#also Stingray doesn't exist because I think he's so annoying

[persefoneshalott]

in the cobra kai of my dreams in which they let Miguel and Aisha have a villain arc during s2 they drop the romance stuff and have both of them be more involved and there's a lot more of them, tori and hawk hanging out and when Johnny tries to set him straight he just humors him, because (and this is explored a little bit in the show but not very) everything that Johnny's said up to that point contradicts what he's saying now so why WOULD Miguel not think this is just Johnny being soft about his son and being a little bit of an hypocrite instead of him having realized what he was teaching them was toxic all along?

A lot of the drama for Sam would actually her relationship with Aisha because she starts training on Miyagi-Do and sees this rivalry getting stronger between the dojos and she doesn't want to lose her best friend right after they've just reconciled and she's also jealous of her dynamic with Tori. I think it should be just like how when Robby and Miguel fight on the school it becomes very clear soon that they're fighting about Robby's dad and not really about Sam, with Tory and Sam acting like they're fighting about Miguel but actually fighting about Aisha < 3 gay

Aisha was already shown in s1 to also be on her way to a toxic path, I think they could've explored her feeling powerful and intoxicated by that with how she'd been bullied in the past in a similar way they do with Hawk. Also she's a lesbian but they wouldn't show that.

I think this would also make the school fight more interesting because instead of coming out of nowhere there'd have been a lot of tension between the dojos before it happens whereas they way it happens in canon, Miguel wasn't involved with all the cobra shit bullying AT ALL, and even though it really IS about both of them just fighting over Johnny the excuse of 'fighting over the samantha kiss' is pretty lame. And the accident and time with Johnny is what makes Miguel get that what Johnny taught them was wrong and he gets to be mad at him for a while and his dynamic with Hawk changes too because Hawk is still like in canon trying to 'avenge' him and getting more brutal because he's so mad at what they did to him and he's trying to pull him back from it but he GETS it, he was there as well, and he's actually had a full. realization. about it. whereas in canon the approach he has to try and convince Hawk is just 'well Johnny says this' and that won't work on Hawk. Also would be lovely if he tried to get Johnny to talk to Hawk, with Johnny predictably failing at being emotionally vulnerable talking to any student that's not Miguel.

I am unsure where Aisha would fall in the school fight, I could see it going both ways, with her going with Tori & Hawk or with her relationship with Sam being vital to her maybe coming back to the 'light' side... Aisha and Miguel were friends before she was friends with Hawk and Tori too... hmmmmm

[imperiuswrecked]

Time to read Namor (2024) #1

I personally think Namor would rather die than ever admit his weakness to enemies.

Aaron has never been able to write Namor's noble arrogance & pride correctly.

S.M. 39 - Sub-Mariner 1939 (creation year)?

I want to physically slap Namor out of his depression so hard that my hand breaks on his perfect cheekbones.

Someday, a writer will remember Prince Byrrah exists and then the toxic royal cousin rivalry will be back on! He def would have been at the forefront of this misadventure to lead Namor into trouble.

Finally a bit of in character-ness, Namor being annoyed that the humans weak prison and ripping through the bars like it's nothing.

I can't recall, was it that awesome Namor fanfic that first introduced Namor gaining strength through blood (aka the Blood-Mariner) or was it in a comic? I'll come back to this point later to check.

Action/art in this book is great, I do love the artists so much.

He's so sad, a depressed mess.

Stingray??? This man is always around when Namor is beat to hell and tied up by humans, I swear. Except the last time he was put on display and not in a hospital bed, and it was Walter who captured Namor. (Sub-Mariner 1969 #19)

I mean the fish never spoke to you before Namor but that's ok, I know you've been knocked on the head a lot of times in your life. (Kidding aside, The fish in the Marvel universe don't talk, that's Aquaman's thing. Namor has a mild telepathy that let's him persuade/command them)

Which is the better sea pun? World War Sea or Searebro? Vote below

The thing is the Atlanteans have always been treated that way without anything to stop them?? Like the kids who were left to die on the shore in Aaron's Avengers, what repercussions did the international world instigate when that happened? It was only ever Namor who stood up for his people, and tried to implement change in the surface world's governments. Heck he finally got Atlantis/the ocean into the UN back in 2018. It's not like the humans have ever cared about the oceans or Atlanteans, so while I get the urgency Walter should have just said "Attuma said your ass looks fat and you're an ugly skank, and he insulted your mother" bc then Namor would have been rushing to beat him up. lmao.

Sorry it's just really funny to me that Namor in the past would have left everything in an instant the moment Attuma even glanced at Atlantis. The (Defenders comic? need to check) scene where he just fucks off back into the ocean always lives in my heart.

