#and why I also often struggle to write compelling plots

[jorvikzelda]

Hm. Why have I not considered writing my novel drafts in screenplay-ish format before.

[lovelessrage]

I have been struck by an urge to discuss Bojack Horseman. While I am not asexual, I am aspec in every other sense outside of it, and Todd Chavez still matters a lot as a character to me. It was the first canon aspec, the first character where it is said, matters to his plot, and impacts his life, that I had ever seen in a show I actually enjoyed.

A lot of aspec representation feels like it isn't made for me; it's made for young/rowdier teens, and while that's a demographic that needs those figures, it leaves me feeling like reading these books and watching these shows just aren't my thing. It isn't my carnival ride; it feels like I'm too old, despite... not being that old. Maybe it's my humour or my preferences, I dunno. Regardless, Todd Chavez feels like, for all his goofy antics and being the character that has the most absurd life out of anyone, an adult facing a real crisis of identity. Not a teenager coming to terms, but an adult man realizing what's expected of him as an adult is immensely limiting and petrifying as a closeted asexual.

The way his first interaction with being aspec is not being comfortable with labelling it yet, setting boundaries about whether he likes jokes, trying to find community but still feeling a bit lonely and out of place. It all feels very natural, real, and lived. And so does his relationship with Yolanda, which was immensely good commentary to me about aspec loneliness.

Especially for those who still like to date, have hookups, QPRs, or any other type of committed dynamic, it often feels like you are compelled to choose the first person who offers it to you, because you have no other choice. This extends to other queer labels as well, such as T4T struggles and the gay and lesbian dating scene, but we're talking aspecs right now and we'll stay on that ball. There is nothing wrong with Yolanda, which I like as well, she's not framed as a bitter person or frigid, they're just not meant for each other. I also like the inclusion of, despite how different they are, Yolanda is still desperate to cling to this because she's afraid she'll never meet another asexual again. It is, again, a real problem; people getting into unhappy relationships because they think it is all they will get.

That's why this show's representation speaks to me so much, even if it's not my label. It feels like an honest confrontation of aspec issues, rather than just making a character aspec as a one-off, or only confronting it for one episode. As well, it doesn't belittle Todd for this aspect or make his problems childish. It's another adult problem alongside all the others the characters are going through, and there are plenty of references to the struggle of acceptance and the struggle of existence without making asexuality at fault for any of it. It is acephobic society, not asexuals, being blamed. They get to be part of the humour rather than at the expense of it.

There gets to be ace joy alongside ace struggle, and neither are treated as more worth focusing on or telling a story about. His later happiness with Maude is celebrated by his family and friends, and his coming out is met with understanding, even if it's not fully informed. He gets to meet other asexuals, and even if it does not solve his problems, it lends a needed helping of reminding the audience there is a community, not just an individual.

Nothing in Bojack Horseman is instantaneous. No change of character is simply a heelturn and a continuation. I am always immensely happy on every rewatch to see how much time was devoted to making Todd's asexuality journey mean something and mean something to his life. To me, this is the textbook example of what it means to write an aspec character with their identity in mind; it's not just a label, it's also how your life is affected, your relationships, and how you see your future.

[tyrantisterror]

Can you give advice for how to write an interesting character? Part of the reason I'm asking is because I've seen your criticism of Mavis and Johnny from Hotel Transylvania being "bland".

While I mostly agree with your sentiment, I think that both Mavis and Johnny have traits that could make for an interesting character, like Mavis' desire to see the world outside the castle, and Jonathan being able to respect other cultures and learn their myths, which is shown in his recounting the legend of Lady Lubov.

If its OK, I want to ask for an explanation on why these surface-level traits don't make a character interesting on their own, and advice for how to create a compelling character.

That's an extremely difficult question to answer given the sheer breadth of what the answer would have to cover - kind of akin to asking "How do you make food that tastes good?" It's about ingredients, but also technique, and proficiency with said techniques, and also wholly dependent on the wide and varied tastes of your prospective audience. What may be a tasty dish for one person may revolt another, and the same is true for characters.

To prolong this tortured food metaphor, bland characters are much like bland food - there's not a lot of flavor to them, and what is there is incredibly simple and easy to digest, which is great if your goal is to make something as easily consumed as a saltine cracker, but not if you want people to actually remember what you made to any degree at all (no one sits back and fondly remembers the taste of a saltine cracker, after all).

A bland character will have, like, the bare minimum of characterization required for their role in the story. If they're a hero, they will be nice and have, like, one goal they want to achieve maybe. If they're a villain they'll be mean and have an evil goal they want to achieve. If they're a love interest, they will be nice and like the hero. If they're a side character, they will say whatever cornball jokes the writer came up with and not do much else. None of this is offensive or bad in of itself, but it's all very utilitarian - characters doing the bare minimum to pad out a story and keep it moving, in the same way that eating two pieces of white bread with nothing on them will technically keep you from feeling hungry.

Bland characters are often a result of a writer focusing on keeping their story functional and tight over taking risks - if you keep everything at the bare minimum, you can prevent yourself from taking weird story detours that waste time and make the story worse for it. A story that is conflict or setting focused will keep its characters simple in order to flesh out the aspects of itself in their place - like, one of my controversial opinions is that most of the antagonists in Game of Thrones are incredibly simplistic and bland characters so as to let the audience focus more on the complex conflict of the various political machinations they're involved in.

But if you're doing a character-focused story, your characters need MORE to them than just what the story requires, in the same way that a good meal needs spices and sauces and flavors and etc. They need multiple goals for what they want out of life, even if some are irrelevant to the plot, and multiple relationships with people in the world of the story, even if some are irrelevant to the plot, and interests and vocal tics and preferences in how they dress and what they eat and on and on and on, all those little details that make us humans and not just talking manequins.

Like, a common bit of story-telling advice is that you should always give your character something they Want and something they Need, and that getting what they Want should conflict with getting what they Need, because the struggle between those two pursuits is what gives the character interesting things to do in the narrative. Ideally, an interesting character has SEVERAL Wants and Needs, all of which are constantly interacting with each other AND with the Wants and Needs of the other members of the cast.

And these traits should at time put characters at odds with their role in the narrative - some of the most poignant moments in fiction occur when a character who has a stock role in the narrative breaks out of it because their personality requires them to, like when a villain is driven by some scruples they have to warn the hero of something, or when a hero snaps and says something uncharacteristically cruel because their biggest anxiety has been exposed. This is directly in opposition to how a bland character works, and that's what makes it interesting - an interesting character does not perfectly fit their role in the narrative, because they're too complex to do so.

And, like, there's a danger in that - trying to make your characters TOO interesting can derail your planned narrative, and make a mess of your story that no one wants to see. There's a reason people still make bland characters in spite of all this - making an interesting character is harder.

[keepsdeathhiscourt]

💌 Create Your Own: 5 Fics You Feel Deserve More Engagement 💌

It has come to my attention that quite a few of the fanfics I enjoy reading simply do not get the attention they deserve. Therefore, I've come up with this little idea (that's probably been done before, okay, I don't claim to be original) in which we fanfiction writers/readers/content consumers give a little bit back to our fellow creators. Tit for tat, you know.

Now, I know we fic writers do not always write for others, and that we do not always feel like we should need external validation but hey, a little pat on the head once in a while sure is nice and this is what this post is for.

Feel free to tag your mutuals as well! Nobody is obligated to do this (obviously) but let's try to spread some love to some under appreciated gems out there, one post at a time.

Tagging: whoever wants to do this! Spread the love!

The aim is simple: pick 5 fics of your choosing, in the fandom(s) of your choosing, on the platform(s) of your choosing (ao3, Tumblr, FFNET, etc.) and write a little something about why you like them, or why you think they deserve more than they're getting etc etc.

There's no barometer for this, you decide whether or not you feel a fic is getting enough love or not based on how you feel about it. We're just here to share the love.

Here's mine below the cut.

Prickly thorns, tender roses by @ruiniel

Fandom: Castlevania

Pairing: Adrian Tepes (Alucard)/OC

Summary:

Set after the events of Castlevania (Netflix) Season III. After the betrayal of his young apprentices, Alucard feels barely alive in his lonesome castle. Days wear on, chipping away at his mind and sanity. And what is the son of Dracula to do with this unwanted visitor, suddenly come at his doorstep? Often the prickly thorn produces tender roses - Ovid

This fic was one of the very first I discovered in the Castlevania (Netflix) fandom, and it set an incredibly high bar. I was craving more Alucard content with that same brooding, gothic romance feel of the series, and this story absolutely delivered. Ruiniel has a remarkable talent for capturing Adrian’s character—his angsty, dreamy essence is beautifully rendered, yet the complex layers of his personality remain intact. The emotional depth and nuance that make Alucard so compelling are preserved and expanded upon in ways that feel authentic and true to his character.

