#but i said i would watch amphibia

[pulchrasilva]

Ummmm thought about bitb. Gonna throw up

[what-is-this-about]

Uuuh, I don't know what possessed me to make this (O_O')

[all-encompassing-hero]

Genuinely, I think the funniest way that an Amphibia sequel series could make Sashannarcy canon would be to have it happen entirely off-screen. Like, between the final scene of season 3 and the first scene of this sequel the girls asked each other out, went on several dates, proposed, got engaged, planned a wedding, and got married (also bought a house and moved in together) completely off camera.

Also, it would be even funier if they kept referencing things that happened during that off-screen part, but it's always so vague that the audience can't figure out what they mean.

As an example: The girls are fighting some big monster.

Sasha: Dodging the monster's attack "Hey doesn't this remind you guys of that one date we went on?"

Marcy: "You mean the one with the- Woah!" Barely avoids getting stomped on

Sasha: "Yeah that one."

Anne: "Oh yeah, I remember that one. You know, that place was kinda nice. We should go back there sometime."

Sasha: "I thought you said you hated that place."

Anne: "Yeah, but thay was before we- LOOK OUT!" Pushes Sasha out of the way of an attack

Sasha: Laying on the ground with Anne on top of her "Now that you mention it, we never did manage to get the 'full experience', did we?"

Anne: Pushing herself off of Sasha "Save it for later, Sasha. We've got bigger things to worry about right now"

Sprig, who's been watching this whole thing:

Also, at some point, one of them needs to mention that "this reminds me of our honeymoon" during a situation that should absolutely not remind someone of a honeymoon.

[jibberjibbsart]

Out of curiosity. Can you tell us how many shows are you planning to add to the power hour? This is getting crazy! (in the best way possible)

So the fandoms we see now (Supernatural, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, The Owl House) are the only ones I had planned! I apologize to the crowd that was rooting for Amphibia to show up. HOWEVER once I finish this comic I plan on doing smaller "slice of life" comics and I do plan on some characters making cameos. In my original script for the comic, Invader Zim and Dib were going to be in Luz and Amity's place but I haven't watched enough of that show to include them. I didn't think I was capturing their personalities very well. I would love for characters like Star and Marco to show up and someone said having the Doctor appear would be hilarious (I only watched a couple of seasons of Doctor Who but it was very near and dear to my heart).

[lukascastelan]

Ok, so this is the wall, in my bedroom which consists of many many fandoms or just topics I have grown to enjoy over time. A couple are outdated considering now, but they were pretty special to me when painting it. The wall was finished in 2023 on June 15.

Many were made by printing the logos/designs on my printer, tracing the backs really hard in a pencil, and then firmly pressing each design onto the wall so I had a stencil of what I was coloring in. Many are just designs I found on the internet at the time and others are just logos or things I thought would be a good symbol for said fixation at the time.

Did I want it to look different at the beginning? Yes, originally it was going to be the symbols or main characters in one big collage but I realized that I have zero art skills and it wouldn't ever be accomplished so I made the design more simple and now I really like how it turned out.

Do I wish a few were different now because of time or lack of interest? Yes and no. Yes, because I either don't like a certain topic at all anymore or I just could have something that I think represents me more on there but for right now I'm okay with how it is. No, because I look at this wall every day of my life, and seeing a certain square can remind me of a specific time in my life that I really enjoyed and I love that feeling.

Do I think that some of the squares are a little cringe now over time and how I have changed as a person? Absolutely but I could never ever get myself to get rid of those ones because they might be looked upon as weird or cringe now but at the time they helped me get through so many tough times that I can't get myself to get rid of those.

A few of these squares will definitely be changed but at least 97% of them I love seeing every day because of the memories and good times. I love my wall and it represents what I've liked over the years and that's okay. You should be able to like what you want without being criticized for it, hell I've debated posting this because I was scared that people were going laugh at the things on there but to be honest? Let me laugh with you as I remember how that square I cringe on now or how that square I would defend with my life. Just be you, that's all.

What are the fixations that are on the wall, and do I still want them there? I'll tell ya starting from the top right corner.

863 - Youtube series (Keep)

Five Nights at Freddy's - Video game series (Keep)

Amphibia - Animated TV show (Keep)

Amulet - Graphic novel sereis (Keep)

Arcane - Animated TV show (Keep)

Bendy and The Ink Machine - Video game series (Keep)

Brooklyn 99 - TV show (Keep)

Carmen Sandiego - Animated TV show (Keep)

Chuckle Sandwich - Podcast (Keep)

Cuphead - Video Game (Keep)

DanTDM - Youtuber (Keep)

Compass South - Graphic Novel series (Keep)

Detroit Become Human - Video Game (Keep)

The Last of Us - Video Game series/TV show (Keep)

The Dragon Prince - Animated TV show (Keep)

Mandela Catalogs - Analog Horror series (Keep)

DreamSMP - Youtube/ Minecraft server (Depends, I always look back now and cringe at myself but then I remember how it was at the time and how it felt to me at the time. Probably keep though just because of how it got me through Covid and just a rough spot in general)

Droid - Youtuber (Keep)

Eddsworld - Youtube series (Keep)

Flash - I watched the TV show (Keep)

Harry Potter - Books/Movies (I honestly like Fantastic Beats movie spinoff more than the main books/movies. Idk why but this one might change over time or it'll stay, haven't really decided that yet, maybe)

Henry Danger - TV show (Keep)

Hilda - Animated TV show (Keep)

How to Train Your Dragon - Movies/Books/TV Show (Keep)

