#I’m not good at critiquing character actions

[cryptfile]

☆ Loveseat, [ Carmen Berzatto AU ]

SUMMARY — After being in a relationship with Carmen, you cannot help but being extra judgemental when it comes to food.

WARNINGS — i’m currently rotting in hell, meaning: MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, +18 content, there’s a lot of, cursing, choking, praising, dirty talking, mentions of food and eating, hair pulling, fingering.

SIDE NOTES — This is my first post here, so hope you guys like it. English’s not my first language so if there's any mistakes in advance, i’m sorry. Please interact if you like this, reblogs, comments, likes, all means a lot to me! I’ll leave my inbox open so you can suggest more characters! This takes place in an alternative timeline for own my liking, enjoy! x

Lately, Carmen Berzatto was not sure how he managed to get you.

To be completely honest, most of his friends seemed to wonder how he managed to pull the tattooer that adorned his hands with cool designs being that shy, however, when you started texting him photos of your daily food stating it was complete bullshit — He knew he had you in for a long time.

He would explain himself it was something casual at first. A few texts every now and then, swimming between a wave of bad jokes and tension he was sure he was imaging as he read through the texts you send at least twice, then, he would know he’d win you over with food.

Maybe that’s when you became so judgemental at first, after trying the lasagna he made for you after being so tired from working all day long, something else just snapped, even when he was done being near the fire, not even wanting to look at a plate ever again: He managed to spoil you with something good to eat anyways, making you moan in pure pleasure after craving some good food all day.

Of course it was important, can you even blame him?

He was not very vocal about it, hell, it was hard for him to even admit it even after being with you almost six months, but he loved the way you reacted to all his stuff. Even if it was something simple like scrambled eggs or regular pasta with plain butter, it was the way you groaned and grab the spoon licking the silverware clean, showering him with praises after when he was so used to be miserable in the kitchen.

“Open up,” he says before feeding you with the spoon. It was one of those nights where he was trying new stuff at your place, keeping you up till late seated on the kitchen counter close to him as he cooked, opening your mouth just to give an allegedly meaningful critique. “Any thoughts? Feedback?”

It was a wild ride for sure. A turbulent one as you closed your eyes all suddenly, the image burnt on the back of his head when you groaned savoring the taste like it was something else.

“Dunno,” you admit later on, trying to think on anything bad to say — “Need to have another bite before giving an honest answer.”

He smirks in response, repeating the same action just to hear you speak again. Being with you was something similar as his cigarette breaks, escaping from all the stress he usually gets in his life.

Silence again.

“Well fuck, you have me here. Maybe needs some more salt,” you think out loud. Almost trying to say something bad out of force as you knew he wouldn’t stop until he got an brutally honest answer. “The combinations of flavors though is really breathtaking, you outdone yourself this time. Could tattoo this risotto on me, no questions asked.”

Salt? He takes a bite himself almost immediately.

“It doesn’t need any more salt” he replies furrowing his brows in response. “We’ve talked about this sweetheart…”

“You wanted me to be a critique,” you admit almost offended, letting out a light chuckle before stealing the spoon from his hand in one swift movement. “I'm, being indeed, sincere here."

God. It was those moments that made him catch his breath, how the minutes passed slower and everything else seemed to blurry around the two of you. He cannot deny it, cause he loves the snarky responses, the way your mouth wraps around the spoon in a way that made him so devastated at the sight, head spinin’ with the thought of the things he already did to you, the memories that he seems to cherish so deeply.

He cannot stop either when his fingers toy with your hair, the strains sliding smoothly through his fingers. You seemed to enjoy it too, cause it's all it takes to make you forget about the food, leaning into his touch.

"Since when you became my main critique, hm?” he asks, placing himself between your tights as he invaded your space with nothing but pure confidence in his cooking skills. He knew for a fact, it didn't need any more salt. "Made you so spoiled you are a new expert here, baby?"

“Well, it’s your fault anyway" you defend yourself, narrowing your eyes at his words. "You're the one who spoils me rotten, always feeding me nice tasty stuff, keeping me up till’ late trying new things. I’m what you taught me to be, cannot blame for being a good critique. It is what it is."

"So you're blaming me for being a caring partner?" he cannot hold the laugh back, pulling on your hair almost enough to make you look at him. “S’that what you’re implying here?” 

“Would never even dare to” you admit all innocence bitting the inside of your cheek, and Carmen swears you’re doing it just to get in his brain, to control every action in that twisted brain of yours, and he cannot stop himself to fall every time, pulling on your hair slightly rougher this time as he towers over you. “Just implying that you’ll ruin food for me forever if we keep this up.” 

“Not seeing what’s the problem with that” he simply replies as he stared at your expression, how the simple act of your head tilted backwards made his blood boil, the exposed skin of your neck pulling him like the polar opposite of a magnet as he looks down at you — “Don’t really care.”

He’s clearly enjoying that. The sudden proximity as his left hand travels through your side, gripping onto your tight as he gives a light squeeze, tracing invisible patterns against your warm skin that contrasts so much to the chef’s usual cold hands. 

He cannot possibly have enough of you as you melt into his touch, in the very edge of turning into a mad man as he grabs a fistful of your hair to pull you in a demanding kiss, tongue-tracing over your lower lip, almost asking for a formal invitation to finally invade you, his breathing colliding against your skin, holding you in place as he suffers from a burst of pure adrenaline. 

His hands betray him in no time, drawn by the sounds you make when he’s nibbling on that nice curve on your neck, allowing his hand to glide over your soft skin just to end up in your inner tights, fingertips just barely touching as he just watches over you, the sight of you being just enough, that nice smell on your skin when he kisses your neck, your perfume being all around him… it’s getting to him.

He quickly becomes all so vocal, when he’s finally reaching the fabric of your shorts and his touch leaves a burnt sensation behind, the sound of his voice echoing in your ears.

“Gonna’ ruin it f’ya, baby” he says in a low voice — “Looking s’hot all bothered already just for a few kisses, cannot help but spoil m’girl.” 

Of course he fucking loves it. He loves how he knows exactly how to make a mess out of you, touching just the right places, concentrated in your pleasure as he drags the velvety fabric of your shorts to the side, making you crave the touch of his fingertips before finally slide them beneath the fabric of your underwear, lips parted as he finally touches your entrance, taking his time with you.

“God, you’re so wet f’me already, so damn warm” he says in a low whisper, making you talk in between your erratic breathing words that don’t seem to mean anything.

It’s so good. The frantic feeling washing over him as his fingers move in circles over your clit, the almost unnoticible wet sounds filling the air of the kitchen as he places soft kisses in that very spot where your shoulder meet the curvature of your neck. He just knows exactly what he’s doing. How to get under your skin, how to make you run out of breath, and he simply grew attached to it, to the way your skin feels so smooth against his fingers and you act up minutes before beggin’ for more.

And when he finally buries two digits in your cunt — God fucking damn.

He cannot keep the facade, blue eyes drinking the sight of you in as you moan, hips moving against his palm watching how his fingers dissapeared in you, pumping slowly at first, enjoying the way your walls wraps around his fingers, the words that came out of your opened mouth in pure desperation.

“Bear,” you would say in an unsteady breathing “O-oh fuck yes, yes baby, please don’t stop, please-”

The hand who pulled your hair before now tightens around your throat, and he can see you smiling like you’re in fucking paradise before he presses against that nice spot in the side of her neck, cutting the suministration of air to your lungs slightly. Always so eager, making him try new things together even when he was used to an relatively calm, almost non-existant sex life when all his focus was on the restaurant, insisting on trying new things that he end up loving.

“Such a good fuckin’ girl f’me, taking me so s’good” he praises you for a moment, obliging you to look at him when he talks “Lettin’ my fingers fill you up like this, a mess already.”

“That’s it baby, move those pretty hips, need you to keep fuckin’ y’self.”

Lewd sounds, his tight grip on your neck, your hips arching to find that perfect place for him to hit and it’s all it takes for the chef to bring you closer and closer to the edge, fingers curling inside your soaked cunt, moaned sentences that in his ear are only adding up fuel to keep flexing his muscles for you, to keep on stimulating you.

“Gonna cum,” you let him know, but he’s quickly shaking his head in disapproval — “Carm, please, need to-”

“You can hold a little longer, princess” he coos, his grip on your throat almost making you stop breathing completely. Fuck. Your vision becomes dizzy, and for Carmen, the view is nothing but pure delight in front of him. Your shirt raised over your stomach, you pretty little face all disorted thanks to the thrill, parted legs just to give him more space to work with, fighting for some air. He’s so damn greedy about it, knowing he’s the only person who can get you like that. “Hm, stop squeezing me like that baby.”

He chuckles lightly, your hands gripping into the edge of the counter, raising one leg over the table as you try to do what you’re told, to please him every single time. He’s torturing you, and you cannot blame him cause you made him like that, just like he spoiled you with food. All those times whimpering in his bedsheets, asking all shy if he can choke you while pounding into your cunt, cheeks red while riding him, whispering things about how thick he feels inside, how he’s stretching you out so nicely, made him confident enough to know exactly what you like.

Carmen Berzatto is a caring boyfriend after all.

“S’okay, sweetheart” he says moments after, placing soft kisses on your face, your skin glimmering against the lights of your kitchen, a light layer of sweat as you closed your eyes tightly — “Cum baby, let me feel you” he talks you through it, words coming to his mouth so easily now, the sound of his tone so raspy it makes you arch your back as you finally let yourself go, riding the orgasm and making it last as long as you can, your own pleasure being your only priority as his digits bury themselves in your cunt, pressing against your neck to make it more difficult for you, to fill your eyes with tears as you loudly moan his name.

He holds you place, the mess he made out of you in such short time, eyes following the way your body shakes in the glimpse of ecstasy, fingers still pumping inside you but at a much slower pace, knowing you’d be sensitive now, lips swollen, messy hair and ruined mascara.

“Willing to admit now i’m right?” he ask in a low voice, letting you breathe as he was still afected by you — “That it doesn’t need any more salt, smartass?”

