#also his reasoning on killing and the value of life show again how mature he is even if he's a bit naive

[iris-nonsense]

Yuuji continue to demonstrate that he's an incredibly mature person and a great friend

[blackbullet99]

The Idiocy of Aang Haters

First of all. People have a right to hate Aang. But hardly any reasons I come across are valid. Case in point this idiot on Twitter (or X if you wanna call it that).

First of all Aang was never a “nice guy” he was genuinely good person, the only time he started acting possessive was in EIP and even then he realized his mistake by the end of the episode, it doesn’t make up the forefront of his personality. He cared about Katara he never ignored her emotional needs at all, he was literally Katara’s biggest fan and would do anything for her. Also what mythology supports Zutara?

The only time we see Zuko comfort Katara twice in the whole show, which are both nice moments showing Zuko is a compassionate person. But to act like Aang never comforts Katara and just stands there is objectively wrong. When Jet dies Aang simply places his hand on Katara’s shoulder and thus reassures her, he also comforts her after bloodbending. We see Aang support Katara by offering to take her to The North Pole to waterbend, he gives himself up to Zuko to save Katara’s home. He helps Katara commit eco-terorism, he literally helps brings fun and levity into Katara’s life.

Aang doesn’t see Katara as an object, again that point is objectively wrong. We see Aang is literally Katara’s biggest fan. He admires her for her heroism and compassion in Imprisoned and The Painted Lady. He admires and respects her as a Waterbender and his Sifu. Whenever Katara’s in danger he’ll drop everything to save her. Even when they disagree about something they usually calmly talk it out even if they disagree. To act like Aang doesn’t value Katara is a gross mischaracterization. Sure Aang has feelings for Katara, but they’re friends first, they have a friendship built on mutual trust/respect where they value each other outside of attraction and their feelings exist within their close bond and friendship.

Regarding Aang and Katara kissing. Their first kiss outside of the cave in Omashu was mutual, sure Aang initiated it and it surprised Katara but it’s not like it was a one-sided affair. The one in EIP was wrong definitely, but that’s the point, Aang misread the situation, Katara was rightfully annoyed and Aang realized that it was stupid. It ain’t that deep, and it’s not like Aang S/Aed Katara. Also Aang had a dream about kissing Katara, okay? How is that bad?

“Both Zuko and Katara are people who've been shaped by a life of hardship thrust upon them at a young age by no fault of their own and therefore had to mature extremely quickly in order to deal with their environment. It's why they understand each other so well but Aang doesn’t”. Aang literally lost his entire nation. He was forced to carry the weight the of the world as The Avatar, younger than most too. He left because of many reasons, the weight of the situation, her peers alienating him, threatened to be taken away from his father figure. When he returned he saw his entire race was killed and he literally saw said father figure’s corpse. Aang also had to mature quickly and experience hardship through no fault of his own. Both him and Katara are both victims of genocide and colonization, both of their parental figure were killed. Zuko is a victim of child abuse, which is still very bad. This idiot ignoring Aang’s trauma doesn’t surprise me, given how they straight up downplay the effects of genocide and act like it doesn’t effect Aang because he was absent for 100 years and because he’s still able enjoy life and have fun.

So much of these points are downright repulsive, I don’t even know where to begin, this heartless POS is literally downplaying a child seeing their father-figure’s dead body and even though Aang was gone for 100 years, from his perspective he literally left The Air Temple only a few days ago and there would’ve been Airbenders around if The Fire Nation didn’t attack. Additionally it’s not like the genocide didn’t affect Aang, it comes up constantly in multiple episodes, it’s a core part of his character, he has survivors guilt, it’s why he’s so determined to save the world this time, it one of the reasons why he was so broken up when Appa was taken. But apparently because Aang likes to have fun, it means he has no trauma, what a braindead take, so people who have trauma can’t have fun. Aang literally chooses to enjoy life and have fun DESPITE what he’s been through, and that’s an admirable characteristic, it’s not like Katara isn’t above fun, in fact she’s drawn Aang because of this. They probably think Zuko is super mature because he’s so serious and focused on finding The Avatar and isn’t shown having fun, because to this moron, having fun mean you have no trauma whatsoever.

Back to this guy’s main point, while there are similarities between nations. The Fire Nation literally has the most power of the four nations and was straight up colonizing and invading The Water Tribe. Zuko and Katara do both get angry, both Zuko is much quicker to anger and even then two people who both get mad isn’t a good match for couple, they literally shot themselves in the foot with that one. Katara is literally a Waterbending Prodigy, love Zuko, but he isn’t a prodigy. “They care deeply about the people close to them”, so does Aang, so does literally everyone in The Gaang.

Literally none of this idiot’s points make sense. They clearly don’t understand the show they claim to love or its characters. They obviously aren’t a real fan of this show and it’s painfully obvious that shipping has blinded them.

Not to mention this person is a POS for downplaying and denying the effects of genocide, but also posts racist stuff like this. Scumbags like this honestly don’t deserve to have a voice or an opinion and the world would honestly be better off without trash like this loser. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were a Zionist too.

[xfulmen]

What makes you the most emotional about your muse?

If you could “borrow” one aspect of your muse and apply it to yourself or your own life, what would you borrow?

Do you genuinely want your muse to be happy? What do you think would make them most happy in life?

( @thebellatores / questions prompt / accepting )

What makes you the most emotional about your muse?

It all started ever since we saw his true colors of character shining during the fantasia parade. Ever since then, and his whole redemption process has been quite the emotional journey for me. Laxus was a guy that lost his way, drunk in his own power and reputation; and from a guy that could have easily killed his fellow teammates ( albeit his heart showed otherwise during the execution of Fairy Law ) he turned into a guy that would easily sacrifice his life to save a teammate ( though in this blog, i don't believe that it's necessary to voice ' you hurt my nakama !!! ' in every single fight but that's another thing )

Seeing how much he is trying to redeem himself, seeing how he is much better at interacting with his fellow guildmates makes me happy but at the same time it makes me emotional because i know ( at least for my muse ) that he still has partial guilt in his heart for creating the infamous ' Battle of Fairy Tail ' . And the flashback of him and Mavis talking in the Ryuzetsu land, him confessing all of that showed that he still cannot forget what he has done and never will. I feel like even though he has redeemed himself in the eyes of his fellow guildmembers, there's still a needle that is going to pierce his heart, reminding him of his past actions. Perhaps i'm taking this too seriously, or perhaps it's not as deep as it should be but I can't help it.

Also, what also makes me emotional is that i believe that Laxus isn't going to have a long life. He knows that he will meet his demise sooner than anticipated and he fears that this could happen without accomplishing something worth mentioning, or failing to protect those that he values the most. I've also spoken about something like this, which you can find here.

In a summary, this big guy here makes me emotional because he tries to much and believes that there's no avail. Catch him wondering how things would have been had he not joined FT again, or even --- if he wasn't in the Tenrou island back then.

And don't get me started on his childhood because oh boy, that's another can of worms. In a summary i don't believe Laxus had the best childhood --- he didn't have the worst but due to his father, a huge portion of his childhood has been ruined, leaving him traumatized ( hell, even the 100yq touched briefly on that topic of his father, and i abhor the series ) Despite the canon divergence in this blog ( my Laxus had been experimented by Ivan in order to increase his magic prowess since he was quite sick as a child )

Basically, he feels like he is not enough. And this is where the Raijinshuu come; these three individuals were the only people that caught his attention, decided to take them under his wing, and eventually he grew close to them --- so close that they were the only people that he would consider ' family ' at best. ( pre - expulsion mostly ) Their relationship is beautiful; it's where Laxus feels the most comfortable with, by being himself without being judged ( not that he minds being judged, but rather -- people understanding him, instead of taking offense due to his boorish behaviour at times ) And he will turn the impossible to possible to make sure they are safe; he will show no hesitation in doing anything in order to protect them. And the mere thought of losing them will send him endless nightmares.

Basically this guy here makes me emotional for a lot of reasons; his redemption, the way his personality has changed -- the way he matured, and his way of life. I can go on and on but that's about it for now.

If you could “borrow” one aspect of your muse and apply it to yourself or your own life, what would you borrow?

His confidence. Let's be real, despite what mentioned above, and what has happened in his life, Laxus still remains a very confident individual. And it's understandable due to how hard he has worked all these years in order to build his reputation and strength. And even when he tried to tarnish it all, he still made sure to rebuild it all back. One might say that he is arrogant, but who is he to disagree on that? Laxus is a confident individual, and despite all the aforementioned guilt that he has, his confidence has helped him significantly in moving forward.

Do you genuinely want your muse to be happy? What do you think would make them most happy in life?

OF - FUCKING - COURSE. Laxus has been through a lot and he deserves to be happy. I don't care if he ends up as a future Guildmaster, or married, or with children, retired as a mage; he deserves to be happy. He deserves to sit down and think ' it's alright. '

What would make him happy? Feeling that he had accomplished what he was fighting for. Having the weight of the guilt in his heart finally lifted. If Laxus were to live a long life, I could see him as a future Master ( but that would take at least a decade or two ) Becoming a prime example for the youngsters that could potentially join the Guild in the future. I can totally picture that, alongside with the raijinshuu as his right hand people.

Becoming a person that people would be proud of, to look up to, and believe in.

[vacantgodling]

OC ask for you!! Who is your favorite OC and why? Also, are there any OCs that you feel you (intentionally or unintentionally) based on yourself in any way?

hi! thank you so much for the ask :) SORRY it’s a wee bit long haha,,,

i actually have a lot of different wips that i mentally rotate through, so, in no particular order here’s a list of some of my favorite ocs, why & what wips they come from:

hyacinthus shrapnel — paramour

there’s a lot of reasons why i love hya and tbh i could be here all day ranting about him however i will shorten it to simply he ticks all of my boxes for a blorbo lol. i love his shitty attitude and his inability to talk about his feelings and how unapologetic he is. he’s just chefs kiss perfect shite dude.

amon — paramour

coming as no surprise here, hya’s counterpart. amon also ticks blorbo boxes but also i love how he and hya balance each other out so well. and i also really enjoy how he’s more than meets the eye; he’s a very multifaceted dude and i like how he is so acutely aware of how other people perceive him and uses it to his advantage. also, i love that even tho he seems more polite and put together he is constantly brimming with rage :)

clear brightendale — the chronicles of lathsbury (tcol)

haven’t actually talked about this wip much on this new iteration of my blog however for the uninitiated tcol is my giant ass fantasy from the ground up wip. i’m talking magic, mythology, etc etc. i’ve had this wip for quite some time. clear is one of the mcs of the main story and tbh i’m just. obsessed with him not even joking that’s my beloved boy. similarly to amon i enjoy how multifaceted he is. how he’s both a ruthless killing machine but an anxiety ridden sweetheart at the same time. i love how hard he tries even tho it’s not an easy path like he’s so hard working and he fights for what he wants and that’s just a rare thing tbh. he literally goes against his entire upbringing because he WANTS to do good and i love that for him.

lath — tcol historical

INSANE about lath actually. i say “historical” because technically a lot of his story takes place hundreds of years before the events of actual tcol but he does show up in the main story bc he’s a guardian tm :) i can’t properly express how much i love this dude. again, super blorbo material. i love how he’s fierce and unyielding and just kinda a weird guardian angel bird dude that will fight anybody. his relationship with his best friend/sword ensio also means an INSANE amount to me and tbh it’s a wonder i don’t froth at the mouth about it on a daily basis. honestly talking about tcol has brought it back into my headspace so xD that’s kind of how wips work for me.

darren de leon — vampires don’t take road trips

our mc! favorite boy! i love darren bc he’s just such a mood tbh. tired, no aspirations, just coasting through life. main goals is to be around people he loves and chill. i also admire his emotional maturity and how fiercely he loves his family and friends :’)

nyseah nicoletti — NAD (*placeholder title*)

my favorite she her 🥲 her tired not here for the bullshit vibes are immaculate but i love how she’s also so so caring and loving despite the bs she has and is currently going through. true mom friend energy. she’s also a badass and i love her resilience :)

i do have a lot more favorites than these but these ones especially tend to be at the top of my brain!

as to characters i’ve made like myself i have a few? generally speaking i would say that all my characters contain some pieces of me and the things i feel or value or do. but ones that are deadass like me in some way would be:

jake & calvin (purple haze) but this is 100% on purpose. purple haze in general is a wip that’s whole purpose is to help me work through the bs of first being a young adult and the specific circumstances i dealt with at that time. so not only are they like me they share similarities to my situation too. it’s only fair since they’re my oldest ocs :)

darren de leon (vdtrt) but mostly unintentional lol. i’m just pretty laid back and lowkey aspirationless like he is.

jenna magboo (the liminal space series) is somewhat purposeful but in a… different way? i’m autistic & was raised a girl so tbh jenna has a lot of mannerisms and likeness to myself when i was younger. jenna isn’t the same age as younger me or anything, but it’s almost like an alternate reality “if i kept going down this particular path i’d probably be like her”. so, as such bc she’s based off of me (but younger but older?) she and i have some similarities but we’re definitely very different.

[tsuzuruteeth]

Vil Rant: Why His Overblot was Valid

So I’ve seen a lot of not so hot takes on Vil’s overblot. Some people believe that his reason for overblot wasn’t good enough in comparison to the others. Most of the others overblotted due to some trauma from their childhood that never really got resolved to sum it up very vaguely. Vil on the other hand, it seemingly wasn’t like that. Vil’s overblot was due to envy. Pure envy. 

Or was it?

It wasn’t. So as the resident Vil stan, I am going to take my time to explain why Vil’s overblot made sense and it isn’t as petty as some people think it is. 

Vil himself is a very mischaracterized character, so it’s no surprise that people are not seeing the full picture. 

Vil’s whole character is based on hard work. Most people would assume it’s beauty but it isn’t, at least not fully. For Vil, beauty isn’t his end goal but a tool to achieve his end goal, this is made clear in his overblot flashback. Now some people might not be convinced, but this isn’t a character analysis, so I’m not going to delve too deep into his values and why they’re his values for now. 

So the reason he overblotted, for the people who take Vil at face value anyway instead of learning his motives, is because he was jealous Neige was more beautiful than him. He overblotted out of envy because he couldn’t stand being second best. 

Now this isn’t wrong, but it isn’t the full picture. Too see the full thing playout I’m gonna run through a little Vil timeline with you. And “because I am so kind” and I know not everyone out there is a fan of Vil, so probably wouldn’t take the time to read his personal stories, I will stick to things mentioned in chapter 5. 

