#Stanning Mako Mori 5ever.

[hauntedfalcon]

Why do you like mako mori

WHERE DO I START? I love how her story is given to us one puzzle piece at a time and every piece makes her more remarkable, I love her resilience and determination, I LOVE “FOR MY FAMILY” AND EVERYTHING IT MEANS

[hauntedfalcon]

MAKO'S BIRTHDAY IS ON ST. GEORGE'S DAY HOLY SHIT I NEVER MADE THAT CONNECTION HOLY SHIIIIIIIIT

OUR LADY OF JAEGERS 

THANKS BE TO GOD

[hauntedfalcon]

Can you wipe out that much red?

[hauntedfalcon]

YOU GUYS KNOW I DON'T THROW THE PHRASE "DIE IN A FIRE" AROUND LIGHTLY 

BUT THE LAST TWENTY-FOUR HOURS HAVE GIVEN US TWO PARTICULARLY WORTHY POSTS IN THE MAKO MORI TAG

[hauntedfalcon]

Curiosity poll wants to know who is your favorite Pacific Rim Movie Character and why? Cheers!

[hauntedfalcon]

I'm pretty sure i'm missing the entire point but does that mean ppl can only cosplay within their race?? Or is it that only minorities can cosplay white characters but only people the same race as a poc character can cosplay them?? cuz as someone who NEVER sees their race anywhere in media thats kinda a bummer. like idk if someone didn't do something totally stupidly racist and offensive while doing it whats wrong with a white person cosplaying mako?

Honestly anon, I'm still sorting through this stuff myself. (I'm not really in the cosplay community, in part because I know it has some pretty awful politics about "body type appropriateness" that need to die a quick fucking death, so in addition to spending time and money I really don't have, I'd stand to get shitty responses for cosplaying a character skinnier than me, which is, uh, all of them except Gertrude Yorkes.)

What I've been talking about thus far is what bothers me as a white person with zero dogs in this fight other than my extreme emotional attachment to Mako Mori.

Regarding your point about people only cosplaying within their race, the thing is that white people see their race literally everywhere in media, and I think we can stand to let someone else have something nice for a change, without this compulsion to insert ourselves as a character who is important, in part, for reasons of positive representation. 

Perhaps someone else can supply more of the big picture. 

[hauntedfalcon]

That thing about Chuck's soul being Max and how it goes freaking running to Mako makes me so happy for so many reasons. One of them being that Mako seems to be a collector of hearts. Chuck's(apparently, as seen through Max) and then Raleighs (she rebuilt G. Danger which in my mind is totally a symbol of her repairing Raleigh's heart) ANNNDD we all know her and Stacker are each other's #1 (the shoe and heart symbolism just kill me now) Mako is just one of those people who captures hearts

Additionally, the hearts of EVERY DECENT HUMAN WHO SAW THE MOVIE.

[hauntedfalcon]

RALEIGH'S NOT UP THERE MAKO

WHO ARE YOU LOOKING AT

[hauntedfalcon]

So thanks to confabulatrix being all THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE and I'M GONNA UPLOAD THE MP3S and NOPE SHUSH I'M ALREADY DOING IT and HERE HERE ARE THE LINKS, I have a burned copy of the PacRim soundtrack in my car so I don't have to muck about with Spotify when I want to feel badass while driving, and it has taken me this long to notice that the melody in "Just a Memory" is actually the same as the one in "Mako" except in the former it never resolves, and I am so fucking full of emotion over this.

[hauntedfalcon]

fashion4ducks answered your post: I'm in a prompty mood?

Daddy Stacker/bby Mako!!!!!!!

HOWEVER DID YOU KNOW precisely what I wanted to write?

Giving directions is good language practice. Handling a brush is good motor skills development in the wake of massive nerve damage. In this, as in all things now, they guide each other. 

"The tip should press into the paper. You must hold it lower. Not that low. Better. It is not like a pen--the fude must be..." He looks up from the paper long enough to see her whole face tense with frustration at her own limits. "縦の." She blows out a vexed sigh.

"Vertical," he advises gently, and makes the necessary adjustment. 

"Vertical," she pronounces, etching it in her memory as she speaks it. Every word she learns this way is one she won't ever forget. "Let the tip follow through when you turn it. The brush moves where it wants."

Stacker's first kana is rough, cramped, and there's a patch where he ran out of ink too early. Mako frames it and keeps it in her room. 

