#do we need to keep concept of races in fantasy? can we just not be like these people have long ears because of the climate and food etc

[aflamethatneverdies]

i do rly love dungeon meshi so far and i do see that the mangaka is trying to rehabilitate the dnd tropes and make them more thoughtful and less racist and this is not so much a judgement, more an observation, but the dnd tropes originally are so racist that i kinda wish that the mangaka was completely inventing her own worldbuilding instead of building off of them. like maybe at some point we should as a society move away from and throw away dnd tropes in the trashcan where they belong, just a thought you know.

[ao3org]

Another Update Regarding "No Fandom" tags

AO3 Tag Wranglers recently began testing processes for updating canonical tags (tags that appear in the autocomplete and the filters) that don’t belong to any particular fandom (commonly known as No Fandom tags). We have already begun implementing some of the decisions made during the earliest discussions. By the time this post is published, you may have already noticed some changes we have made.  Several canonical tags are slated to be created or renamed, and we will also be adjusting the subtag and metatag relationships between some tags to better aid Archive users in filtering.  Please keep in mind that many of these changes are large and require a lot of work to identify and attach relevant tags, so it will likely take some time to complete. We ask that you please be patient with us while we work! While we will not be detailing every change we make under the new process, we will be making periodic posts with updates on those changes we believe are most likely to prove helpful for users looking to tag or filter works with the new or revised tags and to avoid confusion as to why changes are being made. 

New Canonicals!

1. COVID-19

Due to long-standing demand, we will be creating a number of new canonicals related to COVID-19. These canonicals include:

COVID-19

COVID-19 Pandemic, which will be subtagged to both COVID-19 and Pandemics

Alternate Universe - No COVID-19, which will be subtagged to Alternate Universe

Post-COVID-19 Pandemic 

COVID-19 Lockdown

Created During COVID-19 Lockdown 

How to Use These To Filter For/Filter Out Works Tagged as relating to COVID-19 ❌ Filtering Out: To filter out all works that use tags referring to COVID-19, the COVID-19 pandemic, or the COVID-19 Lockdown, add COVID-19 to the “Other tags to exclude” field in the works filter. This will also exclude works making use of the subtag COVID-19 Pandemic. If you’d also like to filter out COVID-19 Lockdown, you would need to exclude that tag as well.

☑️ Filtering For: Add COVID-19 to the “Other tags to include” field in the works filter. This will also automatically include the works making use of the subtags COVID-19 Pandemic. If you wish to filter for only the pandemic or the lockdown, you can do so by including either COVID-19 Pandemic or COVID-19 Lockdown only.

2. Isekai and Transmigration

Given the similarities of the concepts, we will be creating a single canonical tag to cover both concepts to allow for easier filtering. Additionally, we will also be creating a canonical for the concept of Reverse Isekai and Reverse Transmigration. This tag will be subtagged to Isekai and Transmigration.

As with the COVID-19 canonicals above, you will be able to use these tags in the works filter to filter for or filter out these concepts. If you filter for/out Isekai and Transmigration it will filter for/out both Isekai and Transmigration as well as Reverse Isekai and Reverse Transmigration. If you would like to only filter for/out Reverse Isekai and Reverse Transmigration, you can just filter for that tag instead.

3. Mommy Kink

This oft-requested canonical will be canonized as Mommy Kink.

4. There Was Only One Bed

The ever-popular trope is now getting its very own canonical and all relevant synonym tags from Sharing a Bed will be moved over to this canonical, which will be canonized as: There Was Only One Bed.

Renaming Outdated Canonicals!

The Archive has been around for a long time, which means there are a lot of canonicals that make use of old and outdated terminology.

6. Asperger Syndrome

One of these canonicals is Asperger Syndrome, which is an outdated medical term which is no longer acceptable, and so will be de-canonized and made a synonym of Autism Spectrum.

7. Fantastic Racism

In the early days of the archive, the tag Fantastic Racism was canonized as a tag that was meant to represent Racism specifically concerning Fantasy or Science Fiction races (e.g. Elves, Orcs, Goblins, Vulcans, Phoenocats, etc.). To correct this particular issue, this tag will be renamed to Fantasy and Fictional Setting Racism to clarify the actual purpose of the tag and will remain subtagged to Racism. Fantastic Racism in particular is a case of exceptionally poor choice of phrasing for what should have been a relatively straightforward concept. The tag wrangling committee is working hard to continue to develop a robust and sustainable collaborative discussion format for making decisions in regards to the canonization of canonicals which are not specific to any fandom in the hopes of avoiding such mistakes in the future.

Reorganization of the Gender Tree and Genderswap/Genderbend Freeform Canonicals!

We will also be re-organizing a number of tags related to the concept of Gender in the coming weeks. The early days of the Archive saw the canonization of a lot of similar concepts which makes searching and filtering for these concepts needlessly complicated and difficult to navigate. 

To help eliminate one such complication, we will be merging Genderbending, Genderswap, Gender or Sex Swap, and Sexswap into a single canonical and renaming this new canonical to Changes to Gender or Sex. 

Similarly, we will be making a number of other similar renames to bring related canonicals in line with this change:

Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex will become Alternate Universe - Always a Different Gender or Sex.

Canon Genderbending will be renamed to Canon-Typical Changes to Gender or Sex

We will also create a new canonical for the concept of temporary gender or sex changes: Temporary Changes to Gender or Sex.

Other gender-related changes freeform tags we will be making in the next few weeks include:

Transgender, Transexual, and Alternate Universe - Trans will be de-canonized and made synonyms of the Trans canonical. 

A canonical will be created for Medical Transition.

These are just some of the freeform tag changes being implemented. While we won’t be announcing every change, you can expect similar updates in the future as we continue to work toward improving the Archive experience. You can also check out some of the other recent changes we have made in our previous update on No Fandom tags. Feel free to follow us on Twitter @ao3_wranglers or keep an eye on this Tumblr for future announcements. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue our work!

(From time to time, ao3org posts announcements of recent or upcoming wrangling changes on behalf of the Tag Wrangling Committee.)

[fernthewhimsical]

Hopepunk Primer pt. 2

Philosophy of Hopepunk

I cannot express this better than other people have done before me. So I'll start with an interview Kayti Burt had with several hopepunk authors in 2019.

"What is hopepunk? It depends on who you ask…

Rowland, quoting her essay “One Atom of Justice, One Molecule of Mercy, and the Empire of Unsheathed Knives,” says: “Hopepunk is a subgenre and a philosophy that ‘says kindness and softness don’t equal weakness, and that, in this world of brutal cynicism and nihilism, being kind is a political act. An act of rebellion.’”

To understand hopepunk as a concept it helps to understand what it stands in contrast to. Grimdark is a fantasy subgenre characterized by bleak settings in which humanity is fundamentally cutthroat, and where no individual or community can stop the world’s inevitable decline. Hopepunk, in contrast, believes that the very act of trying has meaning, that fighting for positive change in and of itself has worth—especially if we do it together." [4]

When Alexandra Rowland was asked on Tumblr to expand on the initial statement she made she elaborated:

"Hopepunk says that genuinely and sincerely caring about something, anything, requires bravery and strength. Hopepunk isn’t ever about submission or acceptance: It’s about standing up and fighting for what you believe in. It’s about standing up for other people. It’s about DEMANDING a better, kinder world, and truly believing that we can get there if we care about each other as hard as we possibly can, with every drop of power in our little hearts." [5]

I also love the definition of the Tumblr blog @hopepunk-humanity:

"What is Hopepunk?