What really sets this fic apart, though, is the addition of Ravenna, an original character who is anything but a side note. She’s fully fleshed out with her own agency, motivations, and a presence that is every bit as captivating as Adrian’s. Their interactions are electric, filled with tension and emotion, and Ravenna feels like a natural part of the Castlevania world. Ruiniel’s storytelling is rich and immersive, weaving a narrative that’s hard to put down. Cannot recommend enough.

Always & Forever by @anphibole

Fandom: TVDU

Pairing: Elena Gilbert/ Elijah Mikaelson

Summary:

Looking up at the intimidating walls of the infamous Abattoir, Elena kept those words close to her heart, like a talisman against the dangers she knew lurked inside. She took one step, then another, forcing her legs to move despite the fear. She knew she couldn’t stay the way she was, alone and scared. She knew who she could trust. She always had. 

Wow. This fic completely floored me. It not only taps into one of my absolute favorite (and sadly rare) fic plots—Elejah in New Orleans—but also dives deep into the emotional aftermath of Elena’s transformation and her harrowing experiences with the Salvatore brothers. The author masterfully captures the weight of her trauma in a way that feels both poignant and heartbreakingly real.

What truly sets this oneshot apart is how it gives Elena the voice she was often denied in canon. Her inner struggles and pain are brought to life with such nuance and care, making her story resonate on an entirely new level. The hurt/comfort dynamic is so deliciously written, perfectly blending raw vulnerability with tender healing.

And, of course, all of this is wrapped up in the exquisite Elejah dynamic—a pairing that feels natural and cathartic in this context. This fic is a beautifully crafted, emotionally charged piece of storytelling that lingers long after you’ve finished reading. An absolute must-read for fans of both Elejah and emotionally resonant fics.

Chaos Theory by @tehrevving

Fandom: FF7

Pairing: Vincent Valentine/Reader

Summary:

After he protects you during the Tiny Bronco crash, you find yourself growing ever closer to the mysterious, attractive and red-eyed newest member of your group.

This fic is an absolute gem for anyone who loves a perfect balance of steamy romance and in-depth character exploration. Set during the aftermath of the Tiny Bronco crash, it captures the electrifying tension that builds as you grow closer to Vincent, the enigmatic and dangerously attractive newest member of the group. The author does an incredible job of blending the slow-burn romance with moments of raw vulnerability, peeling back the layers of Vincent’s mysterious persona in a way that feels deeply satisfying and true to his character.

What stands out most is how beautifully the narrative draws you into Vincent’s world--his guarded demeanor slowly giving way to genuine connection. The chemistry between the characters practically sizzles off the page, but it’s the emotional depth that truly shines. This fic isn’t just about the romance; it’s about understanding Vincent’s complexities and how the growing bond between you both brings healing and strength. Go check it out!

Reprisal by @bouncymouse

Fandom: FF7

Pairing: Tifa Lockhart/Reno

Summary: The rebuilt Shinra Electric Power Company is being targeted by an unknown threat and it's up to the Turks to stop them. As Reno starts playing with fire events begin to take a sinister turn. Somebody wants revenge and they'll stop at nothing to get what they want.

This fic fundamentally altered my brain chemistry—in the best possible way. Taking place after the events of canon, Reprisal delves into the often-overlooked question: what happens to the heroes once the fight is over? The story doesn’t shy away from exploring the emotional aftermath, and the result is a richly layered narrative that feels both authentic and deeply engaging.

Tifa’s portrayal is a standout; she’s given the space to grow, to grapple with her emotions, and to navigate her path in a post-canon world. Her struggles and triumphs feel real, nuanced, and utterly human. And then there’s Reno, who is at his absolute best here—charming and infuriating in equal measure, yet layered with an emotional depth that makes him impossible not to love. The unexpected romance between the two is a deliciously complicated slowburn and so satisfying.

Full Disclosure by Cairistiona144

Fandom: FF7

Pairing: Tifa Lockhart/ Vincent Valentine

Summary:

Somehow she was compelled to lay down every deep dark thing inside her for him to see. Because she knew he understood. He would not judge. He realised that she was seeking and finding every hiding place he knew, filling every dark corner of him with her flickering light. * In the half-year since The Advent, Tifa Lockhart ruminates on a bittersweet, sedate new life - until news of a wedding promises to reunite her with friends. The first one to darken her doorway, however, isn’t necessarily the one she’d have expected…

Another Tifa-centric fic because I cannot get enough of her. This one is such an amazing exploration of grief and healing, wrapped in a gentle, bittersweet romance.

Set in the quiet aftermath of Advent Children, it follows Tifa’s journey as she adjusts to a slower, more introspective life. The arrival of an unexpected visitor—Vincent—serves as the catalyst for a relationship built on shared understanding and unspoken truths.

Both Tifa and Vincent are portrayed as beautifully broken, their vulnerabilities are explored in a way that feels natural to both characters. The romance is understated but so touching, their connection forged in moments of quiet domesticity and mutual acceptance. Though not yet finished, the prose is stunning, capturing the raw, unfiltered emotions of two people dealing with their ghosts and finding solace in one another and totally worth giving a read!

[extant-exhaustion]

Can I ask, what are your top 7 favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/etc) and your top 7 favorite ships (can be canon or non canon) from any media? Why do you love them all? Sorry if you've answered this questions before......

Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to ask! I'm sorry for the delay in my reply. I'm so excited to be here to answer though. I didn't rank these in order, but here they are (and oh my gosh was it tough to choose! I especially agonized trying to narrow down the last spot in my ships list, and honestly, it could have gone so many ways...):

My Top 7 Favorite Media

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: If we’re basing purely off of what I think is the best media maybe ever written, FMAB is close to the top. It is the full package of stunning worldbuilding, characterization, emotional depth, intricate yet clear plot lines, and incredibly important themes. I could write an essay on each of those points. It’s the sort of show (and manga) that is a masterclass in how to tell a story beautifully.

Yu Yu Hakusho: Yusuke and Team Urameshi mean so much to me. YYH is a classic ’90s anime in some ways, but it has so much heart. Yusuke’s character growth is amazing. And the humor in the English dub never fails to make me laugh. Yet this show also deeply affects me and has such beautiful messages about love and friendship. What a dichotomy.

Assassination Classroom: This show is criminally underrated. Or, rather, not enough people have seen it. It is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. It’s so sweet. It’s so fucking funny. And it’s so heartwarming. I love these kids so much. I adore Korosensei. Every episode teaches us something—like a real learning opportunity!—and I genuinely cannot say enough good things about it. It makes me smile forever.

Kuroko's Basketball: I am a huge fan of sports anime and this one has so many elements I’m obsessed with. (Plus, Kagami Taiga is in my top ten favorite characters of all time.) There’s Kagami and Kuroko—a red/blue duo who are in love. There are emotionally high-stakes sports games. There are compelling “enemies.” There’s an incredible soundtrack. But most of all, there are basketball superpowers—things no ordinary basketball player could ever do (100% accuracy!?) that just make it so much fun.

Haikyuu!!: My other favorite sports anime is on the other side of the spectrum for realism. It has no superpowers, just hard work and friendship and lots and lots of great characters. I love this show so much because it constantly makes me root for Karasuno, but then I’ll still cry when the other team loses because the characters have all been shown to just be high school kids with dreams who love the sport and are having fun. It’s really sweet.

Demon Slayer: As a total package, Demon Slayer is incredible. It has stunningly beautiful animation; a wonderful protagonist in Tanjirou (and deuteragonist in Nezuko); a lovely sibling story that drives the narrative; a compelling and mysterious central conflict with the series’ big-bad Muzan; an absolutely kickass soundtrack; lovable side characters; high stakes; questions of morality and duty and tradition; and honestly, more that I’m struggling to even name. It’s just an incredibly good anime (and manga).

