#and the point of this series was to highlight stuff that most of the fandom were ignoring/undervaluing

[forcebookish]

Top in every episode: Episode 12 Plus, bonus Force:

[buckevantommy]

i'm finally watching the finale of 9-1-1 season 4. can we get more of mehta please? bring him back 👨‍🚒. buck hauling eddie bodily into the truck? a sight to behold 🥵. buck playing medic? love that 🩹.

on a main note: the opening sequence, but especially that lengthy moment where buck tells eddie to hold on, that's pretty gay lbr. idk how y'all survived watching this live with ppl saying you were crazy for reading into it. because i see it, i get it.

i've been watching the series for the first time and haven't really seen much to ship up until this point. but the entire opening scene is the first big buddie moment for me tbh. i mean there was the mud-well collapse, and the 'go for the title' kitchen scene, but i can't really think of any other standout moments that made me recognise what the shippers were latching onto (some of the christmas stuff was pretty cute though).

i do think a great majority of the moments up to this point have been one-sided by buck (unconsciously) - which i love, because obviously we now have canon bi!buck so it makes sense for his character - even if it wasn't confirmed or intended back then it now exists as evidence of his bisexuality. and even though i think s7!buck (and beyond) doesn't harbor any lingering romantic or sexual feelings for eddie, i do think he had them through the years without realising, and then those unrealised feelings shifted and faded.

anyways. i think it does buck's character a disservice to not acknowledge the buddie in his history, whether by the fandom at large or by those involved with the show. i still wouldn't call myself a buddie shipper (yet?) but this episode opener (and i assume a good portion of the remaining ep) is very much about them - or more accurately: about buck's feelings for eddie (and yes, it also highlights buck's tendency to feel things more starkly, intensely, and unrestrained than others, especially when his loved ones are hurt). there are certainly buddie threads throughout the series so far but i don't think it's a stretch to say this ep is the most intense and noticible of buddie story weaves - even if it's only one-sided; but is it? tbd.

but back to this ep: we deserve to see buck covered in blood once more. his blood, a victim's blood, a loved one's blood.. it's been too long. 🫠

[silicon-tmblr]

[Reposting this because I'm dumb stupid and don't know how reblogs work! This was supposed to be a reblog of this post by @g0nta-g0kuhara, a multi-part analysis of Kokichi Oma in Chapter 4]

Ooh a meta post! Sends me back to when I was first researching the DRV3 fandom before playing the game (I'm a little backwards, I know...). I only read the one part, but I wanted to chime in with some additions on top of the existing analysis.

Interestingly, the "neutral Kokichi face" that's highlighted in this post is one of two "neutral faces" that Kokichi makes throughout the game. That would be stand_005_037, or Kokichi's 37th sprite.

The other "neutral face" is the next sprite over, stand_005_038, which appears in a different context from the previous sprite. The difference between the two is really not terribly noticeable at a glance, so here's a visual.

Up to now, I've considered sprite 37 to be Kokichi's "unserious neutral", as his expression appears more relaxed than that of sprite 38, what I've thought to be his "serious neutral".

You know he's not serious when he's agreeing with Maki.

With the information from this analysis, though, it might be more accurate to call it his "masking neutral". Kokichi will use sprite 38 in low-emotion situations when he has a point to get across, like here in the Chapter 3 post-trial.

However, in high-emotion situations, as said in the initial analysis post, Kokichi is likely trying to hold himself back. That's when sprite 37 comes in.

Bro is either stifling a laugh or seething with anger in there

Regarding Kokichi's sprite 38, there's some stuff I've come across which loosely implies that it initially had a different design. When Kaito recaps his conversation with Kokichi in the hangar in the Chapter 5 post-trial, the conversation is portrayed with a sepia tone. The sprites for this conversation aren't really "sprites", per-se -- the entire scenario is actually stored as a series of background images in the game files.

One image that caught my attention, however, was bg_201_11:

On my first playthrough of the game, I dubbed this sprite "Kokichi angy"

This image stands out at a glance because of the Kokichi sprite, which isn't seen anywhere else in the entire game. Compared to the other images in the set, this image actually seems to be from an older build of the game, as the shadows in the background, shading on the sprites, and position of Kokichi's arm-belt-things are different.

bg_201_11 vs bg_201_01

My guess is that this unused sprite was an older version of sprite 38, especially since the current sprite 38 has similar errors as the older sprite.

Personally, I'm glad "Kokichi angy" wasn't actually used in the final game. He looks a little too much like a wet cat.

On another topic, also related to the linked analysis: let's talk about the ever controversial whiteboard note written by Kokichi under Shuichi's photo which, in the English localization, reads "trustworthy?"

As many people have pointed out, both now and in the past, this note was translated oddly and the original text was 「油断ならない？」 (yudan naranai?).

Though it's often translated by fans as “sneaky or cunning”, the literal translation is actually “don't be careless”, with “yudan” meaning “careless” and “naranai” meaning “must not (be)”. This is translateable in most situations as “dangerous”, hence that being the stock translation supplied by Jisho.org.

After all, "don't be careless" has essentially the same meaning as "this is dangerous", in most situations at least (think mountain climbing, or traveling through a dark alley; you wouldn't want to be careless because it is dangerous, you don't know what to expect so it's treacherous and sneaky).

When translating a note regarding a person, though, I would think "don't be careless" would be more appropriate, especially considering Shuichi isn't particularly dangerous compared to some other people in the academy whose dangers are well known (*cough cough* Maki)

You can find the independent translated meanings of yudan and naranai on Jisho as well as on Wikitionary (yudan, naranai).

So, Kokichi is essentially telling himself to stay on his guard around Shuichi, since he doesn't know what to expect from him. His attempt to team up with Shuichi in Chapter 4 was probably his confirmation that Shuichi wanted nothing to do with him, and that he should formulate his plans accordingly. It would probably have been ideal for him to have Shuichi on his side, as he saw Shuichi as a wild card (rather ironically; I'd imagine the group perceives Kokichi as the wild card of the group). So despite the translation error, the points made by the linked analysis still hold decent ground.

All in all, despite my belief that Chapter 4 is absolutely ridiculous, the linked analysis is quite good when one assumes Chapter 4 is logically sound (it's not), and still holds up even to someone like me who really dislikes Chapter 4 for its severe logical fallacies (my suspension of disbelief was absolutely thrown out the window when I played it... but maybe that's a matter for another day)

[freddie-77-ao3]

sup yall we're vibing here

anyway. hey, my name's freddie, and i'm finally trying to write an actual intro/master post which... we'll see how this goes.

important stuff is highlighted in orange.

so, basic stuff:

as I said, my name's freddie. he/him pronouns. i'm a college student (majoring in accounting, might add a psych minor). not gonna say which college but i'm currently in california.

i've been on tumblr since 2019 i think? not under this account, this started as a fandom account and then spiralled out of control... really fast. um, my regular tumblr which i've not actually opened in ages is @chronicchthonic14 so. yeah.

not particularly relevant to this blog, but i might mention it at some point so, i have autism and adhd. and some other things but. like. that list is very long and those are the two most relevant because i promise if i come off wrong/mean, i didn't mean to, i just forget to make my words normal. but. those are the two most referenced. if for whatever reason someone wants to know more or has questions you can send an ask ig?

i'm scottish, born there. moved to US when I was four. finishing uni and moving back.

some quick warnings

this blog definitely contains cursing/vulgar language, whatever you want to call it, so if you're not comfortable with that, probably not the blog for you, as i don't tag cursing or anything for you to filter out.

if, for whatever reason, if i ever reblog something that contains a slur (against racial minorities, queer people, anything) i will ABSOLUTELY tag that though.

also if anyone has any trigger warnings they think any content needs, please let me know-- asks, dms, comments, reblogs

the cursing thing also applies for sort of dirty jokes? think that only applies to like. two posts and very not explicit. those aren't currently tagged but if they get any more explicit they certainly will be.

queer identity because the explicit reminded me, i'm asexual, and probably straight. maybe bi? dunno, don't particularly care. and i'm trans. ftm. this isn't the blog i talk about that on usually though, unless it relates to a specific ask or a fandom thing.