You hum in response, chuckling at his stubborn remark, your hands gripping into his arm just to dig your nails in his tattooed skin, almost begging him to let you breathe a second.

“Get up,” he says, not harshly enough to be a command, but instead, a plea. “Bend over the counter baby. M’not done with you yet.”

And even being so sensitive, you cannot help but comply, looking at your boyfriend through half-lidded eyes cause yeah, he made you a spoiled brat in terms of food, but you have definitely broke something else when it came to the intimacy he was now into.

Or maybe you just loved being his main critique.

[thegirlfromgonewiththewind]

I am so so so so so TIRED to see people fatshaming two perfectly healthy girls because they have round faces. It’s disgusting.

The actresses of Mai and Azula are on point for their roles. Hell, if they were chosen there must be a reason, it’s not like there’s no Asian actresses out there they could choose from.

People can’t accept that Azula can have a characterization beyond “crazy and sadist sicko”. She’s a perfectionist. She’s an asset to her father. She’s jealous of Zuko’s birthright and of how it might take what she has away. Those are things that OG Azula too had. The only difference is that we actually see it in season one and have a background on her, rather than writing it in a rant. And what has been added only makes her a more complex character, given the change in the family dynamic as well.

And Mai? The actress is talented, she delivers a good Mai, and does justice to the character. She’s 17 and at the beginning of her career, of course it won’t be perfect. She gets to grow. Thing is, you guys won’t let her, because a square jaw scares you so flipping bad that you feel the need to shame her for it.

Everyone is a body positivity advocate until a girl with a rounder face shape is cast as a character in a live action you are NOT forced to watch? Seriously?

I’ve seen so many people on the internet calling them all sort of names, fatshaming them, insulting their work without even focusing on the acting. And I’m like, what’s to fatshame there? Let me tell you: nothing.

If I have to put it through your thick head like this, so be it. Even though I hate talking about and comparing bodies.

This below is a picture of Azula’s actress.

She has the face card, she has the jawline, and she has a fit, enviable body. And you still have the audacity to “fat-shame” her?

These two pictures are in costume. Again, face card and an enviable body. She even has the expression for Azula. You see a girl with a rounder shape of face and will automatically go “no she’s too cute to be Azula!!” Dude. No. When she will actually deliver as the crazy girl we know, she will devour. She will, and you all will switch back because that’s what you are, slimy switchers.

And now, onto Mai’s actress, a very beautiful girl with talent and looks. She is literally so pretty, and you dare hate on her? You dare shame her for how she looks? From what I’ve heard she’s a minor, too, so this makes you 100000% more slimy and undeserving of any sympathy in my book.

This is her, this is the girl.

She’s literally so pretty. Maybe she hasn’t got the same facial structure of Mai, but she delivered all her lines she had in the little screen time and with the discutibile scenes she was given. She was good. But you see a square jaw, a rounder shape of face, and are immediately triggered.

And you can’t even use the stupid argument of “she’s fat”, because this is literally her.

A very normal, very healthy young woman. Not as skinny as OG Mai? So what? She’s still a fricking thin girl. Nowhere as “fat” as you haters make her to be.

I shouldn’t have to explain common sense and basic decency to grown adults, and yet here we are.

This is honestly so frustrating. In the year of 2024 you can’t possibly justify insulting girls like this, with no shame. It’s absolutely idiotic and shows very a big lack of brain cells. I see you, haters, behind your device, with your insecurities and shame for yourself, laughing at two girls who made it farther than you ever will. You can critique the acting once you’ve seen it in full potential. Until then, shut your tramp up. This is very small dick energy of you.

I don’t see why I should treat you with kindness when you are so eager to make this kind of jokes about pretty and in shape girls you are very obviously jealous of. Go touch some grass, incels.

[essycogany]

Here’s a personal take!

The Sonic Prime 3D models have the best facial expressions seen from the modern cast. Why? Well, I’ll explain with my 0 experience in 3D animation. I’m only explaining as an observer. Not a professional. Anyways, onto the fun.

First of all, let’s talk about the current models in the games. The animators became better at animating them in Sonic Frontiers.

You can tell effort was being put in, but Frontiers still has limits due to the structure of Sonic’s face and eyes. I’ve seen fan animations with this model which animates him wonderfully. But no matter what, he’s still going to have limitations because his hands are too big, eyes are too far apart, mouth looks like it was made to only stay on the side, and more issues. The design frankly looks dead. Even in motion.

In all fairness, this character was built for a 2D design due to it being inspired by Mickey Mouse. But Sonic Unleashed (because they used different models like Dream Team) proves this character CAN be expressive in 3D with a good workable model. It’s not the animation that’s the problem in Frontiers. Here are similar expressions from Sonic Prime and Frontiers.

See how wider the expressions are in Prime? It allows their faces to be more flexible and warped. Prime!Sonic has rounder eyes making his head look easier for his facial structure to have an array of expressions. It’s kind of close to Sonic Dream Team with the minor tweaks of the OG models. Which is why the expressions in that game looked so good. ESPECIALLY when animated.

It’s even why other designs are able to have great facial expressions. The eyes being close together just works. While the OG looks like he’s pushing expressions that’s near impossible to push. Yes, it’s still expressive, but you can see how limiting it is because the eyes aren’t supporting the face. And his mouth is always stuck to one side.

Onto more compliments to the Sonic Prime models. They emphasize the hight differences too. I personally think Sonic and Shadow look like mixtures between their 06, modern, Boom, and movie designs. They have long quills like 06. Their entire look is inspired by the modern designs. Their eyes are shaped similar to Sonic Boom and they have cool textures like in the movies. Other characters count but it most notably is for the two hedgehogs.

The hands are smaller like in the movies and Boom. The pupils being bigger gives volume to the faces. I also adore their fur and quill patterns to give the designs flare. Their gloves have little details too. I especially love how they can change the quills for Sonic and Shadow and make them look similar to a 2D style. Usually they’d make the quills smaller in the games to get that 2D look but Prime Shadow and Sonic are able to have long quills while the animators adjust them however and whenever they need to.

Their mouths are also well animated and smooth when transitioning to different sides of the face. The characters body shapes are also 100% better. While the Game model looks too straight the Prime model has a pear shape torso that are also given to Boom and Movie Sonic respectively. The Prime models look like they were made for action scenes.

I know some people complain about the eyes not going down, but honestly it’s what makes the expressions weaker when used in 3D. I’m glad they have a balance of it sometimes to allow the expressions to get their points across. I really appreciate the colors on everyone also. They look lovely and bright with help of the lighting.

The few critiques I have are due to multiple watches but they’re not a HUGE deal.

1. I can easily see their necks at points.

2. The mouth animation looks weird when characters makes an O shape and the tongues/teeth are jarring.

3. I wish their hands weren’t so flat and skinny. Other models had their hands shaped like Disney characters, but Prime’s hands can look flat sometimes.

These are just nitpicks though.

Even compared to the CGI cutscenes while still good I think Prime conveys a subtly previous models didn’t do too often. Of course the CGI looks amazing and it still holds up, but the nuance in Sonic Prime cannot be ignored. Hope my take makes the slightest of sense.

Stay Creative! 💜

[qiu-yan]

I think if MDZS was truly about moral good, then Cultivation Society would have been fundamentally changed and everyone who tried to change it wouldn’t be dead. The fact that XXC and SL wanted to change cultivation sects from being dynastic to more merit based and they got such horrible fates is tragic. JGY wanted to use his power to help the more common folk, but he was struck down and any good he’s done is going to be tainted. WWX and LWJ choose to walk away rather than do anything in the novel, so I’m not sure if their actions can be considered a net positive. There’s only so much good they can do as wandering cultivators, there needs to be some kind of structure to help the community but most sects are unwilling to put in a lot of effort if it doesn’t benefit them specifically. There was no social change in MDZS.

thank you for the message! and sorry it took me five million years to get to it...

from a utilitarian point of view, i think you're completely correct: the one individual the novel holds up as the most righteous out of everyone has a far greater negative than positive impact on the world at large; society and the plight of the common folk are in a worse state at the end of the novel than they are at the beginning. postcanon, no matter how much individual nighthunting wei wuxian and lan wangji do, the life of your average commoner is probably going to get more dangerous. you are correct that there was in fact no social change in MDZS. shit did not change on a major scale.

two comments about this: first, the moral framework employed by MDZS is decidedly non-utilitarian. second, as you said, MDZS is not About Moral Good.

first, the moral framework employed by MDZS is not utilitarian at all. wei wuxian and lan wangji are not "righteous" in the way that someone who pulls the lever in the trolley problem can be called "righteous" via utilitarian reasoning; rather, wei wuxian and lan wangji are "righteous" in the way that someone who walks away from omelas is righteous. from a utilitarian perspective, walking away from omelas doesn't accomplish shit because the child is still suffering and one person's absence is not going to change that. from a non-utilitarian perspective, though, walking away from omelas isn't about bringing about a certain result but rather is about living in accordance to your own ideals and code of honor. it's not about helping as many people as possible or about bringing about the best possible outcome, but rather about living your own life without any regrets.

this isn't a philosophy i (a utilitarian) really buy into, but many people do find it persuasive. and though there are still some logical holes induced by protagonist-centered-morality, i do think that MDZS is overall thematically cohesive if analyzed through this non-utilitarian lens. unfortunately, one side-effect of this lens (as well as the general non-utilitarian sorts of philosophies this lens is based in) is that the story ends up somewhat handwaving actual negative consequences.

second, MDZS is not Purely About Moral Good. it has an internally consistent moral framework and it has a lot to say about what it thinks is righteousness, but it isn't a "ringing endorsement of the Correct Course Of Action" book in the same way many other works of fiction are. MDZS is about a certain kind of righteousness, but it's also a cynical condemnation of society, a remark upon the role and unreliability of rumors and hearsay, a subversion of typical xianxia/wuxia genre tropes, an interpersonal tragedy of love and duty and sacrifice and hubris, and a thorough rejection of the just world fallacy. it's also a romance.

i say that MDZS is also a social critique and a rejection of the just world fallacy because, in my view, we aren't meant to read characters like jin guangyao as "unambiguously evil characters who got what they deserved." i do think we're meant to see the way in which society turns on jin guangyao, the way in which that parallels wei wuxian's unfair downfall, and the way in which the genuine good jin guangyao did for the world is now at risk, as a tragedy. as a rather depressing insight upon the morally bankrupt nature of society. MXTX wrote it that way on purpose. you're not meant to read jin guangyao's downfall and go "he got what he deserved;" rather, you're meant to look at the black-and-white, hypocritical, and classist way in which society turns upon jin guangyao as a criticism of that society - one that builds off of the social criticism baked into wei wuxian's character arc.

there is no structural change in MDZS because MDZS is a criticism of society, not a story about how society got better. MDZS posits that this polite society is classist and morally bankrupt, and then does not fix said society. MDZS says "this polite society was hypocritical and self-serving then, and it still is now." in that sense, then, the ending is deliberately rather tragic.

in that sense, then, wei wuxian stepping away from the cultivation world does also feel like him giving up on society. which, from an interpersonal perspective, is fair: he already set himself on fire and literally died trying to do the right thing, so i don't think we can really begrudge him for not wanting to risk it a second time. maybe this time someone else can try to fix things (and die in the process). also, given his and lan wangji's absolute lack of any political ability, it's probably also for the best that they not try to involve themselves in politics to better the world, because realistically they'd probably just make a bunch of enemies and solve zero of the problems.

