#SO YOU KNOW IT TRIOLOGY

[galacticlamps]

if you listen very carefully, you can actually hear my heart breaking in the background of this scene from Legend of the Cybermen

(uh, spoilers I guess for an audio that came out in 2010?)

[neofelis----nebulosa]

against my better i ended up seeing some of the clips people are posting from kfp 4 and i actually really like it

[lukedjarinsblog]

sometimes I'm like the star wars franchise is great but I wish they would actually understand how luke skywalker is like they don't get him like I do I don't care if they made him me and him have a deeply, understanding connection

[burntoutdaydreamer]

To Write Better Antagonists, Have Them Embody the Protagonist's Struggles

(Spoilers for The Devil Wears Prada, Avatar the Last Airbender, Kung Fu Panda 2, and The Hunger Games triology).

Writing antagonists and villains can be hard, especially if you don't know how to do so.

I think a lot of writers' first impulse is to start off with a placeholder antagonist, only to find that this character ends up falling flat. They finish their story only for readers to find the antagonist is not scary or threatening at all.

Often the default reaction to this is to focus on making the antagonist meaner, badder, or scarier in whatever way they can- or alternatively they introduce a Tragic Backstory to make them seem broken and sympathetic. Often, this ends up having the exact opposite effect. Instead of a compelling and genuinely terrifying villain, the writer ends up with a Big Bad Edge Lord who the reader just straight up does not care about, or actively rolls their eyes at (I'm looking at you, Marvel).

What makes an antagonist or villain intimidating is not the sheer power they hold, but the personal or existential threat they pose to the protagonist. Meaning, their strength as a character comes from how they tie into the themes of the story.

To show what I mean, here's four examples of the thematic roles an antagonist can serve:

1. A Dark Reflection of the Protagonist

The Devil Wears Prada

Miranda Priestly is initially presented as a terrible boss- which she is- but as the movie goes on, we get to see her in a new light. We see her as an bonafide expert in her field, and a professional woman who’s incredible at what she does. We even begin to see her personal struggles behind the scenes, where it’s clear her success has come at a huge personal cost. Her marriages fall apart, she spends every waking moment working, and because she’s a woman in the corporate world, people are constantly trying to tear her down.

The climax of the movie, and the moment that leaves the viewer most disturbed, does not feature Miranda abusing Andy worse than ever before, but praising her. Specifically, she praises her by saying “I see a great deal of myself in you.” Here, we realize that, like Miranda, Andy has put her job and her career before everything else that she cares about, and has been slowly sacrificing everything about herself just to keep it. While Andy's actions are still a far cry from Miranda's sadistic and abusive managerial style, it's similar enough to recognize that if she continues down her path, she will likely end up turning into Miranda.

In the movie's resolution, Andy does not defeat Miranda by impressing her or proving her wrong (she already did that around the half way mark). Instead, she rejects the values and ideals that her toxic workplace has been forcing on her, and chooses to leave it all behind.

2. An Obstacle to the Protagonist's Ideals

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Fire Lord Ozai is a Big Bad Baddie without much depth or redemptive qualities. Normally this makes for a bad antagonist (and it's probably the reason Ozai has very little screen time compared to his children), but in Avatar: The Last Airbender, it works.

Why?

Because his very existence is a threat to Aang's values of nonviolence and forgiveness.

Fire Lord Ozai cannot be reasoned with. He plans to conquer and burn down the world, and for most of the story, it seems that the only way to stop him is to kill him, which goes against everything Aang stands for. Whether or not Aang could beat the Fire Lord was never really in question, at least for any adults watching the show. The real tension of the final season came from whether Aang could defeat the Fire Lord without sacrificing the ideals he inherited from the nomads; i.e. whether he could fulfill the role of the Avatar while remaining true to himself and his culture.

In the end, he manages to find a way: he defeats the Fire Lord not by killing him, but by stripping him of his powers.

3. A Symbol of the Protagonist's Inner Struggle

Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2 is about Po's quest for inner peace, and the villain, Lord Shen, symbolizes everything that's standing in his way.

Po and Lord Shen have very different stories that share one thing in common: they both cannot let go of the past. Lord Shen is obsessed with proving his parents wrong and getting vengeance by conquering all of China. Po is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is adopted and is desperate to figure out who he is and why he ended up left in a box of radishes as a baby.

Lord Shen symbolizes Po's inner struggle in two main ways: one, he was the source of the tragedy that separated him from his parents, and two, he reinforces Po's negative assumptions about himself. When Po realizes that Lord Shen knows about his past and confronts him, Lord Shen immediately tells Po exactly what he's afraid of hearing: that his parents abandoned him because they didn't love him. Po and the Furious Five struggle to beat Shen not because he's powerful, but because Po can't let go of the past, and this causes him to repeatedly freeze up in battle, which Shen uses to his advantage.

Po overcomes Shen when he does the one thing Shen is incapable of: he lets go of the past and finds inner peace. Po comes to terms with his tragic past and recognizes that it does not define him, while Shen holds on to his obsession of defying his fate, which ultimately leads to his downfall.

4. A Representative of a Harsh Reality or a Bigger System

The Hunger Games

We don't really see President Snow do all that much on his own. Most of the direct conflict that Katniss faces is not against him, but against his underlings and the larger Capitol government. The few interactions we see between her and President Snow are mainly the two of them talking, and this is where we see the kind of threat he poses.