which, getting into what this blog is for because i can't think of anything else i need to add here (guys let me know if i forgot important stuff, please, i'm an idiot!!! i will forget the important stuff and write random shit instead!! i've already deleted three tangents from this!!)

sooooo

fandoms!! ones i write and/or post about or will potentially post about

percy jackson extending to hoo, toa, tkc (definitely post way less about this), mcga (again, way less). haven't read TSATS or COTG yet, but spoilers are fine. i post way more about minor characters. write fanfiction for and have some posted (both on here and ao3) and a bunch of snippets.

dcu-- films, comics, animated shows, all of it. personally, my favorites are young justice (the comics, not show version), new teen titans, and batman inc (batgirls, nightwing, and red robin esp). late 90s yj run is my favorite, and i loved the DCeased event. favorite batman comic is definitely court of owls run. no fanfics posted, but some on docs.

mcu-- way less so, but have a stucky oneshot. slowly making my way through in timeline order.

throne of glass. i'm an aedion and chaol apologizer because they do a bunch of dumb shit but then WHO DOESN'T in this series. fanfics in doc, not posted.

this would go on for ages if i listed everything so instead, here's an ask i answered on my fandoms/genres and everything. feel free to send me asks about anyone. if you send me something about radium girls i may cry though (tears of joy) so there's your advanced warning.

main things you'll see on my blog are incorrect quotes, snippets, and the occasional fic

this^^

my... idk, contact policy? seriously what do i word this

asks are always open, anon is on.

if you send hate... whatever. i'll probably delete it.

unless i find it funny. then I'll post it. there's really little you could say to me that would hurt.

when i say asks are always open, you can drop anything you want.

literally anything

you need to vent? want advice? want to request headcanons? request a fic? give me a prompt? ask random things about me? something else I've forgotten? go right ahead

if you want to ask me to update my fics? go right ahead. sometimes i forget i didn't post something.

send as many asks as you want, i don't care if it might be spam

i can't promise i'll respond to asks in a timely manner, sometimes i open my inbox and forget they exist for months, i'm sorry. if it's something you really want answered you can send another one

dm's are alright? if you want to be friends or something, go right ahead.

anyone can reblog any of my posts/comment/heart, i don't care. you want to heart 50 things in a row? i adore you. if i had kids, you would get my firstborn

if we're mutuals you can ask for my insta/give me yours.

now, other accounts:

anyway, i think that's it?

[jessequinnfirstofhername]

controversial star wars opinion - I think anisoka gets too much of a bad rap. like honestly im surprised at how disliked (or outright despised) the ship is in the fandom. like yes I do see how there's a notable power imbalance since they are teacher/student, but I don't get the whole "age difference" point because they have basically the same age difference as padme and anakin. also, its not like anyone can't explore the idea of a romantic relationship between them when they're older. ahsoka didn't stop aging at 17. sorry that this is long, I just see a lot of untapped potential in their dynamic and im salty that theres such a stigma surrounding a fairly tame ship

Oh Anon, it's like you read my mind.

I'm extra salty that Anisoka has such a stigma attached to it, to the point where the it's practically radioactive when compared to ships like Obikin or even Anidala.

If we're going to start treating ships as radioactive because they have an unhealthy power imbalance, the SW fandom better invest in some heavy-duty hazmat suits.

Padme and Anakin have the same age gap, and Padme met Anakin when he was nine. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan raised Anakin from that same age, meeting him for the first time when he was in his twenties.

(I'm very aware that there are Obikin antis, but Anisoka seems to be treated as even more toxic)

I'm not saying that Obikin and Anidala deserve hate, they don't, I'm just saying it's strange that Anisoka is so disproportionately targeted.

Also, as you said, Ahsoka didn't stop aging at seventeen. In Ahsoka (the series) she's in her forties.

But, I'll be fair and briefly try to see it from the other side's point of view.

Unlike Anidala and Obikin, most of Anakin and Ahsoka's canon interactions happen when he's a grown man and she's an underage girl, and yes, the teacher/student aspect is understandably squicky to a lot of people.

Also, unfortunately, there is a lot of utterly revolting stuff out there depicting Anakin and Ahsoka that's set during The Clone Wars. I don't consider this garbage to be fan art, or representative of Anisoka fans. It's genuinely horrific and vile, and I think it really poisoned the well as far as perception of Anisoka goes.

(...and trust me, when I say something is horrific, I'm not exaggerating)

Anyway, time to ramble about my own Anisoka feelings!

I loved seeing Anakin growing fonder and fonder of Ahsoka in a completely platonic way over the course of The Clone Wars. It was a highlight of the series for me.

...but, my first introduction to Ahsoka Tano was through Rosario Dawson playing her in live-action, starting with The Mandalorian.

Part of me will always see Ahsoka Tano as a grown woman, played by an actress who has incredible chemistry with Hayden Christensen.

So can you blame me for shipping them?!

That's not even going into all the potential of their relationship.

I've got four Anisoka WIPs in my drafts right now, and they all approach the relationship from different angles. I found crafting each dynamic completely fascinating.

But I also find their platonic dynamic fascinating too. Across the Stars uses Anakin and Ahsoka's relationship to trigger a turning point in the plot, and another WIP of mine is a cute and platonic Clone Wars-era prompt that I'm loving as much as the Anisoka WIPs.

Now I need to apologize for rambling on too long!

...anyway, everyone please read my fics ;)

-Jesse xx

(...also is it just me, or can anyone else hear a hornet's nest buzzing?)

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 21/03/2024

Poké Village

Season 5 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume C

Ripped by XxFemBu55yL0V3RxX

I've yapped on and on before on here about what the true core of SiIvaGunner is, be it comedy, emotion, shitposting, community, lore, what have you. There obviously isn't one true answer to that question: it's all subjective, not just based on your own reading of the channel, but your own experiences with it. As an aspiring writer, I love digging deep into its narrative and theming, the stuff found in Nice, Slick, Blackness and NIGHTMARESCAPE 〜Unrestrained HyperCam 2〜 (Final Boss Phase 2) - but other people are far more invested in the act of ripping itself, the people who go the mile beyond that even I do and keep up with all the various fan channels, or even make rips themselves. But no matter your angle, there's one thing that binds everything together, the thing that Poké Village and so many other rips represent. To share what you love, and love what others share.

I'm sure that at this point, Violet Snow Memories is one of my most-linked posts on this blog, but that's exactly because it represents that theme so well. Kyle Hyde's duology of DS Adventure games aren't exactly worldwide phenomenons, yet there are still people out there - people like Uncle Fill - who wish to share their love for the games in any way they can. And in turn, I myself have enjoyed hundreds of rips representing games and franchises I've never really engaged with much, franchises like Touhou with Imperial Touwer or Sable with Sable's Stickerbush. But it doesn't really matter whether or not I'M a fan of these series, when its ever-so-evident just how much the people making these rips love them, the love you can see in the rips themselves. And hell, I've said it before and I'll say it again: It was Chaze the Chat's love for Maroon 5 as a band, its early history and distinct style highlighted in the rips on SiIvaGunner, rips like As Miku Collides, that got ME invested in the band in return. Each ripper on SiIvaGunner, each contributor and fan submitter, wishes to share a piece of themselves with SiIva's audience, and it's truly heartwarming to see how many of us are able to look beyond the boundaries of fandom to appreciate real quality.

Which, then, brings us back to Poké Village - a rip featuring the Pokke Village theme from the Monster Hunter series. First appearing when the series was still primarily on the PlayStation Portable, and only reappearing on the core-fan installment Monster Hunter Generations. The franchise is far from niche, the song far from obscure - but it still isn't exactly a theme known to those *outside* of the Monster Hunter sphere, in the way that we for instance all know the tune of Green Hill Zone without having played a Sonic game. SiIvaGunner isn't exactly a gathering spot for the Monster Hunter community (the games themselves have a pitiful amount of rips on the channel), but by just Poké Village alone, you may be fooled into thinking otherwise.