MDZS tries to give us some hope for the future of its fictional society: both the novel and the fandom (including me myself) posit that said hope for the future lies in the juniors, by whom wei wuxian's generation tried to better than their parents did for them. jin ling's generation certainly seems kinder than wei wuxian's generation. i think we're meant to conclude that things aren't completely hopeless because jin ling's generation, kinder and nobler than the previous one, will try to fix things.

but personally, i'm not sure how i feel about placing the hopes of social reform on the specific personalities of citizens and leaders, rather than the structures those people exist in. instead, i'm reminded me of what i wrote a few months ago about the granularity of morality in MDZS being the entire individual and not the action, by which i mean that MDZS seems to assess and conclude entire characters as "good people" or "bad people" or "complicated and morally grey people," rather than analyze the morality of specific actions. and i think it's because MDZS treats the unit measurements of morality as people rather than actions or policies, that MDZS is ultimately able to posit that the future will be better because a specific group of individuals from the next generation have kinder personalities - even though there was no structural reform. as if the state of a society is determined purely by the personalities of a select group of future leaders within it, rather than the laws and institutions that bind it and the material conditions its populations live in. to put it in other words, this is peak "we replaced the evil king with a Wise And Just king (and made no other changes), so we've saved the day!!!" thinking.

.

i feel like i rambled a lot in this response, so i apologize for its relative lack of cohesion. i hope i haven't misinterpreted your points and that i've continued the conversation in a relevant manner.

[nayziiz]

Witness | CL16

Summary: In the shadowy world of Monaco's elite, the Leclerc family reigns supreme. Charles Leclerc, the charming middle son, maintains their pristine public image—until one rainy night, during a fit of rage, Charles does the unthinkable. A young woman witnesses his actions, and her terrified eyes haunt him. Consumed by guilt and fear of exposure, Charles embarks on a desperate search to find her before she can destroy his family’s legacy. As he delves deeper into Monaco's underbelly, Charles must confront his own darkness and the lengths he will go to protect his family.

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x OC (Marie)

Warnings: Violence, blood, angst

Author's Note: This is a slow burn fic, so please be patient - the good stuff is coming, I promise!

Masterlist

Chapter 9

Max had been in Charles’s life ever since he could remember. Max came from an influential Dutch family with ties to several businesses in Monaco and France. Their fathers crossed paths often due to business. Charles’s father, a humble mechanic, was determined to build an empire for his young sons. In contrast, Max’s father was a tycoon with connections all over the world. Their paths crossed by chance, but it was a meeting that would shape their futures. When the Leclercs began succeeding in Monaco, Hervé, Charles’s father, enrolled his sons in a prestigious private school. He wanted to give them the best possible education, help them build solid foundations, and make influential connections. This school was a world away from the modest life Charles had known, filled with children of politicians, businessmen, and celebrities. It was there that Charles first met Max.

That’s when Charles and Max met. Max was quiet, reserved, always in his own bubble during class. Charles saw him sit alone during their lunch breaks and decided to befriend the young Dutchman. They got along like a moth to a flame. But, they were also fire and water when it came to their personalities. Charles was kind-faced and kind-hearted. Max was stern, often appearing unapproachable, but was yearning for attention. His father worked so much, he never spent time with him and when he did, he constantly critiqued the young boy for every small mistake. Not even his accomplishments were ever good enough. This treatment from his father manifested a darkness in Max. He started acting out of character, at least from Charles’s point of view, trying to win over his father’s favour.

Charles, noticing Max’s isolation, approached him one day during lunch, “Hi, I’m Charles. Mind if I sit here?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Max looked up, surprised, but nodded. Charles sat down next to the solitary figure and offered a friendly, dimpled smile. 

From that day forward, Charles made it a point to include Max in his activities, whether it was group projects, sports, or simply hanging out after school. Max, despite his reserved nature, found himself opening up to Charles. He was drawn to Charles’s warmth and genuine kindness, traits that were starkly absent in his own life. As their friendship deepened, Charles learned more about Max’s home life. The constant criticism and lack of affection from his father weighed heavily on Max. He shared his frustrations with Charles, who listened without judgement. Charles’s unwavering support provided Max with a sense of belonging and acceptance he had never felt before.

However, the stark differences in their personalities often led to conflicts. Charles’s easygoing nature and inherent goodness clashed with Max’s stern demeanour and growing bitterness. Max’s desire to prove himself to his father led him down a path of ruthless ambition. He began to see the world in terms of winners and losers, and he was determined not to be the latter. Charles, with his strong moral compass, often found himself at odds with Max’s methods. While Charles believed in hard work and integrity, Max was willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals. This fundamental difference in their outlooks created a tension that simmered beneath the surface of their friendship. Max’s behaviour grew increasingly erratic as he tried to win his father’s approval. He became more competitive, more willing to cut corners and use others to get ahead. Charles, ever the peacemaker, tried to steer Max away from this destructive path, but his efforts were often met with resistance.

The first time Max and Charles butted heads was in their sophomore year of high school. As fate would have it, both boys fancied the same girl. Charles had expressed his interest in her to Max, trusting his friend with his feelings. He described how he planned to ask her out, detailing every aspect of his intentions. Max listened intently, but his eyes held a glint of something Charles couldn't quite place. A few days later, Charles was stunned to see Max making a move on the innocent girl. Max, with his smooth talk and confident demeanour, quickly won her over. Charles watched from the sidelines, his heart aching with betrayal and confusion. He couldn't understand why his friend would do such a thing. Despite his hurt, he held back from confronting Max, hoping it was all a misunderstanding.

However, it wasn't long before Max broke the girl's heart, ending their brief relationship with a cold detachment that shocked Charles. The girl, devastated and confused, confided in Charles about how heartless Max had been. This incident planted the first real seeds of distrust between the two friends, and Charles began to see Max in a different light. Yet, his loyalty kept him from severing ties completely, hoping that the Max he once knew would resurface. The second major incident came after a party during their junior year. Both boys were drunk, unable to drive themselves anywhere. Despite their intoxicated state, Max insisted he drive them back into Monte Carlo. Charles, ever the voice of reason, protested vehemently, emphasising the dangers of drunk driving. But Max, using his manipulative charm, convinced Charles that everything would be fine. He played on Charles's loyalty and trust, making him feel guilty for doubting him.

Against his better judgement, Charles agreed. The drive was tense, with Charles gripping the seat, eyes wide with fear. His fears were soon realised when Max lost control of the car and they crashed. Both boys were injured, but Max played the victim perfectly. When the authorities and their parents arrived, Max's father immediately pointed the finger at Charles, accusing him of distracting Max while he was driving. Charles was stunned by the accusation but remained silent. He didn't want to create more trouble for Max, despite the injustice. His loyalty, his greatest strength, also proved to be his biggest weakness. He took the blame quietly, enduring the harsh words and disappointed looks from his parents.

This incident, however, left a deep scar. Charles began to see the true extent of Max's manipulative nature. He realised that Max would go to any lengths to protect himself, even if it meant betraying his closest friend. Yet, Charles's loyalty persisted. He couldn't completely turn his back on Max, hoping that their shared history and the bond they once had would be enough to redeem his friend.

Hervé, deeply concerned about the growing influence Max had over Charles, pleaded with his son to cut ties with him. He saw Max as a bad influence, someone who could lead Charles down a dangerous path. Hervé’s worries were not unfounded; he had witnessed the negative changes in Charles and feared that Max’s manipulative tendencies would eventually overshadow his son's values.

“Charles, you need to distance yourself from Max,” Hervé implored one evening. “He’s not the friend you think he is. He’s a bad influence. You need to focus on your future, not on someone who’s dragging you down.”

Charles, feeling torn between his father’s concerns and his own loyalty, lied. He had no intention of severing his friendship with Max. A mistake, perhaps. The bond they had forged was too deep, too complex to unravel easily. He believed he could still influence Max positively, hoping his friend would eventually change for the better.

As they moved on to college to complete their degrees in Business Management, the strain on their friendship became more apparent. Max’s disdain for the structured, academic environment was evident from the start. He loathed being tied to a desk, working on assignments and studying for exams, a stark contrast to his father’s expectations. The college experience, meant to be a time of growth and learning, became a battleground between Max’s rebellious nature and the demands of his academic pursuits. To avoid the drudgery of studying, Max found a more insidious way to get through his courses: he cheated off Charles. At first, it seemed like a harmless arrangement. Max would glance over Charles’s notes during exams, or sometimes they would swap answers in a discreet manner. Charles, while uncomfortable with the deception, couldn’t bring himself to refuse his friend’s requests for help. They never got caught, but each instance left Charles feeling uneasy, plagued by guilt and a growing sense of moral compromise.