So starting from Vil’s childhood. We see this part in his overblot flashback but even as a child Vil would always get villain roles and because of this he is ostracized by the other children, apart from Jack (Just as a reference this is also mentioned in his robes sr personal story).  This didn’t really bother Vil much from what we saw, but it showed us that Vil was a bit more mature for his age, as being in the industry he probably had to be. 

Next thing we see is how Neige always gets the main parts while Vil is always the villain. So this is where Vil’s envy of Neige starts. However, at this stage in his life it’s not about his beauty, it’s because he gets the roles Vil wants. Vil then goes on to talk about how all he wants is to be the heroine for once, yet he knows this will never happen. He is mature enough to realise that life doesn't work that way, no matter how hard you work something can never be achieved, hence his frustration begins.

So throughout Chapter 5 we can see Neige be mentioned and Vil’s vows to defeat him. He constantly asks Mira about the beauty rankings only to see Neige be number one. Which doesn’t seem such a big deal at first, until you think about how much hard work Vil puts in. Although, if you think about it, it’s still a bit petty at this stage, which is why it doesn’t cause overblot just yet. However, it does make his previous childhood frustration towards Neige grow. 

Another thing that I feel I should mention quickly, is that Vil personally doesn’t really have anything against Neige himself per say, if it was someone else in Neige’s place he would be salty towards them. He really just hates the situation and circumstances, not Neige as a person. 

Anyway back to the timeline. This is where it starts to go wrong. The VDC rehearsal. Vil put effort into the performance. We saw how strict he was, how dedicated he was to make sure everything was perfect. He put his all into it. He even made the song and dance himself, and played a key role in the actual performance. He made that performance to perfection. He even was number one on the search results for the word “beauty”! Only for everyone to fuss over Neige. Neige did a remix of a nursery rhyme and it is mentioned that the choreo wasn’t in sync.When Vil checked Mira again, Neige was back to number one. This is what tipped Vil over the edge. 

I have seen some people claim that his actions were uncalled for and petty, because music isn’t just about being perfect, it’s for having fun and making everyone else enjoy your performance too! You don’t need to be perfect to perform well and make the audience love you! Vil should hold himself to lesser standards and realise it’s not a competition, everyone is beautiful and talented in their own way!

I see your point. I really do. But, I think you need to change your perspective a little to see what really is going on. 

Put yourself in Vil’s shoes for example. Imagine you worked really hard on something, like an art project. You slaved weeks over it, making sure it was the best quality it can be. Finally you put it into a competition. Only to be beat out with a drawing that is half complete and was finished the night before. Could you manage to tell yourself to just let it go? There’s value in all art right? So shouldn’t you just be happy for the winner? It might be the right thing to do, but can you honestly say that you wouldn’t be absolutely seething inside? After all you went through? All that effort? I know for a fact I would be fuming with rage. Maybe I’m just a bad, selfish person but it's true. Although I think most people would at least be a little upset at this outcome. And Vil was.

Now you may agree with my point above, but how does that justify Vil trying to KILL Neige? That’s the beauty of it. It doesn’t. Just like Riddle, all of Vil’s views came crashing down before him the moment people started to fawn over Neige. 

He always thought that hard work would get you to where you need to be, but he worked as hard as he could yet he still failed. Instead someone who hasn’t worked hard, someone who didn’t take the VDC seriously, someone who was only there for fun, beat him out. It didn’t help that he was given hope by being number one, only to have that hope snatched from him right after Neige performed. What is he supposed to do now? If he can’t beat Neige with talent, if he can’t beat Neige with hard work, how will he beat Neige? Easy. All he has to do is get rid of Neige. 

So yes, trying to kill Neige was extreme, but to Vil, that was the only way he thought he could beat him. 

You might be wondering why is it a competition in the first place? Simply because that’s the type of person Vil is. He doesn’t want to be second best, he’s a perfectionist so the only number that matters is being number one. 

But this doesn’t cause his overblot. This isn’t the snapping point for Vil. The snapping point was him realising what he had done, what he was about to do. He was about to do something ugly. He even mentions that it doesn’t matter if everyone forgives him, he can’t forgive himself. Then, he overblots. 

So, Vil’s overblot was a combination of frustration, high expectations and just all together feeling like he isn’t good enough. It’s probably the most relatable overblot so far, as I’m sure we’ve all been in a position where we’ve snapped because something seems hopeless no matter how hard we try. It’s easy to tell someone to stop holding themselves to such high standards, but as the saying goes, it’s easier said than done.

In terms of his after overblot, I don’t see Vil lessinging his normal standards, he will still try his best and make sure everyone around him does the same. He just maybe won’t compare himself to others as much. 

In conclusion, Vil’s overblot wasn’t uncalled for or petty, it actually made perfect sense. Thanks for listening or should I say reading my Ted Talk.

[swashbucklery]

The more I think about Hawkeye and the ways in which it bothers me, I think a lot of it just - I’m not mad, I’m disappointed. And I think particularly like. I am having narrative frustrations in parallel to the frustrations I had with Endgame and I think I have cracked why?

A lot of my frustration comes down to this core narrative shorthand, and they use it with Tony Stark in Endgame and again with Clint in Hawkeye, which is - the act of parenting makes male heroes Better and therefore More Worthy; seeing them love their kids Illustrates Their Goodness and gives us a reason to root for them in the narrative. And I think this is why it’s leaving me cold - ultimately I don’t think that’s a very useful or meaningful shorthand for what they’re trying to communicate.

Because in Hawkeye, what I see is like. Clint likes his kids but fundamentally he can’t really be a present or attentive parent because he’s a superhero! So he’s kind of a terrible dad! And he’s a terrible dad because he did a bunch of murders and now needs to cover them up and quite frankly like. Yes!!!! PROTECT YOUR KIDS FROM THAT, PLEASE. He’s trying his hardest, but in practical terms he’s dumping 100% of Christmas on his wife and worrying her because he very well could get killed and saddling her with the responsibility of consoling his kids over his lack of presence and attentiveness, as well as consoling him! His kids are also expected to be mature enough to understand that like. Dad’s busy, and he can’t show you he loves you with presence, attention, or quality time, but he says it a lot so you have to take him at face value because he made the effort! Which is expecting his kids to effectively do the emotional labor of fathering on his behalf.

But also, it’s quite clear that Clint brought this very much on himself, and that any consequences the narrative throws at him - up to and including his death - are absolutely the consequences he has earned for his actions.

And it’s super sad! They show us that, we see that Clint isn’t the parent he wants to be, that he’s struggling with the tension of wanting to be more present and more caring and not really knowing how because he sort of has unprocessed trauma over being a hero but also his kids keep being told Dad’s Not Here Because He’s Being A Hero so they’re trying to engage with him on that level! We feel his distress over this mismatch in early episodes and that’s done super well.

But ultimately, the narrative falls short because it hits this wall of like. Clint has to live being an unassailable premise. And the reason he has to live is because he’s good and the reason we know he’s good is because he’s a dad. We’re told in Endgame that on Vormir Natasha let him live because he’s a dad, and this is I think something that can be interpreted as like. An act of caring more for his wife and children than for Clint himself, but the messaging is very much that his presence in this family is, for some reason, required. Clint’s shitty parenting is so important that he has to survive. And maybe that’s true? But in-text we don’t really see enough of his parenting to ever understand what value he’s adding to his family or to his children’s lives. The narrative uses the existence of children as a shorthand without putting in the work of illustrating why he, specifically, in his role as father, is doing an important job.

And I think we’re supposed to extrapolate that from his relationship with Kate, like - he is a semi-paternal figure to her, and treats her ultimately with care and respect and mentorship. But I’d argue even here like. His “parenting” isn’t really given enough room to breathe to show that he’s value-added to Kate’s life; for a large majority of the show his “parenting” is mostly belittling Kate in a grouchy sort of way, which ultimately is really distressing to her. In-text, Kate’s actually doing most of the emotional labour and sort of bullying him into being a parent, which - if that mirrors how he is with his children, is once again sort of terrible! I think this show overall would have benefitted from an episode seven to let all of the emotional beats work a little better, but with the text as it stands right now it ultimately creates a narrative that isn’t succeeding at what it wants to, and that’s - all the seeds were right there and I just wish they’d put in a bit more effort and made it all a little tighter.

Ultimately, by the end of this show we see that there are two Hawkeyes. Kate is a superhero in her own right, and without the depth given to Clint’s value as a parent there’s actually no reason why both Hawkeyes have to live and in some ways, Clint dying and Kate succeeding him would have been a more emotionally resonant story.

[luulapants]

Teen Wolf and Perceptions of Character Age

There is a certain discussion that I find myself having (in different variations) over and over again with other Teen Wolf fans: how the age of the actors, compared to the age of the characters, affected the way we perceive and empathize with those characters. Studios have good reasons for not using actual underage kids in their shows - work hour restrictions, school arrangements, limits on racy/sexy scenes - but using adults in a show depicting younger teenagers drastically changes how we interpret their stories.

It’s easy to brush off with some of them, to think, “Oh, well it was a 19-year-old playing a 16-year-old. Not that big a difference.” But I’m going to challenge that notion with a few examples:

Erica Reyes:

Gage Golightly was about 19 when she played 15-year-old Erica. Erica was unpopular, struggled with epilepsy and medication side-effects. She was offered the bite, given the opportunity to make the life-altering decision to become a werewolf. She had no support in making that choice, and the consequences were fatal.

Remember how bad you felt for Erica when she and Boyd were being shot full of arrows, begging Allison to stop hurting them? Well, now imagine that scene with Gage Golightly as she actually looked at age 15-16:

Look at that picture. That is a child. Probably a child that thinks she’s an adult (I know I fucking thought so at that age) but a child nonetheless. Imagine that face being offered the bite. Trying to kiss Derek. Having the shit beat out of her as “training.” Being tortured by Gerard. Being killed by Kali.

Isaac Lahey:

Daniel Sharman was 25 when he played Isaac, who was 15-16 in S2.

Again, we had some really harrowing, emotionally difficult scenes with him. His father abused him. He was offered the bite. Derek beat him as part of their “training.” Chris sent him, alone, into an arms deal with the Japanese mafia. His girlfriend was murdered. Now, I couldn’t even find a picture of Daniel at 15 or 16, but here he is at 17:

How does picturing that face change Isaac’s scenes? His whole story arc?

Scott McCall:

This is a big one for me. Tyler Posey was only 20 years old when he played 16-year-old Scott, but the difference still made a stark contrast in the audience’s expectation of him as the hero of the show. I constantly see people wondering why he didn’t make better decisions, why his priorities weren’t right or why he reacted poorly in dire circumstances.

This is the (admittedly youthful) face that we see going through all of Scott’s S1 challenges. He gets attacked by a monster, turned into a monster himself, has his life threatened by multiple adults, is put into multiple deadly situations within the span of a few months, and is thrust into a position of leadership as the protector and savior of Beacon Hills.

Here is Tyler Posey at 15 (couldn’t find a great 16 pic):

I’ll admit that he was one of the more youthful looking actors in the early seasons. But by season 6, where he is supposed to be 18 (still younger than S1 Posey) but Tyler Posey was 26? When Scott was leading an army and clawing his own eyes out?

What is my point?

My point is NOT that we need to re-interpret the entire story in the context of them being children. Because, clearly, the writers didn’t treat them like real children either. And that’s part of the problem. TV shows present us with teenage characters that often look, act, and feel like adults. When it’s convenient for the plot, of course. We get glimpses of immaturity when that’s convenient, too.

Having older actors gives writers permission, in a way, to write about children in situations that we, in reality, would never want to see a child in. Who would be able to stomach watching a 16-year-old Daniel Sharman being beaten? Or 15-year-old Gage Golightly being shot full of arrows? The show suddenly goes from exciting and suspenseful to outright horrifying.

Maturity-wise, how different did 18-year-old Lydia Martin feel from 24-year-old Jordan Parrish? Not very. So when you see part of fandom freaking out that it was an inappropriate and predatory relationship and another part of fandom like “Are you joking? No, it just... wasn’t,” it’s not necessarily because that second part of fandom would actually see that sort of relationship in real life and think it’s 100% okay. It’s because Lydia Martin wasn’t portrayed as an 18-year-old physically, emotionally, or intellectually. Holland Roden was 30 years old by season 5. They just put her in a high school.

Similarly, there are people who think Sterek is an inappropriate ship. And I agree that it would be VERY creepy for these two to date:

But that’s not what we saw. Dylan O’Brien was 20. Tyler Hoechlin was 23.

Some people have very clear mental pictures of what teenagers look and act like. When watching shows like this, they will project age-appropriate thoughts and expectations onto those characters. Others don’t have that clear picture. When you are that age, you don’t think of yourself as being young, and if you’re not around people that age afterward, you probably won’t develop a clear sense of what a 16-year-old is or is not. For those people, they’ll take these depictions at face value: adult-like people walking around a high school. It produces two very different watching experiences.

So when one person says Derek is a horrible monster for abusing children in Season 2 and another says that he was just training his army to prepare them for the real danger... that’s what that is. It’s not that one is right and the other is wrong. The first person was watching an adult beat children. The second person was watching a 24-year-old, pretending to be 20-mumblety-something or whatever the fuck Derek was, giving tough-love training to three people who, by function of appearance and how they were written, were his age and older.

(Side note: Derek was actually playing someone his own age, but only retroactively. Originally, his character was meant to be “a few years older” than Scott and Stiles but that was retconned due to the Kate Argent plotline.)

Oh and here’s Shelley Hennig at 17 vs 27 and playing 17:

Here are some who I couldn’t find pictures of at younger ages, but whose age gaps from their characters are significant:

Sinqua Walls was 26 when he played Boyd, about a decade too old. There’s a whole mess of complicated implications with perceptions of black boys being perceived as “looking older” in that casting.

Crystal Reed was also 26 when she played 17-year-old Allison Argent, and was 29 by the time she left the show. Allison was still 17.

Keahu Kahuanui was 25 when he played Danny, who was 15-17.

Arden Cho was 29 when she started playing 16-year-old Kira.

Colton Haynes was 23 while playing Jackson, who was 16 or 17.

It is interesting that, starting in Season 4, they began hiring actors and actresses a little bit closer to their characters’ ages. Someone else write a meta on that, plz.

[nikakistos]

Mikasa will kill Eren

With the series ending in only three chapters at the time of writing this meta/prediction post, i want to share my thoughts about how the battle between the Alliance and Eren will conclude. More specifically, i will analyze all the reasons that make me believe that Mikasa will kill Eren and put an end to this battle.