Tortall books by Tamora Pierce (includes 3 quartets, a trilogy, a duology, and a few standalones; my absolute favorites are the Protector of the Small quartet): Tamora Pierce shaped who I am as a person. I grew up reading her fantasy series and still reread them often. Essentially, they’re books about heroines who conquer various odds, save the day, etc. And because there are so many books that take place in the same universe over many years, you get to see various characters in different lights through different characters’ eyes. My favorite series is about Keladry of Mindelan, the first girl to pursue her knighthood since the king made it legal for girls to do so. Kel is an absolute badass, and she never turns away from injustice, and I genuinely want to be the type of person she is.

My Top 7 Favorite Ships

Kagami/Kuroko (Kuroko’s Basketball): These two will forever and always be one of my top ships. I genuinely don’t know how people can hear some of the things they say to each other and come to a not-in-love conclusion. They complete each other in the way only a true light/shadow metaphor can, but they’re also best friends who laugh together and support each other and have an insanely strong bond. By five episodes in, Kagami is already so protective over Kuroko that he's ready to throw down with street basketball punks over his not-boyfriend. And by the end of the series the trust they have in one another is so beyond a basketball anime that it’s almost ridiculous.

Yusuke/Kuwabara (Yu Yu Hakusho): The number of times these two were willing to die for each other (or gave up their life energy to save the other from death; or found hitherto untapped power as a result of having seen the other hurt) makes me want to scream. Kuwabara crashed Yusuke’s wake to scream at his corpse that he couldn’t die (“You’re supposed to be here…for me!”). Kuwabara shared his life energy to save an injured Yusuke after their very first mission. Yusuke fought multiple insanely powerful demons spurred on at least twice specifically by the fact that they’d wounded Kuwabara. Kuwabara faked his own death thinking it would help Yusuke in battle (which it did, but it also devastated him). Yusuke chased a car down on a bicycle when Kuwabara was kidnapped. Kuwabara cut through the fabric of reality for Yusuke. You get my point. I fucking love them.

Yusuke/Keiko (Yu Yu Hakusho): Yet, I also love Yusuke’s canonical love interest with him. Keiko is his reason for fighting, the light at the end of the tunnel. In one of the very first episodes, while he’s still trying to earn his resurrection, he says that he sees no point in coming back to life if Keiko won’t be there when he does. She’s the only person who stuck by him until he met Team Urameshi. She’s always believed in him, but she doesn’t take crap from him either. They have such a strong relationship that he even once saves the world by essentially trusting in his love for her. (When asked by terrorists to press one of three colored buttons to save the planet, he chose the blue one because blue is Keiko's favorite color.)

Zuko/Mai (Avatar: The Last Airbender): I will probably never shut the fuck go about how important Mai is to Zuko’s journey or how cool she is as a character and how ridiculously underrated she is. She’s so much more than people give her credit for and she understands Zuko on a deeper level than so many other characters. She counters his angst (as only Iroh can do) and she tries to cheer him up (and she inspires some of his only true smiles in the series!). And most importantly, she stands by him even when he abandons her. For me, “I love Zuko more than I fear you” will always be the standard by which other Avatar couples will be measured.

Tamaki/Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club): I love these two so much. They’re both so queer. Haruhi is my gender-nonconforming fave and the most wonderful character who’s ever responded *shrug emoji* to the question of their gender or sexuality. She’s sassy and hilarious and the reason I say “these damn rich people” with relative frequency. And the fact that she fell for Tamaki, the flamboyant dumb-dumb with a heart of absolute pure gold…ugh. I adore it. He is too good for this world. And they bring out the best in each other. I love them so much.

Ed/Winry (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood): The balance that Edward and Winry strike together is beautiful. They’re both insanely strong people emotionally, and they’re both wildly intelligent and talented. But their compassion and care is what truly helps them shine. They’ve seen each other at their lowest and supported each other through those times, and they know the weakest and most vulnerable parts of each other. The strength of their bond covers distance and time, and Winry is the home that Edward can always return to. She holds him (and, by extension, Al) together and offers the unwavering support he so desperately needs throughout his journey.

Simon/Baz (Carry On series by Rainbow Rowell): This series hit me like a punch to the gut when I first read it. I love chosen ones who don't really match their prophesies and star-crossed lovers who find workarounds because they care more about each other than whatever is standing in their way. And these two are wonderful together. They're so messy and hopeless and sad sometimes, but they have each other and it's really lovely. Simon Snow is a disaster who loses just about everything except his friends and has to claw his way back from the brink throughout the series; and Baz Pitch never thought he deserved much happiness anyway but finds out that he does, but he's going to have to fight for it.

[decepti-thots]

1, 8 and 12

"the character everyone gets wrong"

moving over to exRiD for this one. arcee is imo subject to this a lot, despite fannish sentiment around her being overall very positive. i suspect a part of this is that the segments of idw1 fandom i hang out in either haven't read much or all of exRiD and/or do not read it as often as other series like MTMTE, so she tends to be subject to a lot of 'flattening' into her most iconic, meme-y characteristics. fun murder lady who likes murder! yay! but the thing is that the popular perception of arcee in a lot of circles is perpetually stuck in what she started as, not where she was ultimately taken. arcee's arc in the latter parts of idw1 are about the ways she grows out of and beyond the original concept of her as Scary Violent Lady TM, and about finding personhood for herself beyond that. by the time you're a dozen or so issues into phase two, that entire concept of her is being questioned and developed by the comic! it would perhaps bother me less if that entire original presentation of her wasn't so heavily rooted in phase one's (trans)misogynistic portrayal that we're ostensibly all on the same page about being bad, and the later stuff that is largely ignored wasn't a direct attempt to work with and rectify. (this has gotten better in the past 3-4 years, though.) i don't think anyone is deliberately leaning into that, it's just a side effect of most folks in the places i hang out not being overfamiliar with the actual canon stuff. but. well. it does make me a little sad. she's got such a compelling arc! i would like to have more enthusiasm for it, as opposed to making fun jokes about her stabbing people. (on the plus side, discussing this before has persuaded at least three people i know of to read exRiD and they told me they loved her in it, so!)

"common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about"

anyone who thinks exRiD is light on character work, as per the above, is wrong. sorry. it has great character work! the division of 'MTMTE is for character stuff, exRiD is Plot TM only for dudebro nerds' is incorrect, and unfortunately remains a common sentiment. barber did not do it the same way that roberts did, but exRiD is intensely interested in its characters and barber has spoken at length about how interested he was in digging into character dynamics. if anything is barber's signature, it's his extensive use of internal character monologue, even! yes, he also really likes doing convoluted plots- and it's fair that is simply a turn off for people- but the perception he doesn't care about characters or interpersonal relationships is very unfair. this man did not do All That with thundercracker for people to write that off.

"the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them"

i did this question previously for aileron but also! also!! more people need to give some love to idw needlenose. as with aileron, it's not that people DISLIKE him, it's that he is great and i want more people to understand this. he's got a complicated cross-faction sibling relationship with tracks! he's a gay widower and it's really sad!! he's a hardcore True Believer in the decepticon cause and imo a wayyy better exploration of what a generic non-high-command decepticon is struggling with in the aftermath of the war ending as a real believer in the cause than stuff like the scavengers that gets more play in fandom. but he gets way less attention as idw exploring that, unfortunately. i love him so much, please join me in the needlenose stan corner.

[thealogical]

goddd thank u im so glad u agree the finale waa bad.

like yeah ruby had no arc. she had huge fears of abandonment - but turns out her biomum loved her and named her and immidately reconnects when she finds out. wouldnt it be stronger to have her biomum not want her, or to suck, or to be dead or something? and ruby could learn that shes worthy all on her own?

also why is ruby finding her biomum not connected to 15s struggles with his own "adoption"?

and the show is like ohhh you were stupid for ever thinking theres something supernatural about rubys mum she's not important/special!! like we all only thought she was special bc the show told us that!

the season as a whole theres a huge lack of the doctor like. looking at clues and figuring them out (so we can understand him as a character). like he does it in ep1-3 and 7 lots but theres so much of the series where he does nothing! we dont see him figure out he needs the outside metal, we're just suddenly in a scene about him getting it. we dont see him and ruby figure out a plan to defeat sutekh, they did that offscreen!

also making sutekh destroy all life and then they bring it back easily is unsatisfying yknow? have them work to stop him killing everyone! have them do things (like in sutekhs original episode pyramids of mars).... instead of giving the doc and ruby stupid plot armour.

and sutekh being wrapped around the tardis since the 4th doctor is such a strange and baffling retcon lmao

anyway god sorry this is long im just glad u also didnt like the finale bc so many ppl on here have been praising it and i dont get it

I know this ask is pretty old and at the time I agreed with you but I couldn't really think of much more to say. Looking through my inbox and seeing it today though made me reflect on the writing again and you touch on some problems that I've been feeling with the show even more since watching the new Christmas special.