Max’s reliance on Charles’s academic performance became a regular pattern. Despite his disinterest in studying, Max managed to maintain decent grades, thanks to Charles’s diligent efforts. The arrangement, while keeping their friendship intact, slowly chipped away at Charles’s sense of integrity. Each act of cheating seemed to further entrench Max’s dependency and blurred the lines between friendship and exploitation.

The final nail in the coffin came after yet another party - a lavish, high-energy event that promised excitement and excess. Charles, having grown wary of the chaotic aftermaths of these gatherings, decided to drive himself and stay sober. He had seen too many nights ruined by alcohol and was determined to avoid another disaster. Max, on the other hand, embraced the night with abandon. He was drunk within hours, revelling in the attention of several women and engaging in a wild, hedonistic spree. Charles watched from the periphery, his discomfort growing with every reckless action Max took. As the night wore on, he noticed a darker side of his friend that he had been desperately trying to ignore.

At some point during the evening, Max’s behaviour took a disturbing turn. Charles saw him corner a man in a dimly lit corner of the party venue. The man, dishevelled and clearly terrified, was being berated by Max. It became clear that the confrontation was about money - the man owed Max a significant sum, and Max’s patience had worn thin. Charles watched in horrified silence as Max, consumed by rage and a thirst for control, began to physically assault the man. The violence was brutal, fueled by Max's unchecked anger and a sense of superiority that had grown over the years. The scene was so shocking that Charles felt paralyzed. He had seen Max act out before, but this was a new level of cruelty. He could not stand by any longer; his sense of moral obligation outweighed his loyalty. When Max eventually dragged the beaten man into a secluded area, the reality of what was happening set in. Charles knew that something had to be done, but the situation spiralled beyond his control.

Later that night, Max approached Charles with a grim, urgent request. He needed Charles’s help to dispose of the body, to cover up the crime and ensure that his father, Jos Verstappen, would never find out. Max’s fear was palpable; he knew the consequences if his father learned of his actions. In a moment of cold, calculated desperation, Max sought to pull Charles into his moral abyss. Charles was revolted. He felt the weight of his past actions and the loyalty he had been forced to compromise. The request was too much; it was the final breach of his ethical boundaries. After a brief, tense confrontation where Max’s threats became clear, Charles made his decision. He refused to participate in the cover-up. Without a word, he walked away from Max, leaving him to handle the fallout of his own choices.

In the days and weeks that followed, Charles’s decision to distance himself from Max had severe repercussions. Max, fueled by a mix of betrayal and fear, saw Charles’s departure as a threat to his own safety. Fearing that Charles might reveal his criminal actions to Jos Verstappen or the authorities, Max began plotting revenge. He worked tirelessly to destroy Charles’s reputation and life, employing all his resources and connections to ensure that Charles would suffer. Sometimes, he would leave Charles be, but Charles was always aware of the impending threat, and now Max had something on Charles - solid proof of wrongdoing, all Charles had was his word.

Charles lay awake most nights, staring at the ceiling in his darkened bedroom, haunted by the same relentless nightmares. The images from that fateful night replayed in his mind with cruel clarity. Max’s violent outburst, the fear and desperation in the man’s eyes, and the harsh reality of what Charles had chosen to ignore plagued his thoughts. The guilt of not reporting the crime gnawed at him, a constant reminder of his moral failure and the betrayal of his own values. The weight of his decisions bore heavily on him, twisting his thoughts into a web of remorse and self-reproach. Charles understood all too well the crushing burden of guilt. It was this understanding that fueled his desire to protect Marie from the same torment. He saw in her the potential for the same endless cycle of regret and anguish that had consumed him.

Charles knew that what he had done was wrong. He had become exactly what he hated in Max - a murderer. It was a decision made in a moment of fear and self-preservation, a reaction to the intense PTSD he had suffered for over five years. The psychological scars from that night, combined with the subsequent attacks from Max, had turned his life into a continuous battle of moral and principle. His efforts to help Marie stemmed from a place of deep empathy and a desire to atone for his own mistakes. He recognized the look of fear and uncertainty in her eyes, understanding the unspoken anguish that came with being in a dangerous situation. Charles wanted to offer her a chance to avoid the kind of guilt that had become his constant companion. He hoped that by helping her navigate her own challenges, he could give her a semblance of control and peace, something he had long since lost. He also knew he wasn’t like Max. He felt remorse, Max did not. Charles wasn’t protecting himself, he was protecting his family. Max only ever cared about himself and not being inadequate in the eyes of his father.

---------------------

Taglist: @headinthecloudssblog

[atlaculture]

Live-Action Promo Pics - Katara

I’ve been hesitant to comment much on the the live-action series, as most of the discourse has revolved around the casting. I’ve already made my ideal ATLA fancast pretty well-known and I don’t feel comfortable harshly critiquing children/teens for not looking like my favorite cartoon characters. At the end of the day, it’s the casting directors that we should hold responsible, not working actors trying to make a living.

However, I have no problem reviewing the costumes--- which I presume were made by industry professionals of adult age. In fact, I’d say the goals of this blog obligate me to give my two cents. So, enjoy my completely subjective take on the promotional costumes:

Katara

What I Liked

Braided hair loopies! This has been fanon for years now, so it’s nice to finally see it done in an official adaption.

They did a good job of translating the wave pattern on Katara’s coat into something more elaborate.

The fur trim is good, although I wish the fluff around her hood was a bit fuller and thicker.

I like her hair beads.

What I Didn’t Care For

It feels like cosplay. Mind you, I love cosplay, but it’s a very different beast from movie costuming. Cosplay is about imitating the 2D designs as closely as possible; movie costuming is about taking the 2D designs and making them functional.

The blue color-coding in the show works for a cartoon, but less so in real life. A coat for a live-action Katara should look like it was made from real animal furs, and synthetic blue fur is just never going to give that effect.

The coat looks too new. It should look more worn, considering this is everyday wear for her.

In general, the coat looks nice but cheaply made. Like it could be a costume you’d buy for Halloween called “Arctic Water Girl”.

Overall, I give it 5 water whips out of 10.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

Click below for links to how I wish her coat looked.

I had a feeling this would be the direction they would take with the Water Tribe, but I still can’t help but feel disappointed. I’ve been spoiled by the better realized interpretations I’ve seen in fanart, with more realistic fur parkas and blue detailing. This is all personal preference, of course, but just take a look at all of the beautiful interpretations of Water Tribe clothing out there:

https://www.tumblr.com/ash-and-starlight/704817804388548608?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/ash-and-starlight/693847558563430400?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/chiptrillino/717611956655325184?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/chiptrillino/698450671239921664?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/chiptrillino/692656226353463296?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/chiptrillino/642057819823243264?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/atlaculture/719418204708061184?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/bernard-the-rabbit/705601232213049344?source=share

[autism-alley]

ik it’s been forever in internet time but i’m gonna die mad abt the way the live action atla show got a good amount of backlash and criticism from the fanbase meanwhile the pjo show was THAT horrendous and the fanbase treats critics like they’re out to kill their mother. as someone in both fandoms am i crazy bc i keep fucking seeing people say yes 💀 like!! these shows, whose original series were both about a 12 year old boy born with godlike powers going on quests with his friends to save the world, released in the 2000s, and had a shitty movie adaptation, now reboots released within weeks of each other, both committed nearly identical crimes of character assassination, exposition dumping, dumbing down their source material, sanitizing “problematic” elements (that the characters originally had to overcome), and wasting actor potential (also at least live action atla had good action scenes CANNOT say the same for the pjo show)—and i’m seeing like mainstream(ish) social media coverage of new atla show critique by people with millions of followers all across different sites, but nothing even close to that for the pjo show?? if that coverage exists for the pjo show somebody fucken send it to me bc like!! the pjo series is Not an unpopular series, i get it’s a book series and not a tv series so i didn’t expect the popularity to be exactly the same, but Damn! i feel like i need an hours long video essay comparing the two audience reactions to these series’ first season releases bc they were WIDLY different

[sokkabaddiebender2021]

ok y’all i finally finished the neflix live action avatar and…….don’t hate me……..but i enjoyed it 😭 my standards for entertainment is honestly on whether or not it entertained me, so honestly i question my standards.

first off, the visuals and score was absolutely amazing. the fight scenes were well choreographed, and the bending, which i was super nervous about, looked actually amazing.

i think we can all agree the writing and dialogue was pretty choppy at times, and the delivery could be better at times. but i also think (most) of the energy of the original characters was captured well. katara honestly got done the dirtiest because why was she so…….not passionate??? i’m hoping later on she gets more so because that’s a key trait of katara. i was very disappointed with that :/

what they did to suki too……..i liked her being a little awkward and such because it makes sense but i felt like too much of her character was dedicated to her having a crush on sokka. like where is her attitude, her ferocity?

i think aang was played very well by gordon cormier, especially considering this is a child actor we are taking about. his line delivery isn’t going to be great and yes he is a real boy so he can’t be as cartoony as some would hope but i think he was absolutely adorable.

surprise surprise, i loved dallas liu as zuko. i think there were some pretty whack line deliveries but he really captured the anger and cringeyness of zuko well. his martial arts were also also incredible, his fight scenes were my favorite to watch. the scene with him crying quietly on the bed when ozai banishing him shattered me, his subtle acting is underrated honestly.

i have my beef with ian ousley as sokka mostly because of the controversy and such, but i can’t lie he did play sokka well. yet again, as for the last characters, some line deliveries were iffy but he was still a very believable sokka.

so for the writing, i have LOTS OF OPINIONS. there were things they cut that definitely upset me, and that was just because of their lowkey questionable pacing. as much as i hate the slimeball, i missed a lot of the interesting parts of zhao’s story that they cut like his agni kai, jeuong jeuong (aang’s fear of fire??), zuko SAVING him. i feel like they had something interesting there with building a fake alliance with him and zuko, and they didn’t build more off it. [edit] that so, the dude who played zhao had me losing my shit. his line delivery was hilarious and i just love that zhao just gives that manager no one likes/that one creepy math teacher in high school vibes (only combination i could think of y’all).

the additions to zuko’s story was something i absolutely loved. i found myself actually getting very emotional with a lot of the flashbacks, and the 41st division being his crew 🥹🥹 but then i find myself being upset that we were shown other flashbacks so early (like the death of katara’s mother??).

i actually hate the hate azula’s actress is getting. she’s playing a 14 year old……like a 14 year old?? she wasn’t even in season 1 in the og so ofc she’s gonna not be the same, i’m hoping this means they’re building up her up to her fierceness in season 2.

one last critique PLEASE GET A WIG BUDGET GOOD LORD THOSE WIGS WERE BAAAAD. and also a lot of their costumes looked fake or like plastic this was actually my least favorite part 😭

overall, not as horrible as people make it out to be, i had a good time but obviously the og will always be the higher quality product. i’m just glad the young actors seemed to really be passionate for the project :)

[renewedmotionforjudgment]

My subtweet of Chinese netizens re: cdramas, part 2, because I periodically peak on the other side of the great firewall and immediately regret my actions.