Infinity Train - Animated TV show (Keep)

Jurrasic Park - Movies/Books (Keep)

The Group Chat - Youtube group/Podcast (Keep)

Last Kids on Earth - Books/TV show (Keep)

Lucifer - TV show (Most likely change)

Marvel (Keep)

Merlin - TV show (Keep)

Minecraft - Video Game (Keep)

Star Wars - Movies/TV shows/books/etc. (Keep)

Ninjago - Animated TV show (Keep)

The Owl House - Animated TV Show (Keep)

Percy Jackson - Books/TV show/Movies (Keep)

Pokemon - Video game series, etc. (I really don't know why I put this on here, I was never a really big fan other than owning the cards so will probably change)

Sam and Colby - Youtubers (Keep)

The Walten Files - Analog Horror series (Keep)

Space Boy - Webtoon but I found it through the graphic novels (Keep)

Spongebob - Animated TV show (Keep)

Steven Universe - Animated TV show (Keep)

Stranger Things - TV show (Keep)

Subnautica - Video Game series (Keep)

Treasure Planet - Animated Movie (Keep)

Umbrella Acadamy - TV Show (Keep)

Voltron - Animated TV Show (Probably change because I never really got into it but binged it with my sister, liked it but not love)

Wings of Fire - Books/Graphic Novels (Keep)

Things I would want on the wall now

Transformers

Multiple Analog Horror series

Portal games (Though I painted my closet doors portal themed so I think it cancels out)

maybe some music albums but I have something like that in my room already

The Magnus Protocol

ONG might put Ao3 on there tbh

Some absolute BANGER webtoons

Some more recent YouTube series, animated of course

Over the garden wall was literally a fever dream but I loved it

OH lab rats and Mightty med I grew UP on those

Gravity Falls

More that I can't think of rn

Okay wow um I don't usually post this big but I really like my wall and just wanted to share it. Maybe I'll post some more stuff about my room that I like just because I'm proud of it.

Part 1(This one), Part 2

[kookies2000]

Me: Every single ship I ever had became canon or hinted at heavily. Like Fluttershy x Discord (MLP) Hunter x Willow (TOH) and Olivia and Yunan (Amphibia).

Brother: Every single ship gets sunk or they die. And he's shipped like 100 ships. Yet none gets canon.

Me: I ship Jax x Ragatha-

Brother: I'm not watching The Amazing Digital Circus anymore!

Me: Why-

Brother: Jax and Ragatha are gonna end up together now!!!

Me: Come on! Goose said there would be no romance! It's impossible to get Bunny Doll content!

February 5 Stream

Jax: I love you, Ragatha. *fake barf, but he's blushing*

Ragatha: I know you ment it.

*My door flies across the room as my brother tackles me into a death grip*

Brother: I HOPE RAGATHA DIES!!!!

[gartenofbanny]

WARNING: DIRTY-ISH IMAGES IN THIS BLOG

Guys, I have a confession to make. I believe Sallie May is one of the most overrated characters in Helluva Boss.

I don’t believe she’s overrated simply because she’s trans. It’s just for a different reason that I will explain shortly, but first who is this character I'm talking about?

Who is Sallie May?

Sallie May is Millie’s sister who debuted in Hell of a Boss Episode Five, the Harvest Moon Festival. After some time after the release of the episode she was pretty popular among the Hell of a Boss fandom

So what're my thoughts about her overall? Well, Sallie May is a character, that's pretty much it. I don't have any opinions on her as a character because she isn’t fleshed out. She is Millie's sister who is transgender, that's really what Sallie May is. She looks pretty, but Sallie May doesn't have any standalone character similar to Octavia and Millie.

So that's how I feel about Sallie May, she's overall just a side character. It's cool that they added her to the show, but that's all.

Now that, that's out of the way I'm going to talk about..how Vivziepop and the other creators used her and why I don’t like it. This is going to be pretty controversial for me to discuss so don’t pull out your pitchforks yet.

How Vivziepop and the other creators used her

What I don't like upon Harvest Moon Festival’s release is that a lot of people, including me were not aware that Sallie May was transgender and there was very little indication of that. The only thing that points out that Sallie May is trans is her horns.

As people know, Male imps and Female imps have different patterns for their horns. However, that information is not shared within Helluva Boss.

It requires outside research like in the wikis, Livestreams, or people telling you in order to make sense.

Upon first watching Harvest Moon Festival, I had no idea that Sallie May was transgender until a Reddit post basically told me that she was.

If you're going to have a character with a certain gender identity, establish it within the series. It could've been something simple like a pin of the transgender flag or a button that has the colors of the transgender flag.

The writers of Amphibia did it with Sasha where Sasha had a bisexual heart sticker on her rearview mirror. It doesn't have to be something big, but it can be small and easily noticeable.

I don’t get how people consider Sallie May to be a trans icon when lots of people didn’t even know she was trans in the first place.

Why I believe she's overrated and why she's loved within the Fandom

Now the real question is why do I believe she’s overhyped? Well, simply put it she does not have much screen time overall. Sallie May has around 13 to at most 20 seconds of screentime and Harvest Moon Festival is 17 minutes and 30 seconds long excluding the credits.

Sallie May doesn't make an appearance later on in the episode despite the fact that Millie and Sallie's mom, Lin said that Sallie May would compete in the Pain Games. Not once is Sallie May shown in the Pain Games.

Sallie May also doesn't appear later on in the episode. Viv and Brandon just include her in those couple of seconds and decided "That's all she gets".