[hauntedfalcon]

GOD

IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED WHY I'M SO INTO THE IDEA OF PRE-MOVIE MAKO/CHUCK AND I HOLD IT AS PERSONAL CANON 

PARTICULARLY IN THE TIMELINE WHERE THEY'RE THE SAME AGE AND THEY WENT TO THE ACADEMY TOGETHER AND STRIKER EUREKA WAS GOING TO BE HERS BEFORE SOMETHING WENT HORRIBLY HORRIBLY WRONG

JUST STOP FOR A SECOND AND THINK ABOUT HOW

MUCH

SWEETER

THAT MAKES THE ENDGAME OF THE BATTLE OF HONG KONG FOR MAKO

MAKO IS THE BIG WINNER HERE OBVS ANYWAY

MAKO WINS AT LIFE; MAKO WINS AT VENGEANCE; MAKO WINS AT SAVING EVERYONE'S ASSES

BUT THROW IN THAT HISTORY

THROW IN ALL THOSE DISAPPOINTMENTS

THROW IN ADOLESCENT CHUCK AND MAKO WATCHING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF G. DANGER'S COMBAT DROPS ON SHATTERDOME TERMINALS AND THEN WATCHING THE RECORDINGS IN SLOW-MO AND DEBATING TECHNIQUE ENDLESSLY 

AND SUDDENLY

MAKO ALSO WINS AT JAEGERS AND MAKO WINS AT BOYFRIENDS

NOT THAT SHE IS BY THIS POINT IN ANY WAY STILL IN COMPETITION WITH CHUCK HANSEN OR TRYING TO PROVE ANYTHING TO HIM OF ALL PEOPLE

BUT GOLLY I BET HE THINKS SHE IS

[hauntedfalcon]

bgamerica replied to your post:Yo, could everyone reblogging this post do me a...

????? and im laughjng the comments are lit “OH GOD RALEIGH is so PERFECT for behaving like a HALFWAY DECENT HUMAN BEING quick someone reward him w sex”

When in actuality, he got shut down for the same behavior AGAIN THE SAME WAY BY THE OTHER MAIN CAST POC 21 MINUTES LATER

And I'm just sitting here like "... did I not make it abundantly clear that that post was me celebrating Mako Mori pretty exclusively, four for Mako Mori and none for Raleigh Becket, bye?"

[hauntedfalcon]

hotdadsgoodshoes replied to your post: aseariel said:So I can't remember...

what the heck i mean this movie was basically titled “pacific rim: mako mori is cooler than youll ever be, shes ice cold (all right all right all right all right)”

"... not everything is about her?"

YOU'RE RIGHT

THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER MOVIES WHICH ARE NOT ABOUT HER

[hauntedfalcon]

So I can't remember if you've already mentioned this but I love how when Raleigh does fight Chuck, he doesn't win until he starts fighting like Mako. Raleigh can't beat Chuck fighting like Chuck. Then today I wondered if maybe that wasn't the first time Mako beat Chuck in a fight, just the first time it was through a proxy. And if they were friends as kids, and something happened that he would say the things he said to her... how would it feel to get floored by someone else who took his place?

YES HELLO GOOD EVENING THIS IS A DISCUSSION I AM 1000% HERE FOR

I ALWAYS HIT THE TAG LIMIT WHEN I TAGFIC ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

SO I’M JUST GONNA PUT THIS IN THE BODY

I DON’T CARE HOW MANY PEOPLE BUST IN WITH “THAT WAS A BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU MOVE IT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE FOR RALEIGH TO DO THAT” 

(OR MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE RESPONSE: “I like Mako as much as the next guy, but not everything is about her?” HAHA FUCK OFF YES IT IS)

WE SAW SOME FINESSE FROM RALEIGH IN THE KWOON SCENE ONCE HE REALIZED HE HAD TO BRING HIS A-GAME WITH MAKO

THAT WAS A DIALOGUE, NOT A FIGHT

WHEN HE THROWS DOWN

WELL THEY CUT THE SCENE WHERE HE SHOVED THE WALL CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN’S HEAD INTO A BEER CAN

BUT THAT’S A THING THAT HAPPENED

WHEN RALEIGH THROWS DOWN IT IS BRUTE FORCE ELBOW ROCKET NO PULSE TANKER SHIP 

RALEIGH FIGHTS LIKE A JAEGER AND SO DOES CHUCK

AND I’M NOT GOING TO GO SO FAR AS TO SAY HE COULDN’T HAVE BEATEN CHUCK WHILE FIGHTING LIKE CHUCK

JUST THAT RALEIGH CONSISTENTLY TAKES HIS ADVANTAGES FROM SURPRISE ATTACKS AND HE USED THAT UP FIRST THING (AND IT NEVER CEASES TO BE GLORIOUS)

SO IF THEY HAD JUST KEPT THROWING EACH OTHER INTO WALLS AND PIPES BECAUSE RARRR BRAWNY MANFIGHT IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GONE ON A LOT LONGER

ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MY PARA-CANON FRIEND THE PACIFIC RIM NOVELIZATION

THAT’S DURING THE FUCKING KWOON SCENE AND YES I HAVE IT HIGHLIGHTED AND NOTED FOR REFERENCE

IF THEY HAD LEFT IT IN THE FINISHED FILM IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MOMENT OF SYMMETRY AND PEOPLE WOULD BE GIFING IT LEFT AND RIGHT 

FORTUNATELY WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE THIS

AND EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN’T MAKE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR IN THE FINISHED FILM THAT THE SLAP WAS WHERE RALEIGH’S CUSTOMARY FIGHTING STYLE ENDED AND MAKO’S BEGAN 

CHUCK’S FACE RIGHT AFTER THE SLAP?

