooming romance full of uncertainty and doubt, but then when Gyeol saves Ji-o it manages to break your heart and put it back together at the same time

Bonus/Favorite: Well I’m a sucker for romance and bad boys…buttt I also adore when there’s uncertainty and it seems like they won’t make it. Also I love sad things, and this is a great balance of the two.

Number #3: Death : Rescheduled

Like a story with attractive characters trying to change the world, all with sad backstories? Well you’re in luck! Snailords has blessed us with their gorgeous art and storylines. Also there’s our lovely Emai, who just loves violence.

Summary from Webtoons: Yes, you get one kill a year. But you can also get murdered for any reason, at all! In one district, sex and romance are also illegal. Kissed someone? Dead. Made coffee with the wrong amount of sugar? Extra dead. I’m done. We’re fixing this.

Why I love it: Well who doesn’t love a good dystopia? The art is beautiful and the characters have compelling personalities which are all unique. And now another sentence on how incredible each characters individual personality is ( clap here ).

Bonus/ Favorite: Honestly I admire and adore Snailords to the end of the world. Anything snailords related, I’d die for. Leading to our next webtoon…

Number #4: Freaking Romance

Oh Freaking Romance my beloved… My live, laugh, love, and life. This was probably the webtoon that impacted me the most. It’s supernatural, cute, romance, and has its melancholy parts.

Summary from Webtoons: A sexy supernatural story about being out on your own, finding your dream apartment and discovering that your new place is haunted by a handsome spectral stranger from another dimension. Sure, HE can’t see you and YOU can’t touch him, but who said every relationship starts out perfectly?

Why I love it: Can I look at the words romance or freaking without thinking of this webtoon? Nope. This webtoon is so touching and absolutely beautiful. You can practically feel the emotions as if they are your own. And once again, another sentence of admiration about Snailords. (Please someone fill the freaking romance shaped hole in my heart…)

YOU WILL NEED DAILY PASS

Bonus/Favorite: This webtoon also holds a special place in my heart from nostalgia, too. I started reading at the start of my Webtoons obsession, and never ever forgot it. This will never change. Feel free to send me the physical copy of it. (Wait don’t find my address)

Number #5: Wished you were dead

Well we can’t have pure romance! Also this webtoon currently is my life, ever since a friend recommended it.

Summary from Webtoons: King Karloi of Croisen finds himself at odds with his position in life. His wife’s father, Duke Deluah, is angling for the throne, and as an outsider to the family, Karloi fears for his position. His frustrations have affected his marriage, though he finds himself questioning his cold approach to his wife, Evonne. He may no longer recognize her, but Evonne saved his life long ago, and was his first love. This is but one of many secrets Evonne bears the weight of, having fallen victim to a curse that prevents her from telling any secrets...

why I love it: before you ask, this is hopefully not going to end in romance. I am an avid Karloi hater, and I’ll stay that way. Also, the art is stunning. With the art and storyline, you’ll find yourself screaming, crying, hitting the floor, etc. This Webtoon is incredibly put together, seeing how every moment will pull your heart in a new way. You’ll feel anger, sympathy, excitement, and everything I haven’t felt without Webtoons. The story also includes royalty and all that good stuff, which I adore.

Favorite/Bonus: Well this is a heart-wrenching story. And the regret in Karloi’s eyes will continue to be the fuel which pushes me everyday.

Number #6 (FINAL): Your Throne

And welcome to another one of my obsessions. Medea is quite literally life goals.

Summary from Webtoons: Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros, but resolves to do whatever it will take to win back what's rightfully hers. Will she reclaim her throne?

Why I love it: in the beginning, we see a fight between Medea and Psyche, but they turn out to be great friends. the art is gorgeous, and the characters all are flawed in the most beautiful ways. Psyche and Medea balance each other out and make a great team, which I’m happy about. (They don’t need no men, just date each other) And Medea is ALWAYS PLOTTING. This Webtoon increases my IQ exponentially.