Wild laughter from ragged throats

Flowers growing choked from crumbling asphalt

A warm bed after a long, hard journey

Your partner’s hand cupped in your own

Bright graffiti on cracked tunnel walls

The chains falling loose to the stone floor

A glint of silver beneath a century of tarnish

A long rain after a blistering wildfire

Just one more step, and then another

A single candle flame joining the stars against the night

A loved ones voice calling your name after hours lost in an unfamiliar place

A hand taking yours, just when you’d given up on reaching out

Smiling, laughing again, when you thought you’d forgotten how

Knowing, despite everything, that humans are inherently good

It’s not simply blind optimism, or naivety. It’s choice. It’s taking the human race by the hand and saying, “I will love you, because I am you”. It’s facing a world dripping with cynicism and fashionable hopelessness and saying, “no, I will not give in”. It’s putting kindness out into the world, knowing you might not get it back, knowing you may be scorned for it, knowing it might not change anything, but with a certainty that kindness is what the world needs the most.

It is choosing hope" [6]

Hopepunk is choosing hope in a world where they want us to have none. It's choosing humanity when they want us to forget we are human. It's choosing community when they would benefit of us staying individuals. It's choosing action and hope when they want us struck down and paralyzed.

Alexandra Rowland emphasizes to not forget the second part of the word: Punk. In another interview with Kayti Burt for Den of Geek she says: "it’s important to remember that punk is the operative half of the word – punk in the sense of anti-authoritarianism and punching back against oppression." and "The instinct is to make it only about softness and kindness, because those are what we’re most hungry for. We all want to be treated gently. But sometimes the kindest thing you can do for someone is to stand up to a bully on their behalf, and that takes guts and rage." [7]

What is Hopepunk to me?

That spark that is both love and spite that keeps me going. It's seeing the good in humanity, while also acknowledging the harm. It's refusing to lay down and die, refusing the accept the status quo, refusing to believe that this is it. It's believing in a better world. In kindness. In the inherent sense of community in humanity. It's believing in the power of stories. It's seeing kindness and hope as an act of Sacred Rebellion. And spreading that kindness and hope is a Vow that I have taken. It's taken the anger I have against corporations, injustice, bigotry, capitalism, oppression, and letting it fuel the fire within me in a constructive way. It's working to dismantle systems that are oppressive to work towards a more inclusive world. It's pruning the garden of dead weight so new things can grow. Late stage capitalism wants us all to be docile, to work, not to live. So I will shout my small joys from the rooftops. I will create for the sake of creating. I will practice radical acceptance so that I stand strong above the masses of ads that wants me to hate myself. I will choose to see the good so that I can believe change is possible. Hopepunk a fire that says "Rage. Rage against those who deserve it. Stand up for those who do not and show them a better world is possible."

[4] Den of Geek - Are you afraid of the darkness: a hopepunk explainer [5] Alexandra Rowland tumblr post [6] Hopepunk-humanity - what is hopepunk [7] Den of Geek - a hopepunk guide: interview with Alexandra Rowland

Part 1: Intro and history Part 2: Philosophy of Hopepunk Part 3: How to practice hopepunk and further reading Part 4: Extra! Hopepunk and magic

[awakenedsalamander]

Here’s some Chronicles of Darkness thoughts for you.

So, Vampire: The Requiem (particularly in its first edition) gets a lot of flak for being kind of a watered down Vampire: The Masquerade. Whereas the other Chronicles of Darkness games really do reimagine their concepts— I mean, compare both Changeling games some time— Requiem struggles more to differentiate itself from its older sibling.

However, its second edition makes a really cool change, in my opinion.

So one of the defending aspects of Masquerade is, well, the Masquerade. Not just the notion that the supernatural hides from the mortal and mundane— that’s standard urban fantasy/horror. No, in Masquerade, that hiding is given focus as a delicate, brutal conspiracy. Part of the identity of that game is how perilous the position of the Kindred is, and how they are just beneath mortal scrutiny they are. It’s why it’s the name of the game.

Requiem… plays it a little differently, at least in 2E. They still have the Masquerade, they even still call it that, but it works in a really interesting way. See, one of the themes of Requiem is just how inhuman vampires are— and that’s a theme in Masquerade, too, but in VTM the focus is on monstrousness by way of immortality.

To lose your Humanity stat in Masquerade, you normally have to behave with deliberately cruelty, or at least reckless negligence, toward the wellbeing of others. Your Hunger makes you a monster, because it drives you to evil. It’s good stuff, I’ve written about it before!

But in Requiem, one of the ways you can lose Humanity is through— and this is a quote— “Surviving something that would hospitalize a human.” The reason being, well, humans can’t do that, not normally. But a vampire? Well, it can be hit by a truck, beaten and stabbed, hell, even shot in the head, and can walk it all off, with a bit of luck. Requiem takes the stance that, cool as that might be, it isn’t *human* in any sense. A lot of the ways you can lose Humanity in Requiem really do revolve around being inhuman in the most literal sense, in addition to being inhumane.

So what does that have to do with the Masquerade?

Well, here’s the thing about monsters: People are scared of them.

We love them too, sure. They’re enthralling, they’re fascinating, they’re impressive. That’s how the vampire lures you in. But when it wants you to go away? That’s what fear is for.

The Masquerade in Requiem is not a network of elders conspiring to silence mortal media institutions. It doesn’t need to be. All it has to be is the hesitance to knock on the apartment door of that sketchy neighbor during daylight hours, the impulse to rush home rather than linger when walking by that alley, the refusal to speak about what could be seen out of the bus window last night, if you looked closely enough.

To quote the book:

This is not about vampires needing to quake and hide, but about the fear humans have of what is hidden from them — just past the truth of Santa Claus and all the horrible adult revelations — the fear that if they shake even the most mundane structure, crawling things will fall out.

(V:TR 2E, p. 60, emphasis mine.)

And well, as much as I love the labyrinthine plots and schemes of VTM, something about VTR’s notion of what hiding from mortals really is sticks with me.

I’ve never really felt like some shadowy vampire puppet master is pulling strings to keep me from finding out about him, you know?But that there might be something horrible down there in the dark, that sends me racing up the stairs, even though I should know better… That I’ve felt.

[not-terezi-pyrope]

There's a recurring issue that keeps happening in fantasy discourse that keeps happening to creators where including monsters in your worldbuilding gets distorted into a sort of fascist intent as people get gradually lore desensitised to said monsters and they become more and more a "mundane" or "natural" part of the fictional world in people's minds.

Here's how it works, from my observation.

The monster, as a concept, is an ancient mainstay of all fiction as it is a mainstay of the human psyche, representing primal fears and the abstract (unrealistic!) horror of the other. It has carved out an important role in media as an element that is broadly understood to be a thrilling antagonistic force that is removed from anything in the real world.

An author wants to write a story about heroes who regularly encounter and fight multiple monsters, because this is mechanically important for the type of media or narrative (maybe a video game world needs many creatures to fight, the high fantasy protagonist needs a "monster force" to threaten the world, the ghost hunter type hero needs various ghosts and ghouls to fight off each week.

The story gets released into the world and people become used to the monsters existing, to the extent that they begin to lose the narrative lens of the monster in their minds. They begin to treat the otherworldly monster as an element of the world, and then the idea of the monster as a purely antagonistic or evil force begins to sound absurd, as it is for any type of being in the real world, especially if the monster is intelligent. People get interested in subverting these elements of the monster, and derivative works including the type of monster begin to explore stories in which the monsters are actually neutral/good, but misunderstood, actors, due to their monstrous appearance or similar.

This interpretation of the monster as another kind of person, or benign animal, becomes widespread, with the monster solidified as a concrete part of the world in a way that is divorced from their conception as an unrealistic, otherworldly threat.

People look back at the original source work, and go, "hey! Why was the author so intent on displaying this group of creature as inherently gruesome and evil? This sounds like fascism!" And it makes sense why they think that, except that they have forgotten that said author was writing about a type of monster instead of an analogy for a human group or race. As such, with enough time and reinterpretation, people can find grounds to accuse authors of fascism for the crime of merely writing about monsters, which kind of sucks as a thing to do, in my opinion.