Mikasa’s character arc

The first important reason that made me reach to that conclusion is non other than Mikasa’s phenomenal and, in my opinion, underrated character arc. So, let’s get to know Mikasa.

Mikasa starts the story as a sheltered kid. She lives in the mountains, far away from any other kids, with her mom and dad being her only company. Her mom and dad were her entire world. She was a naive, innocent little girl who used to overlook the cruel nature of the world, focusing entirely on it’s beauty. She was content living like that with the people she loved the most, without having any grandiose dreams of her own.

And then, reality ensues. Three human traffickers kill her family and try to sell her as a sex slave. Mikasa, being only a child and alone was about to surrender. Without her family she didn’t have a place in the world. She didn’t know how to live without them.

Until Eren comes to save her. Out of the blue he kills the first two of the traffickers and unties her. However, the third one appears and disarms Eren. Before blacking out, the young boy tells Mikasa the words that later became her mantra “Fight! If you don’t win, you die. If you win, you live. If you can’t fight, you can’t win!”

That is the moment that Mikasa’s survival instincts awaken her Ackerman powers. The moment that she accepts that this world is kill or be killed and realizes it’s true nature. And the moment she learns the truth of the world she finds the strngth to kill her assailant. Mikasa kills so that she won’t be killed. And the moment her enemy falls, the old Mikasa dies. 

Broken and homeless, Mikasa asks Dr.Yeager what she should do now that she had no one. How could she live on her own? She never learned how to do that. Mikasa, from the very beginning of her life, is a codependent person. She thinks that she can’t go on alone. And at this moment of sadness comes Eren and wraps a muffler around her neck to protect her from the cold. Both from the physical cold, but also from the cold, hard world that took her happiness away. He offers her a home. Their home.

From that moment onwards Eren became Mikasa’s world. He replaced her parents as her new family, alongside with his mom and dad. Mikasa, realizing that Eren was no more than a troublesome kid with a knack for getting into troubles, decides to be by his side forever and protect him. Partly out of gratitude for saving her and giving her a home, parly because it was his mom’s wish, partly because she is in love with him, but also in order to protect herself and her own peace of mind Mikasa latches onto Eren. And she makes the same mistake as before. She starts viewing Eren as a wholly good person. She keeps the image of the scarf and forgets the violence that came before. She projects onto Eren all of the beauty in the world. 

After Carla’s death, Mikasa’s overprotective attitude only worsens. She resolves to follow Eren at all times and be there for him, without considering his feelings. She actually had a habit of misinterpreting his sentiments about her clingy nature quite often. Whoever threatens her life with Eren becomes an enemy. So, Mikasa, who never got over her trauma, thinks that Eren is the most important part of the world and that without him she can’t go own. To that end she joins the military, when in reality she never cared about humanity’s struggle against the titans. Mikasa was fine living an uneventful life with Eren and Armin. 

However, those sentiments are not fit for a soldier. As a person who dedicated her heart for humanity’s survival, her first priority being Eren becomes a hindrance. A soldier should always put his feelings second. Fulfilling the mission should always be first. While Mikasa proves herself to be extremely effective in the Battle of Trost initially, with her stoic and direct nature saving hundreds of lives, when news of Eren’s death reach her she breaks down completely. She convinces the rest of the cadets to fight, while not being prepared to do her duty. She gives up and she is ready to die, until Eren’s memory and her desire to not forget him help her pull through and fight for her life. This marks the first instance of Mikasa’s growing maturity. She finds a reason to keep moving forward even without her family. 

Mikasa is a survivor. Keep carrying on and living even after the deaths of her beloved people has always been a part of her. And this is not something that comes directly from Eren, but from her own self and love of life. Her Ackerman powers only activated due to her own survival instincts. Not from Eren’s orders. While she hasn’t realized it yet, Mikasa takes pride in being alive. In a world where only the strong survive, she feels proud of counting herself amongst them.

Of course, the revelation of Eren being alive makes Mikasa regress. She continues with her overprotective behavior and with her reckless, emotional behavior. Her desire to exact vengeance on Annie causes her to jeopardize the mission to retrieve Eren and sideline Levi. Mikasa was hurt by Annie, becaue Annie exposed her again. She showed her that she is not entirely capable of protecting Eren. She also showed her once more that fighting impulsively and allowing feelings to interfere when in a mission puts her life at risk. The first time, she was saved by Eren. The second, by Levi. So, Mikasa resolves to do better next time. She resolves to become a better soldier. Her sense of responsibility over Levi’s injury pains her and she tries to make up for it. She scolds Eren for not fighting her, despite her having killed numerous Survey Corps members. Her effots pay off and this eventually leads to Annie getting captured.

Unfortunately, Mikasa’s feelings have continued to resurface in critical moments. And those feelings did not concern Eren entirely. Despite Mikasa claiming that she only cares about a small amount of lives, specifically Armin and Eren, perhaps she hadn’t realize that she cares for far more people than she initially believed. Even after promising Levi to not make any more blunders, the only reason that Reiner and Bertholt escaped from her was the bonds she had created with them. She saw them as her comradres.  She later tries to make up for her failure by trying to make the rest of her comrades see Reiner and Bertholt as enemies of humanity and prevent them from hesitating like she did and putting a tough front against Ymir, but again, the damage had already been done. 

Mikasa had grown to care for more people than Eren and Armin. Mikasa during the Battle of Trost threatened Dimo Reeves who was delaying the evacuation process, because he was getting more of her comrades killed. She saved innocents and civilians. She was angry at the Female Titan for killing so many of her comrades. She created strong bonds within the 104th unit. She even showed consideration for Levi, even though she disliked him for beating up Eren. More importantly, as the series progress, Mikasa starts caring more about the world in general. The little girl who only cared about herself and her family members has now become a soldier who fights for the entire world. She even develops a sense of belonging to Paradis, viewing it as her homeland, when she wasn’t even willing to fight for the island 4 years ago. Her cold exterior starts to crumble and she opens up. She protects a child who killed one of her best friends, a stark contrast to the earlier version of Mikasa who nearly ruined a mission by trying to have her vengeance against Annie. The Mikasa who simply cared for her small world and had no ambitions of exploring the outside world easily embraces the volunteers from Marley and becomes optimistic about their intergration to Paradis. The exact opposite of Eren.

This gradual “defrosting” of Mikasa and her repeated failures, along with the realization of the inferiority feelings she was causing him to have, force Mikasa to alter her treatment of Eren. While she was constantly nagging and smothering him, she starts to become more supportive of him, encouraging him and helping him believe in himself, just like she did with Armin. Not only that, this enables her to become a better soldier as well. While the Mikasa of the first few chapters was willing to disobey orders if that meant being close to Eren, she starts trusting the leadership of Levi, whom she resented, and entrusts Eren to Armin in the Battle of Shiganshina. She understands that she has a role to play as a soldier and that Eren can take care of himself either alone or with the help of other people, without her being near. This results in a huge victory in Shiganshina.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that she has changed completely. Mikasa still refused to obey Levi’s orders and attacked him when he tried to revive Erwin instead of Armin, Despite all, her feelings for the people who are closer to her, Eren and Armin are still too strong sometimes and overpower her better judgement. However, it was at this point exactly, that Mikasa received her second warning. She has to keep moving forward with the knowledge that all the people she knows will eventually die. And she did. Mikasa did give up in the end during the Serumbowl. She has matured.

Unfortunately, Mikasa’s love for Eren is still hindering her. Even now, after all that, Mikasa’s sole dream is living with him forever. She is in love with him, even though he has commited horrible crimes that go against her values. Her introverted, shy nature plus her fear of losing him do not allow her to express her true feelings, but she does have them.

And here comes Mikasa’s greatest flaw. Despite all of her development, she still thinks that without Eren she is lost. She has no goal left. She never learned how to live as an individual and as an independent person. That’s why she believes his lies so easily. She doesn’t recognize her sense of self without him. She still ties her identity to Eren. She has all of the foundations for living as a complete and healthy human being, but her inability to separate herself from Eren is destroying her and clouding her judgement. That’s why she asks Armin what to do in chapter 125, that’s why she tries to stop Pieck from killing Eren in chapter 135, that’s why she says she won’t kill him. And most importantly for her, that’s why she couldn’t admit that she is in love with him in chapter 123. Mikasa simply cannot handle rejection from Eren. She can’t think of a future for her without him by her side. She almost reconsiles herself to loving him from afar.

It is very evident and telling from her reaction to Louise and her first talk to Annie that Mikasa is actually ashamed for prioritizing Eren over anything else and simply following his footsteps. In reality, Mikasa doesn’t want that. She wants to be her own person. She wants to be Eren’s equal, not his follower. That’s why she doesn’t wear the scarf anymore.

Well all these need to and will change. Mikasa has to put her feelings aside one more time and act as a soldier and finish off the threat to humanity. She needs to stop tying so much of herself to Eren and realize for good that she can live without him, despite wanting to be by his side forever. And in order to do all that, she has to stop lying to herself for good. She has to admit her feelings, her true feelings not solely to her, but to him as well. And judging by her own regrets, she will.

Mikasa’s character arc has her going from a happy, naive little girl, to a broken,  gloomy, stoic person who only cares about a couple of people to a proper soldier who cares and fights for the entire world, friends and foes included. She opens up, makes friendships, develops a more pacifistic worldview compared to her survival mindset of old. But most importantly, she will become a normal, functioning human being.

Nature of the conflict

Moving on from Mikasa’s characters arc, i believe that the nature of the conflict of the series in and of itself points out towars Mikasa killing Eren. The first and primary conflict in the series is the fight between Humans and Titans. The world has expanded since the first chapter. The series has become more complex. And yet, in the final battle we see some people fighting to protect humanity from the hordes of titans that want to trample the remaining human race outside the walls of Paradis.

In this exact setting we have the Survey Corps, the group of people that from day one fights for humanity’s survival and liberation from the terror of the titans fughting against the biggest symbol of oppression and enslavement in the entire series. The Wall Titans.

The Scouts dreamt of an idealized world when fighting against the titans. And still, even after this world was revealed to be quiet different than they imagined, more disappointing, they still don’t give up. Because they understand that the world is a cruel place, but it also very beautiful. The person who best represents this theme in the series is none other than Mikasa Ackerman. And she is fighting for the Scouting Legion against the person who showed her both sides of the world in the same day. That person has renounced all the beauty in this world and focused only on the ugly side. And he fights for the Titans.

In a series about humans fighting against titans, Mikasa is a character associated with human strength. 

While Mikasa (and the Survey Corps in general) is associated with human strength, Eren on the other hand has been constantly referred to as a monster. A devil. Something inhuman. Now of course, technically speaking Mikasa is also part titan and Eren is also part human, however this symbolism still exists.

Judging by the narrative and the themes of the series, an Eren victory is downright impossible. It just doesn’t fit for the titans to defeat humanity. The story has put so much emphasis on the creation of a better world, free of curses and hate. Eren, being the physical manifestation of both can’t win. He has to die. And in such a story, is there a better way to topple the biggest titan of all time, using the trademark weapon of humanity? That it the ODMG.

Foreshadowing

In this part, i will let the pictures do the talking. It is evident from all of them and from my previous analysis of Mikasa’s arc that a full blown conflict between her and Eren is bound to happen. And Mikasa killing Eren has been referenced way too many times for that to be a coincidence.

Every single time in this latest arc that Eren being killed is mentioned, Mikasa is at the forefront. Isayama focuses on her too much in these scenes. Considering the fact that now that Gabi has realized what the true nature of the titans is, the fact that they have wrapped the explosives around Eren’s neck, Armin going Colossal being foreshadowed over a billion times, Eren seems to be in huge danger. Killing the Source of the Titans would likely kill Eren, seeing as how he is nothing but a head without a body. And it doesn’t look like he can regenerate. Stopping the Colossals might only be possible by killing the centipede that is tied to Eren’s survival. And for all the reasons i have mentioned, i believe that Mikasa will be the one to kill it.

[veronicamarsconfessions]

TV remakes and reboots have seen a steady increase over the last few years. It’s gotten to the point that, long before their predecessors have had a chance to collect dust, a reboot is announced. The CW staples such as Roswell and Charmed have all been resurrected, with modern twists. The return of Veronica Mars, however, posed a different challenge.

As an eight-episode revival on Hulu, the former UPN series brought back its original cast as a continuation of not just the series, but the 2014 movie of the same name. With the writers seemingly committed to the mystery rather than their own characters driving the story, the final minutes of the season finale became a prime example of lazy writing. If nothing else, Season 4 of Veronica Mars failed its protagonist, and its antiquated ideas about relationships and race, and Logan’s shocking last-minute death, proved that being brought back from TV cancellation was a disservice.

When it premiered in 2004, Veronica Mars was hailed as trailblazing. It had a female protagonist who was capable, resourceful, and was given space to develop on her own terms (as much as a teenager could, anyway). Like so many shows, Veronica Mars wasn’t perfect, despite being lauded and securing a loyal fanbase. While it explored the class divide in Neptune, a town in southern California where the middle class was touted as being nonexistent, the series struggled to abstain from racial stereotypes, with Wallace (Percy Daggs III) as the Black best friend who never got any focus, and Weevil (Francis Capra) as the Latino gang member whose storyline lacked nuance.

Even when it got things right, the series had a lot to learn about writing women and minority characters, though it was admittedly a product of its time. The problems that plagued its original run desperately needed an update, but even with the revival set in 2019, it was 2004 all over again.

Sarcastic, sharp, determined, and often evasive of revisiting and sorting through her own trauma, Veronica (Kristen Bell) stood out like a sore thumb in Neptune. While she rubbed many people the wrong way, she was also a pillar of strength in an increasingly corrupt town, but as a show goes on, characters must evolve or else risk being fossilized in time.

Veronica Mars’ fourth season committed that exact crime when it came to Veronica’s development and her relationship with Logan (Jason Dohring). Five years after the movie, she was in the same place we left her: back in Neptune, closed off, clinging unhealthily to the past. She still had trust issues, which pushed her new friend Nicole (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) away, and she kept a safe distance from acknowledging her emotions.

When Logan suggests she go to therapy or brings up her unwillingness to move forward in their relationship, Veronica tells Logan she preferred his angry, bottled-up self to the person he is now.

His anger was something familiar to her, a facet of himself she relished in. Rather than acknowledging all of the progress he’d made to move past his demons, Veronica wanted him to remain in the past with her, unwilling to consider therapy for herself, and unable to get past everything that had happened to her. In fact, Logan, the character fans loved to hate back in Season 1, was the one who had arguably shown the most maturity and character growth in the revival.