President Snow never lies to Katniss, not even once, and this is the true genius behind his character. He doesn't have to lie to or deceive Katniss, because the truth is enough to keep her complicit.

Katniss knows that fighting Snow and the Capital will lead to total war and destruction- the kind where there are survivors, but no winners. Snow tells her to imagine thousands upon thousands of her people dead, and that's exactly what happens. The entirety of District 12 gets bombed to ashes, Peeta gets brainwashed and turned into a human weapon, and her sister Prim, the very person she set out to protect at the beginning of the story, dies just before the Capitol's surrender. The districts won, but at a devastating cost.

Even after President Snow is captured and put up for execution, he continues to hurt Katniss by telling her the truth. He tells her that the bombs that killed her sister Prim were not sent by him, but by the people on her side. He brings to her attention that the rebellion she's been fighting for might just implement a regime just as oppressive and brutal as the one they overthrew and he's right.

In the end, Katniss is not the one to kill President Snow. She passes up her one chance to kill him to take down President Coin instead.

[hollowingearth]

I'm sorry but the more I think about the Rebirth ending the more I love it actually like. The whole trilogy has been a meta commentary of sorts and, specially, Aerith's death is at the epicenter of it. She both dies and doesn't die exactly because us, as an audience, want both things to happen.

People have been clamoring to be able to save Aerith since 1997, there were fake hidden hacks, AU fictions, retellings, everything. Everyone has been at Squeenix's doorsteps begging them to let us save her. Like, it's at a point where the "Square will let us save Aerith if you pay for the DLC" joke is much more than a decade old.

On the other side, there's this very expressive unwant for any change whatsoever from the source material. It's not a feeling that is exclusive to FF7 either, there's this very clear pushback against any new remake/adaptation that deviates, even slightly, from it's original. People don't want new content, they want the old one they experienced when they were younger, but prettier, they want to both feel the nostalgia and experience everything as if for the first time again.

From that camp, I think the most prominent argument is that FF7 is about loss, right? And they're not wrong. Aerith's death is the crux of the story, it's the very thing that made FF7 as known as it is, there would be no actual weight to what it's trying to tell if the heroine doesn't die in the middle of it, an unexpected, hurtful, avoidable death. What's the point of a narrative about grief if you can just... avoid losing someone? Avoid having it be cruelly taken from you?

And yet, you see, if want someone to die, if you want something to be taken from you, are you really losing it? In the original, part of the impact was that no one could see it coming, it was a straight representation about how death is sudden and takes away opportunity from you. Aerith doesn't go into the sleeping forest willing to make a sacrifice for the greater good, she has barely started her adventure, she makes a promise to go on the highwind, the group is one location away from finding out more about her ancestry and her family.

That's not true for the remake, tho. Everyone knows about her fate, about what is going to happen to her. That's probably the most spoiled moment in video game history. I personally knew about her death before I truly understood what Final Fantasy even was. So now we have an audience that is extremely aware of what, when and how her death is going to happen. That's why the Confluence of Worlds is put at that moment, because it's the single most expected moment in the entire triology, it's the one moment that made the narrative resonate so well.

The impact is impossible to recreate now, even for newer fans of the series. People want a 1:1 retranslation but such a thing would always be a gimmicky shadow of it's original. It's why the focus shifts, now the most emotionally impactful scene is not the killing of her but of her goodbye, in the church after the dream date. "Thank you," Aerith echoes "It's been fun", a callback to her conclusion on Remake where she says "I'm grateful for all the words we shared. All the moments and the memories. You've made me more happy than you know."

So she dies and she doesn't, both at the same time. Effectively in limbo now, narratively explained by lifestream shenaningans. We put her there ourselves, by refusing to move on, refusing to accept her death but also refusing to change, allowing a different outcome. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, at least, Aerith's words sound like the very sincere feelings of the developers, who are grateful for all the love we all have powered into their work all these years.

I just love it so much, I could spend hours talking about it.

[notafunkiller]

I know many Bucky fans are mad, but I never expected him to have a lot of screen time in Thunderbolts* to begin with. Especially with such a huge team (and they need to be*come* likeable and relatable to the audience).

Thunderbolts* is NOT a solo movie, it's a team movie (Suicide Squad style).

He should've gotten a Winter Soldier film ages ago (getting some of memories back in Romania so we see many flashbacks), but in Thunderbolts*, he doesn't need to have 2h of screen time to be a key character.

And this is what I care about the most... Quality > quantity

In his MCU journey, we always found him in different stages (and this is what made it fun and exciting for Sebastian too) & I love the fact we get to put two and two together and try to understand hints rather than straight up being told everything about his life.

He is one of the most interesting characters & he carried the Cap triology (and Marvel knows it). He got less than 15 minutes of screen time & 13 lines in CATWS (a movie with his name in the title) & still stole the show... he always steals the show, he's "the underdog".

He's super popular & so is Sebastian. They don't bother to use him more because they know people (come to the cinema to) watch anything if he is in it.

They saw that with "Dumb Money".

So they might even give us Bucky in small doses intentionally.

Sebastian got more projects left, which = a safe paycheck he can use for other projects.

(This is why I disagree when people say he should leave Marvel as if:

1. He doesn't have a strict contract with more projects left & he wouldn't need to pay;

2. He doesn't need the money - to pay his employees, to produce & play in other films)

3. He doesn't find it comforting to play Bucky every 3 years...

He loves Bucky (and he is similar to Bucky) & he always gets to explore different sides of the character when he returns, which is amazing for an actor.