Nothing is set up properly, our heroes aren't shown figuring anything out, and the pacing is all over the place.

When the show was first revived it followed a classic, serial, monster of the week style formula. The Doctor and companion(s) arrive in a place which contains some sort of threat. The setting is explored by our protagonists and hints at the threat are dropped slowly, increasingly building tension until the identity of the threat is revealed and the rest of the episode is dedicated to running from the monster and figuring out how to beat it. I can't speak for Moffat and Chibnall's time as showrunners, but this is how the average episode goes from series 1 to series 4.

This format is well-paced, it has set up and pay off, and it's compelling because the viewer is always along for the ride. We figure out the episode's mysteries at roughly the same pace as our heroes because the writers gives us roughly the same information that they give the protagonists.

The new episodes pretty consistently fail at these fundamental principles. There is often a great disparity in knowledge between the protagonists and the audience.

Why are all these accidents happening around Ruby? It's Goblins that feed of accidents, which the Doctor already figured out off screen.

Why is all the music gone now? Oh wait we already saw at the beginning of the episode, its Maestro. Guess we have to wait for the Doctor and Ruby to figure it out. How are they gonna beat them? Oh like they have to play a special chord, a fact they figure out randomly and then the Beatles do it for them I guess.

Oh man how's the Doctor gonna get off this landmine? Ah an AI ghost fixes it for him cool.

Who is this mysterious woman following Ruby and why is everyone who interacts with her changing like this? Lol lmao the writers couldn't think of any answers so I guess we'll never know.

Wow, how are the Doctor and Ruby gonna beat Sutekh? They figure it out off-screen. RTD seemingly wanted to prove he could be just as much of a hack as Moffat with this one.

How is the Doctor going to save Joy and deal with this ominous briefcase? We get a whole montage about his life while he does this, and he still fucking figures it out off-screen goddamn you Steven Moffat.

These episodes feel too fast paced and unsatisfying to watch because they're all pay off, no set up. We barely get a chance to figure things out, because nothing is established. In episodes where we do get sections of slow build up, we usually either already have the answers that our protagonists are looking for, or the build up was pointless and the characters figure out how to win by magic. The pacing in many episodes is exhausting because you're being given a million questions and none of them are answered, our heroes just figure it out off screen or suddenly by magic and the show has to play you some overbearing dramatic music to tell you how important the moment is because the writing does nothing to invest you in the plot.

I was hoping for a return to form from this series, but it seems like we're just getting more smug nonsense. It's really disappointing.

[damianbugs]

saki i'm sorry i don't know much about DC comics, but i have been confused about something recently when seeing fan comics — are Bruce and Two-Face (Harvey?) still friends post-whatever happened to him? I think they were friends before, maybe, but some fanon has been suggesting to me they might still be, so I was wondering about that. Opinions on him, too, maybe? I know fuck all about him but he's so quirky

i wouldn't say they're... still friends exactly. let's do some background real quick.

i think the really sweet and close friendship bruce wayne and harvey dent had prior to his acid attack, that inspires a lot of fancontent — is from Batman: The Animated Show. in this iteration of their history, they're close friends who obviously mean a lot to each other, which is why the guilt batman feels for two-face is only more painful.

(of course in much earlier comics and harvey's original introduction (detective comics #66) bruce and harvey are friends too. though, it's not often referenced as his origin much anymore.)

in the comics however, the friendship starts and unfortunately ends with batman. batman, (captain) jim gordon, (DA) harvey all work together to try and solve the case in Batman: The Long Halloween.

they grow close and personally, i think bruce was really starting to form a close bond and trust with harvey throughout their partnership. this really shines through when after harvey becomes two-face (which is a long and sad story), bruce still has somewhat of a belief that harvey can still be good.

though, we know now that two-face ends up having a permanent spot in gothams rouge gallery, but i suppose it's because of this history of trust that batman continues to encourage harvey to turn his life around (a sentiment he has with a lot of his rouges, but something that is especially prominent in his relationship with two-face).

as for what their origins are in the new 52? i have no idea! moving on.

for what their relationship is like currently;

the most recent interactions i think they've had is in ram v's current Detective Comics run (which is FANTASTIC) and out of all the harvey and bruce comics i have read, it is probably my favourite. they're not even the main focused relationship, but it is such an important one for the theme of this arc.

in this run harvey is at war with himself, struggling between being 'good' and being 'bad' — but also struggling to simply have a choice at doing either. bruce is also facing a similar turmoil. so we see this really wonderful parallel in the midst of a battle where harvey is debating whether or not he wants to save bruce or leave him to die, and bruce is battling whether he wants to give in or keep going.

two-face does end up saving bruce. this is something very important to both of their characters.

it shows bruce that the man he befriended is not lost and it gives harvey a sense of autonomy that he's been stripped of for a long time. it's a short but very moving subplot about hope.

that being said, harvey isn't doing this because he wants to be friends with bruce again. or well, two-face isn't. it's complicated.

i don't think i could do the writing justice (there is also like, an insane overarching plot going on). once he drags bruces half dead body to safety, he threatens him, leaves bruce there and is currently, on the run.

so friends? not really. enemies? also not exactly. really tragic story about missing someone you once knew, wondering if you ever really knew them in the first place? ABSOLUTELY.

there is also some insanely obvious queercoding taking place in their story, but i focused on their friendship side of things.

it's one of bruce's more complicated rouge relationships, and probably the best one thematically. harvey is such an interesting character and if dc wouldn't use the same green headed dumbass as the villain in all their batman stories, two-face would definitely be the most compelling rouge for bruce.

i don't know if this actually made any sense, and also apologies for taking so long to answer this! here is probably one of the best detective comics covers ever made as an apology (it is bruce standing in the middle of a split two-face carved golden door with a batman shadow in the back. this shit is marvelous).

[mercury-waters]

Writer Ask Tag

Thanks for tagging me @cc-writes-stuff! I'll answer these q's for my 'big novel' project, WIP: Ripper, but I'm gonna be evasive about some things that are either too big a giveaway of the plot or subject to radically change :)

What is the main lesson of your story, and why did you chose it?

WIP: Ripper is about how damaged societies create damaged people. There's no strict 'moral' of the story per se but it has a lot to do with how things seen as individualized problems are often very large social problems, and the struggle of trying to build back after major disasters linked to those problems.

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding?

The story is "steampunk fantasy", set in a version of Victorian London. I love the Sherlock Holmes stories and lots of things associated with that period, and those were inspirations to me for sure, but also introducing mechanical/fantasy elements that are a little reminiscent of like Atlantis/Treasure Planet.

What is your main character trying to achieve? What are you, the writer, trying to achieve? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, or help the reader grow as a person?

In this version of the story, the main character Jasper is an engineering apprentice attempting to rebuild a lost transportation system that collapsed in a destructive disaster, and in doing so attempting to resurrect lost knowledge.

As a writer, I think my goal with this story is both to emotionally/visually captivate readers and also to inspire thought about social change and how it comes about. I also just really want to write a compelling mystery novel!

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Probably somewhere between 36-40, with how my chapter lengths tend to be.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

It's original content!

When I finish this novel (which is very much years from now), I do want to try to pursue traditional publishing! If not, I might self-publish on whatever platform is the most viable at that time. I do have some other short stories I'm writing for practice that I'm just gonna publish for free somewhere in the interim!

When did you start writing?

I started writing basically from the moment I could hold a pen. My parents were both English teachers and they taught me to read with books like The Hobbit and Eragon, so I really wanted to be a novelist from a young age. When I was older, I wrote a lot -- I was even an admin on a contextually-popular fanfic blog for a pretty large fandom lol. But I stopped writing after high school because I fell into other interests, and I only started getting back into it about a year or so ago.

Do you have any words of encouragement for fellow writers of writeblr?

Self-doubt is normal. The people who succeed are the ones that are willing to 'suspend disbelief' not just for their stories but for their own dreams and their own potential.

Also: respect the process. Writing is a craft, it takes time, it takes attention, and it takes you building your own skills on purpose. Masterpiece paintings get made because artists don't just look at a scene and transpose it onto canvas; they methodically break down a scene into its basic shapes and build it up layer by layer. Writing is very similar.