I think the Tolkien/D&D style Orc is the prototypical example of this, although there are many others, really it happens to some extent with any sort of "monster species" where there is more than one horror creature in your world. This is not to say that you can't interrogate issues with how certain monsters are portrayed - why evil orcs are portrayed with darker skin colours sometimes, for example, or... Pretty much everything going on with a lot of goblin-esque creatures, but I think it's important to remember that this is a different sort of criticism from, for instance, "Tolkien and the D&D people believe that certain types of being are inherent evil and need to be wiped out".

Because we can't forget that they were not writing a real type of person or creature, but a type of monster, and monsters are understood to be an unrealistic, otherworldly narrative contrivance. You have problems making them fit into the real world with a just mindset because they do not exist in the real world, they exist as monsters, and were written with this understanding that there is a common understanding of what that means and how it should be understood.

I feel like people need to keep that in mind in their analysis, else pretty much any creative can be smeared retrospectively for writing about monsters whatsoever. I think monsters are pretty cool in fiction and important to the human psyche, and think that they have a crucial place, as long as we remember the lens through which they should be considered in their conception, which is inherently outside of material reality.

That's also not to say we shouldn't subvert and interrogate and adapt monster tropes either, but doing so doesn't mean throwing out the original ideas as having gone rotten.

[leighsartworks216]

Bestie I think we know why Wyll is underappreciated and lacking content 😭 If that man was palm-color, he’d be a big hit… I’m a WOC (Indigenous proud!!) and to see the ONLY canon* BIPOC in the main lineup being severely ignored by the fandom makes me so angry.

*I inserted ‘canon’ in this phrase since Lae’zel and Karlach have unnatural skin tones, they could be seen as BIPOC coded or headcanon as such (I hc both as Indigenous baddies, but that’s mostly just projection lol), but ultimately, they are not BIPOC and are their own separate classification, and I don’t think the developers/writers really had any intention of writing them with any specific race or nationality in mind since this is in fact a fantasy game and those concepts aren’t always translated into media on purpose.

The blatant racism in this game makes me so viscerally angry I start shaking. The rewrite of Wyll to make him less "aggressive" into man-who-can-do-no-wrong because people saw he was black and perceived it as aggression pisses me off. Not to mention he has the least content of everyone, rewrite or no. They were too scared to give him any sense of anger or anything because of racist EA players, instead of saying hey y'all are racist because he's black and this is the story we intend to tell.

Similar thing with Gale and being blatantly ableist in their treatment of him. He's neurodivergent (mostly autistic) coded, and the studio openly joins in with an ableist community to shit on him for BLATANTLY ND TRAITS.

I love the game and I haven't even played it yet, but I am so so so tired of the blatant mistreatment of their characters because they keep caving to fan "complaints". Wyll needs more love ESPECIALLY as the only BIPOC companion and I will eat elephant shit for this to happen.

[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 10 - The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin

I’m generally a huge fan of Jemisin, so of course I had to read this as soon as I realized it existed, even if I really didn’t think The City We Became needed a sequel on pretty much any level. And yeah, it didn’t!

Like, I’ve already posted about my issues with this book extensively, so will try to keep this relatively succinct. But broadly – there were about twice as many POVs as the wordcount could actually support with their own subplots, Ry’leh and her minions had all the threat and grandeur of a Saturday morning cartoon villain, the broader metaphysics/plot didn’t actually much sense at all , basically every actual problem the characters had was resolved as soon as they actually tried, and, generally, the book’s highest aim really seemed to be more engaging in some cathartic effigy-burning of various political analogues than it did really telling any sort of coherent story.

The book has virtues – the sentence to sentence prose is very good when it doesn’t read like a DNC campaign mailer, and the characters who actually get screen time and internal conflicts are all very compelling (somewhat unfortunate that half of them are the villains). But just – it’s impossible to really feel like you’re rooting for the underdogs when the protagonists start the book in a commanding position with everything they need to win and nothing that happens over the course of the entire story actually puts them on the back foot for a couple of hours? Or I mean, I tell a lie, technically the entire book is a race against the clock of impending universal extinction, as caused by...Fox News and right-wing twitter running a bunch of anti-New York smear campaigns? Which was just so obviously arbitrary and driven by the needs of plot it was impossible to take seriously.

Just, generally, there is a real upper limit to how far you can stretch ‘the divine avatars of quite possibly the richest and most politically powerful metropolis in the world fight proud boys and a no-hope Trump wannabe running for Mayor’ into something that compelling. The literal global capital of financial capitalism, not an easy sell as ‘scrappy underdog’! Especially when the dominant tone used to talk about any of the human opposition is just sneering contempt. Which I mean, very true to life, but doesn’t do a great job establishing a sense of threat. Especially when the sneering contempt is just entirely justified, and every action on the part of the enemy basically just happens to allow one of the avatars to do an incredibly self-indulgent New York-themed bit of magic, probably humiliating an obvious analogue for some prominent right wing figure or archetype (trucker convoy, proud boys, etc) in the process. It’s just, so incredibly cheesy. At one point a city councilwoman is revealed to be a friendly acquaintance with Beyonce and able to call her in to help with her mayoral campaign. Wretched of the earth these are not.

But okay, to try and make this a bit more analytical and a bit less me ranting – I really don’t think the book’s conception of the soul or character of New York really coheres? It’s New York, but, like, the nostalgic fantasy of pre-Guliani New York mixed with the parts of it that modern progressives take pride in. At no point does the book explain in any even close to satisfactory way why the transparent Trump analogue winning would be more spiritually damaging than Bloomberg (or hell, Moses) was – we’re just supposed to take it as read that being the beating heart of progressive America is at the soul of what it means to be New York.

On a similar note – there’s a real ambiguity to what Ry’leh is supposed to, like, be, thematically? Or I mean, not really. She’s gentrification, not necessarily in the social displacement sense (but that too) as in the way that every central business district in every major city in the world increasingly looks the same, in the way that identical chain stores replace local small businesses, the tendency of modern capitalist development to erode the difference between places until a city is a city is a city, no matter what continent you’re on. Local restaurants bought out by numbered holding companies or international franchises and getting their menus and recipes from a focus group in California. Which is a great, meaty association for your villain! But, like, isn’t especially well served by also being specifically alt-right and Trumpist American right-wing politics (very, very much not the same thing!). And as soon as we get into what she and the Ur actually want everything just kind of stops making sense entirely. (She’s also just so, like, cartoonishly evil and constantly talking about wanting to end the world and make things worse that it’s impossible to take seriously and she just ends up one of the most endearing characters in the entire story.)

Anyway, yeah, Neek and Manny and Ry’leh and Aislyn were all great, but otherwise The City We Became really didn’t need a sequel.

[card-queen]

Story Craft: Worldbuilding Basics

First off: know when to delve deeper and when to keep it simple.

There are many times in a story, but especially around worldbuilding when someone will just go too far with curiosity and it crosses over into some kind of pedantic interrogation. Try and see if the complaints are valid or aren't relevant. You might not know immediately, we writers can tend to get a bit defensive and protective about the integrity of our work, but have a moment and think: "Would this take me out of the story?"

People can really lack imagination when it comes to new worlds or concepts, especially ones that don't have scientific backing (not that it would satisfy many of the complaints), so you really just have to be sure of your own judgement. And for God's sake, don't let someone else's lack of imagination stifle your own creative vision. Sometimes islands just float, sometimes rivers turn to ice mid-stream, sometimes mushrooms make you hiccup bubbles -- don't let the dour nitpickers ruin your creativity. Be imaginative.

Okay, now let's get down to the nitty-gritty...