But why is Sallie May overrated as a character? Well, it's simple, merchandise.

Despite being a side character, Sallie May is present in a lot of merch. In the Valentine’s and Summer merch sales for Hell of a Boss, Sallie May is highly sexualized.

Sallie May hasn't gone through the transition surgery, which is fine, but the merch puts A LOT of emphasis on that.

What I mean is that…her bulge is showing.

Sallie May's swimsuit and Valentine’s merchandise are clear examples of this, they just let Sallie May’s thing bulge out with no care in the world. Why is it that Sallie May’s bulge is exposing itself in nearly all of her raunchy merch, but none of the characters who identify as males (except for Chaz) are not?

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe Sallie May is really overhyped because she’s sexualized as hell. I get that people like her because she’s trans and that we have a trans character in Helluva Boss, but then again there are also two other characters in this show that are trans.

And one character in Harvest Moon Festival that is also trans

At least that’s what the horns and hair color imply, but I don’t see the fandom falling head over hills for these two characters.

The trans rep in Helluva Boss sucks, Sallie May has more screen time as merchandise than she does as an actual character. Let that sink in.

I am not transphobic, just stating the truth. Thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a nice day!

(This is basically the transcript version of a video I made not too long ago)

[ep2nd]

@remy-a

Today's topic- the change in animation in LMK

I know like the majority of the Fandom has probably been sent to the ER after season 5 animation (or the emotion couldn't tell) but I think someone said that the animation slightly changed from like the Pilot to s 1-3, somewhere there, so like 3 different animation at this point, maybe??

Alright here's my thoughts

AGGAGAGAGGGGHHHHHHHH

Okay for real this time-

When I first watched LMK, I fell IN LOVE with the fluid motions, the active movement, the anime-style Influence, the exaggeration, the most random fun moments, pop ups, yse of environment, angles, camera movement, facial and body expression and other stuff I don't know the name of

Now as someone who's never watched Anime, please don't kill me, I don't exactly know what that looks like, but try going anywhere on the internet without tripping down the stairs and falling into the basement of ANIME

Also, I'm used to more rigid, beautiful backrounds, great lighting, or basic show animation. Such as Trollhunters, Amphibia, The Owl House, Big City Greens, Ninjago, How to Train your Dragon, Carmen Sandiego and others

So as you can see, this was new to me, and I fricken loved it

Now I can tell there definitely has been change from the Pilot to season 4, more refined, less sloppy

So, when season 5-

Oh dear, I love you Wild Brain, I really do, Ninjago and Carmen Sandiego WERE BEAUTIFUL

BUT AHHHHHH

I will say this, this is a new artstyle, they need practice, and I'm sure it'll improve, but this is not that time it's time to CRITISIZE GET THE RED PEN (maybe I am an English Teacher)

Remember what I said about what I love about LMK animation? Okay now throw it out the window into the Fire of FRICK THIS

Now I will say, they used some angles pretty well, such as using the environment to show emotion/tension, like when it would Pam out and something was blocking the two characters, from Wukong to Macaque to the poll in the Pagado and then a mountain between MK and Wukong near the end- look for its cool- someone pointed it out here on Tumblr can't remember name sorry

2nd, the expressions look really typical, like I miss the shot eyebrow from Wukong, or the the pathetic puppy eyes of MK, or the :3 for Mei, or the furious faces of Pigsy, the sparkly pure joy of Sandy, the chaotic gremlinness of MO, the evil Edit maker smiles of Macaque (I've seen your tiktoks) ALL THE LITTLE EXTRA THAT MADE THE EXPRESSIONS AND HUMOR/TENSION/EMOTION BETTER

3rd, the movements. Seen especially in the second episode when they escape. It's just, so basic running, like compare them running to MK's run in s2 running from the LBD and then when he ran in s4 away from the Ink scroll. Just so much more fear and dread. Also talking bout LBD, her voice actor? Phenomenal as always? Her movements and how they animate her? She seems more like a red headed doll with button eyes than the horror of something like FNAF(haven't played FNAF so can't really compare) what I'm saying is she seemed less huanting, a weary, fear-instilling, and bone-chilling(shut up let me pun) presence this time around, which really makes the scene less dramatic, but the camera angles, voice acting, and some animation still make it somewhat good.

Okay, this post is getting long and I can rant all day, and that's not even with me rewatching the show to pick it apart, someone probably already has good for them I'll look for it👍

In conclusion, comes of more dull, simple, rough, and rushed. S5 story, which has some problems, really hit deep in the last few episodes, mostly MK and Wukong, and if the studio beforehand continued animating, then I think it would have been a masterpiece, really sad to see the wasted potential

I know it's a new studio, but I wish they took more time to practice and learn, and maybe do it on a season that wasn't like the big reveal and end (I'd say a more happy season but let's be honest the Trauma train ain't stopping for a LONG TIME)

so, I guess I'll give it a 4/10, points for using the backround to storytell, still got some great angles, some funny bits here and there (the soldiers where a joy), action scenes were somewhat good, not a lot can't judge more, and pity points because I know they're still learning

[nextstop-fixationstation]

Do you think Sasha's blatant dismissiveness of Marcy's interests was just a testament to her inability to care for things that didnt interest her, or do you think, perhaps, it's something that was developed over time as Marcy didn't stop trying to get them to watch War of Warlocks and play creatures and caverns?

I ask because, if I'm not mistaken, Matt once said they would sometimes play games together when they were alone and I always found it odd how the strategic side of CC didn't appeal to Sasha, which got me thinking if she didn't feel somewhat put off by Marcy's approach to the situation?