Toxic beauty standard: honestly, this makes me glad that I didn’t spend my teenage years in the mainland. Bc apparently, being able to move your face when you make an expression is bad because you have lines.

And yet somehow critiquing in particular female idols and actresses for either photoshopping their pictures or getting plastic surgery to fit those beauty standards. The cognitive dissonance.

line delivery: I’m going to make this one on the record, so it may come back to haunt me. But honestly, as long as the way the line is delivered matches the scene and the emotions of the scene, I do not give a single flying fuck about whether the actor has “perfect mandarin” (a standard that literally is imposed by an authoritarian government to erase all traces of diversity within a country as big as China, there are 200 dialect and my family internally speaks 5 and we understand each other just fine.). Or, because I keep hearing this as this “gold standard” of line delivery — the clear enunciation of each character. Like is the founder of that standard John Malkovich? Literally unless the character is Captain Benjamin Sisko, people don’t talk like that and I like my characters even if they are in some Xianxia realm or a fake dynasty to sound like people, not like they are doing the morning news channel. I’ve consistently found that when actors either dub themselves or it’s real voice on set, the scene is so much more emotional, proper mandarin and enunciation be damned.

The weird idea that a drama can only have flattering camera angles: this is me being a Zhu Ruibin defense squad member. But like, no, this isn’t an ad campaign. Camera angles should reflect what the director wants to convey for the scene.

Finally, the idea that international fans somehow are less knowledgeable or are idiots with bad taste. Which admittedly, I’m personally offended by this accusation. Most international fans can tell good and bad acting, thank you very much. But also, since I neither care about conformity to mainstream Chinese culture nor to the CCP, I’m free to enjoy things that appeals to me as oppose to holding it up to some arbitrary standard, whether that’s line delivery or beauty or mandarin pronunciation.

[queer-whatchamacallit]

So I watched all of season 3 already (SPOILERS)

Of course I loved it; how could I not?

Because I watched seasons 1 and 2 together though, I think the difference between 3 and the previous ones feels more pronounced to me, but it feels like it’s on a different path, and I think I like it.

After the first couple episodes, I noticed that it’s either presented as a montage or a long dialogue scene, and for those dialogue scenes, characters don’t multitask anymore. They never have anything to do with their hands, and they just talk to each other in spaces they don’t interact with.

And they’ve done this to a lesser extent before, but they repeat things in the dialogue a little too much. Nonnegotiables and c-folds were barely words to me anymore

Now, with the critiques out of the way, the writing is so good it hurts

But my god are those dialogue scenes great sometimes. When Richie and Carmy are bitching at each other, it still manages to feel incredibly tense and nerve-wracking with no other action and no music behind it. The conversations between Donna and Nat fucking killed me. There’s so much shit there, but there’s so much love too. Tina and Mikey’s conversation is so good omg. There’s already so much chemistry and just caring there. And my god, Carm’s conversation with NYChef/David Fields. There is no sympathy there. Carmy hurt so so much, and Chef doesn’t even remember his name. He does not care. Fucking hell dude.

And oh my god, I’m going to be thinking about the montage in episode 1 for forever. I’ve written a lot of fanfic for The Bear, so I sometimes think about it in this overly poetic way, but there was love here. There was a love for creating something. Maybe it used to be more technically difficult, but for a thousand different reasons, Carmy cooking in the modern day is so so much harder.

The way everyone slowly starts to buckle under the stress of the kitchen is devastating. Carmy panics during service, vision going blurry. Richie forgets a birthday. Syd couldn’t imagine having the energy for another project, but this one is destroying her so badly that she’s been heavily considering taking the out and jumping ship to Ever. Everyone seems so worn down, and it’s so rough to watch sometimes.

And the way they show new relationships of the cast this season was PHENOMENAL. Syd and Pete talking about food and the agreement thing? Absolutely adorable. And the Ever funeral was fucking genius. I cannot tell you how much I have wanted Syd and Luca to meet, and Carm seeing NYChef/David Fields again is a nightmare come true.

Anyway, there’s probably so much more I’d love to say, but I’m just going to let it rotate in the mental microwave some more.

[skyeoak]

Tmagp 30 thoughts

Vocal performances all slayed. 10/10

I think there’s a lot of good and bad in the finale! But overall, it feels underbaked. (Or overplotted/overplanned?)

I’ll save my finalized thoughts on the hilltop center to see if it’s developed in further seasons, because uh, hmm. Jonny said in the live drop that carousels of horrors were his favorite to write, but they sure are not realllyyyy my favorite to listen to. They’re kind of thematic scattershot. And yeah, one of my critiques about TMA is that I don’t love how we only rarely see how the fears combine and interact. Having multiple creepy things in a curiosity cabinet -com shopping center doesn’t really solve that problem for me.

The idea of a character turning a blind eye to an obviously creepy job is still interesting, especially in how it parallels the staff of the OIAR. But that’s kinda the start and end of my interest in the custodian? It feels like this story could have been shrunk to 1/3 length and had a better effect. I just feel like this should have been a midseason statement, and the finale could have focused on having some sort of action or tension. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting the finale to have a statement at all, to be structurally in line with early TMA. Maybe a full statement/story from Celia, giving the non-TMA audience some idea of why she thinks there’s nothing to go back to in her universe. Hell. Maybe she could just. Tell Sam, uncompelled. I would have loved to see her try to convince him to jump. Convince him that her new life matters more than his (perceived) failure of one. Instead… this is another episode where I feel like the double meaning titles weigh down what the statement could be. And it’s the season finale.

I wondered early on if the finale for this season would feel more like setup for future seasons, and yep. Yep it did. It just felt like there was this inherent tension between the stakes of the story, which are already at interdimensional travel, and the level of danger it feels like everyone is in. Not to mention how Celia just drops a list of alchemical balance things out of the blue. Magnus Protocol is in a tricky situation: they need to set up a new conflict and new characters, and at the same time, Magpod has already done mega-apocalypse hellscapes and so TMagP might feel the need to go bigger. (Imo I don’t think sequels always need to raise the stakes but I understand that’s industry standard). It’s also tackling alchemy, a notoriously complex subject that’s probably hard to explain to an audience in any way that feels natural. You can’t just throw murder worm lady and screaming main character in the finale and call it a day. There’s a lot going on, less time, and I don’t know if the characterization this season was consistent (/consistently good) enough to hold the full weight of it all.

OKAY, WHELMED THOUGHTS OVER, now for the good! Surprise surprise, it’s all the little character payoffs!

Gwen and Lena’s confrontation was EVERYTHING. Gwen is kicking anthills, and Lena is so content to let her stand in them while the ants crawl up her legs. I won’t lie though, I’m not sure if this plotline will be interesting to me. I think it depends on how fast the OIAR staff can get Gwen to actually be on their side.

Sam deciding to protect Celia by pushing the archivist into the void is SENSATIONAL CHARACTER PAYOFF. (This is my interpretation of the scene, audio was super unclear once again, and there was a line change from transcript to podcast that made this super ambiguous in the actual canon audio.) My poor guy has ZERO self esteem, and still wants to be a hero. He probably realized that if what Celia just told him was true, an archivist could actually kill her on the spot. My guess is that (tma spoilers) this balanced the rift not because Celia replaced her own missing soul (plenty of folks got sent through hilltop road in that same incident) but because an archivist+a person were pulled through to replace Jon and Martin. Truly excited to see where they end up, and if this archivist gets developed more as a character next season. Also the implications of interdimensional balance on what happened at the end of TMA are… interesting.

Oh Alice. Everything in this intricately balanced house of checking up on people and soothing them and deflecting tension with jokes is about to come crashing down. I’m so sorry this is happening to you.

And yes, this is a super lukewarm episode review but I do wanna say I liked this season a lot, and TMAGP is still a cut above a LOT of horror I have read/listened to this year. I’m hoping seasons 2 and 3 will either steer further into a direct TMA sequel, angle OR steer clear and become their own thing. TMAGP is stuck uncomfortably in the middle right now. Just be the good parts of her. But completely new.

[isildur-apologist]

You don’t hate Amazon you hate the Silmarillion: a genuine review of Rings of Power

It’s no secret that overall I liked RoP. I watched it with my roommate who gets very hyped about stuff like that and it made for a really exciting viewing experience, instead of the more bitter perspective I might have taken if I watched it alone. But, I also know there are some real faults with the show, I never thought it was perfect and know it’s not on par with the the LOTR movies and I never expected it to be. But, the fault for that is not on Amazon.

(I want to note that I am not defending Amazon. I hate Amazon. Jeff Bezos can catch this guillotine. I am, however, defending the creative team behind the show, which is how I will refer to them from here on out, I only called it Amazon to grab your attention. )

Here’s my point though, almost every (valid) critique I see of this show isn’t a problem with decisions the creative team made, it’s an inherent problem in any adaptation of the Silmarillion (and associated works but I’m just going to refer to the Silmarillion for brevity’s sake).