Worldbuilding is more than just places, magic and history. Worldbuilding in a very technical sense is: the rules of this world, with regional variants for each race, county or culture. The setting in stories often gets the short end of the stick. It's something that MUST be in the background and you can't go into too much detail or that's INFODUMPING... and that is true and fair... to a degree. The truth of the matter is that you have to disguise your worldbuilding exposition, for that is what it is. I'll get into that more in a bit.

Why?

One of the first questions you want to figure out is why? Why create or invent a whole new setting? The obvious answers are: >To be an outlet for creativity and imagination, full of what-if's and wonder. >To use the world as another player in my story, creating all new opportunities for horror, wonder, invention, mystery, etc. >To shed light or tackle real-world issues in a new, unfamiliar setting to encourage a different look or fresh eyes on the problem. >To embody elements of your story's theme in a subtle, background manner. ... and other reasons too. One or more of those usually does the trick for me, but you might have other reasons and that's excellent really!

Now what?

So, you know that you want to create a new world for your story. It could be a completely new world, like many sci-fi & fantasy, or it could be something lighter like an urban fantasy or alternate universe story. While all of this can and probably does seem overwhelming at times, all you really have to do is go back to one question: "How can I use my world to enhance the story I want to tell"

That helpful line comes from the Brandon Sanderson lectures on storytelling. I must've watched these lectures 3 or 4 times now. If you've got time to kill or want something in the background to listen to, I couldn't recommend them highly enough:

It's good to keep coming back to your main story, character and themes, but to really effectively get the most bang from your buck... you need to know the tools you're working with...

The Tools

Much like the worldbuilding part of the lectures, I'm going to divide our tools into two categories: Physical & Cultural.

Physical means things like the land, terrain, weather, climate, wildlife, vegetation, magic, species, races, etc.

Cultural means things like religion, governments, laws, economics, languages, social norms, taboos, fashion, cuisine, arts, history, societal roles, hierarchies, etc.

A lot of these elements have knock-on effects for other elements too. If your world is set on floating islands with airships, then this will affect the terrain, wildlife, vegetation, possibly weather, possibly climate, laws, economics, possibly cuisine, etc.

Nothing really exists in a vacuum, everything has a kind of cause and effect, even if it's a small change. Look over each of the elements (and please, add your own to the mix) and think... how can I use this to get more juice out of my story? Let's say you have a fantasy war story... How can you twist the land to get more from your story? Does the land shift and change, as if on sand, making border disputes almost impossible to solve? Is the land almost nothing and the world is mostly in the air or sea? Is the land poisonous in some way but vital to survival? Is the land dying or transforming in some way, making the war more about survival than conquest?

It can be really easy to start brainstorming like crazy. Either with purpose or just for fun! Once you have a solid idea of what you're working with, you know the rules of your world.

The Rules

Each element you choose to work with for your worldbuilding comes with its own pitfalls and advantages.

Whatever you introduce will do a job but it may create problems, or as I like to call them: opportunities. Chances are, whatever you create to do a job in your world is gonna step on the toes of something else that exists in our world or invents new issues that need to be taken care of. This is where you can get really, really interesting.

Let's say that your world is one where magic is as common as language, that it's something that people can study and master. If magic is commonplace and mage is a life path one can take, then ... >Could water magic be used to make crops grow? Could magic be used to eliminate famine and bad harvest? If yes, is there a catch? Is this a refined magic skill or does it become a mundane job for the poor and feeble? If no, why not? Does magic also do something else to the crops? >Is magic viewed as an academic pursuit worthy or respect? A frivolous and old-fashioned pursuit compared to other things like technology? A conflict pursuit akin to acting or music, that anyone can do but only the top tier make it, leaving everyone else to do menial work or teach.

These kinds of scenarios are born from you teasing out the "problems" of your world and dreaming up possibilities, solutions and societal issues that you can use to your story's advantage. If a problem gets you excited to find possible solutions, you know you're onto a winner!

Exposition Protection

Right, so let's get to the point where you've been working forever and a day on your world and it sparkles! You're so proud of the world you've done and you can't wait to show it off--you can't.

I'm really sorry, but people just aren't interested in hearing the magical farming techniques you've come up with and how they've evolved over the ages. Some people are and you should compile a little notebook (with doodles if you can manage) for a kind of behind-the-scenes handbook. People go crazy for supplementary material like that. I know this because that person is me.

But onto how you deal with this issue of exposition in-story. I have two angles, but there are probably more, but these ones work for me!

Method One: The Representative Method

People tend to relate to people more than concepts. So, sometimes I find it better to assign a character to represent a part of my world. The obvious examples are of religious characters. You can share or show off the beliefs, rules, laws and understanding of a religion but have a character be devout. This can apply to many other aspects of the world though: characters can have jobs intrinsically tied to aspects of the world: sky-fishing, water farmer, sand reader, etc. They could have issues that cause problems in their day-to-day life caused by aspects of the world: sky-fish poaching, magic regulations, new laws about sky travel, a newly formed fungus as the result of magical exposure, etc. This doesn't mean that every character should become a talking point for aspects of your world. Please use this method with care and remember that no amount of exposition should come at the expense of a character.

Method Two: The Conundrum Method

Sometimes I wrap my exposition in the form of a problem. The characters can discuss the issue at hand and drop in dialogue that signals to the reader that this is the norm. If you present the audience with a mystery, then they tend to look at the situation and try and figure out how things get uses. By carefully slipping in aspects of the world and how they weren't used or were used ineffectively, the audience can pick up on aspects of your world whilst being engaged in the events of the story.

For example, if your characters are dealing with a murder, they could be looking over the body. One could not that the dead man has his Soulstone with him but no one got his call, concluding that he must have known his attacker. (The audience can infer that this Soulstone can send out some kind of distress signal, possibly other messages). The main character can touch the Soulstone and declare it's cold, meaning the dead man probably didn't even have a chance to use it (while the audience picks up that these things get hot when used, maybe they're powered by magic or some other kind of energy).

In conclusion

You can get a lot of your world shown off by wrapping them in something else that we, the audience, care about; be it a character we love seeing, a mystery we're getting invested in, brilliant battlefield tactics or something else entirely.

It's a lot of work but can be really, really fun to get invested in!

Happy creating!

Want more writing advice? Check out this post!

[dark-roleplay-finder]

{🥀🕊️} tldr about me; 24f she/her, novella multi-page writer, fantasy / zombie apocalypse / historical fiction, mxm & mxf and doubles-friendly, nsfw and dead dove friendly but will discuss limits and triggers, eastern time zone, plotting and worldbuilding heavy, discord pinterest and spotify are my best friends!

tldr looking for; heavily literate 18+ long-term rp partner, a lover of fantasy (fae, demons, dragons, chosen ones and dark lords, etc) or open to supernatural historical fiction or dark zombie-centric apocalyptic threads. replies preferably at minimum once a week, and please no ghosting–i am very understanding of real life and burnout so if we need breaks thats okay! discord + pinterest friendly, and must vibe ooc! romance is required, as well as being okay with lgbtq+ characters, dark themes, and nsfw content.