Also, Kevin said Bucky is the de facto leader, after all. And that doesn't mean his role isn't important (CATWS & CACW are good examples), quite the opposite.

(I think he might have a subplot & save the team at the end)

We all got ??? when we thought he's in the team because he is already pardoned. He proved he is "stable" in TFATWS.

It makes sense to me if he has his own thing.

The fact the team has to "earn the trust" aka go into a suicide mission bc they are seen as disposable is sick.

(Bucky is seen like this, too)

There is no good or bad side & Bucky sees right through this. He always did.

I'm glad Yelena is finally a lead, though & I wonder how she'll use the opportunity to take revenge on Valentina.

Also, I think she'll lose her dad (sacrifice maybe), and that will be an amazing scene.

I really hope Bucky & Yelena have at least one scene (maybe he is sent to lead them in the middle of the film or he just shows up to save the team at the end). They are similar, yet different, so a great, great duo.

Florence and Sebastian are 🙌🏻 (incredible actors... they portray the characters with so much passion. They know them so well) and I can sense a lottt of chemistry.

My point is: things always change, you never know with MCU & so let's wait and hope it's a good film⚡️

[staar5384]

champagne problems pt. 3

neuvillette x gn!reader

pt. 1 and pt. 2

has some slight wriolette - hurt/comfort (finally) - they/them pronouns - barely proof read here is the final part to my lil champagn problems triology. thank you for all of the support on the series! it really makes me want to keep writing! <3

“Neuvi… Are you alright?”

The voice went in and out of Neuvillette’s ears. He had his nose buried in his work, trying his best to distract the racing thoughts that consumed his mind.

“Neuvillette,” The voice spoke more firmly this time, finally snapping him out of his trance.

He whipped his head up from his desk, strands of his white hair falling into his eyes. He locked eyes with the person in front of him, it was Wriothesley. “Oh, Wrio, hello. What are you doing here?”

“It’s time for our date, remember?” He asked him, crossing his arms.

“Right yes. Our date,” He glanced at the documents on his desk. He supposed they could wait until later. “Alright. Let’s go then,” He rose from his desk.

Wriothesley watched him curiously, taking notice of all his mannerism. His hands were fidgety, something highly unusual for Neuvillette. He seemed lost, almost in another place entirely. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to a date?”

Neuvillette nodded quickly, “Yes of course. Why would I not be?”

“You just seem a bit out of it today. Would you like to talk?”

Neuvillette contemplated discussing his thoughts with Wriothesley. To be honest, he was barely able to comprehend them himself. 

For days now, you were the only thing on his mind. Every thought, action, and word made him think of you. He was starting to miss you. Neuvillette would never admit it, however. He was content with Wriothesley. The Duke treated him well, took him on romantic dates, and he saw him more often than he would see you. 

But Wriothesley isn’t you; or your lips, your skin, your eyes. He is not you.

Wriothesley noticed the hesitation to speak, smiling to himself, “Neuvi, you can talk to me about anything.”

“What if…” He started. “What if it’s something that would hurt you?”

He took hold of Neuvillette’s hands, caressing the soft skin with his thumbs, “If it hurts me, so be it. I would rather see you happy.”

He sighed gently, laying his head against Wriothesley’s shoulder, “I miss them.”

“Yeah?” He asked, planting a gentle kiss on the top of Neuvillette’s head.

“I don’t know why. You make me so happy but-”

“It’s not the same?” Wriothesley asked.

“Yeah. It’s not.”

“You know it’s okay, right? You’re allowed to feel confused, you’re allowed to miss them. Your feelings are valid.”

A soft rain began to fall outside. Wriothesley could see it through the grand window behind Neuvillette’s desk, “And you are allowed to cry.”

The soft rain picked up quickly after that, turning into almost a full downpour.

“I miss them so much, Wrio.”

“Then let’s go find them, yeah?”

“But what about you?”

Wriothesley shrugged, “I’ll be okay. Seeing my best friend happy is all that matters.”

Neuvillette moved his head, and planted a soft kiss onto Wriothesley’s cheek, “You are so wonderful.”

“Yeah yeah,” He chuckled. “Now come on. If we’re lucky Katheryne might know something.”

Katheryne, in fact, did know something. After a brief conversation, she revealed that you were currently in Liyue on a commission. The two thanked Katheryne and returned to the Palais Mermonia.

“Are you going to go after them?” Wriothesley asked.

“I think so. Should I?”

“Well, what do you want to do, Neuvi?” Wriothesley wrapped his arm around his shoulder. 

There was comfort in Wriothesley’s support, despite their relationship, despite his feelings, despite all he wanted, he was giving his support to Neuvillette. “Wriothesley, why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” He quirked his head. “Neuvi, I told you before, your happiness is what is most important to me. Above all, you are my best friend, and I would do anything for you.”

Neuvillette nodded, clenching his fists, “Alright. Then I would like to go.”

“That’s my boy,” He ruffled Neuvillette’s hair, pulling away from him. “So when are we leaving?”

“We?”

“Yes, we. I’m going with you.”

“But you have responsibilities here. Besides, if both the Duke of the Fortress and the Chief Justice were to leave, chaos could reign and Lady Furina would likely drown.”

Wriothesley let out a loud groan, slumping against Neuvillette. The man stumbled, gripping onto Wriothesley to keep his balance. “Fine fine,” The Duke sighed. “I will stay here and make sure Furina doesn’t die.”