What XxFemBu55yL0V3RxX's created here is a beautiful 7-minute arrangement of the aforementioned Pokke Village theme, initially led by the very same nostalgic Game Boy hum that leads much of the Johto Pokémon games' soundtracks. The extensiveness of the arrangement alone speaks volumes - it reminds me of rips like Jesus of the Underground right off the bat - but its hardly where the rip stops to impress. For one, I think the choice in game to use for this "bait-and-switch" arrangement is incredibly smart and quite deliberate. As an outsider, I need not have played a Monster Hunter game to get a sense for what Pokke Village is like, due purely to my associations with Ecruteak City and how those feelings are leveraged in the rip. I have no nostalgia nor attachment to any Monster Hunter game, yet the emotion present in just the rip's first half alone, the way the theme swells and settles, it conveys the rural village atmosphere pitch-perfectly. And all of it is, of course, elevated by the rip's unexpected twist - the remarkably seamless switch from the Pokémon GSC sound, to something far closer to a ground-up arrangement.

At first, I drew the conclusion that it was directly based on the Ecruteak City or Cianwood City theme of Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver, the 2009 remakes of the Johto Pokémon games for Nintendo DS. And while the arrangement feels incredibly similar to the sound of the DS, from the samples used to their quality, I can't directly connect the instruments used to either of the two city themes (which share a melody but with differing arranges). Yet the vibe is what truly matters, XxFemBu55yL0V3RxX is able to harness the warmth and comfort of those familiar DS-era samples to further bring home the sheer vibe of the Pokke Village theme that elevates the rip beyond its starting point, beyond its initial concept. I love pleasant surprise escalations like this, like I covered back in Plantasia 2, and much like that rip itself - I love how Poké Village is using it purely to further push a message of affection for a piece of media XxFemBu55yL0V3RxX seemingly holds very close to him.

Melody swaps between themes with such similar atmosphere are always some of the most surefire hits on SiIva, I'm reminded of just how quickly Aquadial enchanted me to name just one. And Poké Village certainly fits that mold, but I'm enamored by just how far XxFemBu55yL0V3RxX went to celebrate this theme that many of us are likely still rather unfamiliar with, to champion a franchise otherwise so underrepresented on SiIvaGunner with a seven-minute tribute covering two entirely different styles of arrangement. And it makes me so happy that it all worked, that the rip was able to hit the way it does without me having ever played a Monster Hunter game. Or in other words, that I was able to love the piece of himself that he shared in this rip.

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

so howd you like it what are your thoughts

Anon, I hope you don't mind it but I'm going to use this ask as an excuse to do my Full On Rambling post about my honest thoughts. I'll try to keep is as coherent as possible, but I can't actually guarantee it :')

Also putting it under a cut because some of it is going to sound negative (as I said, I want to exorcise any critiques I have so I can go back to Vibing asap) and I know many people (undestandibly!!) won't want to read that, and I don't want to burst anyone's happy bubble :) . And also because of s3 spoilers. Bear in mind that it's not a rant post, I still had tons of fun with the season. But since I'm going to be talking about the things I enjoyed forevermore and gonna try to keep all my 'didn't really like this :/'s contained in this post, it may come out sounding like I enjoyed it less than I truly did. Here we go, get ready for some Thoughts

-> Content

Okay, listen. This season was fun. I had a nice time watching the newest shenanigans. New characters (with one notable exception) were a joy to watch (yes, even the thing. We're in a toxic situationship) and I was greatly amused by their adventures; most of them kept me on the edge of my seat.

(ok, here's where the negativity begins. Please don't take me for someone who wanted everything to be done for Their Specific Standards or who thinks they know more than the professional and extremely skilled team that was behind the series. I'm just throwing around thoughts about how I feel, but in the end, the only thing that matters is that Luke Pearson and the team got to tell the story they wanted to. If that was achieved, I'm happy regardless)

However, I couldn't help but think that some of it felt... like it was "thrown" at us, in a way? To be fair, I think most of the negative points I'll discuss in this post are a consequence of this season being 6 epsidoes short of what the writers originally planned because, as I've mentioned before, I do think the show's writing is great and that the team puts their heart and soul into making this the best cartoon possible. Anyway, what I mean is that at times I thought the episodes seemed so worried with delivering all the information they could that a lot was left behind and some stuff didn't really tie together with the rest.

For example; I still cannot understand why aunt Astrid and Anders had to be these big surprises that had never been mentioned before if Hilda, the character who we see this world through, already knew about them? Don't misunderstand me, I am well aware that these nitpicks of mine are subjective and only my personal opinions that may very well simply be a consequence of not understanding what the writers were trying to achieve. I just feel like Johanna's family and Hilda's father are topics that have been discussed so at lenght in the fandom, precisely because they'd been so carefully skirted around in the previous seasons, that the reveal that nothing really dramatic had happened (between Johanna/Astrid and Johanna/Anders, at least) feels anticlimatic to me. It just feels (again, to me, personal opinion) that if this was going to be the case all along they could have mentioned these characters before, and it would have made the narrative make a little more sense.

(This is especially true to me in Anders' case. Bc it felt to me like they had been trying to highlight how irrelevant Hilda's dad was to the story in the first seasons by not bringing him up at all, by not even pointing out his abscence. But I can't really see the point in that if you're gonna bring out the man either way)

Ironically, at the same time I felt like some of the arcs were a tad overachieving, especially the Johanna's parents one. I just felt like it was Too Much Too Quickly, which once again is likely because of the season having been shortened. I feel like if they really wanted to do that arc, and that way, it would have been helpful to cut some other storylines so they could begin fleshing out this one earlier. They way it was done I just personally (can you tell I'm terrified of being taken as a hater?) felt like there was no time at all to get either used to the idea of Johanna being half faerie nor to get attatched to her parents. Like. I know the episode was the season's emotional peak, but it just didn't hit me the way I know it should.

Not sure if this was a me problem, but I felt like the audience wasn't given enough time to process what had even happened when they got stuck in the fairie island, nor to even consider that they'd truly be stuck there forever, much less to fully process the sacrifice Johanna was making when she left it with Hilda. I didn't get to get attached to Johanna's parents or to the dynamic they have with their daughter. I didn't suffer the way I wanted to when I saw them having to part ways, because I couldn't become invested in their bond when I was still trying to wrap my head around what their backstory even was and pay attention to the action heavy scenes that were to come.

What I'm gonna say here is way meaner than the people behind the show's writing deserve and I know, I can absolutely tell it isn't the case because you can see some of the foreshadowing once you have the benefit of hindsight, but it felt to me like some of Johanna's backstory was written for shock value alone. Which, considering the previous components of the season that I have already mentioned felt underwhelming, was even more jarring.

Another thing is that I feel like a lot was sacrificed in order to do these overachieving arcs. This maaay just be the side character lover and change hater in me, but I do feel like in order to present to us all these new concepts that would be necessary for the backstory to make sense, we were deprived of some elements in Hilda The Series that are arguably what the show does best. It felt like they all but scratched all of their previous stories, characters and components to switch them up for new ones. Pikablob has said it better than me, tbh.

However. I do feel like saying that none of the fears I had for the season came true. No character feels ooc, no one was left with an incomplete arc, and though I can't see how Anders contributes to the story, if he had to be there I feel like the way that was it done was the right one.

-> Pacing

Frenetic. Run for the hills kind of thing sometimes. Which, once again, I can't bring myself to believe was the writers' fault, not when they had other 6 episodes planned that they didn't get to do. I absolutely understand that they had to condense everything they wanted to show us into half the runtime. But it did become an issue (to me) when instead of the trademark Hilda Idyllic Tranquility I usually feel while watching (even plot and action heavy content like TMK), I felt like I was watching a completely different cartoon. Carmen Sandiego, or something like that (please note that I do also love Carmen Sandiego). Many times it just felt like there was no breathing space, which isn't necessarily bad when done well, but I hadn't gone into the season prepared for that.