read below for more details if this sounds like your cup of tea~

hi friends, i’m 24f she/her, looking for someone similar in age (18+ required, absolutely no minors, preferably 20+) who loves fantasy, monsters, romance, and loooong lengthy replies. i’ve been writing for the past 15+ years with dreams of one day being published, and have been roleplaying for the past 10+ years, though i’ve been on an extended hiatus. i’m recently quit my job (living in EST) so my schedule is pretty open to start writing together! Even though i have a lot of new free time, i do have a partner and responsibilities, and am also aware of burnout, real life, and mental health so never be afraid to pull the breaks for a few days, weeks, or months if we need to but please communicate that. i almost exclusively write medieval high fantasy, but also enjoy historical fiction (absolutely nothing modern ie. 1930's onward) and lately have been into zombie apocalypses as i’m rewatching twd. i only work with originals, ocxoc, but am open to playing with a canon universe as long as we make it our own! i’m mainly looking for mxm and mxf romance since that’s what i have the most experience with, but i am lgbtq+ friendly. i prefer a partner who is open to writing a wide range of characters, not just female ocs or “submissive” types, just to ensure we keep the threads fresh for both of us. i’m more than happy to double and work on multiple threads as well. i like a heavy emphasis on troubled characters with real flaws, trauma, and their subsequent development, exploring interesting relationship dynamics both healthy and toxic, and extensive worldbuilding + magic systems. customized discord servers, fanart, headcanons, drawn maps of our worlds, couples playlists, pinterest boards–you name it, i love it and am here for it.

concepts in mind; while i don’t have any set plots, characters, or worlds (i generally enjoy figuring this out organically with my partner) there are some things that i like to write and cliches i love to see. Anything with fae, monsters, demons and witches, interesting takes on vampires + werewolves, i’m here for! i love fairytale retellings and mythology, and playing with religious motifs and inspiration (think paradise lost). themes of rebellion, war-torn kingdoms, corrupt monarchies, prophecies, racing against the clock to defeat eldritch world-ending monsters, dark overlords, magic always has a price, everyone is living on borrowed time just to name a few. when it comes to romance tropes, you can never go wrong with enemies to lovers, soulmates, forbidden romance, arranged/forced marriage, hidden identity, the hero falls for the villain. i foam at the mouth for soft ocs that snap and go feral, not a god’s chosen but a god’s cursed, the found family out of a band of ragtag misfits, complex villains who are actual people, i could literally go on for hours.

other tidbits; i don’t write canon characters or with fandoms, but i do enjoy my fair share of shows, books, and video games! i'm open to taking inspiration from any of them, so i’ll list a few if it helps give a better idea of what i’m into and possible interests we might share–

shows/movies: game of thrones + house of the dragon, outlander, the walking dead, pride and prejudice, stranger things, lotr, twilight

books: a court of thorns and roses + throne of glass, six of crows + shadow and bone, the night circus, and many more

games: animal crossing, legend of zelda, the sims, dragon age, stardew valley, the last of us

contact; if you are interested in any of this, like this post and i'll message you or comment with your discord username and i'll add you

Like this post and the asker will reach out!

[findyourrp]

{🥀🕊️} tldr about me; 24f she/her, novella multi-page writer, fantasy / zombie apocalypse / historical fiction, mxm & mxf and doubles-friendly, nsfw and dead dove friendly but will discuss limits and triggers, eastern time zone, plotting and worldbuilding heavy, discord pinterest and spotify are my best friends.

tldr looking for; heavily literate 18+ long-term rp partner, a lover of fantasy (fae, demons, dragons, chosen ones and dark lords, etc) or open to supernatural historical fiction or dark zombie-centric apocalyptic threads. replies preferably at minimum once a week, and please no ghosting–i am very understanding of real life and burnout so if we need breaks thats okay! discord + pinterest friendly, and must vibe ooc! romance is required, as well as being okay with lgbtq+ characters, dark themes, and nsfw content.

read below for more details if this sounds like your cup of tea~

hi friends, i’m 24f she/her, looking for someone similar in age (18+ required, absolutely no minors, preferably 20+) who loves fantasy, monsters, romance, and loooong lengthy replies. i’ve been writing for the past 15+ years with dreams of one day being published, and have been roleplaying for the past 10+ years, though i’ve been on an extended hiatus. i’m recently quit my job (living in EST) so my schedule is pretty open to start writing together! Even though i have a lot of new free time, i do have a partner and responsibilities, and am also aware of burnout, real life, and mental health so never be afraid to pull the breaks for a few days, weeks, or months if we need to but please communicate that. i almost exclusively write medieval high fantasy, but also enjoy historical fiction (absolutely nothing modern ie. 1930's onward) and lately have been into zombie apocalypses as i’m rewatching twd. i only work with originals, ocxoc, but am open to playing with a canon universe as long as we make it our own! i’m mainly looking for mxm and mxf romance since that’s what i have the most experience with, but i am lgbtq+ friendly. i prefer a partner who is open to writing a wide range of characters, not just female ocs or “submissive” types, just to ensure we keep the threads fresh for both of us. i’m more than happy to double and work on multiple threads as well. i like a heavy emphasis on troubled characters with real flaws, trauma, and their subsequent development, exploring interesting relationship dynamics both healthy and toxic, and extensive worldbuilding + magic systems. customized discord servers, fanart, headcanons, drawn maps of our worlds, couples playlists, pinterest boards–you name it, i love it and am here for it.

concepts in mind; while i don’t have any set plots, characters, or worlds (i generally enjoy figuring this out organically with my partner) there are some things that i like to write and cliches i love to see. Anything with fae, monsters, demons and witches, interesting takes on vampires + werewolves, i’m here for! i love fairytale retellings and mythology, and playing with religious motifs and inspiration (think paradise lost). themes of rebellion, war-torn kingdoms, corrupt monarchies, prophecies, racing against the clock to defeat eldritch world-ending monsters, dark overlords, magic always has a price, everyone is living on borrowed time just to name a few. when it comes to romance tropes, you can never go wrong with enemies to lovers, soulmates, forbidden romance, arranged/forced marriage, hidden identity, the hero falls for the villain. i foam at the mouth for soft ocs that snap and go feral, not a god’s chosen but a god’s cursed, the found family out of a band of ragtag misfits, complex villains who are actual people, i could literally go on for hours.

other tidbits; i do not write canon characters or with fandoms, but i do enjoy my fair share of shows, books, and video games! i'm open to taking inspiration from any of them, so i’ll list a few if it helps give a better idea of what i’m into and possible interests we might share–

shows/movies: game of thrones + house of the dragon, outlander, the walking dead, pride and prejudice, stranger things, lotr, twilight

books: a court of thorns and roses + throne of glass, six of crows + shadow and bone, the night circus, and many more

games: animal crossing, legend of zelda, the sims, dragon age, stardew valley, the last of us

contact; if you are interested in any of this, like this post and i'll message you or comment with your discord username and i'll add you

.

[he11fyre]

🌟 Looking for a long-term roleplay partner to do a fantasy plot through e-mail

⚡ I've decided to reach out here on tumblr to try and find a long-term partner to RP with. I can be very picky, so please read through everything before reaching out to me! ⚡

A little bit about me. I am 25 years old, female. I studied creative writing and I am both an avid reader and a hobby writer.

There's practically a whole essay below, so I want to summarize some of the infomation here at the top! 🙈

⚡ Writing: - Literate descriptive writing - Preferably 1st person present or past, or 3rd person past tense - Replies from once a day to twice a week

⚡ Characters - 3 to 8 characters each - Any pairings, love alternative dynamics such as open relatioships, poly and RH - Any fantasy race, any personality, good or villain, idc - Only (new) OC's

⚡ Most wanted tropes (relationships) - Age gap - Arranged marriage - Touch her and die! - Fated mates - Enemies/rivals to lovers

I love open-world RPG games, with Dragon Age: Inqusition being my all-time favourite. The option to explore the world, get to know the companions and affect the outcome of the world feels a lot like the freedom of writing.

I would love to explore a big fantasy concept with a potential partner. As of right now, I am especially interested in two types of concepts.