He was seeing a therapist, had a stable job, wanted to marry Veronica, and his fist didn’t meet the wall every chance he got. When compared to every other character, his progress was startling in its authenticity and added to why his death was so frustrating.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Veronica. Revisiting characters at different stages in their lives is always a treat, but no one wants to watch a show where the protagonist is the same person later in life as she was in Season 1. Season 4 of Veronica Mars ultimately stymied Veronica’s growth, choosing to recycle trauma rather than work to organically develop her into a fully realized character at a new stage in her life.

Logan’s death in the Season 4 finale gave Veronica fresh pain to contend with, without allowing her space to overcome her past agony. It was lazy writing, and skipping a whole year ahead in the last minutes of the finale left the exploration of her grief on the sidelines and offscreen, a cheap shot to eliminate the chances of falling into old patterns. Choosing to focus on the noir mystery instead of the characters’ personal relationships was detrimental to what made Veronica Mars a show fans cared about to begin with.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, series creator Rob Thomas insinuated that he had to kill Logan for Veronica to move forward. “There is something romantic about that solitary P.I. figure out in the world and, also, I think there’s a reason that shows tend to end when they get their romantic leads together.” However, the death played out as nothing more than shock value, rather than an emotionally impactful moment.

The idea that Veronica must always be isolated and unhappy to continue doing her job is antiquated and bleak. It exemplifies regressive ideas regarding a woman’s choice between her career and personal growth and happiness. This is a stark contrast to shows such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Superstore, and Jane the Virgin, all of which have done much better by their female characters and also highlight how couples getting together don’t doom a show.

It ultimately speaks to Thomas’ lack of creativity with regards to developing Veronica as a person and allowing her relationship with Logan to support her growth. Instead, Thomas subscribes to old-school thinking about romantic relationships and how they lose their impact after a couple finally gets together, when, in fact, it’s the exact opposite.

There’s so much storytelling to mine from a relationship. Logan was clearly making strides to be a better person and was persuading Veronica to do the same. With his death, that has all been thrown away and even its aftermath skipped over, sending Veronica right back to square one. Thomas’ interest is in romanticizing a woman’s pain rather than taking a beat to explore it, happy for his female protagonist to be frozen in time as opposed to allowing her enough agency to endure her present.

With the revival, the series had an opportunity to provide an updated take on a beloved heroine, and it failed. If anything, the revival proved that some shows should be left in the past rather than tarnish their relative goodwill. If Thomas isn’t willing to develop the series past its bad habits, to take Veronica to the next well-deserved stage in her life, then it has no place in the present.

[shreddedleopard]

10 Reasons it would make narrative sense for Levi and Historia’s character arcs to conclude together.

I’ve been wanting to do this for ages, but I’ve been nervous of the backlash. Feels like it’s now or never though, and theorising for/analysing stories is one of my favourite things to do - I’m clearly missing those literary analysis essays from university days. So please excuse me if you think I’m deluded - I probably am - but the analyst in me won’t let me be until I’ve got this all out of my system.

Beware, it’s a long one. There's some thoughts on chapter 130 nearest the bottom!

1. Childhood Parallels - The Abandoned Children

Levi and Historia’s childhoods mirror one another - there are striking similarities, but then also sections that fit together to complete each other, as though they are matching jigsaw pieces. The characters start out in worlds that are opposite - Historia has the comforts of a safe home, food on the table, and fresh air and sunshine. She has all the physical nourishment she needs, but she does not have her mother’s love. On the contrary, his mother’s love is the one thing Levi does have, otherwise living in poverty underground. Both their mothers, however, appear to be using sex and the idea of love as a means to survive or way to try and improve their circumstances, and it is out of this necessity that both end up being born.

Levi is clearly affected when he first hears Historia’s tale of her childhood - Isayama shows this through the fact that Levi’s plate is the only one left untouched at the end of her story. He has been so sucked in by what she’s relayed, and probably saddened, that he hasn’t been able to bring himself to eat as the others have. Historia’s story rings true with some of his own experiences, but also highlights the world he may have found himself in without his mother’s love.

Remember, Isayama consciously thinks about each panel he’s drawing - he wouldn’t include a small detail like that without reason. We see more of these instances of small but significant stylistic choices and minor details as we progress. Isayama stated in an interview that he wants to give fans an ending that fans would never guess, but that when they look back, the clues were there all along.

Continuing on with the theme of their childhoods and Isayama’s stylistic choices, let’s take a look at two significant moments:

Both characters, although experiencing different forms of deprivation initially (Physical vs. Emotional Nourishment) were abandoned at crucial moments in their lives - when they were looking for validation from their primary caregivers and the people who should have been responsible for demonstrating affection. Historia was abandoned when, after reading and taking onboard information she read in books just like her mother, she reached out to hug her, and Levi was abandoned at the moment he demonstrated that he’d absorbed everything Kenny had taught him. The parallel between these images is very powerful.

Kenny is a character that highlights more parallels between Historia and Levi.

Kenny’s words highlight the literal lack of growth in height for both Historia and Levi - both are particularly short, and also look youthful - but we can also take the words to suggest that the characters are still very much defined by what happened to them in their pasts, and have yet to step away from their demons and achieve closure on what has happened to them as children.

At this point, we can definitely say that Isayama has chosen to tie both Historia and Levi’s stories together through their childhoods - their backstories are revealed alongside each other, in the same arc of our story, and in terms of experiences, they are both identical and mirror opposite at different points.

2. Shared Values

Despite being deprived of affection for large portions of their childhoods, both Levi and Historia appear to have experienced glimmers of kindness in their darkness as well, and this has shaped some of their values and behaviours.

Levi experienced his mother's love for a short while until he lost her - we know how deeply she cared for him from her refusal to give him up despite Kenny’s advice to her when she fell pregnant. Historia had Frieda’s kindness instilled in her, even though she's not able to consciously remember her actions until later. 

Both display an affinity for animals, with several manga and even anime-only scenes where we see them being affectionate and kind to their horses. We don’t see this as prominently with any other characters.

But one of the biggest shared values is their desire to protect children. I've posted on this before, but here are a few examples of Levi being driven by this value:

It’s clear Levi has a soft spot for children. And Historia? We know her feelings on children from her first action as Queen - realised with the support of Levi.

3. Kenny’s failure … Levi’s success?

These next scenes we’ll focus on represent the moment that Levi and Historia are set up to undergo that ‘growth’ Kenny was referring to earlier in the uprising arc. Note Isayama’s choice of words here, and the symbolism of the whole scene. Kenny doesn’t tell Levi, ‘I couldn’t be someone you looked up to,’ or ‘I wasn’t fit to act as your father figure,’ he literally says ‘I can’t be some kid’s dad.” What does he do then? He shoves the titan serum at Levi.

Isayama pays great attention to this - dedicating several panels to the weighty moment, and Levi’s expression. It’s very dramatic. Notice how the word ‘Dad’ even has it’s own speech bubble. It’s almost as though Kenny is passing the mantle on to Levi - passing that responsibility on to him. It feels as though the passing of the serum replaces the missing words, ‘but you can.’ Isayama didn’t have to have Levi ask that question in the moment before Kenny passed the serum on to him. He could have positioned it so that the discussion about dreams was the precursor to the serum being passed over - which in my head, for the context of the scene, would make more sense. But he didn’t; he chose to have Kenny say that exact line to Levi - to admit his inadequacy as a father figure, with that focus on the word dad - and then hand the item over to Levi.

By itself, the scene could be seen as highlighting the ways that Levi is already a better father figure than Kenny. He has been somewhat paternal in his role as a Captain. But it’s the very next scene that brings Historia immediately into focus.

Historia looks suddenly so much maturer here, and the way the scenes sit immediately after one another feels too much like foreshadowing.

If you want the full effect of what I mean here, just rewatch this section of the anime!

We are presented with parallels between them once again. The focus of the crown and power of the monarchy being bestowed on Historia parallels the gift of the serum from Kenny to Levi - drawing on the ‘titan science’ element of the Ackerman heritage, perhaps?

Let me take a moment here, while we have these two visual representations of the Ackerman and Royal bloodlines side by side so perfectly, to point out that Isayama chose to answer a question in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine regarding the nature of a child born of both these bloodlines in 2018:

Q: If a child were to be born between two people from the royal family and the Ackerman family, which blood would take precedence? 

A: I think that both [of their bloodlines] would be reflected.

4. Blood Lines, Identity and Destinies - the Acker/Royal connection

We are still missing some information about the Ackermans, and Mikasa’s own Ackerman powers and behaviours have been a focus in recent chapters, prompting more questions. This suggests that the role of the Ackermans will be important in the story’s finale. With that said, lets have a look at what information we have about them so far in relation to the Royal Family:

- They worked closely with the Royal Family at one time, even being described as their sword and shield until they fell out of favour.

- They cannot be controlled by the king’s vow or have their memories tampered with. For this reason, they became enemies of the crown and the two bloodlines became at odds with one another.

Do either of these scenarios sound familiar in a romantic setting? The knight and princess trope has been hugely popular in fiction for as long as stories have been told - Lancelot and Guinevere is a well known classic. And two feuding families finally brought back together through love by the younger generation? Romeo and Juliet, anyone?

Okay, so maybe I’m reaching here. But Isayama has opened the discourse around this connection between the two bloodlines without concluding it, so I am certain it will have a part to play in upcoming chapters. Why create two characters from said bloodlines with such satisfyingly parallel but awful childhoods, if not to use them in some way to conclude this part of the narrative in the future?

5. The Beast Titan.

Another common plot point that Levi and Historia have is Zeke. The Beast Titan is a defining element in both their arcs. Levi is driven forward by his vow to kill Zeke, and this is repeated to the point where we expect this to be realised, or at least to see some satisfying resolution between the two. Historia’s situation is defined by her vulnerability to being turned into a Titan in order to consume Zeke. This threat to Historia’s life as a normal girl is also repeated across the later story arcs, just as Levi’s vow and apparent destiny to face off again with the Beast Titan is. If we link back to the knight princess trope, we could suggest that Historia is the metaphorical princess, Levi is the metaphorical knight, and The Beast Titan is the metaphorical dragon. The dragon must be slain in order to protect the princess, and the one to do this is always the gallant knight, or the hero. We know that Levi has been labelled Humanity’s Strongest, and even a hero, before.

It has been Levi’s destiny from the start. What's more, what is the crux of Zeke’s plan for Eldians? 

Euthanasia by preventing reproduction. Zeke’s ideology basically directly opposes the values of Levi and Historia - who wish to save as many children as possible.

6. The Smile

If there is one scene Levi fans lost their heads over, it’s this one. The Smile. Who was responsible for getting the sullen Captain to smile? None other than Queen Historia. The one time we get to see a genuine smile from him, in all 131 chapters of SNK, is when Historia playfully punches his arm. I think by this point, it is absolutely fair to say that Levi has a soft spot for her, although I’m not suggesting this is anything romantic at this stage due to her still being a child. What else is interesting about this scene? Let’s look at it from Historia’s point of view. She’s still a 15 year old girl. I’m hardly suggesting she’s got deep, meaningful feelings for a Captain so many years her senior. What I am suggesting, is that clearly there is the beginnings of her seeing him in a different light, and feeling some sort of fondness towards him too. This is also the stereotype of innocent, youthful infatuation - how many times have we seen teenagers play-fighting or bantering with the object of their affections? Something might just be stirring in Historia towards the Captain as she begins her transition into adulthood.

7. THAT (deleted) Scene

Okay, so we can’t very well talk about the smile in the context of this topic without addressing this scene:

There were a few scenes cut to make the uprising arc in the anime more streamlined. This is one of them, and again, has been one of the most talked about. People either love or hate this scene. In the manga, it absolutely sets up some major character growth for Historia, when she goes from being scared and allowing Levi to threaten her into taking an action, to standing up to him atop the wall at Orvud district, throwing his own words back at him. In contrast to Historia’s willingness, Levi becomes more receptive to her perspective and backs down, which also shows his growth. (More on that shortly!)

So, if it adds to the narrative around Levi and Historia, and is a key part of their development as characters, why did Isayama let the studio remove it? It must be because their influence on one another’s growth is no longer important to the story, correct?

If you ask me, that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Isayama has stated there were some elements of Uprising that he was unhappy with. Just, for a moment, think how this scene would fit into the bigger picture of a relationship (whether that be deeply platonic or even romantic) between Historia and Levi. Could people get behind that knowing that once, he handled her so roughly? Does keeping this scene as canon for the anime open a can of worms in terms of what is and isn’t acceptable (even more so than the age gap already does) when it comes to a relationship? Could Isayama be seen as glorifying abuse and suggesting that female characters are likely to develop feelings for men who have treated them so poorly in the past? I completely understand Levi’s reasoning for acting this way in this scene, and I loved the set up and pay off later in the arc. However, I do believe that animating this, and then having them become much closer later in the story, could make a backlash likely.

My conclusion to this particular section is - if their influence on one another as characters was unimportant, and the payoff of them reaching a stage where they bring out the best in one another wasn’t relevant to the rest of the story, then The Smile shouldn’t have made it in, right? So much of the set up was removed that it would have been far easier to scrap the scene than to try and figure out another reason for Historia to punch Levi, and make him smile.

That punch was important. It remains for a reason.

8. Levi’s Echo

So, since we discussed the impact of Levi’s words on Historia in the previous point, and how Isayama uses them to illustrate her character growth, let’s jump ahead all the way to chapter 130. We’re now post time skip, where Historia is nineteen. She’s matured now into a young woman - a woman old enough to acceptably conceive a child. This is the chapter which caught everyone’s attention due to Historia’s words to Eren regarding the idea of said child. But first of all, I want to focus on a scene which appears a couple of panels before her question:

‘It’s not as if I’ve just been tending to cattle all this time.’

What does this line mean? The only thing we know in terms of what Historia has been doing in the time skip is that she set up an Orphanage that Levi was also very much invested in and supported her with. So she’s not only been tending to cattle, but ... tending to orphans? With the Captain’s help?

Remember how we said that Isayama doesn’t include subtle details unless there’s a reason. Having Levi support her with the orphanage as a way to show how much he cares about the poorer children wasn’t needed - we already know from several instances discussed earlier that he cares about that topic deeply. So surely this must have been a small detail to set up for a later reveal?

This line alone is interesting, but not necessarily enough to suggest a big influence from Levi. But it’s the next line that grabs attention:

‘There’s no need to fight or run.’

What does this echo?