It wasn't a problem that was all around present, though. I do want to point out that imo "The Giant Slayer", "The Laughing Merman", "Strange Frequencies" and even "The Forgotten Lake" still felt like Hilda to me. Which is where I realize what the main issue I had with the season was. That a lot of it just felt like a different show.

-> ~ vibes ~

I am bringing back the disclaimer that if the team told the story they wanted to, then good for them, I'm pleased as can be. I do enjoy that the series played with some different concepts. The musicality and colours in The Laughing Merman, for example, were absolutely delightful to me. Seriously, I want an entire Hilda musical now.

But some things I just couldn't help but feel were so disconnected from the previous feel of the show that it felt to me like they didn't belong. You can sum the rest of this post up by saying that season 3 would have been one of my favourite ever cartoons if it had been its own thing. But it's not, so I can't help but compare it and try to understand how all of the installments work when together.

The faeries, for example. I was so excited when I saw the trailer and knew it was going to be one of the plots, because I thought it was going to be another adventure of the day type of thing that would span over three episodes max. And listen, I've talked about how much I love Celtic folklore, and maybe this is just my consistency loving brain being annoying, but it felt a bit... clashing? that this season was based on tales and creatures and treaditions that weren't the scandinavian ones that inspired the rest of the series. It just felt like a major shift in tone that I don't really understand (once again, me problem, may very well be a skill issue on my part & I'm not saying they shouldn't have ventured so far just bc I didn't quite vibe with it). It just feels a bit off to me, knowing that Johanna's backstory was likely planned from the start, that there wasn't any celtic lore at all in previous seasons to make this sudden detachment from nordic folklore feel less out of the blue.

You know that joke that Disney movies like Aladdin and Raya take concepts from different cultures and smash them together like they're not completely different? I felt to some extent (bc OF COURSE Hilda is much better researched and has a lot better quality than that /gen) like they did that this season. But with white people. Which, fair, I can appreciate the irony.

Back to the topic of bold storylines, I understand what the Hilda team did with all the Johanna backstory. I understand that it's something that everyone wanted to see soo bad and they wanted it to be great (and it was). The thing I got stuck on is just that it ended up changing the vibe of the show to me. Whereas previous seasons feel like "slice of life in a magical place", I felt like this time I was watching a magic centered fantasy. Especially when they got into trying to explain the origin of magic and everything. Which is ironic, because I enjoyed the concept a lot and will explore it in the future, but it still felt like something that I wouldn't have expected Hilda the Series to tackle. Like there was a giant shift from folkloric to fantastic that isn't bad, but it is different and I hadn't been prepared for that lol.

God, I feel like I just wrote all of that and just to be A Bitch. I just wanted to get these thoughts out but I don't expect you guys to agree or anything. I genuinely liked watching this season, and I will continue to reiterate this in the future. And even if it doesn't beat s1 or s2 in my heart, I'm still grateful we got a final season at all, and everyone who was involved in it deserves all the praise <3

[chainsawcorazon]

Hey so I'm interested in writing for bartkon week, but I like doing frankly excessive research on characters before I try writing them...and honestly I don't really want to read all of SB94, impulse and YJ just to get a handle on what I'm doing, that's a lot even for me. I know some general stuff about the both of them, but not to the point where I'm like "Ah yes, I understand the soul of the matter" So I was wondering if there were like any specific arcs or points of characterization that I could read through to get the dynamic right?

shfkjdsfd ngl, I'm the worst person to ask bc my romance with BartKon didn't even start with BartKon....... it started with Clark/Bart from Smallville 😭😭😭 I'm exceptionally weak for Kryptonian/Speedster romances, but whereas Clark/Bart was the gateway, Bart/Kon is where my heart resides. And I don't ship any other Kryptonians with Speedster. Literally just Clart from Smallville and BartKon from the comics. Just giving you context so you don't think I'm some subject matter expert with a phd in BartKononomics ...... I am just a lady in her thirties who has carboard boxes full of sb/imp/yj singles cuz Clart made her Feel Things when she was a kid and she decided to Do Something about it (aka read comics).

BUT TO YOUR QUESTIONS!

If you want a high level overview of the ship, @radioactive-earthshine's KonBart Manifesto is a great place to start. It has the ship's Best Highlights, and really sums up why there is a small but dedicated fanbase to it. Dedicated enough that I broke my near-ten year cold turkey of mainline DC comics because my main man Bendis put BartKon back on the map while I was living my life blissfully unaware that DC had even hired Bendis to begin with and that the Diamond distro monopoly died. I was shocked. Still am. Two things I never thought would happen in my lifetime.

Now to understand the soul of Bart and Kon.... you're gonna have to look at that things that don't really have Bart and Kon on the same page. Part of the reason why BartKon Speaks to Me is because their relationship progression over the year directly ties back to their individual growth as characters.

So reading material 1: In Impulse, Bart starts off as the speedster equivalent of a feral bobcat, but slowly progresses into an empathetic, understanding, and an overall Good Man. Much of his story deals with the harsh realities of simply growing up different. Running theme of Imp fandom is that Mark Waid created and wrote an autist with ADHD without meaning too, and by Allah he sure did. It's fascinating because Bart harbors both grief and rage due to his predicaments, and the adults in his life are incredibly unkind (even if they are well-meaning), so Impulse has always been, in my understanding, the slice-of-life that really helps Bart to come of age into a Man and a Great Hero. You don't have to read the whole series, but if you can read at least the first twenty or so issues, you'll find yourself rooting for the little man and see how he shines in terms of empathy, understanding, love, and dealing with unresolved rage/grief/loss.

Reading material 2: Superboy is a trick and a half because it deals with issues of child neglect, grooming, the allegory of child star exploitation, and so on and so forth. The BartKon implications are There, but the reason why Superboy is incredibly important is because Superboy as a character is more than just his parentage. Contrary to popular belief, Geoff is NOT the main man in this story. Reading even just the first twenty issues of Superboy will show you Kon was failed by most of the adults in his life, and Superman is NOT his villain. Or the root of his daddy issues. Bro didn't even have a name until much later. If you wanna know who Superboy REALLY was before the Geoffian Era, you can read the first twenty odd issues. If you wanna go earlier, you could read his parts in Reign of the Supermen, just to get an understanding as to why he HAD to be the way he was during this time.

Reading material 3: I do not recommend reading all of YJ 98 for the BartKon bc YJ 98 is hijinks fun. It's GREAT reading for absurdist and comical situations, but only really works with context from Impulse and Superboy to get to the BartKon heart of it all. Not to say YJ 98 wouldn't give you the BartKon goodness, it sure does, but the soul doesn't come together if you don't get how Bart evolved in Impulse and how terribly Kon was treated in Superboy. You can read really anything in YJ to have fun with the group, but if you wanna fast track, you can read the last twenty or so issues and Titans/Young Justice Graduation Day.

Reading material 4: The Geoffian era..... I wouldn't wish Teen Titans 2003 on my worse enemy. Funniest thing is that at the time, I was just starting to watch Smallville. In love with Smallville!Bart already, I embarked on my Superboy journey.... had mixed feelings, so I stuck mostly to the 90's content. Ended up reading impulse a decade later, but long story short.... the Geoffian Era set a Tone and Direction for Bart and Kon that never sit well with me. There IS story there, if you are interested in reading about Daddy Issues, Masculine Identity, and a shit ton of other stuff that really pulled Kon away from his roots and made him more of a Emotionally Tortured Super. If that floats your boat, you may enjoy it. You can read a handful of comics from this era. Just know that in the end, he suffers anyway, just in an ugly ass outfit. The only real bit I'd recommend forreal forreal is when he dies. His whole arc in the Geoffian Era really just tells us he doesn't know how to live and thus he... dies. It's sad bc the writers before him despite having tortured Kon relentlessly, never really made him so...... hopeless.

Reading material 5: Flashpoint.... Bart dies, but I personally did not feel much for him because Bart didn't feel like Bart in the end, but yeah, he kicks it. This is where I pretty much kicked DC to the side too, minus the mistake that was reading RHATO. You can read Kid Flash Lost if you'd like.

Do not read New 52.