⚡ Something inspired by Dragon Age or similar (such as DnD, Baldur's Gate), with any or all of the following tropes/elements: - Found family - Quest - Magic - Romance - Party of companions - Age gap - Taverns, travelling - Only one bed/horse - Large overarching plot - Chosen one

⚡ Something set in either a fae court or other type of fantasy court situation, with any or all of the following tropes/elements: - Found family - Arranged marriage - Age gap - Forbidden romance - Magic - Seelie/Unseelie - Lesser fae/high fae - Bodyguard

First off, since this may be a dealbreaker, I want to stress that I absolutely require that we each play more than one character! To me, making an interesting and engaging story requires several characters to keep the plot moving and develop relationships. Not every character has to be a main, but I want us both to add characters as fitted while the story moves along. Some characters will be inactive most of time time, but still needed at certain times.

Preferably, we would have 3-4 pairings (3-8 main characters each), as well as "side characters." These sides can be either friends, family, rivals, a guard - you name it - and they don't have to be fully developed.

I do want to ask that you take the time to come up with new characters fitting the plot and world, and not recycle existing OCs that you have written before or fully developed a storyline for.

Another must for me is romance. I want multiple romantic pairings and for the romance to be central to the plot. I prefer a mixture between NSFW and fade to black, depending on my own mood and the storyline. In terms of NSFW, I have very few hard no's, mostly just toilet and blood play.

In terms of characters, I expect you to be comfortable with using faceclaims (real models or artwork). I love writing characters with flaws and morally grey personalities, as well as kind and sweet characters (cinnamon buns!). Alpha males are not my strongest suit even if I love trying, so if you're only looking for those characters for your own subs, then we are probably not a good match.

I write a range of characters and like to keep the ratio of male to female equal. For these fantasy plots, I would be happy to play anything from a high/lesser fae, human, halfling, shifter etc. I am especially itching to play a male half orc character as one of my mains.

I want the roleplay to feel literate, with long replies and discriptive language, but I won't set a limit on paragraps. I'll try to match length, and hope you'll do the same. In terms of replies, you can expect a reply from me anywhere between once a day to twice a week.

I hope to find a partner that doesn't easily get triggered. I don't want to tiptoe around the plot to avoid triggers. 

While the RP develops, please tell me if something isn't working for you. If you think we're a good match writing wise, but a character/plot/couple isn't working for you, I am super flexible to change things up. Finding a new partner is way more difficult!  I would feel really bad if you leave the RP just because you don't like a character of mine, but you didn't give me a heads-up to change or drop the character.

But, if you don't think we're a good fit at all, that's okay too! Just let me know so I can move on.

🌟 In the end, I just want a fun roleplay with an interesting and evermoving plot, different character dynamics & couples, and the occasional drama! 🌟

If this essay didn't completely scare you off, please reach out to me and tell me a bit about why you think we match, and what kind of plot you'd be interested in!

email: fr4nroleplays@gmail.com

[konphair]

~ Basics: Sentient Races ~

As it stands, here is the super bare-bones list of every sentient people living on Konphair! This list excepts individuals (such as spirits, gods, deities, etc.) and further classifications (they all have variant species separate from their genus. This is a list of genuses, separated into their families, and all sharing the same order. However, do note that this is how we would classify them, not how they would classify themselves) VERY long post so I’m gonna keep everything under the cut!

A couple important notes that I’m going to cover about races now and not touch on again: - This list only covers anatomy/bio basics and, like, maybe an additional important fun fact or two. I’m going to make a more in-depth post for each of them covering more biology, culture, origin, and the like. These descriptions are going to sound a whole lot like describing animals, but every genus here is fully intelligent. - On that note! Races in Konphair function a little different to races on Earth, considering they don’t mean the same thing, like in a d&d setting. Every race is a different animal entirely that also happens to be intelligent. Due to shared origins, needs, instincts, etc., members of the same race tend to group together to form mono-genus civilizations and cultures intrinsic to the race itself. This is not always the case (diverse cities, mixed cultures, and completely unique beliefs are all common), but it is a phenomenon that happens a lot. I.e., there exists a ‘dragon place’ and a ‘gryphon place’ and a ‘unicorn place’. - And on the note of Earth, as you can probably tell, I’ve pulled both inspiration and entire concepts from all over real-world mythos. However, only the names and appearances of these creatures have been kept. All bio and customs and suchlike are my own creation, as much as I can manage. I’ve used the name Kirin, for example, because the race it describes are scaly, horned equines. This is exclusively for ease of use referring to each race, and does not at all resemble what they are actually called in canon languages or attempt to associate any non-cosmetic details with their mythology counterparts. - In other words, this is all just for fantasy fun, and nothing is meant to represent anything or anyone on Earth. If something is accidentally really offensive and I didn’t catch it, please politely let me know or discuss with me through PMs. - Yeah they all lay eggs. Yes the 'mammals’ too. What r u gonna do about it Now, all the gunky clarification aside, here’s the people of Dynasty!

(A scanned copy of That One Time I listed and doodled all their basic anatomy. There’s a couple typos, but I don’t currently have the paper to fix them. ‘Lindrakes’, ‘Kerwyverns’, ‘Dracofeirs’, and ‘Camares’ are made-up names that you won’t find if you look them up. ‘Hypogriff’ is an intentional misspelling of ‘Hippogriff’ to fit better with the ‘Gryphon’ name)