The Silmarillion, as full and detailed as it is, is a shit story. The events of the second age do not fit neatly into a clean story structure the way LOTR does because it’s not supposed to. The Silmarillion isn’t a story, it’s a history, and history is never narratively satisfying. Tolkien (Jirt, not talking about Christopher here) didn’t publish the Silmarillion in his lifetime, he only even published LOTR and the hobbit, everything else attributed to him was published after his death. He had no intent of making the other works anything other than a comprehensive history of the world he made for documentation’s sake, never with intent to publish. He didn’t even compile all the writings, Christopher did.

Because if this, the Silmarillion is really hard to adapt for a number of reasons:

1. Elves aren’t good main characters.

Elves aren’t supposed to be relatable characters, they’re aloof and static and inherently non-relatable (There are exceptions but they’re usually not regular elves. Elrond is half elven, Legolas is very young). Humans and hobbits are the relatable characters through which we view the world, because they can have human flaws and conflicts, which makes for a very human story. To make elves the main characters you need to make them interesting characters, and elves aren’t supposed to have human flaws, and so you either stay faithful and they don’t feel relatably human, or you change their to be more human and it feels disingenuous to what we know elves to be like. It’s a lose lose.

2. Middle earth is not supposed to be pretty.

A huge part of LOTR is realizing every place they visit is either the ruins of a past, much larger civilization, or a city that is a fraction of what it used to be (Gondor in lotr is NOTHING compared to what it was in the early 3rd age, or Arnor and definitely not Númenor, Rivendell is a pebble compared to Lindon and Eregion, we only ever see Khazad-dûm as a decrepit tomb instead of the most prosperous mine in all of middle earth is once was). This juxtaposition is integral to the main themes of lotr and is imperative to the story jirt was trying to tell. A story set in the 2nd age cannot have these ruins because IT IS THE RUINS. It cannot “feel like lotr” because it is what will make lotr lotr.

3. Characters (individuals) are of little importance in the Silmarillion.

As important as Elendil and Isildur (and even Anárion) are to the plot of literally the entire 3rd age, we know little about their own narratives. They are names for the people that did these important actions and that’s it. Again, the Silmarillion is a history, it’s not going to say what Elendil and Isildur’s relationship was like in excruciating detail or what Isildur wanted to do with his life before sailing to middle-earth and becoming a king. You have to write these characters a good story if you’re adapting the Silmarillion and sometimes there isn’t space to write a compelling journey in the space Tolkien left. Because they don’t have a character, any character you give them will seem “out of character” to many people.

Basically my point is that before you go and say “well this is weird or I didn’t like this choice” think about what the creative team had to create to make an interesting show out of a story not designed to be told. Sometimes they didn’t make the perfect decision, but if you were tasked with adapting something unadaptable do you think you would do it perfectly?

[wit4writ]

PJO: Episode 1 Detailed Review

The first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has dropped on Disney+ and I have OPINIONS. I’ve been scrambling to shove my thoughts back in my brain like they’re snakes escaping from a basket. *pushing lid down* I’ll let you guys out once I can wrangle you into a coherent, easily comprehensible form, okay?

Here are a few disclaimers: I am not an expert in any way, shape, or form. This is meant only a critique with changes I would have personally added, and I will be highlighting things I liked as well as disliked. If you disagree with me, that’s fine, just be respectful. There will be tons of spoilers. Also, I have no issues with actors based on their looks/ethnicity.

Before I delve into it, I will say that overall, the episodes aren’t bad. They do a decent job of introducing us to the world and our protagonists. The setting, costume design, special effects, and lighting were well done, and the actors did a good job of portraying their characters.

However, the entire thing feels rushed. Almost as if someone at Disney freaked out and tried to push something before it was ready to please fans and investors. (I’m not saying this happened, I just wouldn’t be surprised if it did.) Transitions between scenes were choppy and/or long. Instead of letting us get to know the world and characters organically, such as through dialogue and interactions, it forced characters into being exposition robots instead (more so in the second episode). Examples will be highlighted as I get into the detailed review.

So, let’s begin with episode one!

The beginning was great. I loved the voiceover as we introduce Percy and his past. I enjoyed the changes that were made to translate the book to the screen in this case, as it was condensed into a watchable form, but it still was able to tell us important details: Percy has been seeing weird things since he was little, he’s an outcast at his school, and he has a best friend, Grover, who’s being bullied.

Next was the museum, which was also good. Mr. Brunner’s speech was great. Percy looking at the page and seeing all the letters rearrange themselves was a literal “show, don’t tell” that worked well. The flashback with Sally explaining Percy’s name and the story of Perseus was amazing. I loved we got more of Sally and Percy’s relationship here, as well as the emphasis that not all heroes look like heroes and not all monsters look like monsters.

The sudden shift back to reality was a great transition, especially since it highlights how his ADHD can make him daydream. We see the same girl who bullied Grover make a nasty comment, and I think a response from Percy would have been great here (“Shut up, Nancy!” etc.) so we naturally get to know her name and justify Mrs. Dodds’ warning to Percy. Mr. Brunner’s intervention was a good move and I liked how he gave Percy the pen, though if he tried to make Nancy apologize to Percy it would’ve been more impactful. If Nancy blew him off and Mrs. Dodds defended her, we’d see this was an ongoing problem and we’d get some characterization. If Nancy did apologize, she’d have a reason to resent Percy beyond bullying him for the sake of it, and we could connect it to her actions of going after Grover.

Grover’s conversation with Percy was good, but it should’ve been longer. We get told they’re friends and saw them hanging out in the introductory montage, but beyond that, we don’t get much of them actually being friends before everything blows up.

When Nancy goes after Grover, it’d make sense for her to antagonize Percy more, to highlight her nastiness and their ongoing problems. We’ve only seen two incidents of bullying, three if we count her throwing food at Grover, and it felt very cold and unemotional, like someone pulled real-life bullying incidents and put them in a training video. Her just walking away after doesn’t make sense. She knows she’s made Percy angry, and she has a chance to provoke him further and indulge in the rush of power that bullies get when they torment their victims. A back and forth between Percy and Nancy would have gone a long way to showcasing their history and Grover and Percy’s dynamic. For example, after Nancy throws the food at Grover:

// Nancy: “Oops.”

Percy stands up.

Percy: “What’s your problem?”

Grover grabs him and tries to pull him back. Classmates start to notice.

Grover: “Percy, don’t.”

Nancy: “I’m not the one with problems here.”

Percy: “Look, can you just back off?”

Nancy: “Aw, does wittle baby Percy wanna whine to Brunner again?”

By now, their classmates are surrounding them and laugh at her comment. Percy looks around, but the teachers are nowhere close. //

In my ideal scene, there’s a few more barbs from Nancy as we focus on Percy’s reaction to the bullying and humiliation, and as his temper roars, and there’s screams, water sprays, and Nancy’s in the fountain.

The impact of him just walking up and “pushing” her into the fountain was lackluster. Part of what’s great about this in the books is that not even Percy himself is sure what he did, so when his powers emerge at Camp Half-Blood it hits even harder. Also, the way she just flew into the fountain made it look like he had telekinesis, not hydrokinetic powers.

The pen vibrating when Mrs. Dodds started coming after Percy…I’m neutral on that. But the menace of her just getting closer was amazing, and the fact no one noticed was cool. When Percy started backing away, I was sure he was going to run, and then the confrontation would take place somewhere more secluded. I was disappointed when that didn’t happen, because the whole thing felt too short. This is his first monster encounter, and it was over in a matter of seconds. There was no sense of stakes (Stakes are used to engage your audience and make them care about the characters/their problems), it was more like—that happened, okay, everyone move on. This moment would have benefited from us staying in it longer.

Percy fainting/blacking out after the fight was a choice I also don’t agree with. The effect of him not only surviving his first fight but being able to walk away would’ve given us a sense of a couple different things: there’s more to the world and him than meets the eye.

The old lady with Nancy during this part needs clarification. Readers of the book know that she’s the “new” teacher, but she could also pass for a concerned citizen. This could have been clarified by Mr. Brunner saying something like, “Mrs. Kerr, take Nancy to the gift shop and get her a new shirt.” Then, when Percy freaks out, they drop the bomb that Mrs. Kerr is their teacher and Mrs. Dodds doesn’t exist.

What followed was a four second darkness transition (felt too long and took me out of the viewing) and the scene in the principal’s office. Honestly, that entire scene could’ve been shortened or maybe even skipped. It didn’t make sense, which I could go deeper into, but for now, I’ll just say that we don’t need the added scene of Percy getting beaten down by this. We’ve already seen him bullied and almost killed. Ideally, I would have the scene go something like this:

// TRANSITION

Percy is zoned out, still thinking about the fight, and the principal calls him.

Principal: “Mr. Jackson? Mr. Jackson, are you listening?”

Percy: “Yeah, sorry.”

Principal: “As I was saying, you have been on thin ice since the term began.”

Percy: “So it’s my fault that Nancy’s bullying me and Grover?”

Principal: “You should’ve informed a faculty member.”

Percy: “I tried, but none of you listened!”

Principal: “Nevertheless, pushing Ms. Bobofit into a public fountain was a step too far.”

Percy: “So how many detentions do I have this time? Or is it a suspension?”//

Then we cut to Percy packing his bag and heading out.

Grover betraying him was unnecessary and cruel. We did not need the extra angst and that kind of behaviour ruins the trust in a friendship, no matter the reason. I’d have them sharing a short, yet heartfelt goodbye before Percy goes out to wait for his ride and talks with Mr. Brunner.

The interaction between Eddie the super and Percy was great in adding some context to the apartment dynamics. Gabe was so slimy, and it was nice to see Percy’s sass come out more here. I appreciate the callbacks to the book in that he’s playing online poker and later on, during his conversation with Sally, Sally promises him food to get him off her back.