What other writers do you follow?

Lots! I just followed @metaphorfordeath, I also follow @abiteofhoney, @aether-wasteland-s, @literarynecromancy, @mxxnlightwriting, and many more!

[aotopmha]

My biggest issue with Dawntrail is that the story is starting to repeat itself thematically, but my second-biggest one is that all of the concise, meaningful scenes are sandwiched between walls of text. So it's nice to see some acknowledgement regarding that issue.

(Spoilers for all of Dawntrail.)

What I'm worried about is them going to the complete opposite direction regarding writing because that's the vibe I get from most of their corrections.

I hope that the takeaway from the criticism isn't Wuk having flaws at all or there being world building at all in the MSQ.

Because Wuk is such a ballsy character to exist: unconventionally attractive, flawed main female lead; if the takeaway is that we just need a confident character that never screws up and doesn't need to grow, we just get a boring character.

And exploring new cultures and new perspectives is part of not only what makes a great adventure story, but is a great basis for character struggles.

The issue with Wuk aren't her flaws in themselves, just that there is too much of her and comparatively less of the other characters.

And the issue with exploring cultures in the MSQ isn't that they exist at all, just that they're presented in a wall of text and ultimately only matter "thematically" and for Wuk's growth, with other characters' stories being behind her's in priority.

A plot hook, connection to the past, a mystery and answers to it and having a specific focus point (for example, a character) immediately make a story more compelling. And a bunch of the areas did not really have that or repeated it with Wuk.

Shadowbringers did the character distribution the best because each zone was essentially about a character, so nobody of the central cast got left behind.

I really think Wuk should've been a throughline character like the Exarch and Krile, Erenville, Koana, Bakool Ja Ja and Zoraal Ja should've had a zone each to themselves as characters, with connective tissue between and it all coming together at the end.

We even kind of get it. The emphasis is just not always on character arcs, but instead very specifically the fictional cultures themselves, the world.

Which doesn't necessarily always create emotional attachment.

In Shadowbringers the Chais, Runar, Tesleen, the miners and Fae Ul are "new" anchor points in a new world, while the Scions are "old" anchor points in a new world.

Their cultures still exist, but their culture is mostly expressed and explained through them, as part of their clearly defined characters, rather than kind of next to them by comparatively generic faces.

In Tural Wuk Lamat is often the only anchor, with no outside or inside distinction.

I realised, out of any of the "local" characters in the first three zones, next to the claimants, Wuk Evu is the strongest actual individual personality.

I think this is why Mamook and everything after it is so much more positively viewed: the world building and character writing become much more balanced after that point.

Mamook was a clear focus point for Bakool Ja Ja and his family (father and mother) and how their culture effects and relates to them.

Gulool Ja Ja's death creates specific strong character motivations that drive the rest of the story.

Solution Nine is a clear focus point for Erenville and Cachiua (and Sphene and Otis – see you can share screentime between characters) and about its specific brand of culture shock and the tragedy that comes from everything to do with the moral aspects of the system.

And Living Memory brought everything in all of the zones together.

The scenes with Namikka and Krile's parents are in part such successful scenes to me because we finally not only got actual character substance, but also interesting world building next to it. And Otis and Cachiua are right behind.

Even some of the scattered scenes with Thancred and Urianger, Alisae and G'raha become highlights because instead of reading a wall of text, it's just characters talking to each other.

I hope they'll take away the right lessons from this.

[oodlyenough]

i saw you post about Adrian being one of the most poorly written characters from the trilogy, could i please ask you to elaborate on that? genuinely curious why

Well tbh the caveat here would be that I played 2-4 once, a year or so ago, and I didn't exactly find Adrian compelling enough to study her writing intensely or something, so this is general impressions, but:

Mostly I thought the plot of 2-4 sort of dragged her through the mud and then had the resolution be her... deep gratitude towards both Phoenix and Edgeworth for doing that, lol. As soon as we found out about her suicidal tendencies and had her begging the player to keep her secret, I thought, "well obviously Phoenix is gonna have to bust this out at some point", and then instead they had Edgeworth do it very dramatically lmao, and then it's... all kind of water under the bridge and she ends the case like wow <3 the two greatest men I've ever met <3. I think it's probably a casualty of the games having a relatively simplistic moral system. By the end of 2-4 Phoenix, Edgeworth and Adrian are all on the same "team" ie The Good Guys, so the game doesn't want bad blood between her and them. But I didn't think her um... mental health struggles etc were treated with particular care. And the canon having her turn to Franziska as her new stronger-person-to-latch-onto doesn't really solve anything nor do I think teenage timebomb Franziska is well-equipped for that role.

In general I felt like the tone of the writing around Adrian was odd, like they flipped from "look at her, suspiciously competent, probably a murderer" to "alas ... her dark secret is that in reality she's a weak-willed woman" lol. Like we put a few different sexist tropes in a blender. I suppose she was better in AA3, but you still hinge the plot on her goofing up often enough to be the crux of the issue, and Phoenix in court calling her an "accident-prone human". (Also, not really the point, but it raised questions for me about the jail time for tampering with a body lmao. Are Lana and Iris getting similarly short stints?)

I will say the anime cut out most of the parts of Adrian's story that I found awkwardly written, and in doing so I thought they made a much flatter version of Adrian all around, so I guess that's not really a win either. And as I said in the original post, it ended up messy enough that I found myself liking her, lol, in a "date a girl who's bad at everything" sort of way.

[esther-dot]

If I remember correctly there was a scene where Missandei was taking care of an injured Greyworm. She kissed him as he told something about being scared to not see her again. Then also there was scene about Missandei saying goodbye to GW saying same line which was told by Jon to Dany. Compare these scenes to similar Jonerys ones where the latter lacks warmth. I don't know if it was deliberate or not. What do you think?

I can't find a gifset of it at the moment, but yes, Missandei (who is alive and well on Naath, thank you very much!) does sit by Greyworm when he is injured. Jonsas compared/contrasted Greyworm/Missandei with Jonerys and Jonsa a lot because they had so many similar scenes, but unfortunately, I'm not finding all those posts rn. Although, I have to point out @ladyandtheghost 's parallel in which she argued that just as Greyworm declared Missandei his weakness, Sansa was Jon's ( this post ) -- all the way back in 2017. Everyone who noticed the parallels was quite frustrated with how the show failed to offer adequate payoff for them, but seeing as Sansa was the trigger that got Jon to stabbity stab Dany aka her treason for love, I think the Greyworm x Missandei and Jonsas parallels were part of how D&D were laying the groundwork for the finale from s6 on. As pathetic as the the end product was, there were a few throughlines.

As for the Jonerys parallels...as you point out, the similar scenes make Jonerys look horrible. I assume they were actually meant to be contrasted with a couple that truly knew and loved each other which is why they paled in comparison. Greyworm and Missandei obviously had a lot more time to develop a dynamic which makes their love far, far more compelling (the actors are gorgeous and talented which helped too!), but in s7-8 there were a number of relationships that we can contrast jonerys with and inevitably, D&D put more time and effort into the side relationships than the “point of the series” (as everyone told us JonDany was). Since they were also running a storyline about protecting Sansa being more important to Jon than his own life or Dany's, about jon's love for Sansa being more important to him than his honor and duty, I have a hard time swallowing that they even intended Jonerys to be seen as an epic romance.

Often people blame the actors for the failure to make the relationship work (which is a pretty universally accepted sentiment, ), apparently Kit was having personal struggles at the time which fans have pointed to as an explanation for his poor acting. But he delivered in other dynamics, his face and eyes were alive in s7 when interacting with Gendry and Tormund, so I don't think that was the issue. I pointed out how the writing of Jonerys created no potential to make it compelling as D&D carefully included the fact that there was no obstacle to their relationship back in s7, so I have a few different explanations.

D&D were wanting to end the show, HBO/Martin wanted more seasons, so s6- s7 could have been written to allow for a quick closeout, or room to grow certain strorylines into 2 more seasons worth of content. If they didn't know if they'd have 8 or 16+ episodes to wrap things up, maybe they were trying to leave different paths open hence some odd writing.

Perhaps Jonerys was fan service, and they didn't want to do it but did it at HBO's behest or whatever so they didn't put in the effort that Greyworm/Missandei got, or Sam/Gilly, or even Gendry and Arya who all had recognizable beats progressing the relationship to an inevitable end. That's why there was a sex scene, but none of the compelling emotion we would expect from a love story that was so anticipated.