Reading material 6:.... my main man Bendis. No you do not have to read all of YJ 2019, but BartKon reunion and then Bart's explication as to WHY he found Kon is all you need. Bendis, despite the hate he gets, actually shows that he has great love for the YJ line. BartKon especially. The bald headed demon proves yet again that he care not for the world, only for his faves, which I'm cool with bc BartKon are me faves.

I know. A lotta reading. Those numbers I gave you.... you can also just read half of what I said kjdhgkhd Googling also helps! I know it's not always feasible to read so many comics, and I'mma be real, the Tone for many may not entice you either. Impulse feels like a slice-of-life to me, but YJ's an absurd shounen, and Superboy is the saddest book you'll ever read that is absolutely hilarious when you can accept that 90's writers just Did Not Care. Geoff hates Bart and Kon. New 52 is not real. Bendis actually loves BartKon a LOT, so you can just read their tidbits and find peace in the fact that Bart Allen, the loneliest fucker in existence, found his Kon El, who is the saddest fucker in existence. Something something, I will find you even if God wants us both dead. And God (editorial) did. I don't know how Bendis pulled the shit that he did, but he put a decades old rarepair back on the map after the Geoffian Reign. And Geoff hates Bart and Kon.

Happy Reading/Googling/Researching!!!!

[fraeuleintaka]

AAIC Previews

This is the 61st post in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Countdown: 20 days left until release!

Today's topic: some Previews of the Investigations Collection!

Since the start of August various magazines and gaming channels have posted previews of the Investigations Collection. They've been able to play the first few cases of both games and wrote about their first impressions, most of them being old fans of the series and having played I1 back in the day but never I2. I won't go through all of them like I did for the interviews with the devs previously since there really are a lot but I'm going to talk about a few of the major points most of them mentioned and agreed on that I found the most interesting.

The different gameplay structure of Investigations in comparison to the main series is a welcome breath of fresh air and a lot of fun

That's what I've been saying! I feel validated here. Nothing against the other AA games but the Investigations games are just better but the Investigations gameplay style works so well and I hardly ever see that acknowledged in the fandom. I think they picked exactly the right combination of different but similar which really makes them stand out in the best of ways.

The more logic based gameplay mechanics are a lot of fun and very fitting for Miles as a protagonist, they ground the setting in a good way while still keeping the characters and situations as wonderfully wacky as before

Also something I've been saying for a long time! Miles just has the best skills and mechanics, that's just how it is. I especially appreciate how many previews note the characters and story developments being just as good and interesting as AA is known for because I've seen too many people calling I1 lacking in that department and I just can't understand that at all.

Miles as the protagonist is a particular highlight, he's an amazing character to be in the head of and his commentary and his interactions with other characters are highly entertaining

One of the major reasons why I adore the Investigations games so much so I completely agree with this. There's a reason Miles is my favourite character in the entire series after all and my favourite to play as. He's unique in all the best ways, could comment on the most boring stuff imaginable and I'd still find it interesting (I'm like Ema in that way) and can interact with any random character and make it entertaining just with his contribution alone. No other AA character has been able to match that for me.

The initial cases gave very good impressions, they seemed like the start to a compelling story and most previewers were eager to see more

Again, with the overall fandom's comparatively negative opinion on I1 I'm quite happy to see more positive judgements be thrown its way. I don't have any doubt that I2 will blow most people who haven't tried it yet away with how incredible it is but it's still good to see my own impressions validated.

There's no notable difference (in tone or quality) between the I1 and I2 localisations, most previewers felt right at home with both

That's very good to hear! From what the devs said, that's what they were going for and more and more supports the impression that they fully succeeded. Fantastic!

The various enhancements of the collection were judged very positively, especially the HD chibi sprites, and all the extras were very appreciated; some called it the best collection yet

That was to be expected but I still love to hear it. I've been fangirling about all of this for the last 60 days now so I'm glad I'm not the only one 😄 It's always nice to read positive comments about things you love.

The logical deductions the game asks of you are clearer than the main series sometimes is, maybe the game is a bit easier because of that but only in a positive way

This I found very interesting and not many previewers put it quite so clearly (some also found it too easy and others deliciously challenging) but it did pop up a few times. Several called it overall less frustrating because of that and while I never had major issues with any game in the series in that way (only ever isolated incidents) I do agree that the Investigations games handle their deductions and logic chains unusually well. They always make complete sense and there are (almost) no weird jumps or strange detours before you arrive at the conclusions the game wants you to. Maybe that also partly stems from Miles being the protagonist since he usually knows what he's doing and follows a concrete strategy instead of just guessing half of the time but it's definitely another point in the games' favour.

The closest thing to a negative point that most of the previewers mentioned is that the pixel art looks out of place against the HD backgrounds

I feared this might be the case. You can't really keep the backgrounds on the DS graphic level or they'd look insanely blurry on the larger screens but with crystal clear background art the pixel art of the sprites in the foreground looks jarring. No idea how you could possibly avoid that. It's not relevant for me personally since I won't actively be playing with the pixel graphics anyway but it definitely isn't great for the people who want to. On the positive side, if that's the only thing most previewers even came close to criticizing, this promises stellar reviews and ratings for the release of the collection!

[mdhwrites]

To be fair the excuse of Disneymeddling to excuse quality was also aimed at the first season of "boo hoo Dana was forced to make it episodic to appease Disney so SECOND season will be all her ☆ " as an excuse for anyone who didn't dig it at all s1. which i took seriously for like half a second before giving up on the show mid way s2 [sorry I know you like s1 but I found it so boring and s2 as an all her! season did not inspire faith that with or without meddling she could make a solid base for herself at all] Disney however should always be on the hotplate for atrocities against their cartoon creators in general

What sucks is that you apologize... But I also don't blame you. S1's biggest sin is being boring. There are stand out episodes but the majority of the fandom either hates or forgets about half of the episodes in S1. Even of the ones they do remember, how many people are talking about King's stage fright or his plushie boot camp?

But at the same time... Those episodic episodes are some of the most charismatic of the series. The 'version Disney forced on her' is frankly when a lot of the characters are at their best. It's when Willow and Gus are more prominent, it's when Eda is a real criminal, including more often how she's treated by the world, it's while Amity is still trying to figure out who she is. There are GREAT episodes still in S1A despite any Disney meddling.

But admittedly, it's also the introduction to things. They haven't established enough stuff to contradict it and that just highlights that it's really easy to present ideas with possibilities but it's a lot harder to execute on them. When TOH is introducing an element, it does it very charismatically and with a lot of strength honestly. Even a late addition like Vee is given a great introduction to the audience with plenty of wiggle room. Executing on ANY of it though... TOH almost always fails. Eda's curse in S1 is the ONE element TOH introduces, keeps consistent and sticks the landing for and even that then gets much shakier with the redefining of effectively how the curse is ENTIRELY for Eda by the end of S2A. The next closest is Lumity which only doesn't feel rushed because they butchered Amity's potential and character and then only has one episode that takes any real advantage of them being in a relationship. Everything else is half assed or done in some of the worst ways when effort is put into them that don't fit with the tone, story, setting etc.

And again, that's probably part of why S3 nuked the fandom as hard as it did. S3 is a VERY unsatisfying payoff to almost everything in the show. It had to wrap things up and so showed that the writers simply don't know how to do that. Not well at least. Hence why they're STILL introducing elements like the Wittebane Lore and Stringbean so that they can still have the higher points even though some of those elements will NEVER get a real payoff to them. Did we REALLY need to meet the Hexide resistance besides the fact that we could reintroduce characters who hadn't been part of the show for effectively half a season, minimum?

Eventually, you have to work with what you have already. At least in a serialized work. S2A doesn't do that though because it would mean having to follow through on its narrative elements and TOH just can't do that, not for the most part at least, despite always knocking down the episodic payoffs that other shows would go for.

It's in a deadman's land between two identities even in its narrative styling and while Disney is evil, don't get me wrong, it's also still just a company and I doubt they wanted to spend the time or money it would have taken to fight with one of their content creators to make them permanently decide one way or another.