“Thank you, Wriothesley. Let me write a note for Lady Furina, then I’ll take my leave.”

You had spent your months after the party traveling as far away from Fontaine as possible. You would return late at night every once in a while to accept new work, but then leave before anyone could ever notice your presence.

Traveling helped you clear your mind, but it never helped you move on. You had many flings and dates with a multitude of people you met on your travels, but you always felt the same after; they weren’t Neuvillette.

After finishing your commission early, you decided to take some time wandering the harbor. It wasn’t nearly as busy as it usually was, and you were grateful for that. Thanks to being a fulltime adventurer, you know a lot of people in a lot of different areas, and you are no stranger in Liyue. You befriended plenty of people here, even people as important as Dr. Baizhu and the secretary of Yuehai Pavillion, Ganyu. This meant you tended to get stuck in long and boring conversations you could never seem to drag yourself out of.

You sat yourself on the dock, staring out at the open ocean. The waves splashed gently against the wood, small droplets falling onto your legs. The sun was beginning to set, the golden colors washing over the water, painting it in different shades of red and orange. 

“Neuvillette would have loved this,” You said to yourself, leaning down to dip your hands into the cool water. You cupped your hands, lifting the liquid up to drink. You winced at the taste, the water truly wasn’t good, but it almost made you feel connected to Neuvillette in a strange way. “Wow, that is awful. And he always used to say the water was…” You paused, trying to remember how he would describe the taste of Liyue’s water.

“It has an enduring aftertaste, but you are drinking water straight from the ocean. I can only imagine that’s why it tastes so unpleasant.”

You whipped your head around, coming face to face with a familiar man. Neuvillette stood above you, a slight smile on his face as he stared down at you, “Hello,” He spoke softly.

“Neuvillette,” You stood quickly, brushing yourself off. “What are you doing here?”

“I- Well, I’m here to see you.”

“Huh?” You stared at him, slightly dumbfounded. 

“You heard me. I’m here to see you,” He stepped forward, reaching out for your hands.

You had a choice here. You could push him away, the same way he did to you… or you could accept his hands, and let him speak.

His hands were just as soft as they were all those months ago. His fingers caressed yours, tracing circles in your palms, “I am so sorry. I-I wish I had given you a chance to speak for yourself that day. I wish I had not pushed you away so carelessly. I have spent so long believing I was over you, and that I was truly in love with Wriothesley, but I wasn’t.”

You stepped closer to him, your chests touched, his hands still grasping tightly onto your own.

“I love you. Every part of you,” He let one of your hands go, reaching his hand up to caress your face. His thumb traced over your cheek, then your jaw, stopping at your lips. He stared at them for a moment, then spoke again. “Will you ever forgive me?”

Before you knew it, you were crying. The tears came out so fast, yet so gently. You reached your free hand up to wipe them away, nodding over and over again, “Yes Neuvillette. I do forgive you.”

His arms snaked around your waist as he pulled you in for a deep kiss. As your lips touched, a wave of electricity coursed through you. It was as if nothing changed between you two. The chemistry, the passion, the feeling, you were intoxicated by it, by him.

After a few moments, you both pulled away. Neuvillette’s face was flushed red, and you could feel yours warming as well. He smiled down at you before pulling you into a loving embrace, “I love you so very much.”

You laid your head against him, gaining your own soft smile, “I love you too, Neuvillette.” 

[nikox400x]

Kung Fu Panda 4-All the budget went to the animation (spoilers)

Hey all, its me, the guy who everyday make a tour around this site but almost never talk. How are ya?

Two days ago something arrived to the cinema's screens, something that me and everyone were waiting for since 2018, the fourth film and the begginig of the new kung fu panda triology.

You know? When I sat on that theather seat with my friends to see what Dreamworks had prepared for us, I told myself; "Maybe that post I made a while ago throwing shit at what seemed like Kfp 4 was going to be was a bit hard, I hope I can come out regretting what I said that time"

And as soon as the credits ended, it was clear to me, I dont regret a shit. Maybe it was a little exaggerated, compared to what a megamind fan would think about the terrible sequel they made, but still: the film is crappy and boring most of the time. But why?

I'm going to explain some points.

1- Po? Is that you?

I don't know you guys, but i don't think the panda we knew in the end of the third film is the same as this one. Seriously, he share more comparisons with the Po from the legend of awessonless than the one from the films, maybe its a personal thing but it feels that way. At least in the beggining of the film feel like that.

And I don't know what he was thinking about when he decided to follow a thief he doesn't know at all and who tried to steal in his own palace, and that suspiciously know who is the chameleon, whose were her plans, her past, where she lived, where exacly they had to pass through avoiding all the guard inside her home, why the others thiefs of the city hate her so much... With Po's experience with criminals this is like a chef throwing water on a pan with boiling oil, it's obvious what is going to happen.

2- Zheng- Female Nick Wilde but without charisma or half of his intelligence.

I knew it from the first moment I saw Zheng's desing, the people who know me can corroborate that; her facial expressions, her tone while she talk, her animal race, her position as thief, her final when she is part of the justice same as the protagonist... it's clearer than water I think.

Everyone could say this is forgivable if she's smart, but surprise, she's not. This character is just an absurd try of this company for """"conect with infant audience""""(I don't know in what sense, I supose for the cute design, idk). But the point is, the supposed objective of the hollywood companies is give the new generetions better things than we got at their age, but what I see is laziness for write a decent scrip only for take an advantage of a known IP and make easy money. Even the children have quality standars, this is not the dragon warrior and of course this is not kung fu panda.