I quite like this interpretation because it adds another layer to their communication issues, but pre-amphibia Sasha definitely looked like someone who didn't give a chance to things that didn't outright interest her.

Sorry for the long ask and I hope I made sense here!

Thanks for the ask!

to be honest, I don't think it has anything to do with inability to care or reaction to Marcy's insistence that they watch WoW/play CC. I think that this is much more a testament to the state of their overall relationship, which allowed Marcy to do things no one wanted to do in their presence and allowed Sasha to be kind of mean about it, all while Anne panicked about how to handle the situation on the sidelines.

Sasha still played games and watched the film, paying attention enough to know the plot twist at the end and to know what kinds of things Marcy liked, she just wasn't very nice about it. I think it's more of a testament to how people can get comfortable with being casually mean to each other or bully each other even if they don't actually enjoy it. In the same way, it's easy for people to settle into a routine of being fine going through the motions during shared activities instead of discussing with each other and finding things everyone can enjoy. In Marcy's Journal, Marcy talks about how they all come to terms with the fact CC isn't something they all enjoy, and Marcy resolves to find something they can all do together!

(Also, and this is an aside, I suppose, very little is actually said about Sasha and CC, and it is the case IRL that sometimes people just don't like a game system. Sasha could have liked the strategy but hated the RP or vice versa, or the dice and number system could have been too frustrating for her to enjoy. D&D has strategy and RP elements, but it's far from the best in either direction. If you wanted a pure strategy game, you could probably just go back to Chess, and if you wanted a better RP system, you could almost certainly find a better one out there by an indie creator or big company! D&D just has brand recognition.)

I think that when it comes to Sasha, it's important to note that Sasha's character and arc don't pertain very much to the concept of pure "interest." That's a very "Marcy" or "Anne" thing. While everyone in the Calamity Trio has something to do with attachment, Sasha has much more to do with power and control. Sasha and Marcy maintain a relationship wherein they don't question each other and just go along with what the other does, backing them up even if they don't care about or for what they're doing. It's why Marcy has so much confidence that Anne and Sasha will be okay with the plan with Andrias, and it's why Sasha is so convinced that Anne and Marcy will just go along with her coup. This is a flaw in their relationship, not a feature.

Perhaps Sasha wouldn't give things she didn't care about a chance if she didn't feel it interested her, but I think it's probably more accurate to frame it as it being ignored if it wasn't beneficial. Canonically, we actually see that Sasha pays great attention to things that seem to disinterest her, even if it doesn't feel that way! That's part of what makes Sasha so interesting, at least to me

[kinuhanino]

Me and the gf finally got to the episode Whatever Happened To Della Duck?! and now she hates me and has threatened to block me everywhere

so anyway she has vowed to never agree to watch a cartoon recommended by me ever again (that's what she said when she finished Amphibia[Im making her watch tts and spop next]) and she wishes for my toe to get stubbed on every corner of my house

"I was promised a silly duck show not a reason TO CRY?!? Why is the silly duck show not silly" "I mean what happened to the silly frog show?" "FUCK YOU"

anyway we're gonna continue watching later send thoughts and prayers it would be greatly appreciated

[beastabyss666]

The new Mammon and Fizz episode has been released and I wanna put my two cents in.

The palette is oooof........ One of the most "hard to watch" HB episodes. Seriously, hasn't anyone told Vivzie that her colour choices are just utterly failed?

Mammon was simply annoying and cringe, especially considering he's one of the highest "demons". He curses every few seconds, has an Australian accent and is some kind of a rock star(because......because). Oh yeah, he's also a very bad guy, cuz he disrespects women! Also I find it funny that Vivzie said in one of her tweets that she apologizes the fans wouldn't like him, as he's "fat and ugly". In reality, he's just a typical Vivziepop-ish male character, having sharp teeth and eyes without pupils. And his "fatness" is just looking like a Christmas tree with a round body.

Overdetailed backgrounds and sloppy animation, as always. Some moments look reeeeeally stiff. Maybe Vivzie starts drawing easier backgrounds and make characters with less details so the animation was better and faster to produce? Just dreaming.......

The songs are just generic tasteless pop-stuff. Gosh, I just wish they have a better composer cuz it's tiring to hear these cheap pop tunes every time. Maybe get some real rock or something with synthesizer........ I don't know.....

The background characters in this episode look much less like some early Deviantart furry OCs or cosplay freaks, which is a real plus. Take some cuties:

Hee hee goat boy

Hee hee goat girl(kinda accurate to the demonology, love it).

I really like the left amphibia girl, she's so pretty. Also yeah, bg characters really look better than in previous episodes. Almost like they were drawn by someone who actually knows their job well and doesn't make every person look like different art style or different teenager's OC.

Fizz being tired to be a clown for entertainment, having panic attacks, dealing with crazy fans and a shitty boss was honestly a good idea but the final song was just too weak to handle it. If it was done better, it would be really good.

The sigh language kid is cute and it was interesting to see a disabled person being cheered and supported by another disabled person.

Oh wow Viv made another female characters whose entire personality is being bitchy and arrogant(even to each other, though they're sisters they're calling each other whore, bitch etc.). Can't wait for the fanbase to hate these two or lust for them in the worst way possible.

Though there were actually some beautiful and......esthetic frames.