I was confused why Sally Jackson was standing out on her balcony in the rain. But I liked the interactions of Sally, Gabe, and Percy. Sally was sweet and understanding, and her attitude with Gabe made me laugh. These moments were what I was craving, where interaction and dialogue revealed more about the characters.

Another four second darkness transition (sigh) to Percy’s first weird dream. I liked this sequence, but it felt out of place. Starting with Percy and Sally’s interaction in the car would’ve been better, and showing them running into the house, then Sally dismissing him to get dried off. It was an abrupt transition to suddenly jump to him in the bathroom.

Percy talking to his mom was sweet, but the dialogue could’ve been tighter. That’s how I felt about a lot of dialogue bits. For example, when Sally talks about how his dad was a man unlike she’d ever met before, she said it three times. If it was delivered in a more rambling way it might have worked, but I think saying it twice would’ve gotten the point across.

Sally telling Percy about his dad and the gods was an interesting choice. I liked how they did it, but it felt like there were, again, sentences that could’ve been easily cut to make it more succinct and improve the flow, because she came close to becoming an exposition robot, which is a term I use to describe a character who has become a narrative vehicle to spout huge chunks of exposition at the audience and in doing so sacrifice their personality and characterization.

Percy asking if Sally fell in love with Jesus was a great comment.

Sally and Grover’s interactions were incredible, I loved it. Also, the reveal of Grover’s legs was so well done, I laughed out loud. This, like the previous scene in the Jacksons’ apartment, allowed the interactions and dialogue to reveal more about the characters, allowing for revelation without dumping information.

Grover almost became an exposition robot in the car. If we cut the whole betrayal arc, we could’ve devoted more time to the actual explanation and made it flow better. Also, if we’d established that Percy’s been protecting/trying to protect Grover from bullying, like in my rewritten scene at the fountain outside the museum, that line where Grover said he was Percy’s protector would’ve made for a greater contrast.

I liked the action sequence with the Minotaur and car running into each other, but it was cut abruptly. If it showed the car going off the road, then Grover kicking out the back window, it would’ve allowed for a smoother transition.

Sally getting Grover to swear to protect Percy and her talk with Percy also took too long, considering there was a Minotaur after them. I would’ve cut a lot of it and made everyone speak faster. This moment needed to be shorter to reflect the fact time was literally running out and Percy was in actual danger (thus raising the stakes). Something like this:

// Grover points at a pine in the distance.

Grover: “We’re almost there. Once we get past that tree, we’ll be safe.”

Sally: “Good. Percy, give me your coat.”

Percy automatically obeys and Sally takes his coat.

Percy: “Uh, why?”

Sally: “He tracks by smell. If I go one way and you go the other, it’ll be enough to confuse him.”

Percy: “What? No! We need to stick together!”

Sally: “Grover, you swear to me you’ll take care of him.”

Grover: “I will, Mrs. Jackson.”

Percy: “Mom, what’s going on?”

Sally: “I can’t go into camp. It’s not a place for…mortals.”

Percy: “Whoa, no. I’m not leaving you out here by yourself. What if the monster gets you, what if you get lost, what if—”

Sally: “Perseus!”

She hugs him.

Sally: “Remember you’re a miracle, and my son.”

She pulls back to look him in the eye.

Sally: “I love you.”

The Minotaur roars—they’re out of time. //

Sally facing off with the Minotaur was well done. Though I would’ve had Percy start running back the moment he saw the Minotaur grab her, then stop when she vanished. It would’ve communicated his desperation then devastation as he failed to save her.

I was confused why Percy’s pen started vibrating here. At first, I assumed the pen was some sort of monster detector, but seeing it vibrate at this point seemed to refute that. Now it appears that the vibration serves as a reminder to Percy that he has a weapon, which I don’t like. It takes away Percy’s agency and acts like a sword ex machina. Letting Percy keep the pen from the museum onward was an interesting choice, but I think it’d make more sense to not have it or have him search his pockets beforehand (like at the cabin), discover it, and suddenly remember it during the fight.

The fight between Percy and the Minotaur was all right, but I’m not sure why the music cut out then came back later. Music serves to elevate the emotional intensity of scenes like this, and I think it would’ve heightened the scene to have the music continuous to the end of the fight. A moment of silence, followed by the music returning or blood pounding and/or tinnitus ringing noise could’ve worked too.

The ending was okay. I think showing Percy and Grover struggling to walk through the forest, then collapsing once they pass the pine tree would’ve been better, followed by the last scene playing. Instead, we were given two fainting spells/blackouts, which was two too many for my taste.

This is a big world with lots of lore, but it feels as if we sacrificed characters for info drops. Nancy Bobofit and Mrs. Dodds fell flat, and I felt ambivalent towards them, which isn’t great for antagonists. The changes I outlined would have served to give them characterization in their brief appearance, so they felt more like people rather than plot devices. Also, I don't think we ever shown/told that Mrs. Dodds was his pre-algebra teacher, which seems like an odd omission considering the title of the episode.

My favourite parts of the episode were when characters were allowed to just be people and talk to each other. There are times when I don’t mind exposition, but not when characters are sacrificed for the sake of it.

I liked this episode, but I wanted to love it.

This got far longer than I anticipated, so I’ll be making a separate post for episode two.

[kindheart525]

unpopular opinions on the fim show?

I’m not entirely sure how many of these opinions are unpopular in the fandom as a whole, but they seem kind of uncommon compared to what shows up in my feed so here goes

Pinkie’s family is not abusive or toxic. I know they are portrayed as extremely old-fashioned and strict in their lifestyle, based on what is probably a surface-level understanding of Amish communities. This makes it easy to compare them to similar communities irl who engage in practices like shunning. But the Pies’ behavior in the show and especially Pinkie’s attitude towards them seems to make clear that they have not shunned or abused her despite her “leaving the community.” In other words, I think there are key differences between the Pies and some of the real-life people they were meant to emulate, so it’s inaccurate to say that abusive Pie headcanons have any real basis in the show. I wrote more on this opinion here.

Zephyr Breeze is not nearly as likely to be a deadbeat dad as some might think. He was shown to be on the road to being more responsible by the end of his own debut episode, so I highly doubt he’d be the same pony he was at the beginning of the episode by the time he would become a father. Not that I don’t think he could be at least a little bit irresponsible as a dad; I just don’t think he’d leave his child or not love them. I wrote more on this opinion here.

Amending Fences was a missed opportunity for a very important friendship lesson, one that the show never dared to touch. Which is that sometimes people are incompatible and sometimes your old friends won’t forgive you. Instead, Moondancer was written in an extremely exaggerated way (her whole life was ruined by one rejection??) yet this wasn’t regarded as an overreaction at all. It was weirdly handled at best. I wrote more on this opinion here.

Rarity gets a bad rap from the fandom. I don’t know if it’s her mediocre taste in stallions or if there’s something about her ultra-feminine nature that some people don’t care for, but I think her maturity and intelligence are severely underrated. Of course she can be a drama queen, but so can Twilight and Pinkie and pretty much every other member of the main cast. Rarity had a breakdown over getting a fashion piece critiqued, but Twilight blew up at her friends over having a late paper; the two scenarios really aren’t that different.

Just because Rarity has multiple crushes on mediocre stallions (Blueblood, Trenderhoof) doesn’t mean that she would sleep around or have a tumultuous love life. Haven’t most people had celebrity crushes? Multiple celebrity crushes, in fact, and also multiple crushes and relationships involving people they actually know before finding “the one”? I’m sure a lot of people have also been disappointed to find out the celebrity they fancied is actually a terrible person, like Rarity has. It’s part of the human experience for many, and Rarity’s TWO moments of poor judgment are not a reflection of her whole character or even her full palate of romantic taste.

Along with being a drama queen, Rarity can have moments where she’s materialistic and selfish, like the time she convinced Spike to give her his fire ruby. That was not a good moment for her. But on a bigger picture, materialistic and selfish is not her usual state. She is literally the element of generosity!!! She made Gala dresses for all of her friends FOR FREE! She has also shown herself to be a leader among her friends, at times taking charge and coming up with plans in Twilight’s absence much like Applejack does sometimes. One example is Castle Sweet Castle; the whole premise of the episode was Rarity’s idea! To help Twilight feel more at home! It’s clear that her generous spirit informs her actions through most of the show, unlike Rainbow Dash who’s only truly loyal when the plot needs her to be.

Yes Rarity is flawed, but all her friends are too. Her flaws are not objectively worse than the others. In fact, Rarity was literally under mind control once and still regarded Spike as a genuine friend, while Rainbow Dash sold one of her best friends into indentured servitude completely sober (among a long list of other things). Twilight yelled at her friends that she didn’t need them, also with an unaltered mind. Rarity has had her own hurtful blowups ofc but hers aren’t any worse than the others. Give her more credit y’all.

Speaking of Rainbow Dash, I’ve seen a number of opinion posts about how she and Applejack should switch their elements (so RD is honesty and AJ is loyalty), but as I started rewatching the show myself I’ve come to disagree. Rainbow Dash may be honest, but her brand of honesty is extremely rude. There’s no integrity behind it, not like AJ’s honesty. Rainbow Dash in general is extremely rude. There are a lot of points where I’ve wondered if she even likes her friends. There was also that Secrets and Pies episode which establishes that Rainbow Dash has lied prolifically to Pinkie over something that meant a lot to the latter, so RD really isn’t that honest either. I do agree that AJ would deserve the element of loyalty if she didn’t already have honesty. But you know who else is loyal? Spike. The elements of harmony would honestly make more sense if RD were just removed from the group entirely and Spike replaced her as loyalty /hj

I promise I don’t actually want to remove Rainbow Dash from the show, I just really wish she was written better. That’s what fan fiction is for I guess 😂

I have mixed feelings about AppleDash as a ship. I really like the fandom portrayals of it which is why I reblog quite a bit of AppleDash art, but canon alone doesn’t seem to show the good side of their dynamic very much. All they do is argue. Applejack is normally mature and levelheaded, but around Rainbow Dash she’s much less so. Dash really brings out the worst in her sometimes. It’s much different from the loving bickering that people write for them in fan works, which I think is a better spin on the dynamic. If I went off their canon interactions alone, I could see them being exes or on-and-off lovers at most, not a stable, long-term married couple.