The last is the hotly contested, deeply unpopular belief that Jon will not love Dany, but will betray her in the books, and Jonerys was D&D romanticizing the plot points Martin gave them, just as they romanticized Jongritte and changed the point of that relationship. The theory for show verse had a lot of different names, political Jon being the most popular, and seeing as how Jon did betray Dany in the end, and for Sansa, which was the predicted endpoint (although as far as I can recall, none of us at the time speculated that he would kill Dany), I think that explains the oddities of Jonerys. That's the way I interpret it, and I think D&D were either pressured by HBO or their own fear of audience reaction led them to soften the dynamic/Dany's ending further because again, I do not think they believe they delivered a grand romance.

Obviously, the bad writing in s7-8 make most fans reject a lot, or all, of the developments hence the above being an unpopular stance, but I actually do think D&D were relaying in a very confused, contradictory way, some of Martin's plot points. The fact that so much in the end matched earlier ideas/themes...I don't buy that it was all D&D. I tried to wrestle all of that and Jon's love vs duty stuff in a very long post here .

What do you think?

[centaurianthropology]

Hammer Horror-a-thon Rapid-Fire Double-Feature: Nothing but the Night (1973) and The Gorgon (1964)

Because life got away from me and I couldn't get through nearly the number of 50s to 70s bad horror flicks I was hoping to during October, I'm holding them over during this, a slightly clear weekend. Instead of fully summarizing and commenting on these films, I'll be doing more rapid-fire thoughts and reviews.

So let's start with the more recent one, 'Nothing but the Night'.

So I've got mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, there's some really decently written women in this one, which is fairly uncommon in horror films of this era. Georgia Brown does really well in a slightly understated role as a hard-nosed reporter who slowly comes around to just wanting the truth. She's somewhat noir, and I really liked her performance. But Diana Dors' brassy, abrasive mom-on-a-mission is one of the movie's highlights. You're genuinely not certain what she's doing or why she's doing it, and the unfortunate thing about the movie is that you never really find out.

I suppose it's decades too late, but spoiler warning here. The movie ends with a bit of a weak twist, that I sort of feel undermines the movie. Apparently some rich assholes have set up an orphanage (you know that's never good) and are using the children there as vessels to transfer their consciousness into so that they can live again or something. The main little girl at the heart of the story is, in fact, an adult woman transplanted into a little girl's body.

It's a goofy premise, but no more so than most horror films of the era. But I honestly think this one might have worked better if they'd gone full 'Bad Seed' with it, and we as the audience know that she's the murderer from the beginning. The young actress in the role is honestly fairly good, and I think she'd be able to pull off playing innocent before killing more and more people who all seem to want to help her. The mystery could have become why she was doing this, rather than trying to figure out what's even happening in the plot. It's a movie so concerned with keeping its central secret until the big reveal that there are large parts of the movie with very little happening. It's a little TOO obscure, and it could have been a lot creepier if they'd let the audience in a bit more.

The good things here are the performances. As I previously mentioned, both Brown and Dors turn in strong performances, with a lot more drive, intrigue, and nuance than women were often afforded in this era of movies. Gwyneth Strong, the child actress in the central role, does a fairly solid job at it.

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are both solid, but aren't given as much to do as the women, and less investment in everything until near the end, which makes them a little less compelling. Still, their scenes together are a big part of the appeal of the movie. Their first scene together, in particular, ends with what feels like it's seconds away from devolving into an outtake, with the two of them exiting the scene almost giggling together. It's a moment of real genuine friendship that I really loved.

Also Christopher Lee has to fight a horde of semi-possessed children in a deadly game of tug-of-war to keep from burning to death at the end, which is both deeply goofy and really unsettling, and is one of the few parts of the movie that was honestly sort of chilling. Strong has to do a villain monologue, which she struggles a bit with, but there are moments where she's also fairly effectively scary.

It ends on a fairly downer note, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it, but it's definitely not the worst of the movies I've watched. It's a bit slow, keeps its secrets so well not much happens for the bulk of the film, and doesn't do as much with Lee and Cushing as it could have, but the performances are strong, the character writing is decent, and it's fun just to see Lee and Cushing be pals for a bit.

'The Gorgon'

Tragically, I can see why this attempt at another serial from Hammer never took off. The key to their serials is really the strength of the central monster. The 'Dracula' flicks work because they feel racy for the Hayes Code era, mostly because Christopher Lee can convey a level of feral sensuality that turns some really poor scripts into something worth watching. And because you like to see him and Peter Cushing fling one another around a set for a bit, if you're me. But mostly you watch 'Dracula' for Dracula. Likewise, you watch the 'Frankenstein' flicks because you want to see Peter Cushing be completely unhinged. Appropriately to the source material, the creature is not the central monster of these films, the doctor is. You watch those films for him.

So 'The Gorgon' had to sell us on the Gorgon. This was already tough, since gorgons are a bit more obscure than vampires or mad scientists. We had enough cultural context to know, even without being told, what it was that both Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein want. Their motivations are clear going in: Dracula is driven by hunger and sexuality; Frankenstein by hubris and a desire to prove his intelligence. But what is a gorgon's motivation? Why does she do what she does?

We don't know from context, and the film doesn't seem interested in telling us. In fact, the film does very little to really sell its newest monster. Prudence Hyman can mug for the camera quite well, but she's given so little to do! She essentially stands in one place and stares. She doesn't get to talk. She doesn't even really get to interact with other actors. The nature of the monster is solitary.

I was hoping that, since we find out late in the film that she's actually projecting herself through another person, we might use the character of Carla (Barbara Shelley) to explore the monster. She could be a monster of loneliness, of resentment that every attempt at connection is doomed to end the same way. That's sort of a cool concept, honestly, but Carla spends the entire film with amnesia, unaware of what she is, and so no exploration gets done. And the film is far more interested in telling the stories of the various guys who try to hunt the monster or protect the monster or avoid the monster than it is in exploring its central monster. So she fades into the background of her own movie, and the movie falls flat as a result.

Which is too bad! Like I said, the concept is good. Cushing's performance is actually really good in this one, as the doctor who's figured out his assistant is, in fact, the one housing the consciousness of the gorgon. He goes to increasingly desperate lengths to protect her, willing to sacrifice anyone else to do so, and all the while not trusting her enough to just tell her why he's doing what he's doing, which eventually destroys their relationship and gets him killed.

Lee gets to turn in one of his rare heroic performances as a crotchety professor turned monster hunter, who is the only one to make it out alive in the end. He doesn't get as much to do as Cushing, and they only share about a minute of screen time, but it's a workmanlike performance.

And hey, a wild Patrick Troughton appeared out of nowhere as a major supporting character! He's always a fun one to see crop up, even if he's given as little as Lee to do in this film.

Richard Pasco as Paul Heitz is the doomed lover of Carla (though they spend all of two scenes together before declaring their love, so I sort of doubt their connection), and is probably given the most to do in this film. And again, he does fairly well in the role, as does Shelley as Carla. She's got some strong scenes, but she's hampered by a script that lacks the one thing that really could have turned this one into a gem: someone going completely off the wall. Someone turning in such a bravura performance that you want another film with them. If Prudence Hyman had been given more time and more to do, she might have been able to do that, but because of the way the movie was written, that was probably more likely to fall to Carla, who never gets to realize what she is and fucking WRECK some assholes. I was waiting for her to get to cut loose, and instead she gets ... nothing.

And there was never a second 'Gorgon' movie. Having seen it, I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed that the Hammer films were too cowardly to let a lady get as unhinged as they let Lee and Cushing get in their respective series.

[teaveetamer]

i read through a lot of your analyses and i still can't tell what some of your stances are, but i just wanted to know how much you agree with my own stances on edelgard and dimitri/3H.

3H is obviously not a well thought-out political treatise on the ramifications of war and different styles of political change. it just isn't. it ends far too quickly and is too simplistic to ever be anything similar.

what 3H is incredible at is character writing. this is why i simply don't understand why people "hate" edelgard OR dimitri. neither of these people are saints. they've both done horrific things. but they both portray trauma in such fascinating and complex ways that you rarely see in videogames. the parallels they have and the way they see the world are just so compelling to me that i actually avoid finishing CF/SS/AM because it always leaves me feeling so emotional afterward and sometimes i just want a nice comfort game.

that being said, i do take issue with the way dimitri's arc resolves. i think it's extremely unrealistic how he just "snapped out" of his intense mental problems. as someone who has also struggled with mental health, it's a very slow process and often it feels like one step forward, two steps back. i wish that they had left his recovery a lot more incomplete, or that the game had lasted longer so his recovery felt more organic.

this is why i prefer edelgard purely as a character because i think the way she represses her emotions completely and is slowly corrupted by her inability to trust or love herself is a story that makes a lot more sense to me.