Bonus/Favorite: I feel like Medea plays the role of the necessary villain when she does questionable things for everyone’s sake. Without these, so many plans would have failed. You can’t expect to win without sacrifice, and this Webtoon shows that well.

[godscountryrp]

STAFF INTRODUCTION!

Alias: Ellie Age: 34 Pronouns: She/Her Timezone: CST

Hello everyone! I've been in the RP scene off and on for the last ~20-ish years (invisionfree and proboards babey), and have done just about every genre you could imagine. So why did I make God's Country? Because while there are a plethora of incredible Southern/Appalachian Gothic boards out there, and many wonderful slice-of-life, small-town, real-life boards, what I found that I wanted was something that was the horror of the everyday: the realization that humans can sometimes be the monsters lurking under beds and in shadows. I'm typically drawn to stories with characters that feel deeply human -- weak in all the ways people can be weak, strong in ways that might surprise them and the viewer (or reader), flawed or broken and terribly, beautifully imperfect... but all the more human, vivid, real for it. I do my best to write these kinds of characters -- ones who make selfish decisions, who try to do the right thing but end up making things worse. For God's Country in particular, I am drawing a fair amount of inspiration from True Detective (season 1, specifically), Prisoners, and the non-science fiction aspects of Stranger Things... as well as crafting something of a love letter to Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia, taking a deeper look into the way things are there and how they came to be, the cycles of trauma and pain... and, I hope, the hope that can still live in spite of all of this.

Also I just wanna make people cry.

[thattotalloserrain]

Terms in this post

Adoptive - The person that was adopted into the family

Adopted - The person who adopted a person into the family

As I notice new fans continue to enter the TMNT fandom, (or people are starting to talk about it more) I’m going to talk about 2012 especially because a lot of people are missing the points of writing flaws, and people are arguing for the wrong points and defending very problematic relationship issues.

I’ve came across this post, and it was really… concerning. I’m not gonna name them, or point them out, (And I can’t find the post, so I don’t know if it was deleted or not) but if you know what I’m referring to then just be respectful, I don’t mean any disrespect either because at the end of the day… It’s a cartoon, and we can still enjoy things while there’s still questioning things about it. The only harm that may come to conversations like these is because it can be very serious in real life. Yet, I find it strange how people are defending the wrong things for the same problem: the writing.

Let’s paint the picture.

The turtles are just now starting to go out to the surface, and with Leo’s situation, he ends up fighting a girl from the Foot. Romance is in the air, and he definitely falls in love with her. He never met her in his life, but he knew that he was the daughter of his fathers enemy- his adopted brother. (Let’s keep the adopted part in mind for later) So they already knew she was related in some way, blood or not.

Okay this is fine, it’s normal, and it’s trop that writers like to do- good guy falls in love with bad guy- it’s great. Until…

Now, Splinter has to tell Leo something after he also discovered it. His new born daughter that he thought perished that same night he lost his wife , and that so happened to be the girl Leo was fighting with. (And falling for) Is alive.

My 11 year old self at the time when he told that, made me widen my eyes.

I want to point out that TMNT 2012 is my favorite, and always will be. But that doesn’t mean I won’t point its serious flaws that the writers have done. For example,

Writing Donnie to be a stalker, (He is. There’s no argument about it. Following a girl, and getting caught after being told NOT to, is stalking behavior! Even when there’s good thought behind it! Poor Donnie doesn’t deserve to be written like that, though.) But as soon as we see that character development be “Yeah, I shouldn’t do that. I will stop.” The same girl she falls for is like “NAH, it’s okay because you’re my mutant~! Doesn’t help anything either.

Having Donnie, April, and Casey in this weirdest love triangle ever. (She tells both of them that she needs space at some point, but whenever they DO, she does something that makes that behavior more acceptable at that time. She goes back and forth between them clearly. And again it’s not April’s fault when she has bad writers)

We have Mikey that’s just doing his thing but ends up having something between Renet (whom isn’t born yet, but what the shell, at this point it fits the writing themes beautifully.) and Shinigami (Who wouldn’t, she is literally so hot.)