And talking about the dragon warrior, having our deep and lovely Tigress with her magnific development or Tai Lung back from the spirit realm... why in the hell this character exists?! Oh yeah, for being trending topic in twitter for three days. Yay...

3- The furious five and Shifu, for us : our pretty boys, and for Dreamworks: living jokes.

What made Kung Fu Panda what it is, is not the fucking panda, it's them. They're the inspiration for Po, their allies, the royale representation of kung fu and the ones which everything started with.

Po's a comic relief, and his mission is show his development in part using his humor, but the humor in this film barely works because of the lazy script. Something that even the talented Jack Black himself can't fix, beacuse his only role there is dublin his character, unlike the rest of the residents of the Jade Palace except Dustin Hoffman.

Seth Rogen (Mantis) himself even said that he wasn't even contact by Dreamworks in the first place, only for make a scream in the credits, that's sad beacause he really wanted to see Mantis on the screen. And I know and I understand that the five are expensive, but cmon, they could just simply change the voice actors and offset it with a good script but that's not the case of course. Their role in the film is being a counter for Po's constant jokes, for not to saturate the spectator with jokes, now that's not in there anymore, thank you Dreamworks.

4-The chameleoooohhn and her "motivation".

I can't say much, basically because out of her design she's nonsense. She says that because of her size, she was reyected for being a kung fu warrior.

Yeah of course but only one little thing, what about Shifu? Viper, a warrior without tips? Mantis, literally a dawn insect? Master Oogway, a TURTLE? The masters goose? C'mon even there's a fucking master chicken! Don't talk shit chameleon!

Her importance for the plot? Its almost a lie, the others villains had links to important characters; Tai Lung (with his link to Shifu's past), Shen (with his link to Po's past) or Kai (with his link to Oogway's past), all of them related to important characters. And her? To zheng's past and present I guess? But again, anyone know this character. She's like a villain from a Disney show, you know the type of villain who say a lot of things but at the end, she don't support nothing to the lore.

And her personality is like a mix of all the previous villains, and this sounds good right? HAHAH nope. Do you remember when as a child you mixed all the plasticines of all the colors to create the final color and you ended up with a color similar to poop? well that's exacly how her personality feels like.

5- Po's dads; the only reason they're there is because they ran out of characters to make the film.

The tittle itself tell everything, they don't do anything for the script in all the film, and their objective could be done since the start.

The script of the film except for the final looks like a draft which they didn't know how to complete, everyone who watch it can see it perfecly. The animation, the music and the backgrounds are the only things notable here.

6- Tai Lung and the cheapness nostalgia.

Fan service is not necesarry bad, above all if is used in a good way, they sold us Tai Lung as a miracle but his importance for the plot feels just like a Stan Lee cameo, I like Tai Lung I can say that. But this is too weak, Shen and Kai are only characters in the background who don't do nothing except being defeated or make facial expressions (I don't even joke that Shen would show respect to Po considering what we saw in the second movie, and Kai wasn't supposed to be destroyed as a spirit, what the hell is he doing here again? *sign* I'll to stop trying to make sense of this).

By the way, anyone else think that the dragon warrior role is understimated? I mean Shifu obligated Po to transfers the role to another one just because yes, i mean he only has been the dragon warrior for less than 5 years and now they want to replace him with a random. Everything just for at the end, he choosed a thief with at least 30 crimes registred and who was a traitor during the 75% of the movie.

7- The """""""""humor"""""""", except they forgot the parts where I must to laugh.

Seeing nonsense hits only beacuse yes stopped of being funny a long time ago, and no, I don't want to talk about the bunnies of the portrait because I would get sick. I had to go to the cinema drunk to endure the filler that the movie had, no joke, it was the only way to laugh at those jokes.

So I think about applying the same method as in any movie with bad jokes, ignoring the jokes. I tried to do the same thing but with the pace that the film managed, such a thing was impossible, the pace of the movie seems to be made for Tiktoker children with attention deficit. From the chaos in the quarry until Po takes the bitc... uhg fox out of prison, only 10 fucking minutes pass, all of that for what? So that you feel like the baseless information and the nonsensical plot that they tell us is of any use? they could simply make a non-canonical short and that's it, but no, yes or they were going to tell us a story written by rotten old men who spend the entire day watching Tik Tok. It's not going to be that the child who sees this doesn't get bored, we know that much today's children don't have many neurons as they say, but even to make movies for them you have to have a certain talent.

In some point at the beguining Po make a joke about the ausence of the furious five saying that at least he had them in cardboard posters, and this would be a good joke. Only if the stupid film could be prove that the franquise can do something memorable without the furious five, but again, that's not the case.

Don't have any respect for this movie, look what it had with you. I understand that it is enjoyable because of the animation but it does not go beyond that line, it destroys important things about the canon and spoils its teaching about the need for change by treating it in a terrible way.

Coclusion: KFP 4 is just another Po's adventure as Shifu says, it won't tell nothing to you or make you feel different, it's a shame but after Megamind 2 I imagined something like this. It's a dark era for film, expecially the animated one so like Scar said; Be prepare, there're worse things waiting for us.