In my mind, the reason served by this dialogue in 130 is twofold. It works with both the literal events of the deleted scene, and also with the reader’s knowledge that the scene was disregarded later:

1. There is no reason to run or to fight, because Levi is on her side now. When he originally spoke those words to her - run from me or fight me - they were used in reference to what he and the corps were going to make her do - ie, become Queen. Now, they are not forcing her to do anything - they aren’t making her comply with the 50 year plan of producing as many royal children as possible and turning herself into a titan. Instead, she’s empowered by them, and very importantly, him, to make her own decisions while they try to figure out an alternative. (Why do I say him? I’ll cover this in the next point). And yet ... she still chooses to bear a child. A child born of love, not necessity. This is the difference between the birth of her child, and her own birth. And funnily enough, Levi’s birth, too. 

The cycle of history is being broken.

2. Her words serve as a reminder that in the revised version of events, Levi never even forced that choice upon her in the first place. He’s always been her ally and treated her with care and respect. Even more reason for her to value and care for him in return. There really is no need to run or fight - from the military police, because she will bear a child, stopping them from turning her - or from Levi, either. 

9. The Hooded Figure

As promised, let me explain why I say that Levi empowers Historia (yet again) to make her own decisions. My good friend Key made a wonderful discovery regarding the hooded figure panel, and honestly, based on the evidence I’ve seen, I’d be prepared to bet a whole lot on this next claim:

Levi is the hooded figure who warned Historia of the plan to turn her.

I’ve shared Key’s original post previously, but here’s the gist, with some added observations.

Levi from the hallway; Levi from that iconic scene, fits the dimensions of the hooded figure perfectly, without having to adjust the panel sizes. 

The jacket worn is lighter in colour than Eren’s standard black one, but is reminiscent of the jackets worn by the Levi Squad in the uprising arc. The only other clue we’re given to work from is that the figure has their hands in their pockets.

Hmm ... you know who else has a habit of stuffing his hands in his pockets?

So if Levi is the one who warned Historia, is that why she subtly uses his words when talking to Eren?

Let me return to chapter 130 once more, and just invite you to read the following panels from a different angle.

10. Mikasa-Eren/Levi-Historia Parallels

Alright, so this is a bit of a head-mash, but just consider what I’m about to say. In our panels with the Historia-Eren-Zeke conversation, Mikasa is never mentioned by name once. Zeke mentions ‘this Ackerman girl,’ however there is no confirmation that Eren was in fact talking about Mikasa when he asked Zeke about the Ackerman traits ...

Isayama only shows us the conversation with Zeke after Eren has just spoken to Historia about her fate and what the Paradis government want her to do in terms of bearing children. If these are just all memory fragments of Eren’s, why would discussing this with Historia suddenly make Eren think of a conversation about Ackerman traits with Zeke?

In this conversation, Zeke puts two and two together and gathers that Eren is asking these questions because of Mikasa. He then tells him how much Mikasa obviously cares about Eren, regardless of any ‘ingrained behaviour.’ What does Eren then link this with?

The conversation where Historia asks him what he’d think if she was to bear a child. What does ingrained Ackerman behaviour and Mikasa’s true feelings have to do with Historia’s child?

I want to suggest this possibility: this conversation has nothing to do with Mikasa’s feelings for Eren, and everything to do with Levi’s feelings for Historia.

Eren even confirms that Zeke has the wrong end of the stick with asking him how he will respond to Mikasa’s feelings.

What are you even talking about?

Here, he is not considering how he will respond to Mikasa, because he can’t even contemplate that with what he is about to do, and how long he has left to live (although this may have then prompted his later conversation with Mikasa after the market - where he sees Levi save the boy that he will later kill - do you see how this is all linking together?)

Here he means the lives of Historia, her child, and potentially even Levi, as well of course as Armin, Mikasa and the rest of his friends. Want to know why I think that? Isayama hinted it. Again.

We have the image of Historia, suggesting the idea of bearing a child, followed by the image of the child Levi saved, followed by the image of Levi himself.

Isayama draws every detail in every panel for a reason. If part of his conclusion to this manga involves Levi and Historia intertwined and the birth of an Ackerman-Royal child, it won’t be a massively random idea.

It will contribute to an ending where the clues were there all along, but we never really considered them.

(There’s more, so much more, but I have to stop somewhere or I won’t leave my computer. If anyone wants a part two because you’re thirsty for more of this crap, drop me a comment!)

[glorified-red]

Tim Drake SFW Headcanons

word count: 2610~

warnings: none

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Tim shows his love and affection through acts of service, tucking you in at night and making sure you come home safely because he doesn't trust Gotham streets. He does also use touch to show his affection, holding your hand in the car and giving you hugs whenever he can to show his love for you. He’s also touch starved as hell so he adores cuddles and being held by you or just feeling you in his arms, safe and sound.

B = Beginning (How would the relationship start?)

A relationship with Tim can start one of three ways. Meeting him at a gala or being apart of a neighboring wealthy family, meeting him as a fellow vigilante, or meeting him at Gotham Academy. The best way to get into a relationship with him is probably the middle/last way, if you can empathize with his night life he can immediately trust you with his secret and the relationship can be built off of trust. That being said I don't think Tim would enjoy having a s/o who is a vigilante just because he doesn’t like being constantly worried for your well-being or wondering if he’s ever gonna see you again because you got injured in the field. So, the best way is to meet him at school and become really good friends with him until he eventually trusts you with his identity.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Tim is touch starved as all hell, but he is a closeted cuddle bug. He never shies away from your touch so once you realized that and started to cuddle with him? He just can’t get enough of it, he constantly wants to feel your touch against him, the reassuring weight in his arms. Tim likes to hold you, you head leaning onto his chest, him placing tiny kisses onto the crown of your head. But after a rough patrol he won’t hesitate to face plant into your chest, his arms wrapped tightly around your waist. He loves when you play with his hair, it’ll immediately make him doze off.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?) 

Tim had to take care of himself throughout his whole childhood, so he knows how to clean after himself and make a decent meal of Craft Mac and Cheese. He would love to settle down and eventually retire the ole cape and cowl but it doesn’t seem like it'll happen anytime soon for him, so if you’re patient with it? He’ll love you so much more.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Tim would hold off on breaking up with you for as long as possible, he might even just wait for you to break it off so he can take all the blame off of your shoulders. He values communication so he’d try to sit down and talk out what's not working with you so he can figure out the best way to move forward instead of wasting the whole relationship with a break up. If you try to talk him out of patrolling/vigilante-ing? That’s an immediate red flag for him.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

A marriage commitment just isn’t on the top of his to-do list/priority list right now. Maybe a few years down the line he’ll reconsider but he doesn't want to depend on a ring to show you how much he loves you. That being said, if there was a really close call for either of you he might just bite the bullet and tell you straight up that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, he won’t propose per se but it’ll give you the hint.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Very gentle, Tim has worked with many different victims of many different scenarios so he knows how to treat every emotional situation with delicacy to make sure you’re okay. He won't ever raise his voice at you unless you do something extremely reckless that could’ve gotten yourself killed. He’d much rather talk it out maturely to make sure both parties have time to speak. Physically he could never hurt you, he cares about you way too much to be anything but gentle and romantic with you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Ah yes, Tim hugs. I went into detail about his hugs here but the abridged version is that Tim adores hugs. He loves longs hugs with you that eventually turn into cuddles, he loves the hugs where he can burry himself into your neck and forget about his burdens, he loves hugs where he can be goofy and fall into a fit of laughter with you. His hugs are warm and secure, a grounding moment for the both of you and he likes to hugs you whenever he can.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Tim isn’t the best with his words without blushing like crazy or stuttering so he tends to show his ‘I love you’ through acts instead. He won’t ever say the word to you until you say it first. After the first time he'd rather save the “I love you”s for special occasions.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Tim doesn’t get jealous per se, he just gets a little upset and passive-aggressive. Silently walking away until you come up to him and ask what's wrong, then he’ll just shrug it off because there's no use being jealous when he knows you love him. He just can't help it. You can usually get him out of his jealousy fit by giving him cuddles and reassure him that you still love him and won’t leave him.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Tim has a bunch of different kisses for a bunch of different situations. He loves forehead kisses to show his protection over you, he loves cheek kisses as a quick goodbye, he loves slow and romantic kisses with you to show his true depth of love, he love rough and needy kisses where he can bit against your lower lip. Tim loves to kiss your neck but he will melt if you kiss his jawline or the crown of his head.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Tim has learned to be great with kids to distract them from any traumatic event that had just happened to them or saying hi to his little fans whenever he sees them on patrol. It’s always so adorable being able to see Tim hoist a little kid up on his hip and talk to them as he walks away from a situation while Bruce talks to the parents. Tim always has a smile on his face whenever he sees a kid grab his cape or walk up to him, but he’s too scared to have any of his own just yet.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings are very rare with him because he's usually leaving for work or just getting back up from the cave. The few moments where Tim doesn’t have much to do, he would love to stay in bed with you hours after he woke up, just holding you in an attempt to fall back asleep. His bead head is adorable and his morning voice? Its hella attractive, rough around the edges with tiredness but low and sweet.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

You think mornings are rare with Tim? Nights are even rarer because he’ll be off to patrol by the time you head to bed and when he gets back he’ll be glued to his computer until morning. You can have “nighttime” with him but that usually involves dragging him to bed at 3pm and falling asleep with him in your arms. The only way to get Tim to sleep is by trapping him in your arms and not letting go until he gives up and settles into your hold.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Tim doesn't open up about his night life for awhile into the relationship, he needs to know he can trust you and the relationship you two have is genuine and real. Once he’s figured that out, he’ll sit you down privately and tell you he’s Red Robin and then give you the chance to ask any questions that you might have, opening himself up completely to you and trying to be as honest as possible.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Tim is very patient, he’s had to learn patience in the field when nothing happens for hours on end. He’s very slow to anger so if he does yell or lash out its for a very good reason. It’s like a second patience brain unlocked for him when you two got into a relationship because he is so patient with you about anything and everything, staying by your side through thick and thin, he only asks for the same patience and respect back.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Tim remembers every little detail about you, even if you mention it once offhandedly. He has a habit of writing things down so he doesn't get a chance to forget, he may even have a file dedicated to you about little nuisance things he’s learned about you. Tim has extremely good memory though so he can remember the exact necklace you wanted back in February so he can give it to you for Christmas. He can immediately recognize whenever you get a haircut/new perfume. 

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

His favorite memory was when he finally bit the bullet and opened up to you about being Red Robin, he had worked himself up for weeks and it was eating him up inside so of course he wanted to finally be completely honest with you. So when you took in all the information and did nothing but welcome him with open arms? He melted so fast and felt so much love in that moment he couldn’t help but cry in relief, hugging you and thanking you over and over again for not being upset or mad at him. That moment was the deciding factor that really made Tim want to hang onto you for the rest of his life.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Tim is semi protective of you, he trusts that you can take care of yourself and don’t need him constantly breathing down your neck. However, he is very protective of you because he doesn't trust Gotham streets or the people in Gotham either. He has a habit of watching you walk home at night so he can make sure you make it back safely, and if he needs to step in he will. He can also be protective of you around his brothers, stepping in during brotherly quarrels so you don’t get caught up in the crossfire.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Tim does try his best when it comes to gifts, he’s more of the sentimental type, buying things that you express interest in rather than attempting to make something for you by himself. He sucks at wrapping gifts so he usually just puts them in a bag and pushes tissue paper inside. He remembers every date, anniversary, birthday, etc, and will make sure he saves some time for you which is the way he shows his effort, by clearing off time out of his busy schedule for you. 

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Tim has a really bad habit of being paranoid and having major trust issues. He has contingency plans for If you end up breaking up with him and even has a little paranoid bug in the back of his head that you are only with him because of his wealth or that he’ll loose you or that he isn't enough for you. None of these thoughts are ever really expressed to you but its pretty obvious that he can get insecure about the relationship, the best thing you can do is reassure him constantly and show him that the relationship is genuine through your actions.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Tim isn’t very concerned with his looks, sure he can be insecure about his body and attractiveness when compared to his brothers, but it just isn't a huge thing for him. He’s more insecure about his personality rather than his looks. He does put effort into how he looks when it matters and truly loves when you do the same, but he doesn't love you for looks he loves you for you. You being gorgeous was just a bonus to him.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Not really? Tim is very independent and can do well on his own so he won't feel ‘incomplete’ without you because he knows you're safe and okay. Whenever you’re in danger and he can't do anything about it, is really when Tim feels incomplete because you aren't safe, you aren't with him. 

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Tim talks to himself all. the. time. constantly muttering to himself while he works because his brain is flying at a million miles per hour. He often paces across his room and talks things out. You know the rubber duck decoding method? Where you talk to a rubber duck to figure out why there's a bug in your code? Yea he does that too, but to himself or you whenever you're in the room. He’ll just pace and turn to you and talk about things you can't even comprehend, so you just sit and listen.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Tim doesn't like it when you pull him away from an important case, he’s trying to save lives and if you try to drag him away he won't be too happy about it. It’s different if he’s updating criminal records or just going through cases but if he’s actually doing an important mission he will say no to you and expect you to respect that boundary. He also would be very off-put if you don't have a Coffee machine, he will drag you to Bed, Bath, and Beyond just to get you one.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Tim doesn't sleep, he averages at like 3 hours every two days, maybe less. He is constantly working so he hates to be selfish and sleep instead of solving a case and saving lives. He often drowns himself in coffee and Red Bulls just to stay awake, it isn't healthy at all so he does appreciate it when you remind him it’s okay to sleep.

Taglist ♡

@idkmanicantenglish

@anothertimdrakestan

[animehun7er]

TOP ECCHi ANiME TO WATCH FOR

It’s sexy time now or in anime terms, it’s ‘ecchi’ time now. After doing a list about some of the popular harem anime out there, why not compile another list, this time with popular ecchi anime. The ecchi genre has been a fan favourite for a long time. So much so that there are special fanservice episodes in anime from other genres. Though I am not an avid watcher of ecchi anime sometimes I do tend to dwell in them. If you are looking for some sexy anime the here’s a list compiled just for you. So, let’s see what are some of the top ecchi anime out ever. You can watch some of these best ecchi anime movies on Crunchyroll or YouTube. Most of these anime are erotic and hot

10. No Game No Life (2014)

‘No Game No Life’ is a fantasy, ecchi anime. It has been made bright, colourful, and is filled with fan service. I liked the premise of the movie (though it has been done before). The base theme is that you have to play high-stake games to make critical decisions. Thus, this removes all kind of action, bloodshed, and war. So, if you are into that action anime then I suggest you skip this one. Sora and Shiro are one of the best online gamers. They are siblings who are not currently pursuing any sort of education or doing any jobs. Their online game username is ‘Blank’ which has achieved a sort of legendary status. They don’t go out much and feel that the real world is nothing but a lame game.