Am I the only one who never understood why Fizzarolli is considered a sex icon in this show? Like, yeah, Mammon said that he'll exploit his "clown employee" in every way possible and it's all for money, but I still don't get the whole "having tons of sex dolls based on him" thing. Who in sanity would buy a sex doll of Fizz? He looks like a stick with limbs and painted face, which is somehow considered sexy by Vivzie or her fans? Wouldn't it be more logical for a woman to be a sex icon? Lots of real women, including teen idols, were sexualized and fetishized for media by their producers and shown as beauty icons. But I just couldn't imagine the same with males. Like, I'm sorry, but to me Fizz who's a circus performer, celebrity and a sex icon is in the same category as Angel Dust who's a porn star, stripper and prostitute at the same time.

I'm very glad there wasn't much Blitzo.

It's funny that this girl looks like a better design for Loona than Loona herself, lmao.

It's actually a progress to see that Vivzie didn't fetishize a romantic relationship between two men and actually showed them as a loving couple which doesn't talk about sex and cocks every five seconds. She actually has put some unexpected effort in it.

Oh wait she didn't—

[flower-boi16]

I would like to ask what your opinion is on MDHWrites's blog, or some of his most comprehensive takes criticizing the show at large, for he's covered a lot of ground. What is your regard for his opinions, if you have seen it.

The second I saw this ask pop up in my inbox my thought was "should I even answer this?". On one hand, I would like to express my opinions on Writes' TOH takes since I have er...strong feelings about some of them, but on the other hand part of me still feels a bit iffy about it.

For my 200+ followers who don't know who tf this anon is talking about; MDHWrites is a tumblr user who makes a heavy amount of posts critisizing TOH, he's kind of the most well-known TOH critic on this site, at least in the TOH critical commuinity (and yes, TOH has a critical commuinity).

I remember once randomly stumbling across Writes' blog when I was new to tumblr and first discovered that critical tags were a thing and I started reading some of his posts. I don't remember exactly what all the posts I read said but I do vaguely remember some of the points Writes' made in the posts.

This was at a time where I kinda just accepted critisicm of things I liked rather than actually thinking about the validetly of the takes, and since Writes' posts sounded proffesional enough (and because I went on the toh critical tag and watched videos critisizing the show WAY too much) I think I kinda just forgot why I liked the show in the first place...? I know that sounds weird but I first watched TOH when I was 13 (I'm 14 now) and my analysis skills were still developing at the time.

A couple of months later after I rewatched The Owl House and fell back in love with the show leading me to grow an attatchment to it that was stronger than ever before I thought back to Writes' posts and decided to revist his blog and read a handful of posts out of curiosity to see what his points were. And...I thought going in that there might be some good points about the show but...I can't really say I agree with any of his takes.

While I don't Writes' TOH takes are Lily Orchard levels of infuriatingly media illiterate, and Writes' doesn't look like a bad person...I don't think his TOH takes are that good. They sounded professional at first but everytime I think about them I notice more holes. That's all I'm going to say. I don't want to cover Writes' TOH takes in detail because I know some might alert him of this post, he'll see it and I'll end up starting an argument I don't really want that.

I guess I'll just say that I think his comments about the understood scene in the posts I read feel like he completely missed the point of it. The scene is meant to be a moment of realization for Luz of what she truely wanted, it's not intended to be a "character finish" and just because she realized what ultimately wanted doesn't mean that her self-loathing and guilt of helping Belos is just going to go away.

He even goes as far as to say it doesn't matter to Luz as a character in his post about filler in TOH, where he labled several episodes that are extremely important for outside context as "filler" by the standards of the general commuinity that complains about Amphibia's filler (that post is a whole other can of worms that I don't want to get into) which is just....baffling.

I could also get into things like Writes' takes on Luz's depression arc or his post about Waffles or his post about grom factor (a fan comic by moringmark) but again I don't want to say anymore things here beyond that.

I just don't agree with most of the takes that Writes has on the show. I will say sometimes he makes interesting points like his post about why the boiling isles woulden't work as a setting to a sequel series which does raise some valid points and his analysis of Boscha's "redemption" on my post that he reblogged was fairly interesting (though his reasons for Luz reaching out to the collector not making any sense weren't valid to me) but overall I don't care for his TOH takes.

[picturejasper20]

Been reading some of ur posts (I think I found u through this post I am showing here. I.e., the screenshot down below, and not a link, because sometimes Tumblr let's me link stuff, sometimes it doesn't. And this time is the latter. Anyways, gonna be talking (mainly, maybe completely, the post down below):

And yeahhhhh, Dipper's dream (or well, nightmares. Because it was more like a nightmare. And the (s), because it was reoccurring nightmares) really helped even further explain a lot of some of the way Dipper (and to some extent, Mabel) acts/acted. Like seeking authority figures, wanting to stay with Ford/Gravity Falls

(though, that was also just Dipper having even more matured, and wanting to try something he cared about, instead of giving something up again. My dude Dipper sometimes gives up a lot of stuff and/or fate really seems out to get him sometimes),

trying to be mature/realizing he might need to grow up faster (and/or like u said, maybe some parentification going on with Dipper. Be that on purpose, on accident, and/or some mixture of that). Etc.

Like, the Dipper nightmares reveal is so interesting/makes a lot of sense

(which is why I find it kind weird how split some people are about this reveal. Not saying u can't still interpret Dipper's nightmares in different ways. Or how the Pines Parents are. Be it better or worst or etc. I do think Dipper's nightmares/dreams leaves a lot of room for interpretation (purposefully). I just find it a bit weird how split some people are, because like, while I do go back and forth on interpretations of the Pines parents myself or I can like a variety of different interpretations of them myself.