Do you want something with real quality? You don't even need kung fu panda 1,2 or 3, for make it easy to this film let's take this marvelous example; kung fu panda: secrets of the scroll (2016). You'll say; "An animated short, this is not like-" Shhh Just watch it, you won't regret it.

If you think I'm wrong in something, just rewatch the film. And if still you aren't agreed with me, well, I respect you and I'm happy you like it. I wish I could love it as you do, but that doesn't mean that the movie isn't bad, because if you watch it with your brain on or remembering the previous movies it's terrible.

. Me? I've to write a story, I love you all. Except you, Dreamworks, I'm mad with you, expecially when you do this at the same day as Akira Toriyama's death :(

[genderfluid-info-blog]

Hi can you recommend something with genderfluid characters to play/watch/read ? (Plz i know 1 game , 2 films ,2 weebtoons and like 3 books with us in them I'm starving )

Hi, thank you for this ask, I'm sorry I took so long to answer! Sadly there isn't a lot of representation for us genderfluid folks in the media, but I tried my best to compose a list (keep in mind that I haven't read/seen all of these, so some of the representation might not be the best, sorry about that!!):

Books with genderfluid characters:

Alex Fierro (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard triology)

Sallot Leon (Mask Of Shadows, main character)

Lua Novak (At the Edge of the Universe)

Riley Cavanaugh (Symptoms of Being Human, main character)

Harley (The Heartbreak Bakery, main love interest)

Carey (Can't Take That Away, main character)

Ash (Both Can Be True, main character)

Comics with genderfluid characters:

Rose (A Boy Named Rose, main character)

Yasel (Always Human)

Prince Sebastian (The Prince and the Dressmaker, main character)

Loki (Loki: Agent of Asgard, main character (much better representation than in the show!!))

Kitty (Lemonade Summer)

Shows with genderfluid characters:

Sabi (Sort Of, main character)

Loki (Loki, main character, but the genderfluid representation was sadly very little and dissatisfying)

Crowley & Aziraphale (Good Omens, angels & demons are canonically genderless beings but in my opinion there is a lot of genderfluid representation in the show, you can also read the book if you want to!)

Val/entina Romanyszyn (Gen:Lock)

[the-inheritance-games]

Ok so I was going to post my theory on why I thought jlb was going to announce a new book/novella as the last card later today but then of course this amazing fandom somehow got a synopsis and found it on good reads idek how, but I was going to post this breakdown from evidence I gathered from stalking jlb’s insta but now I’m posting it to show a timeline of when she was Writting this book and how much of a mastermind jlb is.

This going to be long so buckle in

Ok so let’s begin on October 3 2022, jlb announces TBH as the new book in the TIG universe, single handedly returning my will to live after the heartbreak I endured when Grayson ended up even more sad and alone in TFG 😭

Then we fast forward to Dec. 14 2022, we see that jlb is Writting the Grandest games.

Fast forward even more and we start getting updates about how the book is going and about her Writting process (scroll 2)

And then on March 10 2023, she turns in the first draft of TGG

This is where things get interesting, mind you at this point we know about TBH and TGG openly, but she starts talking about another secret project she’s working on, using #secret project, (March 20, 2023) (scroll 3)

She also says that she has been working on this on and off for 2.5 years (from March 2023), which if you go back is late 2020-early 2021. Which also happens to be right around the same time she was writting THL (wrote tig in 2019, released in 2020, wrote thl in 2020, released in 2021, etc)

Why is this fact important?

Bc jlb has openly stated that thl is the book she has planted the most clues/ Easter eggs in. It’s also arguably the best and most important book in the triology. (Argue with the wall if you disagree)

It’s the book where we get the most backstory and information on who this family is. I can imagine jlb Writting the book and delving into this world and, for example Toby’s past and his relationship to Avery’s mom and her past, and coming up with all these ideas she can’t really write into thl in much detail bc those events where in the past.

If she started Writting this novella, backstory, prequel, whatever during this time it would make total sense. It would also give her a chance to answer all those unanswered questions that where left while also doing us some fan service.

Now fast forward, she keeps updating on the grandest games and at the same time posting about writting this secret project, but most recently (February 7 2024) she posted this

She states that her secret project, the novella book that she has been Writting, her secret, is not going to be a secret for much longer, just a week before the vault opened, and 13 days (in Taylor swift we trust) before this all happens.

It was right there infront of us and yet we didn’t see it coming.

So yeah, she’s been Writting this book and compilation of stories for a while now, starting from when she was Writting thl. I was going to use this convince y’all her secret was a book could be a prequel but I don’t have to anymore but still I find it so interesting and I just got this out of my drafts bc why not. I had a hunch for a while but this is honestly better than I could have imagined, if it is what we are seeing :)

[thesaltwateremu]

I’ve seen a lot of people saying that norris and chester can’t be jmart because you’re able to listen to tmagp without any knowledge of tma. Here’s why I disagree

I feel like it’s fairly common for sequels to be written with the intention that it’s still understandable from an outside perspective. With movies especially this makes sense since i at least don’t think it’s uncommon for people to watch sequels without seeing the original (I mean really, how many of us have seen every marvel movie. Or with the new hunger games movie, a lot of my friends who watched it had never seen the original triology)