One day they receive an e-mail which challenges them to play a match of chess. This starts their adventures in another realm where every rivalry and problem is solved by games. The ruler of this world, Disboard, is Tet, who is the God of Games. This system of settling disputes and discord via high-stake games works pretty well for one particular reason. Both the parties must wager something equal in value to the wager of the opposite party. Now, the gaming genius duo Sora and Shiro has got a reason to play games. They must unite all the races of this world to play against Tet so that they become the new God of Games.

9. Kill la Kill (2013)

‘Kill la Kill’ is an entertaining anime. There are two ways of watching this show. You can watch it as a parody of sorts and enjoy how it satirically criticizes the stereotypical anime paraphernalia. You can also watch it as a common ecchi, action anime with strong female leads and lots of funny scenes. Whichever way you choose you will end up having fun while viewing this show. Though at first, the series might feel a bit confusing and clichéd it matures gradually as the series approaches the end. Ryuuko Matoi is the protagonist of the series. Her father was an inventor. One of his inventions is a scissor-like weapon. It is the missing half of this weapon which serves as the only remaining clue of his murder that Ryuuko has.

With the remaining half of the scissor blade, she ventures out to find the killer of her father and avenge his death. Her investigation takes her to Honnouji Academy. It is a prestigious academy at the top of which is the cold and heartless Satsuki Kiryuuin, the student council president. Four people serve her and are known as the Elite Four. They have been given God Clothes by Satsuki which grants them superhuman powers. Ryuuko tries to fight one of them but looses and retreats to her home. There she finds a rare God Cloth which after coming in contact with her blood latches onto her. This gives her immense superhuman abilities.

Now, armed with power Ryuuko ventures once again to the Honnouji Academy to face Satsuki and her underlings to uncover the culprit behind her father’s murder.

8. Highschool of the Dead (2010)

The only reason I decided to include ‘Highschool of the Dead’ is that I found it quite entertaining. Mind you it is nowhere close to some great ecchi anime like ‘Shokugeki no Soma’ but it is entertaining nonetheless. It is an erotic zombie apocalypse anime with lots of fanservice. There are some steamy hot scenes in this anime. It does not plan to intrigue the viewers with a complex and interesting plot or relatable characters (though at times you can relate with some of them) but rather let them enjoy a sexy little zombie apocalypse anime. So, if you are a fan of the genre then you might enjoy it.

The plot starts with the world suddenly amid a zombie apocalypse. People start turning into the undead. The entire social structure is experiencing a great demise as humans start feeding on each other. Takashi Kimuro is the protagonist of this anime. His friend, unfortunately, turns into a zombie. Takashi takes the harsh decision and kills his friend before he can harm anyone. He promises to protect the girlfriend of his friend. As they navigate through their school campus they meet a bunch of other students and a school nurse. All of them are trying to escape this predicament. They decide to bundle up together and work as a team so that they can survive this apocalypse.

7. Sekirei (2008)

‘Sekirei’ is a popular ecchi genre anime and like lots of other anime in this genre, it too uses the supernatural theme. The series has some funny scenes and some over-the-top action sequences. The female characters, who are the centre of attraction for all ecchi anime fans, in this anime are quite pretty and sexy. They are nicely endowed and have voluptuous figures. Though it is common in these types of anime I felt that ‘Sekirei’ was somewhat misogynistic in its approach. It is one thing to make women wear skimpy and tight clothes (which is quite staple in any ecchi anime) but it is another thing to treat them as objects. This was one of the most obnoxious things about this anime. If you can get over this fact then it will become a fun little anime which you can either binge or watch an episode or two once in a while taking a break from your regular stuff.

Though Minato Sahashi is not an idiot he keeps struggling with academics. He tries hard but ends up failing the college entrance exams a second time. He and people around him lose their hope and think that Minato is a failure. But suddenly his life changes when a beautiful human-like extraterrestrial-being falls into his life (literally). Her name is Musubi. She is a Sekirei, special beings who kiss humans who possess a special gene to unhide their secret powers. Musubi brings out Minato’s hidden powers but now he is paired with her to compete against other similar pairs. What Minato doesn’t know is that there is far more danger regarding this than he thinks.

6. Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san (2018)

Up next is another supernatural ecchi anime. If you fantasize about sexy supernatural or fantastical beings then you will enjoy ‘Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san’. There are 12 episodes in this series and each episode is around 23 minutes long. If you have ventured into the ecchi genre after watching anime like ‘Shokugeki no Soma’ then I will suggest you not to hang around this genre much, since most anime are not remotely like it. They are filled with lots of fanservice and buxom beauties and that’s mostly about it.

Fuyuzora Kogarashi is a medium and has been troubled by spirits since his childhood. He has been possessed many times but as he grew older he became more resistant towards the spirits and can now even exorcize them with just a punch. But he is poor and in need of a cheap boarding house to stay in. He finds it quite cheap to stay at the Yuragi manor. The main reason that this Manor is cheap is that it is haunted. But having dealt with ghosts most of his life Fuyuzora has no problem with it and starts staying in the house. The other tenants of the house are beautiful and sexy females. There he meets the ghost of the girl who is haunting the house. After Fuyuzora vows to help fulfil her lingering wish, the other members of the house reveal their supernatural nature.

5. Sankarea (2012)

The next anime is an odd one. ‘Sankarea’ had one of the most unusual plots. The main character is Chihiro Furuya a boy obsessed with everything ‘zombie’. He is so into them that he even wants a zombie girlfriend. One day Chihiro’s cat Baabu dies. This makes him determined to create a resurrection potion. He finds one of the main ingredients in Rea Sanka’s, a girl who wishes to die, house. After the potion is complete Rea decides to drink it thinking that the potion will kill her. But the potion was successful and when Rea, dies in an accident she is resurrected from the dead thus, becoming a zombie. Though this situation may seem ideal for Chihiro he faces a lot of trouble to deal with Rea.

4. Mayo Chiki! (2011)

Kinjirou Sakamachi had developed gynophobia, a fear of women, thanks to his mother and sister’s wrestling obsession. One advantage did come out of this though, his body has become very resilient allowing him to even brush off bumps from vehicles. But his fear is quite abnormal so much so that even a touch from a female can make his nose bleed. He ends up discovering that Subaru Konoe, who is the butler to his headmaster’s daughter, is a female. In exchange for secrecy, she promises to cure his phobia.

3. Prison School (2015)

Hachimitsu Private Academy is a popular all-girls academy until very recently when it decided to let boys enrol. After the first enrollment process, only 5 boys are selected. This puts them in a very awkward position as they cannot converse with almost any of their classmates since they are all female and ignore them. They try to find recluse in being peeping toms. But they are caught and thrown in the school prison for one month. Will they be able to survive or will they break?

2. High School DxD (2012)

Issei Hyoudou is your everyday pervert who wants to own a harem someday. He enjoys peeping on women. One day he is asked by a girl. Unfortunately, the girl is a fallen angel who wants to kill Issei and is successful in doing so. End of story, right? Wait! Issei is then resurrected by Rias Gremory, a devil, who makes him her servant. Now, Issei must adjust to this new lifestyle and survive in the vicious world of devils and angels.

1. Shokugeki no Souma (2015)

Souma Yukihira has been working as a sous chef under his father in their family restaurant. He is quite creative in his cooking style and entertains the customers with skilful culinary creations. His dream is to one day become the head chef of the restaurant. His dream is however cut short when his father closes down the business and enrols Souma in Tootsuki Culinary Academy. Now, he needs to work hard since only 10% of the students can graduate. Will he be able to survive the academy and its famous food wars?

[vilain]

i can’t stop thinking about how dirty they did dewey on scream (2022) and as a big fan of the character and scream in general i think i should share my thoughts because i just feel like i watched a different movie instead of the one everyone talking about.

for context, riley has always been a sweet and goofy character, a little bit fearful but never a coward, a brave man as gale said. back in scream 2 and 3, both aren’t in woodsboro. on the second one, dewey appears up on sidney’s new city because he wanted to make sure sidney was okay and safe. on third one, dewey lives peacefully in a trailer at hollywood helping on stab’s movie. on scream 4, we’re back to woodsboro, honestly, dewey is a little bit cranky but had a development close to the end and promises gale that he would never left her again

“no more on you on, it’s you and me forever”

now having this acknowledgment, we look to dewey on scream 5 and see a totally different character, still sweet but less goofy, way more mature and smart - but living his worst life in a smelly trailer because he left gale in the middle of the night, couldn’t handle staying with her on new york city. he also became a drunker and left the forces.

now i ask: why?

woodsboro was for sure important to dewey, but he left the town amount of times and was okay with it - now, they made him 'not handle staying out of the town' and broke the promise he made to the woman he loved during all those years without a strong reason, just because he couldn’t handle being out of woodsboro when he have been out for less two times?

they also made him a drunker, another character choice that’s hard to believe since dewey was absolutely not this type of guy, on scream (1996) they changed him smoking a cigarette to an ice cream because it would fit better the character - now, he’s a drunker?

so basically all the character development and choices were ignored, bringing dewey in a lonely dramatic storyline to kill him in the middle of the movie for shock value, because it would give an “emotional thing” for the movie and it was “the only way” to bring sidney back. plus, his death ended becoming a plot hole - the killers had no intentions to bring the legacy cast for their movie, even tho amber freeman mentioning that he had to die, there was no plan for that and his death was accidental and so does sidney appearing on the city.

honestly, i think david arquette made a great job because of the wonderful actor he is. i just feel bad about the fact he accepted be on it without reading the script and when he read he had to deal with all those things and yet his character dying. he even tried to ask the directors to remove the drunker thing part, got ignored. courteney cox warned the directors to film a shot that dewey survives because wes craven would do that, they ignored. neve campbell already said she will read the script first and see how she feels about it to join scream 6, and we all know why she’s saying that. i feel bad for what they did to dewey and i feel bad for those actors who played these characters for so long and now someone new shows up and do this to them, yet using wes craven’s name as mershan “#for wes”.

anyway it was a fun movie but my concerns about it are larger than my hype for having another scream, full of nostalgia just to stuck me on it - i wish i was hyped enough to not see those things.

[tothebookishatheart]

When Calls the Heart: Season 8 Triangle Analysis (With A Bookish Lens)

The In-Love Experience vs. Real Love

        In Gary Chapman’s book, The 5 Love Languages, he identifies how a romantic relationship can change after a couple gets married. Love is essential to any romantic relationship, but Chapman makes a distinction between two types of love a person might feel in a relationship. There’s the “in-love experience,” and then there’s real, true love (p. 36). Although Chapman illustrates how both of these types of love can be experienced in the same relationship, I think Elizabeth’s romantic relationships with Lucas and Nathan each embody one of these types of loves specifically; as a result, one relationship is truly the foil to the other.

 The In-Love Experience:

          In Chapman’s book, the in-love experience is described as “a temporary emotional high” (p. 41). It is idealistic, euphoric, and is separated from reality. Viewers witness all three of these aspects between Elizabeth and Lucas in their dates and interactions.

          On their picnic date in episode 6, there’s a clear example of how the idealism of the in-love experience affects Lucas and Elizabeth’s relationship. During the episode, Lucas says, “Well, since our first date did not go as planned, I thought I need to try to make it up to her.” As a reminder, Lucas and Elizabeth’s first date was moved to Elizabeth’s backyard to stay close to Little Jack because he was missing her. Still, their first date had no shortage of romance (objectively speaking) with candles, compliments, a nice meal, and both admitting to a sense of happiness. They were also able to dismiss reality and be in the moment when Lucas made mention of Gustave coming to pick up their dishes the next day.

         For all intents and purposes, their first date was ideal, but, according to Lucas’s own words, it was something that required a redo. It wasn’t perfect. Why not? The only thing that prevented it from “going as planned” was the intrusion of reality, i.e., accommodating Little Jack’s needs and moving the location of their date. Now, I’m not pointing this out to imply Lucas is anti-Little Jack, but to say Lucas and Elizabeth are more in pursuit of the “temporary emotional high” of the in-love experience, not real love. When people are in that state, they are happy and content to be caught up in the romance of love – and, subsequently, there is a disassociation from reality.  

          Another example of the in-love experience is in episode 8, when Lucas is accused by Christopher of being responsible for Henry’s health scare and Elizabeth goes to his office to comfort him. In that instance, Elizabeth offers to stay so they can talk, but instead of talking they prioritize the euphoric feeling of physical touch with close proximity and a kiss on the hand. Again, Elizabeth and Lucas deflect reality by not discussing their thoughts and sharing their concerns on a serious matter.

            Furthermore, in episode 9, when reality finally enters their relationship, they still manage to avoid in-depth conversation. In this episode, Lucas and Elizabeth discuss Nathan’s Fort Clay revelation and Elizabeth’s reaction to Nathan’s second profession of love. In each scenario, one of them is emotionally impacted. However, they only talk about what happened, they don’t process their feelings together. In fact, they both prefer to do so individually. A similar occurrence happens in episode 7, when Lucas quotes “Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not.” Again, Lucas and Elizabeth talk about discussing and sharing secret sorrows, but they never actually share their secret sorrows. Alternatively, the quote signifies the start to them showing a physical display of affection.

          Truly, in the height of their relationship, Lucas and Elizabeth value and pursue the euphoric feelings associated with romance. Now, the in-love experience isn’t bad, it just doesn’t last. Basically, its emphasis is on feelings. But that’s not real love. True love. So, what is the difference between the two?

 Real Love:

            In episode 2, a heavy dose of reality enters Elizabeth and Nathan’s relationship when Elizabeth tells Nathan, “You want more than I can give you. It would just hurt too much if I lost you the way I lost Jack.” Later, in the conversation, Nathan professes his love for Elizabeth – and, in response, she runs away. I’m recapping all of this to say that reality is actually an essential element in maturing a relationship into real love. Reality needs to be acknowledged, accepted and worked through for true love to ever be attained. This is why Chapman describes real love as “a love that unites reason and emotion… (it) requires effort and energy. It is intentional and it is a choice” (p. 41-42).

            In episode 9, Nathan’s intentionality is on full display when he talks to Elizabeth about why he didn’t tell her about Fort Clay and his connection to Jack sooner. During the conversation, Nathan says, “When I found myself…when I found myself falling in love with you, I felt like I was betraying Jack and his memory.” In this sentence, Nathan pauses before repeating himself and declaring his love for Elizabeth again – and I find this very telling. In this pause alone, Nathan is making a choice. He’s been here before and the memory of professing his love only to be met with rejection is very real and present in his mind. Yet Nathan willingly makes himself vulnerable to her again. He makes a choice to love her and make his love known to her – even being aware that rejection could be waiting on the other side.