This would only be unpopular in very specific circles, but I think it’s pretty stereotypical to insist that Rainbow Dash and Applejack are lesbians primarily based on their tomboy interests and the former’s rainbow mane. It’s one thing to headcanon them as such just because you want to, and that’s perfectly fine! I write Applejack as a lesbian too. It’s another to insist that it’s canon based on xyz evidence from the show or think it’s wrong for anyone to ship them with stallions. Even if you consider AppleDash canon, one or both of them could be bi or pan for all we know. Canon tells us very little about their sexualities so there’s a lot of room for different headcanons. I wrote more on this opinion here.

(More specific to the next gen community) Just because Fluttershy is good with animals does not automatically mean she would be a good mother. There was a whole episode (Stare Master) about how she couldn’t handle babysitting even though she thought her animal caretaking skills made her qualified. Obviously she was shown to be much better with kids later in the show (becoming very popular among the School of Friendship students), but again that’s teaching, not parenting. This isn’t to say that I think Fluttershy would definitely be a bad mom, just that her being good with animals is not a solid reason for her being a good mom.

I definitely have more opinions about the show, characters, and fandom of mlp, but I don’t think many of them are so unpopular. Like for example:

I don’t think the Apples would be queerphobic just because they value tradition and are coded as Southern US Americans. The word “tradition” doesn’t automatically equate to conservative politics, and even if it did, these ponies have been shown to learn new things all the time. But all the trans Big Mac positivity I’ve been seeing tells me that a lot of people agree with that sentiment.

I don’t think most of the popular/generic ships of the fandom (like FlutterCord, FlashLight, and SoarinDash) are necessarily bad or devoid of positive chemistry, they’re just way too often written in extremely boring and generic ways. But I’ve also seen such ships written in unique and interesting ways so I think there a lot of people who also understand that sometimes all they need is a more creative approach.

Episodes like Over A Barrel, Bridle Gossip, and She’s All Yak (among others) were horribly handled and should not have been written. I don’t even consider them canon. I don’t know about the larger fandom, but most of the next gen community that I interact with feels the same way.

I think Starlight’s backstory was stupid and contrived, but it seems like the whole fandom thinks so too. We’re all rewriting it lmao

[tocomplainfriend]

Responding to your post about fiction affecting reality: very well-written post and that’s something I agree with wholeheartedly!

Full disclosure: I am a Vivz supporter and don’t really interact with the critique community because of negative past experience (hence the anon), but I really liked your post as it was well-researched and brought up a lot of points that I did agree on. Mostly that, as you evidenced, “it’s just fiction” isn’t a great argument for poorly portraying a serious concept when there can be tangible consequences for that portrayal. And you gave some really striking examples.

In terms of Hazbin, it is not that I believe that Val’s portrayal as an abuser (and consequently Angel’s as a victim) lacks any impact, but instead that it adds a positive one. This isn’t something I’ve researched so the evidence I have of this is personal experience, but as you said in your post that media can affect real life I felt inspired to add to that conversation with how it personally affected me.

So I was aware rationally that a common result of abuse/SA is hypersexuality, like I’d seen that on psychology blogs and such but never really understood it. I’m ashamed to say I thought it was a little weird and very rare. Hazbin was what finally challenged that notion with me. Being able to see how abuse looks and attribute those events to Angel’s actions step-by-step made something click in my head. I even remember that shortly after seeing that episode, I apologized to one of my friends (a survivor themselves) over some judgmental comments I’d recently made over hypersexuality. Said friend also watched Hazbin with me and it’s the reason they talk more openly to me now and we’re a lot closer. Val’s “stupid” behavior in the show and mentioned in Vivz’s comments did not lessen the impact that episode had on me, or make it unbelievable to me that Val could be manipulative. If anything I understand more now that abusers don’t always appear as psychopathic masterminds. And I know my friend finds comments like the Mean Girls one funny and they tell me it’s empowering to make fun of Val’s incompetence.

That’s not the only positive influence Hazbin’s had on me, but the most relevant to your post, I believe. It’s the reason I’m often a skeptic on most criticisms, because my lived experience tends to go against them. You said the negative impact of Val was that people are drawing fetish art of him, but the only time I ever see that art is within critic’s posts. It never shows up in my regular feed, so it looks to me like he’s equally as fetishized as every other character; the unfortunate inevitability of the internet. I can’t say I’ve seen anyone post about stories like mine about learning to understand survivors, but I have heard positive stories from survivors themselves in person and online which lead me to believe that the positive impact outweighs the negative.

Fiction has real impact, very true. But consider that might be a good thing in this case.

Thanks for being respectful!

TW: Rape, SA

I'm a victim of SA myself and that's why I wrote all of this post. If you got something positive out of this piece of media, that's great. Same with victims that saw potion and were okay with it- that valid as much as the people that didn't like it at all. I recommend watching many others shows yourself (or movies, books, whatever) will help you out with sorts of topics in bigger ways. I understand you feel like you got something good out if (and I'm glad) but I do need to say, this is minimal in comparison to other media you could consume regarding the topic!

I personally suffer with Hypersexuality, and the treatment in the show (and merch and otherwise) I found completely wrong. Even if you got to a good understatement of the topic, please put research into it (also outside Tumblr for that matter! There are better places to find stuff about!). Thank you also for admitting your faults over your treatment of hypersexuality and apologizing for it. Many people will never let themselves grasp this concept, so thank you.

If you took Valentino's comparison to Mean Girls or Powerpuff Girl as a way of making fun of him, that's you. I found it, personally, terrible. Specially cause many comments regarding that (that I put on the post) were people actively disregarding the topic at hand. Saying that Valentino is just a karen, or He is Bubbles coded, feels so out of the realm of everything (the last one didn't feel like making fun of him). I don't like the comparison of an active sexual predator to a mean high school girl or a kinder garden girl that's regarded as bubblely or dumb. Feel like you should reach into his actions over It feels diminishing to me and other people (who also complained about this themselves).

People should be extremely careful of what they portray about this topic in media. Other stuff written in Hazbin or Helluva Boss regarding R-pe jokes also is extremely disgusting to me. Never forget that if you think this portrayal is ok, one episode apart it's a gang r-pe jokes towards Sir Pen... and an r-pe joke towards Moxxie in Spring Brakers. Which I find extremely disrespectful to do and adds to r-pe culture as much as any other r-pe jokes (general or towards men) in media. Especially when they want to portray it in a serious way with Angel, where was that energy then? (Don't say Viv didn't write that, she liked a tweet about the Sir pen joke, and the spring braker is written by Viv and Brandon.)

Also, about manipulation:

The tweet right below says that "He isn't manipulating them" because he is too stupid to do so. Responding "The Vees are just meangirls" it's crazy to me.

About "You said the negative impact of Val was that people are drawing fetish art of him, but the only time I ever see that art is within critic’s posts. It never shows up in my regular feed"

Val has being fetishized by the crew itself! The person (who is not an SA/r-pe victim said by themselves, who has being open of shipping ValxAngel and being into r-pe porn) is the one that produce the whole poison part of the episode (also based on his previously non canon ValxAngel comic). You could also go throught the people Viv's responds and likes and it's mutuals with, and they also do the same thing as this crew-member (Raph). Congrats that it doesn't appear in your timeline, tho. If this art appears in a critic post, it is because it's being criticized or brought up to make a point.

[It's not on my blog yet, but I don't like receiving double ask in the inbox, specially of anons! Sorry. I don't know if it's the same person or not, and I don't want to end up receiving 5 asks in my inbox again.]

[atlaculture]

Live-Action Promo Pics: Zuko

I’ve been hesitant to comment much on the the live-action series, as most of the discourse has revolved around the casting. I’ve already made my ideal ATLA fancast pretty well-known and I don’t feel comfortable harshly critiquing children/teens for not looking like my favorite cartoon characters. At the end of the day, it’s the casting directors that we should hold responsible, not working actors trying to make a living.

However, I have no problem reviewing the costumes--- which I presume were made by industry professionals of adult age. In fact, I’d say the goals of this blog obligate me to give my two cents. So enjoy my completely subjective take on the promotional costumes:

Zuko

What I Liked

They maintained the silhouette of Zuko’s armor. Considering what they did for Sokka’s warrior look, it’s a relief that the FN’s armor is immediately recognizable.

I like the design on Zuko’s spaulders; it reminds me of designs that you see on traditional Thai armor.

I also like that the pattern and other parts of the armor look old and worn. Given that he’s Ozai’s least favorite child and has been banished for three years, his equipment is probably all outdated hand-me-downs.

It appears that Zuko’s live-action armor has two layers of shoulder spikes. I think that’s a good detail, as members of the FN’s royal family tend to sport two or three layers of shoulder pads.

The plume on his helmet is a nice addition. Many historical Chinese armors have plumes, especially the helmets of high-ranking officials. And, in the cartoon, the shape of the helmet almost looks like it was meant to have a plume originally.

The sash is also a good addition. It adds a nice splash of red to the dark tones of his armor. I like it better than the belt in the original show.

What I Didn’t Care For

I’m not an expert on crafts at all, but even I can tell that some very modern, synthetic materials were used for this costume. I know it would’ve been very expensive, but I really wish they had used more metal and leather for Zuko’s armor. Or at least materials that better imitated metal and leather.

The mesh girdle around his waist bothers me. I think it’s supposed to emulate chain mail, but it just reminds me of the polyester mesh they use for basketball uniforms.

I wish his plume was red instead of black.

Overall, I give it 7 broadswords out of 10.

To be honest, this was probably the most difficult of the four promo pictures to review, mainly because I find most armor to be pretty boring-looking. Generally speaking, most practical armors are going to look pretty similar to each other, with the exception of those adapted for extreme climates. I’m basically fine with Zuko’s armor, as its faults are more general issues found in all of the Netflix costumes.

I’ll probably have more to say once they give us a better view of his armor from the front.