Now, I KNOW people are going to smite me for this but it’s only fair I still point things out in one of the best ships of the show so I can try to remain as unbiased as possible- Raph meets an alien in space. No questions between if they’re even equivalent to the same age or near, and already starts making out with her only within an episode (perhaps a few days) Kind of just like how Donnie also did with falling for April.

And we don’t see much with Yoshi having a relationship with Tang Shen until season 4, because she’s literally dead, and we haven’t seen any other interaction with her besides Splinter standing ground to his loyalty of his clan.

Do we see the similarities of why these writing flaws is happening? Do you see what they are common with?

They’re all relationships. The entire shows writing flaws, nearly every single one has to do something with relationships.

Every. Single. One.

The writers wanted to put romance into it, and failed miserably.

If you’re still reading this, congrats. I’m not done yet.

I feel as if I need to put some of my life experience into this to hope you all see the point I’m trying to make, and I know people that may have experienced similarly, that they still could have very different opinions to my own.

I’m adopted. And I only found that out when I became a teenager. Just as Karai has. I was lied to over and over and OVER again until I was finally told.

I’m not going to label Leorai something to extreme, but the ways people are defending it, is almost making it look like they know it is at some way, and are trying so hard to make it look like it’s completely fine, and you know what I’m talking about if you’re still reading this post, or you’re catching on to what I’m saying, I’ll make it very short and simple. And it’s really gross and scary how people think it’s okay.

Leo, and the rest of the turtles is related to Karai. Being a sister, or not. If they truly can’t be siblings, they are at least cousins, if we’re going to argue about how they weren’t raised together at all which… doesn’t make someone not related to someone.

And it was established that they both have romantic feelings for each other.

An argument that I saw was that the turtles aren’t technically adopted, or shares any DNA with Karai. (And honestly perhaps not, but we literally can’t rule anything out because we don’t have anything like mutagen in OUR world, so we can’t even argue anything about science because guys, come on… They’re four giant human turtles, and then there’s a literal trash mutant, so I don’t think we can say we’re experts on how mutagen works in this world or not.) So therefor, Leorai doesn’t count as (insert extreme label) And Splinter is also a harsh teacher, so Therefor- they aren’t his sons in any way because he can’t legally make them his sons. What?

Splinter is a mutated rat, and he may have just bot four baby turtles as a human, having no idea what is about to happen. Where is he going to go to the city, and find someone who would let him adopt four mutant turtles, to be his legally, official sons that he loves so much? Are we kidding? We’re going degrade the way that Splinter died and Mikey literally cried out “Papa.” And the thousands of times he calls them his sons and they their father and teacher? Fathers and mothers ARE our life teachers. And splinter KNOWS, that if NONE of them can defend, or fight for themselves, they would be killed easily from the harsh world. Of course his teachings will see VERY harsh. But he is literally preparing them for the worst, because he knows it can happen because he experienced it when he lost his wife to his adopted brother. And comparing to his brother, his brother literally kidnapped his daughter after murdering her mother and attempted murder of his adoptive brother! Why are we saying it’s okay for this heartless man to have the right to have Karai when Splinter can’t even do anything legally because he’ll get killed just from being a mutant?

Why is this even a point to make it seem like Leorai is okay or not? It literally makes no sense to use this as a reason why it is or shouldn’t, it has nothing to relate to it whatsoever. And at the end of the day, this entires shows romantic relationships isn’t okay. It’s just degrading a good father, and praising a horrible one for doing the ‘legal’ and ‘better’ thing??