           Nathan continues, “I fell in love with you, and I think love is always worth fighting for.” Again, Nathan’s words emulate the true meaning of real love by Chapman’s definition. The first part of this sentence shows his emotion, but the second part emphasizes his choice. Nathan is choosing to love Elizabeth through everything - in spite of the less-than-ideal circumstances, his hurt and rejection. He’s not giving up on her and this commitment “requires effort and energy” (p. 42).

           Additionally, in Chapman’s book, real love is also described as something that “involves an act of will and requires discipline, and it recognizes the need for personal growth” (p. 41). This is amazingly reflected in episode 6, when Nathan has his “I’m not giving up” speech with Carson, in reference to Elizabeth. This is the point in the season where Nathan decides to pursue real, true love with Elizabeth. This is a choice that can only be made in the aftermath of reality. As Chapman puts it, “true love cannot begin until the in-love experience has run its course” (p. 42). (Yes, Nathan and Elizabeth have their own in-love experience, but more on this later.) From this point moving forward, Nathan has the resolve not to give up on Elizabeth, the discipline to persevere despite all the obstacles and external factors that try to push them apart, and a recognition that for their relationship to truly succeed, he has to be more open and vulnerable with her so she can truly know him. Nathan literally checks every single box, proving that his love for Elizabeth has matured into something deeper than it was before.

         This insight into real love, references back to episode 1, when Lee profoundly says, “Love isn’t just a feeling or an emotion. It’s a choice.” I believe this truly is the theme for Nathan and Elizabeth’s relationship as we see Nathan pressing forward into real, true love. But the question arises, what about Elizabeth? Where does she emotionally stand, now and moving forward? To fully answer that question and understand the dynamics at play in Elizabeth and Nathan’s relationship, we have to start at the beginning of their relationship.

 Elizabeth’s Struggle to Accept Real Love

           As I mentioned earlier in this article, Chapman states the in-love experience and real love can generally occur in the same relationship – it’s just a matter of maturing from one to the other when reality enters the relationship. This means Nathan and Elizabeth had their own in-love experience when they were falling in love. And yes, they fell in love in season 6 and 7. It might look differently from Elizabeth and Lucas’s in-love experience, but they definitely did fall in love. With every sincere compliment, word of encouragement, gift from the heart, show of support, moment of vulnerability, and deep conversation – they have fallen in love. And no, they did not need a single date to do it.

          I’m insistent on this because of Elizabeth’s reaction when reality comes into their relationship. In season 7 episode 10, the town is on high alert when a Mountie has been shot and it’s immediately presumed that it was Nathan who was killed. Elizabeth is distraught until she sees Nathan walking towards her – and overcome with emotion, with love, she runs to him and embraces him. This is the moment when Elizabeth realizes she loves Nathan; this is also the moment when reality first pushes into their relationship and Elizabeth’s fear is first realized.

          Logically, Elizabeth knew that Nathan was a Mountie, but it had never hindered their relationship before now. Until this moment, her focus was on her feelings for Nathan, wanting to be near him, and wanting him to be in her life. But when reality presses in, things get personal. Suddenly, Elizabeth is aware that she could lose Nathan, just like she lost Jack, and then have to endure the pain, grief and heartbreak of losing someone she loves all over again.

          In answer to this, her solution is simple: avoid her feelings. In season 8 episode 1, Elizabeth admits to this in her journal entry in the beginning of the episode. However, the more present Nathan is in her life and the more intentional he is in pursuing a relationship with her, the more evident it becomes to her that she needs to distance herself from him entirely. That’s why in episode 2, Elizabeth doesn’t want to discuss her decision with Nathan or engage with him emotionally, even if she can’t deny feeling the same way he does. She really just wants to leave and not process her feelings more than she already has.

        From this point, Elizabeth makes a very interesting choice. She doesn’t press into real love, like Nathan decides to do. Instead, Elizabeth emotionally regresses; she seeks out the “temporary emotional high” of the in-love experience with another man, Lucas. Now, there are two reasons why I’m defining the in-love experience between Lucas and Elizabeth as a temporary romance and not them falling in love.

         Firstly, Elizabeth’s feelings for Nathan never change. In his book, Chapman is clear that reality enters every romantic relationship, but sometimes instead of doing “the hard work of learning to love each other without the euphoria” couples “fall out of love” leading them to “withdraw, separate, divorce, and set off in search of a new in-love experience” (p. 41-42). It’s true, Elizabeth and Nathan separate from each other in episode 2 and Elizabeth starts a “new in-love experience” with Lucas in episode 4, but Elizabeth never falls out of love with Nathan. In episode 9, when Nathan tells her he loves her again, Elizabeth doesn’t respond – she just leaves, like in episode 2. But the second time Nathan professes his love, things have most certainly changed. Elizabeth is in a relationship with Lucas; they’ve been on dates, picnics and have been holding hands. If her feelings for Nathan have changed and she was now in love with Lucas, this would have been the time to say so. Instead, Elizabeth flees from Nathan just like in episode 2, and the strongest emotion motivating Elizabeth to run away in that conversation was her fear. Fear to love Nathan. Fear to lose Nathan. And, even 7 episodes later, her feelings have not changed. This fact cannot be minimized and this information even displeases Lucas when Elizabeth recalls the event to him in the same episode. It’s very telling.

          Secondly, Elizabeth never truly confronts reality. At the end of episode 2, when Elizabeth flees from Nathan, she is obviously emotionally distressed and, at the very least, she needs to give herself time to process her feelings. However, Elizabeth decides to pursue a romantic relationship with Lucas a relatively short time after. The timing suggests Elizabeth never really processed her feelings for Nathan, her fears, and residual grief over losing Jack. Instead, it implies that Elizabeth’s relationship with Lucas is a band-aid solution to avoid her feelings for Nathan.

         Additionally, Elizabeth’s fight with Rosemary in episode 9 makes it clear these things were not properly addressed. In her fight with Rosemary, Elizabeth says, “I never asked him to be noble. I never asked him to fall in love with me.” Now, it’s true the Fort Clay revelation stirred up Elizabeth’s grief over losing Jack prematurely, but it’s evident that Elizabeth is taking Nathan’s words personally. She’s defensive and bitter. She tries to blame Rosemary for encouraging Nathan because she’s terrified of her own feelings and Nathan’s feelings for her. In this conversation, all of the issues Elizabeth has put on the back burner are suddenly pushed to forefront and because she never properly addressed her feelings, Elizabeth’s instinctive response is to lash out.

           Moving forward from this point, Elizabeth has to process her feelings, decide to accept real love and choose to love Nathan in return. It’s clear her solution isn’t working. She’s hurting herself and those around her – and things can’t keep going on like this. But this is When Calls the Heart. Eventually, Elizabeth will follow her heart, pursue real love and “be with the person she’s meant to be with.”

 Cited Sources:

Chapman, Gary. The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts. Northfield Publishing, 2015.

[originalhybridnik]

harry potter: why it’s not “just for kids.”

the other day, this girl i know told me, “why the hell are you reading harry potter? it’s for kids only.” i’m 17, and, well, close to adulthood. i don’t reply to her, because, often, when someone asks me something like this, i have a huge explanation, lasting for a long time, and people don’t like it. so, i’m gonna give my explanation here.

harry potter. the boy who lived. the whole series is loved by millions of people in the world, from different age groups and from different parts of the world. it’d be an understatement to say that i love the series. i’ve read the books, seen the movies, even read the supplementary books, as well as harry potter and the cursed child. i’ve seen the fantastic beasts movies as well. and i’ve read the books not once, not twice, not even thrice. i’ve read the series 8 times. 

here are the reasons as to why harry potter isn’t for any specific age group.

(spoiler alert to everyone out there) trigger warnings: foul language, death, slavery, discrimination.

1. harry potter, the kid who was orphaned at the age of one, the boy who had no family but his nasty muggle uncle, aunt and cousin, the name known to every wizard and witch, the one-year-old who weakened voldemort to the brink of death. this boy has gone through more pain, sorrow and grief than any fictional character i’ve read of. provided, it doesn’t seem so. but, take it from someone who has read the series as much as i have, he isn’t what he apparently seems to be. j.k. rowling gives us a glimpse of his life before hogwarts, just a mere glimpse. this small portion shows us the amount of bullying he has to go through. he has absolutely no friends, and his cousin’s gang was always behind him. his aunt and uncle starve him for the tinniest of mistakes and he did not even know the real cause of his parents’ death. he has no one to talk to, or be with. he lives in a cupboard under the stairs. his aunt and uncle are certain to “bash out” the magic in him by keeping him away from the wizarding world. he is constantly treated like trash, and he has to do all of the dursleys’ work whether he wanted to or not.

2. he gets a letter from hogwarts, and he isn’t allowed to read it. he keeps getting more and more of them, and he still isn’t allowed to read them. the letters arrive at such a pace that uncle vernon decides to move into a small hut on a rock in the middle of a sea. he then gets his letter hand delivered by hagrid, the keeper of keys at hogwarts. he finally catches a break, and goes to hogwarts, the prized boy who apparently killed voldemort. during his first year at hogwarts, he and his closest friends, ron and hermione embark on a quest to keep the philosopher’s stone from voldemort’s reach. the three 11-year-olds have to get past a three headed dog, past the devil’s snare, one of the deadliest plants in the wizarding world, past a door that could be opened only by catching a flying key scattered across many other flying keys, play on a life size board of wizard’s chess-where ron sacrifices himself so that harry could continue, which almost kills ron, past a room with 7 containers of potions which could kill them if they weren’t smart, and finally to a room where harry meets professor quirell who has provided his body as a refuge for voldemort, who manifests on the back of his head. harry faces the man who killed his parents before he could even speak, and he almost gets possessed by voldemort, because he’s probably the only one who could have the stone, as the mirror of erised could give it only to the person who wanted the stone, but not for a selfish reason. he kills quirell, but voldemort gets away. you see, this shows how deep the first book is. i mean, as a kid, i never understood the sacrifices made, by any of the characters. but, as i read the book again, i understood why what happened happened. it became obvious to me. this shows that we can enjoy the book as a child, without realizing the deepness, and as teens and adults, we get the sacrifices made, the blood shed, the connections forged, and most importantly, how important it is to recognize the values left behind, and, for once, try understanding that this series, even if written for kids, is suitable, and, important for older readers as well.

3. ronald weasely, the sixth child in a relatively poor, and commonplace wizarding family that turns out to be the most loyal, brave and worthy wizarding families ever. he grew up as a wizard and knew a lot about the wizarding world, especially it’s prejudices. he’s the perfect example of a trustworthy, loyal and brave friend. he deserves a lot more than the unnecessary hate he gets. he befriends harry potter, a famous kid that didn’t know anything about his true self, and sticks with him forever. throughout the series, we see this brave boy sacrifice a lot for his best friend. book 1, he sacrifices himself, AN ELEVEN YEAR OLD, for a boy that he knew for less than a year. book 2, he’s ready to walk into a forest, following his WORST fear, spiders, into their fucking home. book 3, he’s ready to follow a mass murderer(not really a mass murderer, but yeah) to help his best friends. book 4, even though he gets jealous and stops talking to harry for a while, we totally get what he was gong through. book 5, he fucking walks breaks into the ministry of magic with his best friends to fight the most feared group of dark wizards and witches ever. book 6, he’s ready to fight anYone for his best friends. book 7, HE’S READY TO RUN AWAY AND FIGHT THE MOST FEARED WIZARD EVER, for his best friend.

all of this, ALL OF THIS, just shows how mature he is, how much we can learn from him, and, most importantly, how wrong it is to title this series as one “for kids”. we see a mere boy sacrifice himself, put his life in danger, time and again, for his best friends. if that isn’t something every human being should be exposed to, then what is?

4. hermione granger, another important character, throughout the series, born into a muggle family, living her life as a smart, bookworm, one day, gets a letter, getting accepted into the best wizarding institution, and, unlike the dursleys, her parents are proud of her and she’s all set for this magical experience. she never anticipates the hate or the prejudice that, is shown towards her and children like her, born into a muggle family. “mudblood,” they call them, exactly the kind of discrimination imminent to THIS DAY all over the world. whether it’s on an international standard, or within a country, whether it is race, caste, gender or preferences, whether it’s against a group or an individual, it’s exactly like this. the whole concept of blood status shows us how deep the books are. it shows us how mature we need to be to understand this. it shows us how we need to think more about this and implement this in real life. a kid from a “pureblood” family, namely, draco malfoy, is the first person to use this, in book 2. it just shows us how parents like his encourage their kids to discriminate people based on their lineage. i won’t point to a specific issue but all of us know of examples, whether we’re the offenders or the offended.

5. slavery is a very important issue touched upon in the series. even though we see harry free dobby from the malfoys, there’s very little importance given to the base, the root cause of what dobby went through. he was a slave to a rich family that considered itself above anyone without “pure blood.” but, we see this very issue taken up in a book 4. we see hermione take a stand against the improper and infuriating treatment of house elves, by organizing a committee called S.P.E.W(society for the promotion of elfish welfare). we see her force people into taking part in this, and even though it’s by force, we all see where she came from. if you don’t know, house elves believed they had only one true purpose in life, to slave around for their owners, without being respected or treated well, and no matter what. we see winky, another elf, previously working(for lack of a better word, cuz that wasn’t working) for bartemius crouch, who’s absolutely against the idea of being paid or even being free. despite seeing dobby and how he enjoyed freedom, she was absolutely against it. again, we see how such an important and deep issue was addressed in a way that makes use all understand, despite our age, that EVERYONE is equal, no matter what. if you STILL think it’s a book for kids only, please continue reading.(continue anyways)

6. can we talk about how the magic-folk have had to live in hiding forever because people are afraid of them? they’re treated like they’re inhuman, trash and most importantly, like they deserve to die for being born with a power for magic? 

7. as long as we’re talking about discrimination, we can also look into the fact that, squibs(non-magic folk born into magical families) are looked down upon? they’re tortured, and they receive as much hate, if not more, as “mudbloods.”