(To me, it always seemed kind of implied (imo) in some ways, that they weren't the best parents. Or at least, could be better. Which is you know, normal in irl. Even with good/better parents. And I certainly don't agree with the people saying things or at least the ending makes less sense w/ this reveal. I think things make more sense personally. And/or at least don't make less sense)

I also just wanted to say I read some of ur other mainly GF posts (like the one some about GF's ending, along with Amphibia's and TGOMM some. And the one about one of the stories in Gravity Falls Lost Legends), and I gotta to say they were interesting reads

(Even if I didn't completely agree with them. Like, I think GF's end is basically perfect. And would rank it over Amphibia's and TGOMM. Though, I love Amphibia's final two long(er) episodes A LOT too. And TGOMM's is really great too. I prefer GF and Amphibia's over TGOMM, but that is partially because I love both series more/prefer the 2 series's).

I do think Mabel is just a kid and has moments of selflessness and caring, just like Dipper has many moments of selflessness, but also can sometimes be selfish too (Though, with Dipper, he developed a lot/matured a lot. Mabel some too. They are both great) they are both just kids and seem like real humans to me), and that we shouldn't be too hard on her. But as a Dipper fan (I love Mabel and the mystery twins in general), yeah, sometimes Dipper did end up giving a lot (not really just for Mabel though).

This is getting really long, so I am going to split this Ask into two Asks.

1/?.

2/2

Okie, first thing is that i appreciate your message. Happy to know you enjoyed reading those posts I wrote some months ago. So thanks regarding that.

On the point of Dipper and Mabel not having good parents. Even when i watched the series i remember feeling like something was off. I remember those clips of their parents taking their things away and sending them to Uncle Stan like they were in a rush? It felt to me that there was a reason of why they were doing that.

As you said, if one pays attention to Dipper and Mabel's characters you can tell that there is something going on with both of them. I recall another fan telling me that Dipper didn't take care of himself well and that he often didn't sleep? (With the recurrent nightmare reveal it makes more sense).

The way i see it is that are quite neglectful and they may make Dipper feel like he is different because of how he struggles making friends while Mabel comes off as more social and more ¨normal¨ kid to them. I think they kinda make Dipper having to take care of Mabel and having to be more mature in a way.

They probably have frequent arguments and their relationship is pretty tense? Because it is bad enough for Dipper to have nightmares about it. I assume that the kids didn't pick how bad things were until recently. From what it is impled Dipper may be more aware that their parents' relationship isn't good.

But i doubt they don't care about Dipper and Mabel, because i feel they care enough about them to send them somewhere else do they don't have to deal with all these issues they are having. I think they aren't terrible parents but they probably need to get divorced imo.

As for Mabel, yeah. I don't hate her nor anything but like i feel like Dipper was better written than her as character or more well thought out. Mabel's problems with being self- centered get explored in Lost Legends in a way that is pretty cool, so yeah, nice. (And we get more of Pacifica too)

The book confirming better than their parents aren't good also explains better some of their decisions and behaviour in the show. (Like why Mabel wanted to stay in Gravity Falls).

As for the last point, i think i could write about Dipper's issues when it comes putting boundaries or letting others walk over him but i would have to rewatch some episodes to analyse that in more detail.

[mdhwrites]

Amphibia's Ending is SOOOO Much Better Than People Made Me Believe

So I remember back in S2 when I watched "A Day at the Aquarium" expecting to be upset about the finale like a lot of the people I'd followed were when the finale came out. After all, with them being so close, why would they choose to leave? Could they really justify them just dropping the stones and moving on from these bonds they made?

And... That's what the story wants right then. But it was an assumption built off of false impressions that I want to talk about because the ending is REALLY smart in making its points. But to talk about an ending, I feel like I should bring up its beginning. This isn't always necessary but Amphibia actually includes what is effectively a primordial sin. A first failing that causes everything to happen.

A scared girl who is told that change is coming and that she must give up those she is closest to finds out that with some magic, she can make it all go away.

NEVER is this portrayed as having been the right thing to do. NEVER is the show about justifying Marcy's decision. Instead, the show's entire purpose... Is about letting go. It's about how the experiences we keep from others are more important than keeping those people beside us. Otherwise, controlling people, forcing them to be like you, the goals of Sasha and the Core, would be painted as correct. Chances to be together forever, doing whatever they want and never having to change.

So it ending with the trio having to say goodbye to the connections they've made is kind of the only way it COULD have ended. First is the fact that neither Sasha or Marcy would have accepted Anne dying at the start of the series. Anne would never have been willing to take such responsibility or sacrifice. She wouldn't have been willing to embrace such a painful change, just like how early on in the series she rejected the frogs and their culture outright.

And here is where we get my first misconception. I thought Anne was straight up given her second life for her deeds or because she made a deal that she'd be willing to be god if allowed to live her life. This is as much on me as anyone else but can we talk about the brilliance of Anne's resurrection? She's only saved to become a god. Theoretically, turning down the position is choosing to die again. It doubles down on how Anne has accepted change, no matter how dire. She even has good reason because like the Core said "Full of heart but dumb as rocks." She's made PLENTY of mistakes in this season, even as we've gotten to enjoy what a resplendent person she's grown up as. The fact that she's willing to admit that is beautiful, especially for any coming of age story.

And it's a good argument. One full of the sort of wisdom a god needs. So this bored cat of a god likes it. Likes it enough that without giving Anne a choice decides to let her get some more training before coming back to work for him. It's keeping in line with the explanation that he gave for the stones. He was CURIOUS about what mortals would do with ultimate power and was disappointed for TEN. THOUSAND. YEARS.