While I see what Aaron is trying to do, I don't trust him enough to carry it out because while he's set up Namor to be sympathetic in the past by the end of his use of Namor in Avengers/Enter the Phoenix, Namor is the one who was blamed for everything without any acknowledgement of the help he gives to humans, etc.

Here.

This is where I really feel that Aaron doesn't get Namor. I understand a lot of people see Namor as this cruel character but he's not. He can be capable of cruelty but he really did not start being so cold until he was an adult. It's not until after WWll, after the deaths' of his mother, Fen, his wives, Dorma & Marrina, and finally his younger cousin Nita, that Namor really changes into today's modern interpretation of the character. You can actually see his character progression into what most people know him as in the 2000s and beyond comics, but younger Prince Namor?

Prince Namor is arrogant, and brash, and prideful, but he was also kind and selfless. He was happy once.

Compare Aaron's flashbacks to Busiek's in Namor: King in Black and there is a world of difference in how they are written. Aaron's has never shown that he has the writing range of being able to write Namor's less mean side. I should say more innocent side? Because he does have one, one that believes that he should be a protector of his people. This kinda behavior is something I expect from Prince Byrrah, who was always selfish and cruel and put a lot of emphasis on him being the Heir to the Throne. This isn't the first time Aaron's written about Namor's younger self, in his Avengers, he also wrote him like this, but killing a shark just for fun.

*sigh* I knew it was coming bc of the preview of coverart but we really are back in the old suit. I do like how the artist added some flair, but I will be honest that I already miss his slutty fish net pants. Of course I wouldn't be complaining if we got Namor back in his speedo.

The worst of it was just how right I was about how Aaron really fails to grasp Namor's character. That's always been my complaint about the writer.

If the setup was in the hands of another writer I would love it bc I love Fantasy Court intrigue & battles.

However I do have to say the artists have been really great and I can't wait to see what they do next!

[zachsgamejournal]

PLAYING: Super Mario Sunshine (Super Mario 3D All Stars)

Cleared the Noki Bay and Sirena Beach. Looks like I have two levels left: Pianta Village and Corona Mountain. I'm not 100% I'm going to do a clean up and grab all the Shines, but I'm leaning toward a yes.

Feeling at the moment:

What I love about this game is how they took Mario, which has typically existed in abstract worlds of blocks and mushrooms, and given him a lived-in world. The hub is a town of buildings and shops, with shop keepers. Ferries float through the canals, and secrets hide around every corner. There's a world map that shows where each level is in relation to the other, and from most levels you can actually see other levels off in the distance. It really makes the world feel cohesive and real.

The other side of the coin is the lack of environmental diversity. Every level, so far, maintains the same tropical aesthetic. No snow levels, desert levels...or Temperate zones. If the game were open-world, I don't think it would annoy me so much...and it's called "Sunshine", so makes sense to focus on a "sunny" climate. But it makes the game feel spinoff, and not a main series entry.

LEVELS

Noki Bay

It would appear I did things "out of order", but who cares. This level was interesting in that it felt like it had "plot". The water is dirty and the local fisher-dude wants to clean it. He sends you on a few missions, like pulling the limbs off a squid (creative, but horrifying). Eventually he decides you need to clean the teeth of an underwater eel. I guess this is supposed to be the "under water level", but it's hardly a decent replacement...

To go underwater, Mario has a scuba mask. He sinks slowly with this on and can't swim. He can only rise by using his water jets. This isn't horribly annoying until you try to turn a 180. Mario turns horribly slow, making a couple of the quests a little too annoying.

The level is very vertical and memerable. But also a bit "contained". It has some creative ideas, like flat walls that become platforms. But given the vertical nature, it doesn't feel "free" to explore. Almost like the clock tower from M64. It's not a bad level, but it's not really what I call "fun".

Sirena Beach

Because you need Yoshi to find this level, I halfway thought it was a bonus. At first, there's no hotel, just a small flat recreation area and a stingray boss. Once you beat the boss, the Hotel appears.

Right before going into the the Hotel for the first time, I thought to myself: "Almost strange they don't have a ghost level in this game..." Turns out the hotel is haunted.

Like the Haunted House in M64, the area is small and filled with rooms. There's some cute puzzles to solve--but not much hopping about.

I'm still having fun. The game is mostly relaxing. But despite the water mechanics, it's just not impressing me all that much. Playing through Mario 64 gave me a new appreciation for the game, and I'll definitely want to play through it again in the future. But I don't really see myself doing Sunshine again, once I'm done.