From a monetary standpoint, you want to make your sequel accessible to as many people as possible. With tma, there’s 200 episodes. That can be really overwhelming for someone unsure if they want to listen to protocol. By making it possible to listen to tmagp without having listened to tma, they are way more likely to listen, and might even go back and listen to tma. Marvel is a good comparison here: there’s a lot of marvel movies. It’s overwhelming for someone to have to watch all of them to understand the plot, so marvel makes their sequels work as standalones, while it is obviously more enjoyable if you’ve watched others. Same deal with hunger games. Also the friends I mentioned before who had never watched the original movies now really want to see them, bringing more money to the franchise

Jmart being in tmagp really wouldn’t be that alienating for new listeners. The main thing that would make tmagp difficult to listen to without context from tma is worldbuilding. However, this problem is avoided due to tmagp taking place in a completely different universe. Even original tma fans don’t have much world building to go off of. This is actually a big reason why I think the fears will be different in tmagp. It took so long for that world building to occur, it’d be boring for old listeners to hear the same thing again, and confusing for new ones to go on without it. Jmart is different because they’re just two characters. Sure, we’ll have a better understanding of who they are if we’ve listened to tma, but I feel like it’s not that difficult to quickly sum up their realtionship and their past in a way that’s understandable to new listeners. Plus we would need some backstory anyways since we don’t really know how they ended up in the tmagp universe

I almost think it’d be a missed opportunity if they didn’t have jmart or some other direct connection to tma in tmagp because one big reason for making sequels is bringing more attention to the original piece of media. Having a direct connection to tma, especially if it’s explained in a way that’s brief and intriguing could make new listeners more likely to go back and listen to tma

TLDR: tmagp could have jmart because it’s pretty common for movies and other media to make their sequels understandable for new viewers, and it wouldn’t take that much effort for there to be a quick explanation of who jmart is for new listeners

This wasn’t meant to attack anyone who’s been saying this, I’m just providing a counterpoint. If you disagree, that’s completely fine, I’m not here to start beef with strangers on the internet. Feel free to leave your thoughts agreeing, disagreeing, or otherwise, just be nice about it :) (this goes for all posts of people posting their thoughts and theories btw, we have so little info to go off of, just let people speculate without shutting them down)

(also I realize this post kinda sounds like I’m saying rusty quill is only making a sequel for money and attention. This is absolutely not what I’m saying, these are just often reasons that sequels are made, in addition to loving the story, characters, fandom, etc)

[klara-nya]

October 2023 has officially arrived so here are Tony and Natasha as cats (I have Loki too but I'll post him when Thor is done).

Can you hear that? It's me shouting Natasha deserved better (or at least a triology)

More Meowrvel fanarts here: Witch in denial with her dead husband Best sibling dynamic Haters gonna hate but she can solo Thor Old and cranky husbands He knows his Bestie Deserved a triology

[youreacroftlara]

I’m fairly new to the Warrior Nun family, but this announcement has really boiled my piss.

Last year I heard about season 2’s release and the Avatrice kiss and I was pretty intrigued to watch. But before I could, it was cancelled. After years of suffering through Supergirl and being queerbated left right and centre with Kara and Lena, I figured I didn’t wanna go through the pain of watching a story only for the ending to be cut short and never continued. So I never watched WN…up until I heard that it was saved.

Because I knew there was a possibility that this story would be continued, I decided to watch WN. And of course, I fell in deep - binge watching the series within two days. Safe to say, Avatrice and the other characters have all taken a special place in my heart. I, like many other members of the fandom, was looking forward to seeing what was in store.

So when the triology announcement came out, with no participation from Simon, Amy, Alba or KTY, I wasn’t phased. Before I’d sort of hoped maybe the likes of BBC or another UK studio such as Film 4 had taken the reigns (and not hollywood/amazon or other streaming platforms). The writer/actor strike seemed to be the cause, so I wasn’t worried. Plus, the thought of THREE movies featuring our girls? I was stoked.

Then we got the email a few days ago. At first, I was excited- the writers strike had just ended, so maybe Simon and co. were going to speak? I was at least hoping there’d be more detail on the plot etc. and then Simon posted that tweet. And it all snowballed with the other writers and my heart just sank.

Tried to stay positive, but it’s pretty hard to do when the show’s writers are all saying they know nothing about it. So I went to bed last night (I’m in the UK) praying we’d wake up to good news.

How fucking wrong was I.

This contest is just a huge slap in the face of not only us fans, but artists, writers and actors on the original show. The T&Cs basically state that whoever wins will get their art abused and exploited for the next FIVE YEARS in return for what? A sketch? Pfffft please. Have you learnt nothing from the writers/actors strike at all?!

The worrying thing is what this contest signifies…the producers of this movie clearly don’t have the rights to the Netflix show that we all love. Hence no Simon, hence no announcement on the actors and hence the shitty attempt to get fans to do the hard work for them and design a new Halo.

It really is a joke. If the new producers are reading this, please do better. Engage with the fandom….and for the love of god, get SIMON BARRY on your team.

I don’t know what else to say other than this is exhausting for us fans - and this is coming from someone who didn’t get a chance to get involved in the fight to save WN at the beginning of the year!

Let’s just hope I’m proved wrong and that the movies will be what we hoped.

(P.S. also, please fire Perfectly Productive Media from all your future web copy/media relations - as a copywriter I can say that the countdown pages they’ve produced are 💩)

[lawfullyneutralbee]

Snow & Katniss Parallels between Songbirds and Snakes & The Hunger Games

I haven’t finished reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes but I do find one thing interesting. There are plenty of parallels between the two in THG triology, but also between the younger two version, both the characters aren’t receptive to friendship/love.