So it never did. About anything.

[soleminisanction]

I have seen the new Knights of the Zodiac movie and must now scream into the void about this fandom no other English-speakers care about. General thoughts above the cut, spoiler-y thoughts below it.

In general: it's fine. Fun even. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you it's a masterpiece, but I'd watch sequels. I'd be interested to see how they interpret other stories in the series given what they've set up here.

It's basically a reworked, movie-original origin story designed to give Seiya and Sienna actual character arcs, and it does that. Pretty much all the weirdness comes from the fact that they're clearly using the Netflix series as the basis of deviation, not the original manga or anime.

Despite the multinational cast, being filmed in English, and everybody trying to talk it up as a "Hollywood" take on the franchise, I honestly don't think it felt like a Hollywood movie. Something about the pacing, editing and special effects reminded me way more of Japanese cinema, specifically high-budget tokusatsu productions like Gatchaman and Shin Ultraman. Which is honestly what I wanted so I was perfectly happy.

The central cast is great. I'd like to see them come back.

I liked the special effects and designs, personally.

They made some great use of music that was either based on, remixed from, or just completely new orchestral arrangements of the music from the original anime.

Sean Bean made it to the second-act climax before his inevitable death.

The choice to make Guraad, the military leader from the Netflix series, a woman, and also Kido's ex-wife, was a fascinating choice. But hey, it meant the movie passes the Bechdel test, because she and Sienna have this interesting, antagonist mother/daughter relationship that has absolutely nothing to do with the men in their lives and everything to do with the existential horror of humanity confronting the gods so. That's fun.

Marin was appropriately badass. I really liked her chemistry with Seiya's actor.

Honestly in general Mackenyu was a real highlight of the film? Him and Diego Tinoco both, they were great. Madison Iseman and Mark Dacasos were both more Hollywood-y, but they put in good performances, and once Sienna went full Athena the effects and performance were pretty spot-on.

Cassios shows up as a henchgoon and jobber. He's got an Ophiuchus tattoo, which was an interesting little detail.

But speaking of little details -- unsurprisingly, Nero is the one with the most interesting potential for sequels. He's the only other Knight besides Seiya and Marin that we get to see and acts as Guraad's "dragon" and mystical-stuff advisor throughout the film. They don't really explain what his deal is, aside from wanting to kill Athena and steal the Gold Cloth, so he could be there on Sanctuary's behalf. But at one point during their fight he says to Seiya, "Humans don't need any gods." And throughout the movie, he's wearing an earring that is super obviously Shun/Shaun's triangle chain. That has some really interesting potential for sequels, particularly in parallel with what they do with Seika/Patricia protecting Seiya.

Oh, and it ended with both Seiya and Nero shirtless and showing off their very nice abs so hey, kudos for remembering the secondary fanbase that's kept this franchise alive.

So yeah, overall: I see why it only got a limited release, but it'd sure be nice if it was popular enough in Latin America to fund a sequel. I've seen worse movies. This is a cheesy-ass franchise, I never get my hopes up too high, if it entertains me for the length of the film I consider it a success.

Still think it's hilarious that Sean Bean wound up here. How the hell did that happen.

[my-pjo-stuff]

For the Great PJO Ask Analysis event: (ask no. 6)

You've got a topic in PJO you'd like for me to analyze? 

Riordan's representation of the gods' and how they are tied to their respective domains.

Want to share YOUR analysis of stuff with me and my followers?

Characters such as Luke and Alabaster demonstrate that there could have been other rebellions from demigods prior to the events of the series. Luke starts a war based on his childhood trauma and his experiences of being at Camp Half-Blood. Alabaster, though introduced after Percy Jackson and the Olympians, wants to continue the war Luke started because the war was being fought for the right reasons, Percy is remembered as the saviour and the gods' massacred the remaining demigods. Thoughts?

Want to hear my take or shares yours of different characters and aspects of the PJO universe?

The show is a good book adaptation but not necessarily a good show. Pacing, characterisation and reliance on knowing the book series hinders its potential. The films, on the other hand, were not just bad book adaptations but also bad films: the saving grace being the actors' and actresses' performances.

However, both adaptations highlight issues with the original books. For the films, most of the characters (Percy, Annabeth, etc.) have few traits and little personality, making them bland. For the show, worldbuilding issues glossed over in the books are more obvious such as the gods' system of control, Camp Half-Blood's organisation which has potential to create major issues later on. Thoughts?

Riordan's representation of the gods' and how they are tied to their respective domains.

I don't really have much to say on this one, as my main talking points were already all brought up in your previous asks about the gods and how they act and work as character, so I'll be skipping questions like that about the gods since I genuinly have nothing more of worth to say. Sorry.

Characters such as Luke and Alabaster demonstrate that there could have been other rebellions from demigods prior to the events of the series. (.......) Thoughts?

Classic case of "History is written by the victor". Fact is that to the gods (and most the fandom) Percy is the saviour. Rightful gripes with the system are pushed out of the mind as Percy get's glorified. Luke and other TA characters and their good aspects are ignored. Or if they are talked about then their role in the TA is minimized. Most fans don't even know Alabaster or the true numbers of the Battle of Manhatten, considering how they behave. (Like for you guys, only 16 kids of CHB died in that battle. Yes it was horrid but stop acting like those were world war level losses). They just simply never read Demigod Diaries. The show is a good book adaptation but not necessarily a good show. (........) Thoughts?

Same as above, I already said everything about the books and show I want to say that has any worth.

[ikuzeminna]

AI tries to explain: Duo's popularity

ChatGPT, explain why Duo Maxwell is the best character on "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing."

"Duo Maxwell" is a beloved character from the anime series "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing," and while opinions about the best character can vary among fans, there are several reasons why some fans may consider Duo to be the standout character in the series:

Okay, let me cut you off already. Some fans? It is an undisputed fact in the fandom that Duo is the best character in the series, regardless of anyone's favorites, how dare you.

The poor boy earned it, putting up with everyone's crap and drama for 49 episodes and a movie.

Complex Personality: Duo Maxwell possesses a multi-faceted personality that makes him intriguing. On the surface, he appears carefree, cheerful, and often playful, earning him the nickname "the God of Death" with a smile.

Geocities! Geocitieeees! Or Angelfire, whatever. But "the God of Death with a smile" is ripped straight from one of those ancient fan shrines. Oh, the nostalgia.

However, beneath his jovial exterior lies a character with depth, a tragic past, and a sense of responsibility for his actions. His complexity makes him relatable and interesting.

Agreed but I also have to laugh at how this applies to pretty much everyone.

Relatable Backstory: Duo's backstory is one of hardship and resilience. He grew up as an orphan and had to fend for himself on the streets, which adds a layer of empathy for his character. Many viewers can relate to overcoming adversity, making his character all the more endearing.

I'm willing to bet money that that last sentence is a standard phrase AI throws in, regardless of who it's talking about. Because extreme few would call growing up in the streets as an orphan relatable. Especially with giant death machines running around.

Strong Moral Compass: Despite his occupation as a Gundam pilot and "the God of Death," Duo is guided by a strong moral compass. He is reluctant to take lives unnecessarily and often expresses concern for the well-being of civilians caught in the crossfire of war. This moral dilemma and internal conflict add depth to his character.

I didn't know he got paid for being a Gundam pilot or giving himself a nickname. :>

But agreed on his concern for civilians. He is, after all, the one who was so gallant as to try not to get Relena involved in the Operation Meteor mess. Little did he know.

Loyalty and Friendship: Duo values his friendships deeply, particularly his bond with Heero Yuy.

AI has been fed with fanfics: confirmed.

I always find it funny when I come across the claim that Duo is best buddies with Heero when, canonically, he doesn't even get the guy half the time. Try Quatre. He is definitely someone Duo makes a point to hang out with, in the series, the movie and even in the side manga like Blind Target.

Their camaraderie and shared experiences throughout the series resonate with viewers, highlighting themes of loyalty and the importance of human connections even in the midst of war.

.............No.