Piscan Family (Fishies) Leviathans - Long, massive, marine-exclusive people, possessing a variety of limbs and enormous fin structures between species, the most fish-like in nature. Amphibious, though with little reason or faculty to traverse land (contact with surface dwellers is not commonplace whatsoever), and omnivorous, prone to eating anything they can graze upon at the ocean floor and sifting through sand beds. Webbed tails, claws, and facial crowns for as effective underwater movement as possible. Although they can share any number of intimate relationships, close bonds, marriages, and the like, they do not reproduce, and instead create huge, democratic communities and civilizations around a local hydra. Hydras - Significantly larger, rarer, and longer-lived beings, characterized most notably by their multiplicity of heads. Each head possesses a different name and personality, though the collective receives a unifying title and shares a common mind. Four limbs, sometimes varying, and smaller, less used fins. Marine-exclusive, well in deep waters, likewise amphibious, but almost never leave their homes for centuries at a time. Omnivorous, consume anything gifted to them. They are responsible for independently birthing both all leviathans and new hydras, the latter through a special nourishment/heating process similar to the raising of ‘queen bee’ eggs. Ninki Nanka - Significantly smaller and more distant leviathan relative. Freshwater-exclusive and almost always land-dwelling for permanent arrangements, though they can safely reside for any amount of time in bodies of water and move much faster through currents than on foot. No fin structures, rather slick, smooth, and heavily coated in mucus for water travel. Always require moisture and some body of water to survive; this leaves them in swamps, wetlands, rainforests, etc., only travelling outside these areas for small amounts of time. Carnivorous, eating large prey whole thanks to stretching jaws and a large throat. All have identical organs and reproduce by, at a certain age, releasing or receiving airborne material. Eggs always laid in numerous clutches in bodies of water for a few to end up surviving, but there exists no cultural expectation to keep the eggs if not desired. Annelid Family (Worms) Wyrms - Beings of enormous magnitude, perceived as psuedo-gods in the same way hydras are, but with a much greater amount of importance and reverence from the world as a whole. Only a couple to a handful on the planet at one time and born with a few pre-fertilized eggs, one or two of which they lay over a lifetime. Dwell solely underground in massive tunnels and community nests, often going into hibernation for years upon years at a time. Body coated in stone-like scutes, unused eyes inlaid beneath flaring scales, mouth made up of three huge, extending jaws, and a throat filled with fire. Only consume rock and other inorganic earthy material and have no necessity for water. Can live longer than any other race, but are usually unseen by the public. Lungs (Reptilian Ancestry) - Large, long-living people who reside in cold, high-altitude regions, built with spiraling bodies that can be used for personal warmth. The only Annelid with fur or horns as well as a commonplace set of four clawed legs, closely likening them to their dragon relatives. Not nearly as rare in any way as hydras or wyrms, but still a grand and impressive sight. Don’t always find a partner or another of their own kind, but when they do, they tend to settle down monogamously and are capable of producing a few eggs. Not always entirely isolated, but almost never create lung-based civilizations, preferring to adapt into a mixed city if at all. Herbivorous, with powerful crushing jaws for eating huge swathes of fruit or vegetables at a time. Survivors of the winter. Salamanders (Distant Piscan Ancestry) - Many-legged, smaller underground annelids that spend the majority of their time deep in the earth or in moist regions. Unlike Ninki Nanka, their nearest relative, most of the water content they require can be created themselves or collected infrequently at large pools and water bodies. Nearly always coated in a mucus layer and will soften up and muddy the ground around them as they create tunnels. Infrequently form permanent bonds, instead gather in nesting groups to lay a swathe of eggs in one cavern before moving on. One of the only races to commune with wyrms, often serving as messengers between the will of the wyrms and the rest of the world. Lindwurms (Reptilian Ancestry, Close Amphiptere Relation) - Has a lindrake variant which lacks wings. Nearly the smallest race on Konphair, second only to Amphipteres; tiny, forest and woodland-based people who form huge city networks in treetops, trunks, and any organic material they can hollow out. Some of the largest metropolis-adjacent civilizations in the world, territory often spanning behemoth plots of land thanks to a distinct minority of other races who populate densely wooded areas. Gliders (and the first of this list with wings thus far, wyvern-like and serving as taloned forelimbs when down), incapable of long-term flight, but tend to do most movement climbing, running, or jumping. Can ‘puff up’ to appear larger than they are. Fruitarians and insectivores, often gathering as much food as possible at once and slowly sharing it over a certain period of time. Having children, partners, and a growing population is immensely important, and although only two are required to reproduce, they often group into large polyamorous bands that will readily accept new members and raise a family as a collective. The only race in Konphair which can mate with another genus and create another copy of itself rather than a hybrid (lindwurm & amphiptere parents will produce either a lindwurm or amphiptere). Amphipteres (Avian Ancestry, Close Lindwurm Relation) - Share diet, reproduction, biological needs, basic anatomy, and civilizations with lindwurms. Feathery, soft, and sharper-toothed than their scaled counterparts. Frequently do more of the hunting rather than gathering in smaller city systems and villages. Reptilian Family (Lizards) Dragons - Has a drake variant which lacks wings. Tall, horned, heavily scaled people that often exhibit fur around the head, neck, and keel, with occasional patches closer to a powerful, prehensile tail. Heavy but with hollow, gas-filled bones and large leathery wings that fold in at the shoulder. Four clawed legs, back more powerful for lifting off. Excellent fliers, though reside on the ground in dry climates and build up high architecture for air travel. Complete carnivores, consuming all bone and cartilage whole, as well as stone material to crush and digest these parts. All rock is, eventually, converted into methane and moved into the mouth for fire-breathing. Highly bird-like organs, including reproductive, proving to make sexing extremely difficult. Require two individuals to produce eggs and usually join in monogamous relationships, but it is exceptionally commonplace to go through many partners before settling down. Wyverns - Huge, especially long-lived, isolated beings, continuously growing over their lifespan until they are immensely larger than lungs. No horns but stronger scales than dragons. Largest wings of any race, leathery and joined to the fore ankles with talons for grasping. Capable of flight, but after passing a certain age and weight, it becomes more of a hassle than it is worthwhile. Hefty back legs, though frequently go unused, and extended, slender tail much like a whip. Live in extremely warm, arid environments in mountain ranges or rock nests, virtually never interacting with both others wyverns and other races. Will, if they so chose, briefly track down another long enough to mate, but promptly depart afterwards whether or not they bring the clutch with them. Consume exclusively meat and can digest bone matter, no rock necessary. Can brew smoke and embers from their chests and throats but lack the ability to spew real fire. Kerwyverns - Far smaller wyverns descendants with a more upright posture and lighter structure. Much closer in body type to dragons, but with the same wings, talons, tail, and lifetime growth as their parent genus. Likewise non-horned and thick-scaled. Proficient fliers, spending the most time of any reptilian or reptilian-adjacent genus in the air. Carnivorous and extremely adept in smoke, smolder, and spark production. Form independent cities but often not whole mono-genus nations, instead either staying individual or requesting to be annexed into larger collectives. Live primarily in rocky, mountainous regions with moderate temperature conditions, but can dwell anywhere from forests to plains. Usually lay eggs with their first partners, but unification and marriage ceremonies are extremely uncommon. Dracofeirs - The smallest of the reptilians, an offshoot of the dragons’ drake variant. The only of the four that are runners and solely ground-based, as well as, though small, bulky and horned for carrying materials. Four strong small-clawed legs for quick movement. Soft, leathery scales but bulky, tough bodies, excellent for moving quietly and unharmed. Omnivores with a carnivorous lean, lacking any trace of fire or smoke completely. Moderate climates preferred, but almost all locations can be suitable; civilizations (and partnering customs) vary wildly between environments, local culture, and community preferences. Large cities and nomadic parties, and anything in between are all fair game. Equine Family (Horsies) Unicorns - One-horned, four-hooved (though separate into claw-like toes) people who are nearly identical in size to dragons, though with a taller and length-wise shorter stature. Dense manes of hair down the back of the neck and puffing out at the end of a furred tail. No scales or chitin whatsoever, rather relying on a thick pelt and skin for protection. Obligate carnivores with some of the biggest ripping-and-tearing teeth of all Konphair’s races, second to members of the mammalian family. Long, sticky tongues for grabbing like those of a giraffe. Skilled runners with practice, but civilians in large cities don’t often use the ability. Live in moderate, verdant areas, preferring woodland, forest, and lush plains. The first in this list capable of using magic, harnessing sorcery through their horns, hooves, and mouth. This arcana is extremely significant to any unicorn society, and those who don’t have the resources to hone their skill are considered unfortunate. Possess sexual organs but cannot reproduce naturally together, instead creating eggs with magic to be fertilized. Partnership is not necessary for offspring, but it is significantly easier to create eggs through sorcery with two or more individuals. Kirin - Slightly resemblant of unicorns, but in no way related to them, instead being classified by their appearance. Shorter and more slender, possessing two horns, a thick, wintery mane which covers the entirety of the neck, and a sweeping broom of tail fur which begins at the base and grows larger all the way to the tip. Scaled along their backs, hips, and faces, though coverage can vary between individuals. Extremely secluded to