And here we get misconception two which I think is much more on the fandom. No one DECIDES to put the stones away. No one decides to cut off the worlds from each other. Hell, on the human side of things, one could argue that it's not closed, they just need a better power source since the music box just uses, well, music. No, the stones are gone because someone more powerful than them is tired of their trouble and removed them.

And so we're right back where we began. Having to be told to say goodbye and that you don't have the time to do it how you might. Yes, they technically have a choice to stay but let's actually talk about if any of them actually have a reason to want to be there.

ALL of the newts have only ever used Marcy (even when Yunan and Olivia save her, it's explicitly because of her mind, not because it's the right thing to do) and it took until she was STABBED for any of them to actually care about her with even basic humanity. This is not her world. And yes, her parents will force her to leave things behind but A: At least they were honest with her! And B:... Running from that choice hurt so many people before. Why would she choose that now? Why would she choose to suddenly claim to have learned nothing and considered herself right to have stranded them all there by stranding herself now?

Sasha may have made great connections but the point for her character is to give up control and prestige. She could live in this land as a hero and general, leading how things will be shaped, potentially in her image even... And it doesn't even cross her mind. She probably knows she has a lot to set right back on Earth. Besides, you know, there's just the basic fact that being literally the only human here would be a bit of an existential problem. It would still would also mean running away from finishing the work she needs to put in to become a better friend and mend the rifts between her, Anne and Marcy (I'll get to the ten year gap, bear with me).

And finally Anne. She has her parents to go back to. She does still prefer life on Earth, even if she came to love Amphibia. Hell, the fact that she does clearly prefer Earth, as showcased in S3A, actually makes her sacrifice MORE impactful because she's not doing this just because it's her home. She's doing it because she cares and because of the connections she's made.

But just like she was with the core, she is brave enough to say goodbye. Just because someone isn't right next to you doesn't mean they've left you. Honestly, in an age of constant communication, I love that. A reminder that you can take your time. You don't have to talk every day, do things together constantly, etc. like that just because you can. You are still your own person with your own life but you can carry the support and love those people gave/give you even when you're not face to face.

And so rather than run from change, they admit it's painful, they cry, they celebrate, they joke... And then they're gone. There is literally no better ending for this story than that.

It even follows through with the epilogue. Marcy, Anne and Sasha were codependent. S3 actually reinforces a lot that their negative traits are still there, or have new ones related to each other, even as they've grown. Anne still can't say no to people she cares about like with Sprig's Birthday and Give a Frog a Cookie. She still can't entirely trust that Sasha isn't self serving like in Sasha's Angels. She has scars that will take time to heal and change, just like she pointed out to Marcy in New Wartwood.

Sasha though has a whole NEW heap of issues though. She's gone from being controlling to subservient. Anne says jump, she'd say off what. She is terrified of making the same mistakes twice. She is constantly trying to seek forgiveness. That is NOT a healthy place to be as a person and it's almost entirely wrapped up around Anne. Them deciding they were okay with just staying in touch, rather than being on top of each other... is actually great.

Marcy doesn't have as much to say but she moved... And she figured out how to handle the human realm like she did Amphibia: Alone. Who she was and how to be herself rather than relying on Sasha and Anne or needing them.

But was ten years necessary? I mean... Kind of actually. If Anne STARTS the series turning thirteen, she still has this school year and 5 more to finish for primary school. Then since at least two of them sought degrees, you have four more years where Sasha and Anne might not have even been in the same state, let alone the same town, and Marcy MOVED. She literally couldn't come back unless the fates decreed until she was 18 and she might have chosen to persue an artistic degree so there's another 4 years for her.

Then one year after college to settle in, get the money for trips, etc. like that and... Yeah, ten years sounds about right because life's a bitch. Almost like that's one of the lessons of Amphibia. But as it also says: Those bad times don't need to be only bad. You never know what will come back to find you and be better than it ever was.

So yeah, I'm definitely not just in the camp that the Amphibia ending is good but that it almost couldn't be improved. Small things, mostly pacing wise, maybe but thematically and how it does those beats? Not really. Not when this is so focused on one goal.

And I'll take dedication to your concept over giving the audience a simple, happily ever after ANY day.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[moistvonlipwig]

would you mind elaborating on how amphibia referenced utena well?

sure! i mean there's lots of examples of amphibia echoing themes of rgu but the primary character amphibia uses to explore those themes is sasha. sasha in a lot of ways IS utena; some people may not make this connection because their demeanor and role in the story is very different but their mindset is extremely similar. sasha's primary role is as the "protector" (read: prince) of her friends, someone who sees the power that older kids & adults wield (particularly white older kids & adults) and wants to grab hold of that power and use it to "help" her friends. we see that consistently she has this idea that she has to be in control because she believes she knows what's best for anne (and marcy, but she's more obsessed w/ anne) -- in "reunion", "battle of the bands", "true colors", etc. (the flip side of this is that she fears they will abandon her if she can't perform this function -- see "barrel's warhammer.") in this respect, she very much is a toad -- which in amphibia is a societal role whose nominal purpose is to protect the frog villages (per "the core and the king") but whose actual reality mostly entails dominating said frog villages. but she also very much is utena tenjou.