HE KNOWS

HE KNOWS HE’S BONED

TWO MOVES LATER HE IS ON THE DECK

HOW DOES IT FEEEEEEEEEEEEEL

MAKO STEPS UP WITH A “STOP. NOW.” IN THE HARDEST VOICE WE’VE HEARD FROM HER IN THE WHOLE DAMN MOVIE UP TO THAT POINT

MAKO STEPS UP BECAUSE CHUCK JUST FLICKED RALEIGH’S CHEST

CHUCK DID THAT WHOLE SPIEL TO GET A RISE OUT OF MAKO

STARING RIGHT AT HER AND SAYING “GODDAMN DISGRACE” DIDN’T DO IT 

BUT TOUCHING MAKO’S CO-PILOT? 

RIGHT AFTER HE DOES THAT CHUCK SHIFTS TO THE RIGHT

HE ORIENTS HIS BODY TOWARD MAKO

WHAT IS HE EXPECTING HER TO DO

NOT THE FIRST TIME INDEED

NOT THE FIRST TIME HE’S GOADED HER INTO IT EITHER

POSSIBLY MY FAVORITE CONCEPT IN THIS *ENTIRE MOVIE* IS MAKO AND CHUCK AS MIRRORS OF EACH OTHER

LOLYUP

SAME ANGER

SAME DRIVE

PUTTING THEM OPPOSITE EACH OTHER RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE DEAL WITH SIMILAR TRAGEDIES

HOW DO WE DIRECT GRIEF

WHERE DO WE PLACE RESPONSIBILITY

THEY’RE A LOT ALIKE BUT THEY USED TO BE MORE ALIKE

IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS CHUCK HAS BECOME A ROCK STAR 

MAKO HAS BEEN WORKING AS A TECH

NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAD ANYTHING CLOSE TO A PROPER ADOLESCENCE BUT MAKO AT LEAST HAS HAD A CHANCE TO GROW UP A LITTLE

SHE HAS STAYED ON THE SIDELINES NOT OUT OF OBEDIENCE BUT RESPECT

WHATEVER THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS AS TEENAGERS AND AS ACADEMY CLASSMATES OR NOT DEPENDING ON WHICH TIMELINE YOU PREFER

SHE IS NO LONGER THE HORNET’S NEST CHUCK USED TO KICK

DID HE EXPECT THE PUNCH TO COME FROM HER

DID HE EXPECT A JAB TO THE THROAT

DID HE EXPECT A VERBAL SMACKDOWN EQUAL TO THOSE HE DISHED OUT THROUGHOUT THE FILM UP TO THAT POINT

OR WAS SHE GOING TO KEEP STEPPING UP INTO HIS PERSONAL SPACE UNTIL HE STUMBLED BACKWARD ALL THE WAY DOWN THE CORRIDOR WHICH IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE OPTION

WHATEVER CHUCK EXPECTED

WHATEVER HE WAS TRYING TO GET FROM HER

IT WASN’T HIS HEAD SNAPPING BACK FROM RALEIGH’S FIST

HOW DOES IT FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL

[hauntedfalcon]

I hit the tag limit earlier, but let's spend a few minutes thinking about twenty-something Hermann tutoring adolescent Mako and Chuck.

And he makes sure the very first concept he teaches them is general relativity, so they don't spend any longer than necessary working with outdated and inaccurate information (and also if they're not astrophysicist material, he'll know up front). The scientific ramifications, the historical ramifications; what the hell, Hermann sits them down to watch Einstein and Eddington--it's watered down, but it gets the message across about Why This Was Important and it's good for an ESL student, and Hermann admires Eddington's reverence, his drive to do what's right despite the potential disapproval of the scientific community. (Also, it's like, Vanessa's favorite movie. Lady loves Andy Serkis.)

And Mako is still learning English, so it takes her a bit longer, but Chuck Hansen at 13, 14, is totally comfortable with it, right out of the gate. Doesn't even protest, "But they told me--" Just dives right in. And after a little while, Mako's vocabulary catches up and it turns out she has no problem with the material either, and this thing that overturned Hermann's entire world when he was not much older than them is no big deal for two kids who have had their foundations so thoroughly shaken. They're completely unfazed by a scientific revelation that invalidates most of what they've been taught in the past.

He almost envies them.

[hauntedfalcon]

Just something I thought you might find interesting: more proof Mako is the hero/ace pilot for her story? The ace pilot doesn't get the fastest mech, or the newest mech (if s/he does, it will go wrong). S/he gets the reliable one, often the outdated one. Bonus points if it had to be rebuilt, or is rebuilt during the course of the story. If there isn't something about its age or outdated-ness that makes it particularly suited to some obligatory crucial event, it's a subversion of expectations.

YES GOOD