Okay, another point that I saw was that none of the turtles weren’t raised or even knew Karai to begin with. That is true. They didn’t know she existed; and when they met her, they all didn’t know how she was related to them either way. Until they knew that Karai was Shredder’s daughter, then they definitely knew that the could be in some way. But like… if I find a sibling out there, adoptive, blood or not, I would back the heck out. It’s not the 1800’s where it’s fine to marry your cousin or aunt/uncle. And apart if the argument is that they can’t help their feelings or change them in anyway. (Pardon my language, but what the f*ck.)

Do you know who in the show was raised to be brothers, and ended up hating their guts, like literally? Splinter and Shredder. They changed they way they felt. And yes, it is more extreme comparing it to Leorai, but it’s also stupid not to point it out because it’s obvious.)

People are trying so hard to make it look like Leorai is fine in anyway, and it isn’t. It just plain isn’t. But again, the way people are defending (insert extreme label) They are still related. They. Are. Still. Related. Blood or not, they are. It is not okay to okay this behavior and or/writing that it is.

And people are defending this SO much they really believe and can say that it’s not (insert extreme label) because it only has to have two people be related by blood to make it (insert extreme label). Which isn’t the case, if someone is related to someone in anyway, then it is (inset extreme label.) and if you’re this person, your painting yourself as a person that is okay with in*st in anyway. I said what I said. If people can defend things like this, I can say my thoughts as well.

Get your head out of those sewer apples and GROW up. It’s fine to admit your wrongs and realize that things about your favorite show just isn’t okay. The writers wrote very problematic things, it’s the writers fault, and it’s okay to still like this specific show as a whole. Don’t let nostalgia make you look like you can also defend other problematic things.

Congrats; you made it to the end. Have a pizza 🍕

[tetradynasty]

So, the most recent arc of UU has fired off some sparks in my head.

I think that Nico and Ichico and their whole tragedy mirrors Rip, Latla, and Leila’s tragedy to a fair extent.

The broad strokes are the same in loop 100. The will-be negators are deeply in love with someone who dies shortly after they awaken their Negations. Rip and Latla actually cause the death with their powers, while Nico just gets his incidentally, but it’s close enough.

I think that in Loop 100, both of their arcs are excellent. Heartbreaking and emotional in all the best ways, we’re slowly dripfed information about Rip and Latla’s tragedy throughout the first 100 chapters, while Nico’s gets done in only a couple of chapters. Both work well in my opinion, and the way that tragedy only begets more tragedy sets up the foundation for the complete renewal that is Loop 101.

But unfortunately for me, I think that the Rip and Latla arc in 101 stumbles a fair bit.

I feel like this boils down to one major flaw. Leila isn’t so much a character as she is a plot device.

In loop 100, Leila is the lost Lenore. Her personality didn’t matter, only the effect it had on Rip and Latla.

And frankly, it was fine that way.

I think that spending time and effort on fleshing out Leila’s character in loop 100 would have been a waste of pages, as well as a hit to the pacing. She’s a posthumous character. It’s fine if she’s a bit flat. It’s not like she’s ever gonna show up again.

And then loop 101 comes around. Whoops.

I think Tozuka had a really difficult task here. Rip and Latla have been extremely important side characters throughout loop 100. More time has been taken to examine their motivations and dig into who they are as characters, than pretty much anyone outside of Andy, Fuuko, Juiz, or Billy. And now Tozuka needs to essentially introduce a new character and have her feel just as important and complicated as Rip and Latla, enough to make you think that this duo is actually be a trio.

And he tries his best?

Leila is a sweet love interest, and she adds in a different perspective on how Rip should act as a hero.

But that’s the problem.

The heart of Rip’s storyline in 100 is not about Leila. It’s about his failure to be a hero.

It’s hammered in over and over again that he wants to be a hero, but has forced himself to be a villain, all so that he can save Leila. He mutilates himself, makes bad decisions, and only digs himself deeper and deeper. This intertwines beautifully with Latla’s feelings of guilt as she serves as his accomplice, and how it’s warped their relationship in a way they never would have wished.

This storyline continues into loop 101, with the climax being that Latla prevents him from taking that first step down the path of villainy, forcing him to share his pain with Latla, and not simply take it all upon himself.