rgu and amphibia are both highly skeptical of the "prince" archetype/the idea that you can "save" someone in any meaningful way while lacking respect for their own personhood. we see this demonstrated consistently throughout rgu in how it frames the "princely" characters -- dios/akio, ruka, touga, the boy who drowned trying to save juri's sister, and utena herself. all of these characters embody the prince archetype to some degree and it is destructive to themselves as well as to the object of their savior complex. utena is able to grow out of this by recognizing anthy's personhood and reaching out to her as a friend instead of a savior. (even then, though, utena cannot fully reach her. anthy's hand slips out of her grasp. it is anthy who must choose to walk out of her coffin herself.)

amphibia demonstrates this critique of the "prince" archetype primarily through sasha's character, although briefly through anne & marcy's dynamic as well in "marcy at the gates." a major part of sasha's growth is coming to understand and respect that anne & marcy can and should be allowed to make their own choices even if those choices are not ideal -- this part, which toadie imparts to her in "battle of the bands", is crucial -- and that she cannot keep defining herself as their protector. this growth is demonstrated in the finale when she lets anne sacrifice herself to defeat the core; s1 and s2 sasha would never have let anne make that choice. but sasha in "the hardest thing" understands that loving someone and being their friend does not always mean protecting them from the bad things in life, no matter how much you want to. first and foremost it means respecting them and trusting them. and by "the hardest thing" sasha does respect and trust anne. she has accepted that she is not anne's prince; she is not anne's savior; she is anne's friend, and just as in rgu, that is infinitely better and also much, much harder.

the other major amphibia-rgu throughline is with marcy and the black rose arc -- marcy, like the black rose duelists, fundamentally grapples with not feeling (as akio might put it) 'chosen'/'special' in contrast to anne & sasha. all the girls at various points feel like the third wheel in their friendship in some regard (anne because she's a follower not an instigator, sasha because she's white), but marcy is The third wheel in a way the other girls aren't, and not just because she inexplicably keeps making them watch three-hour-long movies at sleepovers (sorry girlie but i'd fall asleep too). amphibia is her opportunity to feel 'special'; as andrias's advisor, she is elevated above many of the citizens of amphibia. newtopia puts up a statue to her. etc. but this 'specialness', much like the specialness afforded to wakaba & the other black rose duelists by the black rose crest (or, indeed, the regular duelists of ohtori's student council), is not actually a good thing at all; rather, it is an illusory power she is manipulated into believing she has by an adult man in order to more easily enable his abuse of her. indeed, it is precisely her 'specialness', her value to the empire, her ability to beat andrias in flipwart, that dooms her to being chosen as the vessel for the core. to not be chosen is to die, and to be chosen is to be subsumed entirely into the system. such is life under patriarchy & under empire.

so yeah anyway sorry this was 5 months late but in conclusion watch amphibia ✌️🐸

[rechicken-and-waffles]

You know what time it is! Chaotix Member Tangle headcanons PT 4. Warning: There's a lot of angst

-In an alternate version of the Metal Virus arc, Tangle encounters Charmy slowly being infected, Charmy was scared and constantly begged his sister to help him. Tangle, being obviously horrified, told Charmy to not say anything else anymore and let her deal with it. However, the Metal Virus started to infect her, the most horrific part, it began to fuse body with Charmy's. After they we're infected, they were grotesquely fused together, like Amalgamate from Undertale level of grotesque

-While Tangle and Espio were doing a training session, Espio was noticeably more down and a lot more monotone that day. Tangle and Espio had a talk and Espio confessed that despite his cool demeanor and hardworking nature, he secretly suffered from major depression. Espio's depression was greatly more frequent after the Metal Virus arc, I'm which he had voices in his head to end it and violent thoughts towards himself and his family. Tangle, obviously heartbroken by this, hugged her big bro and became his personal therapist from that day forward.

-Tangle and Charmy's favorite show to watch together is Amphibia, mainly pointing out how their dynamic is similar to that of Anne and Sprig, they would also tease Vector by calling him Hop Pop. They also both had a 1 hour cry session after watching True Colors and The Season 3 finale. Tangle's favorite is Marcy and Charmy's favorite is Ivy, they both despised Sasha at first, but grew to like her during Season 3

-Charmy doesn't like Lanolin mainly because of the way she treats Tangle and the other's. Whenever he visits Restoration HQ, he always sticks his tounge out at her and whenever she tries to talk to Tangle or anyone else, he immediately leaves and would sometimes drag Tangle away. Tangle would notice this and said that it's sometimes her own fault because she sometimes wouldn't take things seriously, but Charmy obviously dismissed her and tells Tangle that Lanolin is the way she is is because she never does things to fix herself and always pour more work onto herself.

-Charmy may be attached to Tangle, but he surprisingly isn't that clingy, whenever she needs to go on a mission alone, Charmy would accept and tell her to do her best to come back home in one piece.

Yayyy more of these!!!

-I would have never thought about an amalgamation between zombots, and omg that would be terrifying to see. Imagine if Espio got to see them like that... more trauma for him 😭

-Ngl, I too headcanon that Espio has some sort of depression and became worse after MV, so I am glad I am not the only one who thought this. AND YES TANGLE BEST THERAPIST

-Omg Charmy and Tangle have amazing taste it seems (Amphibia is my favorite animated show lol). And yeah, I too cried with True Colors and The Hardest Thing so I get them dfghgfds

-I love this one. Lanolin and Charmy may be some of my favorite characters but yeah they would not like each other. Charmy would think she's too bossy and Lanolin would think he's annoying and why is a 6 year-old part of a detective agency dfghjkjhgf (This reminds me I have a whole idea of throwing Lanolin into the Chaotix for a day and see what happens, but that's a story for another day)

-Charmy may not be(e) that clingy, but I feel there would be days where he sits in front of the door waiting for Tangle to arrive XD