8. a special trigger warning for this: TW /death. THROUGHOUT the series, we see some of our most beloved characters die. spoiler alert: in book 1, we see how james and lily were ruthlessly killed by voldemort, orphaning a one year old boy that’d be famous for something he never knew he did. honestly, it wasn’t even his doing. in the same book, we see the killing of unicorns, the consequences of killing a unicorn and drinking it’s blood, AND the killing of professor quirell/voldemort, and even though he/they were the bad person, it deserves to be a part of this list. book 2, we see a young tom riddle get killed in the end, we see how young myrtle got killed, we see students getting fucking petrified by a monster, an inch away from death. book 3, we see how sirius black apparently killed 13 people and was an accomplice to his best friend’s murder. book 4, we see cedric die as a direct affect from the killing curse. we see harry get tortured by the cruciatus curse. we see the most feared wizard reborn, and, not to mention, we see his weakened form in the movie. book 5, we see the rampage that voldemort causes, killing more and more people, muggles and magic-folk alike. more importantly, we see harry’s godfather, sirius black die. we see the pain harry goes through. book 6, again, we see not only voldemort’s actions, but the use of sectumsempra by harry on draco, and how snape killed dumbledore. book 7, we see SO MUCH death. from alastor (mad-eye) moody to fred weasely, from severus snape to remus lupin and nymphadora tonks, so many fucking deaths. we see harry potter die.

9. can we talk about the phrase “lamb for slaughter”? most of us have heard of this phrase at least once. i cannot think of another explanation of this than the way it’s shown in these books. albus dumbledore literally prepares and protets harry for seventeen fucking years just so he can get get killed by voldemort in the end. this teaches an important lesson to everyone that, sometimes, you need to do what you think is right. even if an adult cares about you more than anything, sometimes they do things they believe in and end up hurting kids.

10. can we talk about how bill weasely got bit in the face by an untransformed werewolf and got deformed for life? even after this, fleur didn’t leave him. if this isn’t a lesson to us about what true love is, then, what is?

11. let’s talk about love. firstly, about how much harry, hermione and ron love each other. they’re the true example of best friends. they were together through everything, there for each other in the worst of times, and for the happiest of moments, and will probably be together until they die. secondly, can we talk about how when people are truly in love, they don’t care about appearances. all they care about is what’s on the inside. this is clearly shown by fleur(check point 10). ALSO, we see tonks sacrifice herself with remus, in the final battle. we see dumbledore care about harry so much, love him so much, despite everything else. we see the love family has. we see harry and hermione become a part of the weasleys. we see harry and ginny fall in love. we even see snape’s love for lily. we see so much love. now, this is something very important for all of us. whether we’re raised in that way, or we are exposed to it later in life, we need to learn that love is important in life.

12. can we talk about the torture neville’s parents, among countless others, went through? because of voldemort? and his death eaters? do you still think these books are for kids?

13. can we talk about how a group of 15 year-olds form a group to learn how to fight in the real world, because of a careless ministry of magic and a cruel teacher? it shows us values of leadership, team work, and most of all, how important friendship is. we see a part of this group march into a battle against death eaters, and, possibly, even voldemort himself, without fear of death. for one moment, look at how brave one is when one is with one’s true friends. this teaches us so much.

14. CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW A CRUEL TEACHER MAKES A 15-YEAR OLD BOY SCAR HIMSELF WITH THE WORDS “I WILL NOT TELL LIES” JUST BECAUSE SHE WAS TOO ADAMENT TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH? do you still fucking think this series is for kids?

15. can we talk about how all the magical creatures are treated cruelly? from elves to centaurs, it’s cruelty at it’s finest. are you still convinced it’s a book for kids just because it has magic?

16. can we talk about how much trauma a reader experiences throughout the series? i mean, i’m absolutely grateful that i went through this trauma, because i came out as a better person, in not one, but, multiple ways. we journey through seven years of happiness, sorrow, pain, love, and so much more. we see our favorites get killed, we see how sometimes, people are misunderstood. we see how everyone is born good, but it’s our childhood and the way we’re raised that makes us bad. this is not something all kids understand. an older person can read this series, go through all of this, and will come out as a better human being.

17. how many of you remember the way snape was treated as a kid? huh? by harry’s own father and his friends. this is a shout out to all the bullies out there that think they can do whatever they want and not care about consequences just because they’re stronger, or more famous, or more good-looking. this fucking teaches kids to NOT bully anyone.

this is more than just a series for me. it let me into this new universe where i experienced so fucking much.

if this wasn’t enough for you to at least consider the fact that these books are not “just for kids,” i’m sorry, but you’re just being morons. you don’t wanna even consider something that goes against what you say and that’s your problem, not ours. so, STOP HATING ON THE WIZARDING WORLD COMMUNITY AND GET A FUCKING JOB.

[numbaoneflaya]

You can count on me to pull up with a thousand of questions sbdhdh. A3, A22, C5, D3, F3 for Jilly ; A18, A23, B9, C1, H2 for Nirn ; A5,B9, C8, D1, I5, for Thurwen ; A9, A13, C1, E8, and G6 for Valkya? 😏

A3, A22, C5, D3, F3 for Jilly ;

A3.Do they have any emotional or psychological conditions? Are they aware of it? Do they try to treat it?

Shawty got that stockholm syndrome in a way. She is…. Sometimes aware of it, though she wouldn't call it that any more. Maybe at first in the basement she was more aware, but now that she can come and go she thinks its a thing of the past. tries not to dwell on it. Kind of in a “well its literally not that bad its kind of fun its kind of romantic were just quirky <3” way, will get mad if someone insists she has stockholm or that the relationship is fucked. Will get enraged and upset on Vincent's behalf, probably cry and yell at you.

A22. Is your OC intended to be found generally attractive? Unattractive? Average? Is there a reason why?

I intended her to be fairly average, maybe kind of cute. It's generally the way she dresses/acts in public that draws attention, not her looks. I tend to make most of my ocs on the average scale besides a select few.

C5. Do your OC’s morals and rules of common decency go out the window when it comes to those they don’t like, or when it’s inconvenient? Aka, are their morals situational?

Good question…. Jillys morals are pretty simple- always be kind and nice, murder and hurting other people is bad, and you shouldnt lie. She sticks to those pretty strictly herself despite the situations she gets put in, often to her own detriment. But she doesn't always put a stop to those behaviors from the people she surrounds herself with, so she's sort of accomplice to bad acts of violence just by not snitching. So somewhat situational? She tries not to think about it.

D3. How comfortable are they with the idea of death?

Not comfortable! She hadn't seen a lot of it before her early twenties and was always sort of sheltered. dead fish are flushed down the toilet bcs they go to the ocean to live again, right? Thought cows and such all died of old age peacefully before they were made into burgers until she was like… twelve. 💀Won't kill mice and other critters despite her prey drive bcs she would feel too bad. And this is just for animal death, she's much more uncomfortable with human death. Also a thing she tries to ignore.

F3. Could they ever live in a “tiny home”?

God no. She hates small spaces unless she's hiding in them and tiny homes have no room for all the shit she stashes! No room for zoomies, or climbing on the furniture, or wrestling around on the floor. It would be filled with junk within a week.

A18, A23, B9, C1, H2 for Nirn ;

A18. Do they get jealous easily? Do they feel bad if they do?

He's never had much to be jealous of, as he's never really been over involved in romantic relationships. They were usually mutually beneficial and somewhat clinical in nature. Hes also pretty sure of himself and his value as an asset and lover. If he finds someone who peaks his interest and they become an item though, he might get jealous if he catches them flirting with other people. Hell be peeved at first but know flirtation in business has its value, so to make himself feel better might flirt with someone else while they are nearby. Make a game of it, see who wins.

A23. Does your OC place much importance on their appearance? Do they feel confident in it?

Appearances are crucial to him and spends a lot of time and money making sure he looks his best. He needs to appear above the rabble and impenetrable, dressing well and having immaculate posture and an air of both grace and otherworldliness.

B9. What kind of humor does your OC like the most? Slapstick, ironic, funny sounds, scare pranks, xD sO rAnDoM…

Definitely not one to find fart jokes funny. Very rarely laughs genuinely or full heartedly, he keeps all his expressions of emotion close to his chest. Sharp sardonic wit is appealing to him in the right circumstances, even a jab directed at himself can make him chuckle if it's well formed enough. Irony almost always gets him, even if its dark irony or gallows humor. Bit of a hard nut to crack. Would laugh enough that hed have to cover his mouth with his hand if he were to see Felix fall face first into mud, though. More often than not you can tell he finds something amusing by a gleam in his eyes and a slight squint.

C1. Does your OC have a moral code? If not, how do they base their actions? If so, where does it come from, and how seriously do they take it?

Well he used to have a real moral code :/. Now I mean…. The ends justify the means. By any means necessary. He considers his family's needs first, then the good of the world, then any individual in the world. Has ordered executions of entire families, had babies stolen and sent away, sent armies to certain death knowing full well they would all die, commanded individuals be tortured for information, sacrificed many in what he considers to be a game of chess where he is the player and others are the pawns. He finds senseless violence and savagery to be unforgivable, but if violence has a sense and purpose to employ it, then he will do so.

H2. Is your OC a thoughtful partner, in whatever aspect of that you want to cover?

Nirn tends to be a very thoughtful and attentive person in general, just for the wrong reasons lmaoooo. But with a lover? He's going to be utilizing that to show them how much he cares and using his powers for good. Mention you like a certain fabric while shopping one time and then complain your favorite tunic has a wine stain in it several months later, he's going to be taking your measurements for a new one in your preferred material without a moment's notice. Very keen on picking up moods, expressions and tone. Also has a very good memory. He doesn't really think about it but gifts are how he shows his love. Also a great attentive listener.

A5,B9, C8, D1, I5, for Thurwen ;

A5. Are they good at handling change in their life?

I would say so, yeah. Shes been used to things constantly changing since she was little and has had little to no control on outside influences. Shes also not one to over think about the past and lament, shes more of a one foot in front of the other, the only time is the present kind of gal. Of course large changes like becoming a warden were a bit more severe, but shes mostly able to think in the present as long as she has immediate problems to deal with.

B9.What kind of humor does your OC like the most? Slapstick, ironic, funny sounds, scare pranks, xD sO rAnDoM…

Slapstick is always gonna make her laugh as long as nobody gets seriously hurt, even if its her own ass tripping into a tree. Not a fan of scare pranks, 0/10 recommend trying to scare Thurwen. You will end up with a broken nose at best and an angry elf. Likes puns, but she's the one to groan at them and try and hide the grin spreading across her face. Gallows humor but only if its her in the gallows, otherwise doesn't find it funny at all. If a little kid calls someone a fartcicle she will be tears in the eyes giggling, which is hard when your warden commander and everyone looks toward you to be serious and mature gyshsdhdfsghsd.

C8. Is your OC more practical or ideal morally? I.e., do they hold people to high expectations of behavior even if it’s not realistic for the situation, or do they have a more realistic approach and adapt their morality to be more practical?

She definitely holds herself to moral ideals and is very hard on herself, but has realistic moral expectations for others. She can understand self serving and people only wanting to survive and she will only give people a little bit of shit for it, no one's perfect. But then she expects herself to be perfect and berates herself constantly for not living up to the hero of ferelden warden commander ideals.

D1. How religious is your OC? What do they practice, if anything? If they don’t associate with any religion, what do they think of religion in general?

Atheist ever since her mom died when she was a kid, but now Shes in a weird mixed state ever since the urn of sacred ashes where shes like. fuck the maker, but Andraste is cool I guess. So respects/believes in the power of Andraste while thinking the maker is a piece of shit and the chantry sucks ass. Even she doesnt know what she really believes, but she did see the ghosts of Andrastes disciples and Shartan, used her ashes as healing salve, killed an old god, etc. So shes been in a weird place recently, crisis of faith/non faith pretty continual.

I5. Are they a good cook?

I mean…. She can cook basics. Shes been feeding herself and the alienage kids since she was old enough to walk so she knows how to get protein and make things edible. Does it taste good? Probably not. She didnt see her first spice till she was 17 years old, but she can skin a rabbit in seven seconds.

LA9, A13, C1, E8, and G6 for Valkya? 😏

A9. Does your OC make a lot of excuses? For themselves? Others?

She tries to excuse bad behavior of herself or others a lot, yeah fgdgdsfhdhs. Mostly she doesnt have to make excuses for herself because she can wholeheartedly be like “yeah i fucked up but whatever im sexy and large and awesome and everyone loves me 🙄whatever baby” and when other people fuck up shes pretty sympathetic even though they are not as large nor as sexy. Shes very used to forgiving and excusing herself its totally alien to her when she really fucks up and is suddenly like wait… valkya…. Did bad?? What is this feeling. Shame?? Guilt?? IMPOSSIBLE.

A13. Does your OC have any phobias? If so, where did they come from?

She hates those giant bugs in morrowind and valenwood a whole fucking lot but I wouldnt exactly place it as a phobia. Those huge mosquitoes and haorvers got no respect but she really hates the morrowind bugs ever since they knocked her over and jumped her while she was pants down peeing drunk as hell in the sand :/ never forgave. Never forgot.

C1. Does your OC have a moral code? If not, how do they base their actions? If so, where does it come from, and how seriously do they take it?

She was raised in a healthy household that tought the basics, prety much “harming others needlessly, stealing, torture, rape, dessecrating the dead, being selfish and not doing right by others, etc etc all basic bad things” are her morals. Her morality is basically treat others how you want to be treated. And if they treat you badly, then have fun beating the shit out of them to show everyone else not to fuck with you. Its a pretty nordic morality in that way. Her morality is also since she was ‘blessed’ with being so large and strong, that she has to also look out for the little guy who cant protect themselves. So If someone treats them how valkya wouldn't want to be treated, then beat the shit out of the person harming them to show them the little guys got backup. Her parents raised her to be a hero and thats p much how she sees herself, which has its benefits and its fuckin problems.

E8. What’s one of your OC’s biggest regrets?

Fucking up Dem and Dariens relationship for sure dude :/ valkya always gonna be sulking over that one. She doesnt regret becoming a vestige, even though it would have made her so much happier not to be because it ended up saving so many people and the world. She regrets not spending more time with Naryu, regrets always having other life saving business she had to run off to, regrets not cherishing the time they had together. Regrets not telling Lyris how she feels, either. Regrets not being able to save as many people as she should have, regrets she wasnt stronger in coldharbor and didnt break out herself. But she tries not to think about it <3

G6. Do they have any favorite childhood memories?

When she was seven she once spent two months training to hold her breath underwater, because her cousin always held it longer and won the gold bet. She trained for hours almost drowning in the river until she could comfortably hold it for up to three minutes. During the next holiday when they all got together again the competitions were on and they both went under- her cousin won, holding their breath for four more minutes before they decided to come up. This was the first lesson she learned that shocked her world view- you always need to know your opponents capabilities. (after she lost 26 gold in the bets, her mother later had to inform her that her cousin was an argonian.)