And then in chapter 183 Rip says, “no, actually my story was all about me being in a love triangle.”

And that’s just… wrong?

In Loop 100, the Rip/Latla ship has long since been sunk. They flirt with each other, but it’s with the knowledge that Rip’s real love is Leila. Loop 100 ends with Rip quite literally choosing Leila over Latla, when he kills Latla for the chance to ride the Ark.

In Loop 101, the Rip/Latla ship isn’t even brought up until chapter 183. Then everybody brings up how sad it is that he can only choose one person, and how it has to be one or the other, and so on.

Rip’s decision is fine in a vacuum. My problem with it is that there’s been no build up for it in Loop 101. His sudden resolution that “no, I love them both equally” feels completely out of place. The was a single chapter about how close they were as children, but it didn’t read as romantic to me. It more read as a coming of age than anything else.

I think that the Loop 101 arc could have been better tackled in a couple different ways.

First, just get rid of the love triangle. Leave the Rip/Latla ship as platonic and end it with Rip marrying Leila. Simplest, quickest way to resolve it without changing a lot.

A second way would be to add in a chapter or two focusing on Leila, to try and stop her from being such a flat character. Have her talk with Fuuko about growing up a recluse, have her talk with Rip about what he should do after she dies, something like that. And then, she needs to have a talk with Latla, where she brings up Rip as a romantic interest for her. Whatever conclusion they make, whether Leila says the two should get together when she’s dead, or if Latla says they’ll compete once Leila is cured, it doesn’t really matter. There just needs to be something there to build upon.

Lastly, the real wacky way would be to give Leila her own Negation. Give her Undefinition or Unbalance and induct her into the wider cast of Negators. Have Rip marry her, then over time, broach the subject of including Latla as well. This would allow for more time to handle the development as opposed to just speed running it all in one arc.

And all that brings me to Nico and Ichico and their current arc.

We’re still in the opening stages of the Loop 101 Nico and Ichico arc, but I’m already liking it a lot more than the Rip and Latla arc.

Part of it is because the ground work for it has already been seeded, with Ichico being a full character in her own right from practically the start of loop 101. There’s her development of astral projection, and the effects that has on their relationship, and all the little ways she and Nico interact in the background.

What really interests me is Ichico taking a potshot at fridging.

I’m referring to the trope of killing off female characters, solely for the effect that it has on men, usually their romantic partners. Tozuka is a pretty big fan of this trope. It happens to Billy and his wife, Rip and Leila, Shen and his sister, and of course, Nico and Ichico.

I’m really looking forward to seeing if Tozuka is going to touch more on Ichico refusing to die, and maybe tie it in to how Nico gets his ability in loop 101.

Also, I think there’s something interesting in how in Loop 100, when Nico has to choose between Ichico and the Union, he chooses Ichico, but in Loop 101, Fuuko chooses to put Ichico and Nico’s happiness over the needs of the Union.

[chronicowboy]

Since you mentioned Buck is your least favorite I am curious what’s your ranking ? And is this a I love you but I just love (blank) more situation? Because I’m constantly changing my ranking in 911 for that reason like I love everyone so damn much and I’m constantly switching depending on the season making me focus my love more on certain characters so I’m wondering if this happens to other people as well lol

it's definitely a I love you but I love blank more situation, they're all sooooo perfect to me (in that they're deeply flawed, real characters) and i love each of them deeply but i'd be lying if i didn't say i had favourites so:

eddie diaz - are we surprised? he's my number one. he's literally everything to me. there isn't a character like him in existence. best dad in the world because he's made mistakes and he's learning as he goes but he loves christopher with literally everything he has. petty little bitch who is actually the kindest most compassionate guy out there. friend of lesbians and women everywhere (unless they're a morally bankrupt reporter). i could go on but then this would possibly be the longest ask i've ever posted and also i would get no more work done today.