I'm not sure in which respects my stances are unclear, but I'm always happy to clarify if you just ask! Keep in mind that this blog is like three years old at this point so if you go back far enough you'll probably find contradicting things, as my opinions have developed and changed over the years. So if that's the problem just assume the most recent stuff is the most accurate.

I will say that while 3H can have some very good character moments, I also think it's incredibly disappointing in a lot of ways. The plot, writing, and worldbuilding being so messy just doesn't give the characters a good foundation to stand on, so character moments often come across extremely hollow to me.

I could name countless examples but I think the most obvious one that everyone picks up on is Gronder Field. First, we're told that this is extremely sad and difficult for all of the characters involved, despite never or almost never seeing the students from different houses interact with each other at any point during the main story. If you don't recruit then it's entirely possible to go the entire Academy portion of the game without seeing a single cross-house interaction beyond the house leaders.

They all point to the feast they had after the battle of Eagle and Lion in the Academy part, but that happens entirely off screen. It's not even really described beyond "it was fun" and "we were all sitting together". Emblem Claude in Engage gives a better idea of what happened there than 3H ever does. A piece of DLC for a completely different game in the series describes what is supposed to be a key interaction better than the game it was actually from!

And then you actually get there and it's contrived AF. There's literally no reason for the BL and GD to be fighting each other at any point but they all kill each other anyway. There's no fog of war. Characters will even recognize each other before they fight and then continue fighting each other anyways despite having absolutely no reason to?

And then it just ends and we're all told to feel very sad about it, but why should we? It's not earned. These characters don't know each other or care about each other, most of them weren't even on opposite sides. It comes across as feeling dumb and unearned, which makes the characters reacting to it completely 100% straight as if it were this huge but unavoidable tragedy come off as confusing and overwrought.

Edelgard's writing as an entire other can of worms that I've gotten into too many times to count, so I'll try to keep this short.

I'll preface this by saying I don't have a problem with people liking or relating to Edelgard in any way. Also, just because something has problems doesn't mean you can't have found meaning in it. I can tell you really enjoy the character anon, and that's great! I wouldn't want to take that away from you.

Buuuuuut since I'm giving my opinion here... I don't agree with her being a well written depiction of trauma. I feel like, especially now, the fandom tends to engage with the Edelgard we all wanted instead of the one we actually got.

Again I'll use a specific example (well actually two) to illustrate my point.

It's hard to take her trauma seriously when it's immediately undercut by her doodling pictures of her crush, getting embarrassed about it, and getting teased. This happens twice. They do this twice! Once in the explore section immediately after Ladislava and Randolph literally die right in front of her, and once after you could have potentially killed Claude and she's talking about being locked in a fucking dungeon!

Like it blows my mind that more people don't talk about this, especially the latter example. You have just potentially killed someone. She's sitting there. Talking about being locked in a dungeon, tortured, and experimented on. And then your character's reaction is to tease her for doodling a picture of you. And they did this two times, so it's not like it was an accident!

So like how am I supposed to read this, exactly? Either the entire scene is bunk and you're not really meant to take the trauma portion seriously, it's all just a big joke, or... or you're supposed to find teasing someone going through a genuine trauma response endearing and enjoyable..? It's just. I've been looking at this scene and the numerous other Edelgard scenes like it and I just don't get there. I don't understand how to read this in a way that isn't incredibly belittling or sexist or SEVERELY undercutting what should be a serious character moment.

But people want it to be this serious, well-written character moment for her. I don't blame anyone for that, because that's what I would have wanted too! But it's just... it's so crazy disrespectful on every level, to treat a female character's trauma like it's a funny quirk or an opportunity to flirt/tease? I can damn well guarantee that no male character would be treated with that amount of disrespect, and we know that because Dimitri exists and at no point is his trauma ever played for a joke or undercut like this! It's not perfectly written, but it's written with respect to the subject and the character.

There's an absurd degree of sexism baked into the writing of 3H that just doesn't get addressed by the fandom at large, so I kind of find it frustrating.

And worse, sometimes when you try to engage with that and critique it you're shouted down or treated as if you are the problem, like I somehow spoke the sexism of the game into existence just by pointing it out.

I could go on but I'll cut myself off here

[mermaidsirennikita]

your latest review made me curious about regency/historical romances featuring the servants or working class characters, how prevalent are they? any you would recommend?

It's not really prevalent, and there are several reasons why.

a) many (not all) historical romance writers do suffer from classist or elitist streaks, and tbh, a lot of historical romance readers also suffer from this streak. There's historically (get it) been this uplifting of not only the wealth that comes with the elite, but simply the title. Like, a lot of dukes have plots where they don't have any money, and that's not new; but them being dukes keeps them "above" and thus venerated by the genre.

b) there is also a big race problem in historical romance. Think the Julia Quinn "I don't write people of color because people of color don't have happy endings" mentality--she's not the only one with that mindset (and I'm gonna be real, in one of the multiple situations where she made comments like this, Eloisa James was pretty much backing her up right there). Not that people of color were inherently working class at all, but I do think that if we had seen more diversity in general in historical romance from the jump, we would also 100% see more working class people depicted in historical romance.

c) there is, either way, an element of fantasy involved. I work very hard for my money, and I'm living paycheck to paycheck nonetheless. I think that there should be more depictions of working class love in historical romance, but I'd be lying to you if I said I sought out books in which, at the end of the story, money remains a big concern for people. It's very stressful for me, versus relatable; and I don't think I'm alone there. There relatability perhaps comes from money being a concern at the beginning, but for me to feel okay with an HEA, I don't want it to be an active concern at the end. This doesn't mean people need to be SUPER WEALTHY or that it needs to be a huge plot factor. But I think this is why the concept of the "interclass" romance exists, or the person who began working class but has become super rich before the story even began. You can start struggling, but you can't end struggling for a lot of readers.

And this, considering my previous point, goes across the racial divide in historical romance--Beverly Jenkins writers about Black characters in the 1800s, but her heroes often come from wealth, or are at least quite comfortable (and often her heroines are the same). Jeannie Lin writes Tang Dynasty Chinese characters who are often of the extreme upper classes. And I think these choices do an extra layer of work when people are writing about people of color, because there is this idea pushed that all people of color did in the past was suffer under white oppression, which ignores thriving communities, massively expansive eras of history, culture, etc. Beverly Jenkins in particular does great work with exploring the different levels of class in 1800s Black America; Forbidden and Indigo are so compelling on that level. As much as the heroines are "working class", the heroes are both wealthy upon meeting them, influential, etc.

So what you will see a lot of is books with the "working class hero has gotten rich", like Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas. Neither Derek nor Sara are upper class. She's decidedly middle class, though she makes a good living as an author. She doesn't have titled parents, she doesn't come from a grand house, but she does come from "respectable stock" and is well-bred enough for Derek to feel a way about it. Derek comes from the literal gutter and was essentially a sex worker for years before getting rich enough to invest in his own gambling club. His entire identity is wrapped up in him being lower class and considering himself less than Sara--he can't ever truly drop his accent, no matter how hard he works at it. But he is also.... super rich, lol. Her other self made men are similar; Simon Hunt is looked down on by his heroine initially for being poorly bred, but he's much wealthier than her from the jump and is tight with an earl. Evie Jenner and Sebastian St. Vincent flip this, in a sense. Her mom married down when she got with a gambling club owner, but his money makes Evie an heiress and Sebastian is well-bred but poor, so it all works out.

Lorraine Heath does similar stuff--in her Scoundrels of St. James series, you have one hero who grew up impoverished much of his life but was a secret nobleman, Jack Dodger grew up poor but became wealthy, James Swindler grew up on the streets and is now a respected inspector who probably isn't making a ton of money but is comfortable and has friends in high places and doesn't really want for anything. Kerrigan Byrne has several heroes who grew up in the dredges but are now like, criminal masterminds with tons of money.

