#also how dare timeskip char look like my character daran from sugar people

[oliverferrie]

I finally watched all the Mobile Suit Gundam movies and I thought they did a very good job of highlighting how fucked the situation was of grooming talented young people into positions in the military.

The charismatic antagonist Char is one that is gonna stick with me for a while. The way he manipulates people - particularly young women - into getting what he wants while making them believe this is what they want is so well done, it's horrifying. His motivations were lofty and idealistic but ultimately infused with an incredibly emotional, needy fervour. The blending of passion and politics, of love and logic, the mistaking them for the same thing, is the powerful man's bread and butter, and he will take away this bright young thing's autonomy whilst wanting her to play mother for him.

THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF VILLAIN I LIKE TO EXPLORE

and I appreciate how the director just so blatantly included dialogue throughout the movies that just calls him out on this. Excellent movies, well-thought-out characters, 10/10.

I'm on a real kick from this now. I am going to use this energy to work on my next novel,

MOTH,

where a fucky villain that is just far too good at using people starts the story at an advantage and, it falls to our titular character to try and pull that advantage out from under his feet.