chimney han - VERY close between him and number 3 and also VERY close between him and number one to be honest. he's my favourite little guy. honestly more babygirl than eddie to me sorry. second best dad in the world (ONLY because he hasn't been doing it as long as eddie). ultimate wifeguy, real simp. rebar AND lady magnet. karaoke king. just. HE'S THE HEART OF THE 118!!!!!!!!!!!

henrietta wilson - LOVE OF MY LIFE! she has never done anything wrong in her life ever (and by this i mean that of course she has but she learns from it). the hen and her mom storyline in suspicion is literally one of my favourite things the show ever did because although i'm not a woman of colour i am a woman who never would have got diagnosed if it weren't for my mum there to advocate for me every step of the way. also an ultimate wifeguy.

bobby nash - HE'S MY DAD BOOGIE WOOGIE WOOGIE! no he's everyone's dad. never been happier for a character to be so severely wrong as i was when he said the 118 wasn't a family, sealed his fate, dear dumb dad. literally what can i say about him? i LOVE it when characters have to unlearn their grief and learn how to open up to the world again - he's my number one.

athena grant - loses points for copaganda but mother! she's just so uhhhhhhh. idk. i look at angela bassett and my brain stops working. she's just. so full of love. but also she gets angry. and she's protective of her family. and fjfhgskgbjktg.

maddie buckley - honestly love her so much especially in the earlier seasons but i feel like season 6 lost her a little bit. but yeah she's my pookie bear. no but fr such a beautifully complex character. i LOVE her SO much.

evan buckley - sir your sad eyes, abandonment issues and dog motif are very sexy god bless you just do not have that jenny say quack the rest of these guys do. To Me. if i knew you in real life, i would despise you probably sorry :/ but i love your extensive amount of issues <3

[selenityshiroi]

HDM TV Adaptation overall opinions

So, now that all three seasons are out I want to get some more thoughts out there. I haven't rewatched the whole series again, but I still have impressions from what I've seen over the release schedule.

First, casting:

The main casting things that threw me off were Ma Costa (the actress was perfectly skilled but I'd just always imagined her as a big, powerfully built woman and it was the one character image I'd never been able to push out of mind) and John Parry. I have nothing against Andrew Scott but the main plot point of John Parry prematurely aging, because he lived in the wrong world for so long, was COMPLETELY LOST by having him played by an age appropriate actor. It also removed any sort of surprise, because he looked just like his photos from the real world and, therefore, we all knew who Jopari was the moment he appeared.

I was surprised when we got dark haired Lyra and Marisa, since they had been described as blonde in the books. But my main ??? reaction was to do with the scene where Lyra's hair is ripped from the bomb and the tension of the moment when no one knew if the single hair that remained was Lyra's or the Golden Monkey's.

The bomb scene ended up completely different (and, in my opinion, not for the better in the slightest) so that moment never became relevant. But both Lyra and Marisa were beautifully acted and portrayed. And I've never been one to believe that appearances need to be 100% consistent with text, so other than the 'how will xxx work' I was never bothered by the change.

I was always impressed with Dafne but I do believe that she really grew into the role as time went on. Her performances became stronger with each season and I am so unbelievably astounded by how powerfully emotional the end of the series was.

Ruth was darkly charismic the entire time. It worked beautifully for Marisa, although I do think that the show used her too much, in some cases, trying to show off such an intriguing character. And in doing so kind of spoiled some of the mystery and unravelled her too much too soon.

But my favourite casting was that of Amir Wilson. The moment he stepped onto screen, suprisingly but brilliantly early, I was convinced completely by his performance. We'd waited so long to see Will Parry on screen, especially after the movies failed to launch into a franchise, and he was worth the wait. He captured every nuiance: the boy too young to be a carer, like so many children, but doing it anyway because it was necessary. A boy who never wanted to fight (or kill) but could do so because it was necessary. A boy who you would think would be jaded by caring and love...but could never not do so because it was oh so necessary.