Like Katniss constantly says she doesn’t know why Madge even likes her- says it’s only bc of her sister (they’re literally friends) or why Peeta loves her etc.

And Coriolanus is literally the same way. Like Sejanus considered him his ONLY friend in the capitol and Snow was like “hmmm acquaintance yess that’s why he’s so nice and his mother came to me first when he went missing. It’s my fault for being too close.” Like yeah some of his actions were self-serving, but he experiences empathy,envy, curiosity, and respect for him. Also laughter and camaraderie. Even with Lucy Gray he’s like “….mmm I don’t experience any emotions for her- wait come back, keep kissing me. Why’s she so pretty? Oh my god I will go bankrupt to keep her alive in the games. Here take my one comfort item with you into the arena.”

Like look me in the eyes and TELL me that is not Katniss “what angle is he playing saying he loves me/ Omg you were suppose to save Peeta not me” Everdeen.

This drives in the whole “convince me you love him” soooo much deeper. Like Jesus.

[aang3ll]

The Wilbur Situation

TW//@BUSE AND SEWER SLIDE MENTIONS

I wanna start this off by saying that I am not on Wilbur's side. I am a long time fan of Wilbur, I've been watching him for five or four years. He was what made my days better. He was even in my suic!d3 note a few months back. But I do not, and will not, support an abuser. And anyone who does so, get the hell off of my page, and block me. William Gold took advantage of people who loved him. Who cared about him, and wanted the best for him. Shelby literally had to clean the house 24/7 and buy him food. Because she cared about him. And he took advantage of that. From weaponizing their safeword, to causing her physical and emotional harm. We also know from folks like Bill and Freddie that Shelby wasn't the only victim of his manipulation. We were told that Wilbur tended to manipulate and intimidate his younger friends. Minors. HE. ABUSED. ACTUAL. FUCKING. CHILDREN. Using all of this information, he clearly targets those who are weaker (mentally and/or physically) than him, those who he thinks won't say anything about it. This, in itself, is an evil thing to do. What Wilbur did should not be classified as "drama", or "cancelling." What he did was commit a fucking crime. I wouldn't be surprised if he were to be charged, which he clearly deserves. He is an abuser. I feel like we also need to take into account things like Wilbur's music and videos. When I look back at them, it becomes painstakingly clear that he is just the perfect formula for what is normally classified as an abuser. Please keep in mind while reading the list of these traits, that these do not automatically make someone an abuser. Whether he knew what he was doing or not. Abusers aren't always evil people who are so obviously cruel. Abusers are smart. Avoidant. Manipulative. They are the best actors you will ever meet.

While listening to his music, it's clear Wilbur is completely co-dependent on relationships and such to keep himself stable. This is shown especially in the "E-Girl Triology." 2. Let's just be clear. We all know Wilbur is not mentally stable. When you look at his characters, REALLY look at them, you'll realize that they aren't just characters. They're all depictions of parts of himself. His true self. 3. While watching him casually explain hurting his friends as if it were no big deal, it made me realize the amount of sympathy he lacks. He hardly apologizes for anything, ever. This lack of sympathy probably gave him much less regrets while he was abusing others, especially Shelby. Now, enough about Wilbur. Because this isn't his story. It's Shelby's. Shelby, we are all so proud of you for coming out about what happened to you. You opened doors for many others to come out and say something. You went through hell, but you made it back out. You survived. And you're going to make it through. Not only have you finally started getting justice, but you've helped others do that, too. Because of you, Wilbur Soot will never abuse another person again. Thank you, Shelby. If you are a victim of abuse, you will make it out. You're going to be okay. There will always be a community to love and support you, and you will find someone to truly love you. (Wilbur was my comfort streamer. Now, I find comfort in knowing he will never hurt anyone ever again.) National Domestic Abuse Hotline -------------------------------------- 1-800-799-7233

National Child Abuse Hotline --------------------------------------

1-800-422-4453

[sherlockig]

Nine people you'd like to know better

I was tagged by @darkinerry @funforahermit @stedesbonnets @serpenatrix @gentlebeard @blakbonnet @sleepystede @agaywithcoffee @ofmd-ann and @snake-snack-stede (love u all so sweet <3)

Three ships:

Ed and Stede are the one and only right now

Crowley and Aziraphale

Dont make me choose between my murder husbands and wives - Villanelle/Eve and Will/Hannibal.

First ship -> uuuh i dont even know. i was into harry and draco very early but i also had a few real people ships i will not speak about here and you all need to forgive me because i was 11 and the year was 2005 - we did not know better. i also might have shipped Aragon and Legolas when i was 7 or something but i dont know if that counts because i didnt know what it was. Also Will and Elizabeth from potc was my otp for a long time. the pirate brainrot runs deep in this one.

Last song -> the last dinner party - nothing matters

Currently Reading -> meow epos Moonstone Mage Championship (i am on chapter 6 now and i love it)

Last film -> the whole annabelle triologi in one sitting while trying to get some work done. if i work from home i get to have a horror movie playing the background as a reward. that is the rules

Currently craving -> a really cold redbull, some sour candy and 24 hours of deep melatonin infused sleep.

I dont know who to tag really because i feel like everyone and their mother have already done this so.. if you have already done it pls ignore me @izzy-b-hands @youshouldseemeinadeerstalker @hummingbee-o0o @nandorisms @appleteeth @eye-scream-girls @tabbystardust @lostanxiousfool and @glam-hutchence