Wit and Humor: Duo's witty one-liners, humor, and comical antics provide much-needed levity in a series that often explores dark and heavy themes. His sense of humor can be a refreshing contrast to the seriousness of the Gundam pilots' mission.

Yeah, except, Duo is pretty serious during a mission. It's guys like Wufei or Heero who joke around when crap is about to hit the fan.

Character Development: Over the course of the series, Duo undergoes significant character development. He evolves from a carefree troublemaker to a more mature and responsible individual, showcasing personal growth and a willingness to face his past.

At this point AI is pulling stuff exclusively from fanfics. A carefree troublemaker? Significant character development? He evolves into a more mature and responsible person??

Does he stop pulling pranks, too, while he's at it?

You gotta give credit when AI says the above about the most serious, responsible and static character in the entire series. Bravo!

Duo and significant character development, please

Iconic Gundam: The Gundam associated with Duo, the Deathscythe, is one of the most iconic mobile suits in the series. Its unique design and abilities, as well as Duo's skillful piloting, make it a fan favorite.

All right, we're back on track.

Cultural Impact: Duo Maxwell has left a lasting impact on the Gundam Wing fanbase. His popularity has led to a strong presence in merchandise, fan art, and fan fiction, further solidifying his status as a beloved character.

True. Although Duo's popularity is also in large part due to shipping as well. The more shippable a character, the more popular. Or is it the other way around..?

While Duo Maxwell may be considered the best character by some fans,

Not some fans. All of us.

it's important to note that "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" features a diverse cast of characters, each with their own strengths and complexities. Ultimately, the appeal of a character is subjective, and different viewers may connect with different aspects of the series and its characters.

Save it for a show this applies to. >_>

[artcommunityvent]

heres my rant for today: (sorry in advance for long post)

i hate how modern art communities have to “fandom-ify” every single new trendy thing literally DAYS (and sometimes even hours) after it drops. i know this is a lot of the same sentiment as those people that just go “popular thing bad” but honestly it really puts me off some medias because i dont want to associate with anyone else who likes it

do we really need a million different fan ocs and aus for EVERYTHING? and like, i know its nothing new, obviously we have the onceler and undertale aus to look back on, but its exhausting at this point because while those communities were presumably genuine, in the present day it just feels like the fandom equivalent to an industry plant. and most people dont even stick with the thing they decide to make their entire personality!!

remember when spiderverse came out and everyone made spidersonas? who can you name thats actually drawn their spidersona more than once? it feels like everyone just trend hops, and yes i know thats how the internet is but its just exhausting especially when it brings down otherwise creative and inspired works

fnaf security breach: everyone makes fnaf aus and glamrock animatronics, then spiderverse as previously mentioned, then welcome home dropped and thats becoming a shitshow with how yall are fandomizing what is essentially a small creator telling their ocs lore in a creative way, and now its happening with digital circus. im so tired of seeing projects that are cool and visually appealing becoming a cesspit of bland, unoriginal aus and piles of fanart only to get dropped when the new shiny comes out

and i wanna elaborate on welcome home for a second because i know damn well if one of these people who makes “daddy dom priest wally is actually the devil” aus had an oc they loved, and someone came along and made their own aus of it in the same way, that person would bitch and cry oc theft. some people dont even change up the characters design, like how entitled do you have to be to essentially just steal someones oc and call it your own? it disgusts me how people are treating clown and honestly i wish they would put the series on indefinite hiatus or complete their story privately to teach these people a lesson

another thing that puts me off is how every piece of media has to have the “fandom daddy” for lack of a better term. glamrock freddy, hobie brown, wally darling, or jax, its all the same thing repackaged; someones gotta be the tumblr sexyman. its so tiring—ESPECIALLY as a lesbian who doesnt really wanna center men in my life at all—to wanna see fanart of the media you like and its only: “heres the one character everyones horny for drawn in a totally different and more sexualized body type” with everyone in the comments salivating over them. i really like digital circus! but all i see are people who would walk across a mile of broken glass just to suck a fart out of jax’ ass. what about the other interesting characters? why does EVERY conversation with popular media have to be about “which guy is the most fuckable” (guy specifically because come on, when has a female character been the highlight of attention; using the previous example have you seen ONE person talking about digital circus that even remembers zooble exists)

it feels like nobody can appreciate work anymore without having to claim some form of ownership over it, to say “hey this thing is so popular and important that it is now a part of my identity!! look at my millions of ocs that i will draw one time and never again!” im just tired of people being unable to passively interact with media they enjoy and everyone seeming to fight over and prove some connection to the things they like

tldr: im tired of everyone in the art community making heaps of fanart, aus, and fan ocs for stuff the second it gets popular and then totally forgetting about it the next time something else gets popular

(and before yall bring up hyperfixations: i am autistic; i understand having so much love for a piece of media for a short while and then dropping it for no reason and its heart shattering; BUT AT THE SAME TIME this pattern is on oxford to me and its on such a large scale that it infects the greater art community as a whole)

That is indeed the nature of media consumer at its finest. I do feel like it is more appearent now due to the way most social media algorithm works. They only show what is trending at the moment, so naturally, we are exposed only to this specific thing until another trend eventually takes over.

Even artists who never create fan content can be influenced to do so by looking at the other artists, be it to dive in along the hype for the popularity of it, for the geniune fun, for the sense of community, and many more reasons.

- ☁️

[lanatusnebula]

I Want To Like Aeolus

I'm going to type "Helios" because I played a fan translated version of the game so I could avoid the eng voice actors. (I refuse to buy anything else Capcom releases related to Megaman because I physically own most of this stuff anyway LOL)

So, so good points about Helios;

he has a cool head on his shoulders (deisgn-wise)

he had model H (my favorite MMZ character is Harpuia and ZX I love Model H big)

I like his face and hair! It's super silly but the more I look at it, the more he reminds me of SOMEONE I can't actually put my finger on. It's funny. And he has... one earring? Hanging off the ear mechanic things? Not sure what to call them... audio enhancement device? Vestibular Enhancement Piece? I wish they got some nerd to official label the reploid/cyborg body parts...

He's pretty neat in that regard, haha!

Model H is super fun in ZX! I enjoyed it in ZX. In ZX it is my favorite! So good on him that he's a biomatch for pocket Harpuia.

--

From here downward i will slander Helios's name and everything he will ever stand for.

nb4, "dude if you dont like him, then ignore his existence like you do with everything else you dont like" bro you dont understand this is a struggle i must endure for the sake of my own completeness (self-torture)

This whole this is biased and abandoned by reason, but I will put on a brave face and embarass myself anyway...! ò 0 ó

Points to touch on;

his design

his writing

his personality

biomatching with Model H

background

moveset

Design

I hate his design so freakin much. He has a sleeveless vest (ok), the weird skin-tight extra padding (sure) a skirt attached to ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (ok) and PANTS (dress pants). Each of these things on a character in the Z series would be like "eh whatever". But looking at how everyone else dresses, I always wondered "what happened HERE???". I'm hoping that it was a mistranslation of the concept art to the official marketed stuff, and they added volume to the skirt when it was supposed to be attached to the torso piece. I just can't mentally comprehend his layers otherwise? Like I'm picturing he and Ciel had the same thing going on, except he has dress pants instead of tights.

I'm more than aware that fashion in the Z/ZX series is a bit unhinged and abnormal. That it might even be lore related or somehow touched on by the fact that every human is a cyborg. Maybe he's a reploid and we can't see it? I'm holding onto the hope that Atlas and Helios are reploids who hide this fact. (Unlikely)

His Writing

Because I am an ugly Harpuia fan, I was expecting more than the game actually gave. This section is my personal gripes that have no real basis for complaints. They are, as a whole, completely unnecessary and ignorable.

Siarnaq has a backstory that is briefly mentioned in his little disk thing. Okay!

Thetis has some sort of motivation that hints that something else could be there, but doesn't have a backstory in in the disk thing. Okay!