But I don't think I can fault any of the performances on the show. All of the cast were brilliant. Even if I wasn't sure they were used in the best ways at all times. So a huge applause for the casting team.

Secondly, writing:

Let me start by saying that this series was a good adaptation. It wasn't perfect and it has it's flaws, but it was good. I can tell that the source material was loved and treated with care but I feel that there were limitations placed that negatively affected the way the story was told.

Each season, in my opinion, could have done with 2 more episodes, at least. Whilst it was ABSOLUTELY the right decision to introduce Will in season one and intertwine his and Lyra's stories (instead of cold opening season two with him like The Subtle Knife did) I do feel that season one significantly missed out on developing Lyra. And, unfortunately, they never really corrected the clipped away moments and ended up removing the main, defining arc for Lyra Silvertongue.

Her ability to craft stories and lie.

That being said, one of the show's greatest strengths is how wonderfully they developed the build of friendship into love between Lyra and Will.

From the very beginning this was all trimmed out. We never got to see her telling lies with the Oxford Children and the Gyptians. We never got to see her lie her way out of London when trying to escape. We never saw her extended, planned out deceptions and investigations in Bolvanger. Lyra's ability to lie and craft stories was a core part of her in the books. It was why she was named Silvertongue. She described it as something she could do for Will because he was too honest to protect himself when needed. And it ended up being removed entirely from the subplot in the Land of the Dead, destroying the storyline with the Harpies and 'Tell them stories...but true stories'.

I'm not sure if these moments were originally removed for time and they ended up having to cut her arc completely or if the decision was made to 'sanitise' this character trait? If it's the first it's disappointing but kind of understandable how it ended up that way. If it's the latter then it's kind of unforgiveable. Either which way, Lyra's arc and development it the single biggest criticism I have of the entire show.

Bringing Will in earlier allowed us to get a sense of his character before he and Lyra crashed into each other in Cittazgaze and it made their intitial interactions more wary and tentative than they were in the books (where there was more tension as Will was still a bit of a mystery to the audience and his character traits were being explored on all scales through his interactions with Lyra). It made things a little more natural between them on screen, in my opinion, and we saw the friendship unfolding gradually.

This continued on throughout seasons two and three and the trust and bond between them was very believable. I was always wary about how the end of The Amber Spyglass would be portrayed on screen. It's such a deeply emotional and heartwrenching ending to the books but full of love and young passion. And it would be so easy for this to be awkward or cheesy or overdone (I love the audiobooks but the ending is a little cheesy in performance, for example). But it was knocked out of the park. It felt like two teenagers in love, but it also felt full and mature and genuine and you could believe their heartbreak and that they would continue to love each other until their death. It was such a fine line to walk but it was phenomenally done.

I also didn't like what they did with Asriel. Almost all of his arc was in the background of the books. And maybe that allowed rose tinted glasses but I never really felt he was disdainful of Lyra in the books. He always felt distant and unreachable, but to me there was always a sense that, underneath his grandose plans and ambitions, he still loved Lyra. I think they took it too far in the show and that love was lost. And it made the confrontation with Metatron feel hollow. Because it never felt like he was doing it for Lyra. It felt like he was doing it for himself.

As I mentioned before, I'm not sure Marisa was always adapted with the same careful touch. Ruth Wilson's portrayal was so powerful that they clearly wanted to capitilise on that and they gave her scenes that revealed more of her character and even some of her backstory from the Book of Dust trilogy. But one of the things that I thought was done so well in the books was how you never really knew her angle. You never knew who she was playing and what her motive was. Not until the very end. By showing more of her character some of that mystery was eroded and I think it made her role in the final season less powerful.