I feel like Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt gets like... close....? Because Winter is a poor schoolmaster, and though his heroine is a society lady, she's also a widow and she would have to give some shit up to be with him, for sure. Hoyt is much more interested in working class people than a lot of writers, imo--The Leopard Prince has a steward hero (but he gets with an heiress), Scandalous Desires has a heroine who also works at the orphanage and her hero is not upper class at all (but he is a rich pirate--I mean, shit does happen there), Sweetest Scoundrel has a heroine who is not poor but is not legitimate either, and a hero who's trying to build his business.

I can't think of many about servants that don't involve the servant getting with someone who is not a servant, lol. Like, a lot of people recommend An Offer from a Gentleman as the classic "servant heroine" romance, and I'll be real, I super dislike that book in general because I find it boring and the hero is a total flop... But also, the heroine gets with Thee Most Idle Riche guy ever (he's a painter! he doesn't even have rent to collect! Anthony is at least sending out strongly worded "the rent is due" reminders, which... look, there are problems with truly upper class heroes, for sure lol) and it's like... okay..... When a "servant/upper class person" romance hits for me, it hits, but I can be a hard sell. I think the one I've liked most was probably The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt, and that was again, a steward hero and an heiress heroine.

Anyway, I have a lot of feelings, on to more recs that might scratch the itch:

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian--the book actually examines class a lot, and while one hero is the son of a duke, there are.......... many things explored there. It's also just super romantic and good and I love it.

Glory and the Master of Shadows by Grace Callaway--the heroine is 1/4 Chinese (but it's not really something she can publicly acknowledge for reasons relating to her birth and her parents'... complex past) and the hero is Chinese and came to England as a young man. She's the daughter of a duke, but he obviously does not come from any kind of title or even heritage the English aristocracy will acknowledge, and I found the dynamic in this one super compelling in terms of how the heroine connected with him over their shared cultural backgrounds that he was super in touch with already, while she felt disconnected.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles--one hero is a minor baron but to be blunt he doesn't have a lot of money and power, while the other hero is "working class", but is a powerful smuggler, so the dynamics examined here are super interesting

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh--heroine is upper class but doesn't have a lot of money, hero is working class but his family made a lot of cash when he was young, so he remembers being poor but is not now, but still feels that level of being ostracized

What A Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden--this one has a con artist heroine and a second son hero, who actually has to like... shape the fuck up to be worthy of her, which I liked a lot

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare--very classic class divide, heroine was a barmaid, hero is a duke

But yeah, honestly, I can't think of any books that have worked for me where both sides are not well off--and I think that's partially on me and my taste, but also on the genre making them not super like... popular, accessible, whatever. Often, when you do see the supporting or "servant" characters getting a love story, it'll be in a novella.

[96percentdone]

Your ace attorney opinions are so valid and I wish they did aa5 and aa6 more justice? The characters are interesting and fun but when they play 52 pickup with each individual storyline it really shoots the collective narrative in the foot. From a gameplay standpoint, the stuff introduced in aa5 and 6 are fun and rly cool ways to expand upon the universe, and the Wright lie detection agency is fun, but it feels like. Idk. Like they didn’t trust their writers OR their fan base with their story. Idk if that makes sense? (I have similar beef with aitsf and aini though so,,,)

Yeah I honestly hold more contempt for AA5 and 6 than I do any other art I've experienced. Defenders of these games will posit the detractors are so fixated on AJ's plot they cannot see the merits of DD and SoJ, but I don't care about Kristoph's psyche locks, the untouched sibling reveal, or Apollo's 70000 backstories nearly as much as they suggest. Those things are annoying, but they are minor symptoms of the real issue: bad writing across the board. Most if not all culprits have store-bought motives that are thinly elucidated, if they're even elucidated at all, which impacts the writing of every case. If the cause of the suffering is a caricature, the victims end up similarly toothless. They are equally generic. AA has always struggled to write witnesses and culprits consistently well--there's a reason people talk about ace attorney middle cases like that for instance--but it's compounded by the frequency that it happens especially for the main characters.

The returning main cast are hollowed out versions of themselves. Trucy is just a quirky magician girl which they walk back a little in Spirit of Justice by giving her a focus case, and then she's back to being Quirky. Phoenix Wright is a generic mentor figure with goofy internal dialogue sometimes. Klavier is a rockstar prosecutor!!! That's it!!!! Miles Edgeworth is BACK, and because they worked on the investigations games you can kind of see why he's this big good figure, but Pearl and Maya are seemingly around just to be around cause they have nothing going on emotionally. Apollo is a stock dweeb except when he's stock Edgy as a result of one of his new poorly written backstories involving poorly written new characters who might not even be characters (looking at you, Clay Terran).

And the new main characters suffer just as much. Let's take Dual Destinies as a case study. Blackquill was convicted and imprisoned for a murder he did not do, something that changed him and shows in his scenes, in order to protect Athena, whose upbeat personality is only preserved because she is so traumatized by the events and her complicated relationship with her mother and hearing she cannot acknowledge it consciously. These are compelling emotional beats, it makes for well-rounded characters, but what's the payoff? Why did they suffer this way? Because some hired goon with no name and no face had a job at GYAXA to execute. In a better game, you could use Phantom's emptiness as commentary about how often the things that ruin your life don't have good explanations, but I will not be lending credit to that notion for this game, because void man is the origin point for "The Dark Age of the Law," which now also happened because it did, and it was a shallow idea from the jump.

"The Dark Age of the Law" is an simplified cartoon explanation for distrust in the legal system. Instead of people being flawed whether through selfishness (MvK, Kristoph) or trauma (Miles, Justine) lending itself to corruption, exploitation and injustice in systems meant to protect, leading to a myriad of reasons the public would be skeptical that the law serves them, they just feel that way because one lawyer got disbarred for evidence forging and one prosecutor was convicted for murder. Spirit of Justice largely takes place in a made up country with a tyrannical government that kills defense attorneys for assuring fair trials for guilty clients! Why does this happen? Idk, because Ga'ran sucks, and she has ultimate power and creates all the laws. The root of all evil in Khura'in is one woman who is a factory set trope surrounded by generic citizens, diluted returning leads, and new characters who must be dragged down by the garbage that surrounds them in order to take part in it.

You brought up AI. Since you're anonymous, I'm guessing you're one of the countless people who takes issue with Nirvana Initiative on the grounds it's a bad followup to AITSF, to which I first have to ask.... Are you new to my blog? This is a AINI defender account lmao. I think it's better than AITSF, fight me. I'm writing a whole essay about it; I'll win. That said, I get the comparison because it's one I've made before, even if I don't quite stand by it anymore. I'm not going to explain my AINI opinions here, wait for the essay if you're curious, but I think I can get at that difference to me just by using Ace Attorney alone.

My favorite Ace Attorney game is Investigations 2, a sequel to a spin-off that has two of the writers for the mainline games I hate. It's a game about legacy and family. Whether they were admirable and just like Gregory Edgeworth, or duplicitous abusers like Blaise Debeste, the cast of this game wrestles with who they are, how their parent (or parental figure) shaped them, and who they should be in the face that now. Maybe they have to learn what that person is actually like and separate from them, or maybe they find a new family among their friends to fill that absence, or maybe they make peace with that loss and accepting who they are now is someone worth being. Maybe they deny that memory as their own or significant until the end to preserve what they want to believe. It's also a game about systemic failure, and all the things that have to be done to make the law an institute that actually protects people. Specific bad actors may be out of the picture now, but there is still more work to be done.

And the funny thing is? I2 does all of this without actually talking all that much about the rest of the series. Most of the characters are new, even to Investigations, and the ones that return don't bring up most of the shit that happened like a week ago. Miles references the events of Turnabout Goodbyes, and "That Man", and Gregory Edgeworth is a key figure in this game, to the point where you play as him, and yet all of that is only alluded just enough to understand the magnitude of his image and his loss. The heart of AA has always been in its characters, who are zany and fun, but they face real tragedy and real abuses, at the hands of one another which are then reflected in the world of law because the justice system is created and run by people; in I2 it beats so strongly.

Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice may have the skin of Ace Attorney and the bones to prop them up, but underneath that familiar exterior, they're empty. They lack the the muscles and veins and blood to bring them to life, because the character writing and thematic conceits are shallow. The reason AA5 and 6 fail as followups is not because they don't engage with prior entries enough, but because they are poorly written on their own terms. They say nothing at all; they have removed their own heart.