Atlas has a backstory that is briefly mentioned in her little disk thing. Okay! (she has been ruined by the fanart in select places and thus she does not exist to me LOL - same with Ashe tbh)

Helios has... a shallower motivation than even Thetis *and* lacks a backstory. I mean, sure I guess? I am biased towards Thetis because I figured for a reploid to have that much of an interest in oceans - something *happened*. It isn't even suggested that anything did happen, it's just... a good set up for me to fart out fandom crap. But Helios... I... man.

Man.

"Everything is imperfect and full of foolish fools I will kill everyone." His personality is so god damn bland. Harpuia was the highlighted guardian for most of the MMZ games and I ended up really enjoying how he evolved and how he struggled in the drama CDs. There was a lot to work with! Part of me thinks, "yes well Fefnir had jack shit going for him and you'd die for him". I DIG HIS DESIGN A REALLY LOT. But THIS GUY I simply struggle with! I want to like him because bootleg model H biomatch but I got nothing to workmwith! And that frustrates me. :(

Bland personality (I like Death the Kid ffs), shit motivation, no background - I know this is grounds for "blank slate, do what you want" but I just don't operate like that for this guy specifically.

His Personality

This section is biased.

Helios's personality doesn't really go beyond "I am a pretentious snob." He has... four lines? Maybe? I can recall four instances of dialogue off the top of my head.

"I don't have time for this lol"

"Fuck you, you imperfect crackhead" (I played as Grey).

"Fuck everyone on this planet for being imperfect."

"Self sacrifice is beautiful for friendship."

Maybe I can work with these? They are not obviously direct quotes, and are obviously played up for the hahateehee, but... I dunno man. It Should be enough to work with but I can't get into mindset of doing something with it.

Biomatching With Model H

This one is a little tricky. I assumed the biometals were either broken, muted somehow, or ditched by whatever personalities lived within them. Model Z kinda suggests to me that it IS the original inside of the biometal, but it's pure speculation based on a few lines.

I understandnthe relations some of the MegaMen have with their biometles, right

Atlas is powerhungry, which can loosely be connected to Fefnir in a very idiot way

Thetis has a "childlike innocence with attached cruelty" that we can poke ourselves in the eyes and say Leviathan had. Also ice water go brr

Siarnaq is a freaky little somethin ninja who is the complete opposite of what we assume Phantom is like based on the extremely limited dialogue he gives us. (but is substantially more to work with than what Helios gives us)

For Helios, we have to accept the "pompous homogeneous ruler mentality" as Harpuia's link. Which I don't get. What is the point of the entire Z series then? Aren't we supposed to look at Harpuia's growth and go "oh he actually is dedicated to his cause but was stuck in some muddy circumstances"? He had pride, absolutely (thinking about his post-repairs in Z3) but it's such a small part of who I thought he was personally? Granted, I did not write the game. I have no say in this; pride could have been his very essence. I just thought it was... justice.

We can say Helios is very much connected to justice - that he feels there is a sense of justice in nuking the flawed beings off this planet. (which is somewhat skewed by the fact that humans get bot'd after a while - what age? 13??? - and are basically cyborgs or robots themselves. So in a sense, they're already leaving behind their imperfect bodies) But... the super secret ending - the fact that he is present AT ALL makes no sense. If the goal is to put an emphasis on human bodies in the future, then... why is Helios present for this? Humans are the epitome of imperfection - we know this. It's blatant. It's why they do these mechanical enhancements to begin with.

Helios can't even commit to a cause right? I know all the MegaMen are exceedingly braindead and that's cool. But at least the others COMMIT to it. Thetis doesn't go "I'm gonna eliminate an entire race for the ocean" and then piss in the sea. Atlas doesn't go "Power is everything." and then break down crying and throwing away her biometal to embrace her weakness. Siarnaq doesnt go "HYPERFOCUSING ON TASK AT HAND" and then hold hands with everyone at the amusement park with a smile. THEY COMMIT.

Helios is stupid. He doesn't commit. Not if that is the truest ending leading up to this ZXC they planned.

His Background

Helios has no background. Okay. That is fine. Thetis doesn't have one either. Two focusing on the present and two focusing on the past.

But what could his background have been? Aristocrat? Poor? Feral child? Living in squalor? No parents? Abusive parents? Was he training to be one of the Sage Trinity? Albert came out of nowhere right? Maybe anyone qualifies - clearly they don't do background checks on anyone.

Maybe he was a sword enthusiast? Maybe the sword plays a part in this? Maybe he idolizes Thomas and felt his methods weren't extreme enough? I feel like the sword is very important to him as a character.

But why didn't they elaborate? They spent so much time making the Floating Islands a Shit Stage and Ouroboros absolutely mind breaking they didn't think to go "maybe we should add a line about his sword that he never actually uses." Are the writers andnstage designers different people? I don't actually know. Might be in the credits. Sure doesn't feel like it in ZXA.

His Moveset

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

why is model zx's reach so short

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[veraynes-blog]

Hey uh. Hi. So I was pretty hugely hyperfixated on Doctor Who and specifically Thoschei for most of 2018-2020. Before that I was a casual fan, since I basically grew up on the show. And then I sort of... Moved on to other things, as one tends to do. 13's era wasn't really doing it for me and I lost my desire to really keep up with the show or the fandom. But since Power of The Doctor came out I decided I should watch it, to have context for the new series. And uh. Something about seeing David Tennant in that dumb suit again reawakened something in me, and I've been neck-deep in the Doctor/Master brainrot for the past two weeks.

At one point I remember thinking "hey... There was that really good Tensimm fic I read back in the day.. unchained or something... Wonder if I could find that again". Of all the DW fics I read during my time in the fandom, yours was the one that stuck with me most. I did manage to find it eventually (imagine my delight at seeing there was not one, but two follow-up stories!), and I read the whole series in a few hours.

And man, do you get what makes their relationship good. I understand why I remembered it so well, and I'm glad I can go back to the fandom if only to read your fic again with a new perspective. Your writing is pretty stellar, the plot threads and themes you set up in Time Lord Victorious are purposeful and well developed even outside the context of the fandom it's written for. But man, you really excel when it comes to character writing.

I'm very... Picky about my Thoschei. I get frustrated when it gets reduced to just "enemies to lovers" or "kinky hate sex" because there is so much more to them. It's all that history, that underlying connection that neither of them can fully acknowledge but can't fully ignore either, all that mushy subtextual grey area and complicated mixed feelings. That's where the interesting stuff is, that's why I love them.

I find people tend to gloss over a lot of this in fanfic, especially for Tensimm since they fit Tumblr's favourite "edgy pretty white gay bois" ship archetype. And I really honestly think that there are few, if any, fanfics that really dissect and examine their relationship as well as yours. (Hell, I think you understand their relationship a fair bit better than several actual Doctor Who script writers.) It honestly feels like it could be a really extraordinary piece of official Doctor Who media (minus the gay sex obviously). You've written a really incredible piece of fiction and I just wanted to share with you how much I value it and how much it means to me.

A couple questions, if you're okay with answering them

Do you think there's any chance you'll write more Doctor Who fanfic? If not that's entirely okay, I'm just curious

Do you have any recommendations for some of your favourite Doctor/Master fanfiction? Any rating, pairing, or length is fine, just stuff you've read and enjoyed in the past

Thank you again, and sorry for the super long rambling ask :)

Anon I'm nearly crying over this, thank you so much 🥺💕 I keep reading your message again to bring a smile to my face.

I honestly appreciate you picking out the character analysis as a highlight of the series, back when I was writing it I was basically treating it like my personal psychological study, and I'm still fascinating by them 🥰 The awful grey areas their relationship has are the best bits!

In answer to your questions:

1) Yeah absolutely. I also got inspired by the recent episode and wrote down the intro to a Fourteen/Simm!Master fic (although life obligations got in the way of making any further progress yet).

2) @countessrivers and @linz33y used to write great Ten/Simm fic with me back when we were sharing a hyperfixation! I think most of them got pulled across to their AO3s. There's also a couple of Doctor Who fics in my 'Favourites' collection on AO3 that are definitely worth a read!

Thank you again for taking the time to message me 😊 You made my day!