And, because of the utter lack of Lyra's character trait of lies and stories spilling out of her like water as a way to protect herself and those around her, we also miss out on the depth of the Land of the Dead. On how the Harpies hate lies and are so used to the dead trying to lie their way into 'salvation' that they provoke hated and fear through their retaliation. That Lyra herself is viciously attacked by the very same Harpy who eventually saves her from her fall. That her true stories are what eventually bring hope and light to the souls around her and draw the Harpies in like a moth to a flame. That they negotiate safe passage for those who can tell true stories of their lives. That children will be allowed freedom because they haven't had time to build stories, but adults should have lived their lives fully and should have had something to tell.

One of the limitations I feel the show had to deal with was the fantastical elements that would need extensive CGI. I'm willing to suspend disbelief over crowd scenes with suspiciously hidden daemons because it's very understandable that animating daemons for every extra would be very expensive and not totally necessary for immersion. But I feel like some of the writing decisions made for season three was to limit CGI usage. Obviously the storyline between Mary and the Mulefa was very truncated. But I do like and appreciate how they showed her learning and living with them through the evolving subtitles and her notebook. It was effective and well done.

But I feel that the Gallivespians being so heavily removed from events (no longer accompanying Will and Lyra to the Land of the Dead and causing such drastic changes to scenes such as the Bomb) was less well handled. It removed elements that added depth and worldbuilding. And I hate that the Bomb is no longer about corrupt men and Marisa's desperate love and Will frantically trying to save Lyra from a threat from worlds away but is instead a ridiculous power move from Metatron.

Which is one of the reasons why Lyra and Will agree that they have to live full and complete lives. Why they can't just wither away in less than a decade in a foreign world. Why they have to live for love.

I do see how and why some of the writing decisions came about. But the ripple effect they had on the HEART of the story was profound, tbh.

But since I have mentioned CGI and how it shaped things:

I want to give a huge round of applause to every single animator who worked on the character daemons and bears.

When the series was first commisioned I was so petrified that a BBC show would never have the budget and skills to make the daemons be so seamless. But they are so beautifully animated. So wonderfully expressive. When we first saw Pantalaimon speak I was overwhelmed because his little facial expressions and the twitching of his ears and the rustle of his fur...I was so impressed by the care and attention to detail and it's continued on throughout.

The VFX studio did phenomenal work and I can't thank them enough for breathing life into the characters I'd always feared would be puppet like characatures.

So, yeah, overall:

I enjoyed watching this show so much. I read Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife in secondary school and The Amber Spyglass came out when I was in college. They were the books that took me from my teenage years to my young adult life. And I joke often that The Amber Spyglass shattered my heart two decades ago and I've never recovered but, tbh, it's not that much of a joke. It profoundly affected me and to this day I still flinch at the idea of tragic love and separation and long for resolution.

Seeing the story portrayed, finally, on screen was a joy. I actually cried when the commision of the series was announced because the books meant so much to me and I hoped and trusted the BBC (and Julie Gardner, who I knew was a fan thanks to Doctor Who interviews) to do it to the best they could.

The final product is not perfect. There are changes I don't like and scenes that are missing. Some of the aspects have been lost or amended along the way. But there are also some changes that worked for the better or were adapted with a care that showed the love for the source. There are some criticisms that I can live with because I enjoyed other aspects and some criticisms that will always grate a little.

There are details that were introduced with the TV series that I will take back to the books (Cloud Pines under the skins of witches? inspired. Mary being a lesbian? Felt so natural I forgot it was a small change) and I happily take the visuals and beautiful performances into mind.

The books will always be precious to me. And, even with some critiques, this show will now always be precious too. They aren't interchangeable but I can take the best of both and enjoy them together. I can imagine Ruth Wilson spitting out 'Lyra's exceptional' and Dafne Keen whispering 'because he's Will' in a dream, even if the TV show never gave us such scenes. Because the words still live on the pages and the portrayals still exist in my minds eye. And that is a great gift to have.

(Also, in a lighter and less serious note...now that the series is complete and I expect more and more people to become aware of this franchise and the world building...please give us more daemon fics for every single fandom. I love daemon fics and all fanfic authors who bless us with daemon fics deserve their own Republic of Heaven here on Earth)