kirin-based civilizations in frigid, flat environments, very rarely interacting with other races at all. Do not reproduce whatsoever, instead relying solely on their mother spirit, Awnscha (more on the spirits later), for new kirin. Made up entirely of magic from Awnscha’s hands, thereby requiring food only for energy and not survival, as well as capable of changing their bodies at will - such as into solid ice. Small permanent changes to the body are considered perfectly fine, but the form Awnscha has gifted a person is considered largely sacred. Partnerships are uncommon but not unheard of. Survivors of the winter. Qilin (Hybrid Offspring of Dragons and Kirin) - Traditionally, the two races despise each other in a way irreconcilable. However, during a brief burst of a peace attempt, many kirin and dragons joined together and, thanks to kirin magic making them compatible with any peoples if they so choose, ended up producing a new hybrid race entirely. No other kirin hybrid has exceeded a single generation but qilin went on to thrive. Huge, bulky people with a combination of kirin and draconic horns. Heavy, rectangular heads fit with sets of omnivorous teeth and a wide tongue. Massive manes that cover the chest completely, run down the back, and flare out again into the fluffiest tail of any race. Scaled down the back most frequently, but coverage varies wildly (always more than a kirin’s few patches but less than a dragon’s full skin). Muscular legs and big, snowshoe paws for travel; nomadic wanderers that often group together with either other races or more kirin and dragons, interacting occasionally with mono-genus cities but preferring to mingle among mixed civilization. Viable hybrids, meaning that either two qilin or a kirin and a dragon can produce a new qilin. Survivors of the winter. Avian Family (Birds) Gryphons - Large, muscular people covered entirely in feathers aside from a firm beak and talons on all four legs. Fanned, bird-like tails that can open or shut during flight, as well as feathered wings that fold in at the shoulder. Omnivorous, though teeth are extremely small and only for grinding up little foods and pieces. Plumage flares out around the base of the neck then gradually becomes smoother and smaller along the back. Three individuals are required to reproduce, and, even if not unified, all three tend to care for their offspring together. The best fliers of every race by a long shot. Highly magical, though in a different way than unicorns. Rather than abstract sorcery, they utilize a robust spell system more akin to wizardry. Magic is used on a day-to-day basis, but usually not new magic - gryphons use passive spells to set up systems, houses, and the like, tending to and upkeeping these spells daily. This has served to make architecture, agriculture, and other trades exceptionally fast and unique. Prefer high-altitude and sunny areas, most civilizations tending to claim land and then create enchanted cities in the clouds above it, forming a summer and winter-home system. Hypogriffs (Equine Ancestry) - The gryphons’ closest relative, stockier, slightly less feathered people with hooved back legs and equine heads lacking a beak. Omnivorous with a herbivore lean and capable of chewing through much larger, tougher food items. Though with a lot of practice they can also be skilled in the magical arts, they are exceptionally less naturally talented than their bird-like counterparts. Decent fliers, but prefer to spend more time on the ground and in fields. The same reproductive and environmental needs as grpyhons, frequently choosing to mesh with their civilizations and take up wide expanses of land that would go unused by gryphons. Cockatrice (Hybrid Offspring of Kerwyverns and Gryphons) - Being great fliers and having a tendency to mix themselves in other communities, kerwyverns repeatedly lean towards gryphon civilization, becoming strong trade partners if not adapting into gryphon nations and cities entirely. This has resulted in the cockatrice hybrid - but, strangely enough, cockatrice are not skilled fliers whatsoever and spend virtually no time in the sky. Initially were relocated closer to hyprogriffs where they could be on the ground, and, eventually, due to being viable hybrids, spread out completely independent from either parent race and formed their own culture and communities. Modern day, they are usually found in tribes and large bands on wide open plain spaces as well as, occasionally, hotter, more rocky areas. Omnivores with a carnivorous and insectivore lean. Beaks, fanned tails, and feathered wyvern-like forearms. One of only two konphair races with a unique back leg structure that allows them to stand on two legs for an extended period of time. Carried a little magic over from their gryphon parentage, but only enough for small enchantments. Mammalian Family (Cats) Manticores - Hardy, lion-like people, bearing horns, four paws, and fur all along their body with larger manes and tufts around the neck and tail. Nowhere near hydras or wyverns, but particularly large when compared to the other average-sized races. Massive wings, larger than a dragon’s but smaller than a gryphon’s, webbed and useful for short flights. Despite this, they spend most of their time on the ground, in the hottest climates that exist on Konphair. Carnivorous, as little plantlife grows in the volcanic and desert regions they thrive in. Venomous fangs fold in beside canines, a product of the unique bacteria in their stomach interacting with blood of prey, which can then be transferred to a pouch in the mouth. Much like dragons, this venom can be ignited into flame, but it is usually used in its liquid form. Very often form tight bonds with one partner and children are seen as an incredibly important step in these bonds. Camares - Quite similar to dracofeirs in build, though larger, stockier, and generally more robust. Strong legs, the front two clawed and the back two pawed, as well as huge, scooping horns for lifting and carrying. Although furred across their whole body, they have a particularly large mohawk of fur that runs from the forehead back to the base of the tail, well-maintained in order to serve as protection from the sun while working. Muscular prehensile tail and wide, bulky hips. Stronger venom but weaker capability of fire breath. Share similar dietary, environmental, etc. needs with manticores, often found in regions as close as possible to them. Partnerships are also quite strong, but often less attention is given to them comparatively to their big cat cousins. Chimeras (Hybrid Offspring of Manticores and Camares) - Manticores and camares share needs almost exactly and thereby are often required to ‘share’ land, but this has left the two in an ongoing feud most anytime their communities are close together. Although their hostility is much less violent and set in history than, say, the enmity between dragons and kirin, this likewise produced the occasional peace movement that promptly fizzled out and left behind the remnants of a hybrid. But chimeras have been appearing since manticores and camares have been anywhere in a close vicinity to one another, and the importance placed on couples and children in both cultures left the unusual parents extremely defensive of their hybrid offspring. As a result, although chimeras are not viable and cannot reproduce with each other, they are not all that uncommon of a sight near manticore or camare civilizations. Carnivorous and two-headed, each with a different personality and mind but capable of reading the other effortlessly. That’s about where the uniformity in chimeras end, though; they almost always have manes, horns, and paws, but a variety of fur placement, claws, wings, horn shape, head shape, and the like can appear. Do enjoy partnerships although rarely go out of their way to have them sanctified, and adopting children is quite common. Dinonek - The largest and longest lived of the mammalian family, carrying a substantial scaled shell on their back with dense fur along their body anywhere the scales don’t reach, especially prevalent under the chin and tail. Sizeable curved horns, rigid, scaled noses, and clawed forelimbs, all great for digging holes, burrows, and nests, as well as sturdy back legs for standing up in a posture similar to a pangolin. Venomous barbs hidden under tail fur that can be retracted or extended at will, but are omnivorous and use them mainly for self defense. Live in arid deserts and sandy areas, making anywhere from temporary nests in the ground for a span of a night to intricate underground rock and sand systems that can permanently house many. Almost always form small clans and family clusters of dingonek that sleep, build, trade, and travel together, but will often accept trusted non-dingonek members in as readily as they would their own children. Require two individuals to produce eggs but will happily partner with more people depending on personal preference. Tatzelwurm (Annelid Ancestry) - Only a few times larger than amphipteres and lindwurms, tatzelwurms are the smallest mammalians by far. Carnivores with a taste for small birds, rodents, and large insects. Long, slender bodies with pawed forelegs and no hind legs. Fluffy across their whole body with a mane that races their spine. Thin, tall horns and small sharp-toothed jaws excellent for crunching fragile bones in prey. Thrive in humid woodland areas, one of the only peoples who share territory with amphipteres and such. Burrow in shallow holes or under tree roots. Mostly individual, usually only forming small family groups with just a partner and children if at all, but this serves them well to travel outside their home territory to other civilizations.

[rhaenyras]

Primarily for the concept of “choosing teams”, when team leaders in group activities choose the people they want on their side. All the students line up, and one by one they are chosen. All the children in the group are essentially ranked by desireability, which reflects not only physical ability but popularity also. The humiliation of being the last one chosen, publically rejected by one’s peers, is so intense, that it leaves emotional scars people carry for years afterwards. The people who are chosen last over and over again are humiliated beyond words. Every week myself and another girl, who had learning difficulties, had to put up with 5 minutes of arguing over which one was going to have us. “You take them both”, “I don’t want her. I had her last week”, “she’ll make us lose”. Thank God, some teachers have abandoned this practice, but not enough.

For children and teenagers with poor athletic ability, it is socially humiliating to always do poorly around one’s peers. Being the slow link in every relay race, the last one around the track, the one who slows up the line at any piece of equipment, subjects the student to constant public humiliation. Not every child can excel, no matter how hard they try, but the fantasy that everyone can feeds a narrative where anyone who is slow in a race or weak in some exercise isn’t trying hard, undermining their self-esteem.

Some children hate being undressed in a room full of naked people, or shower with other people, and I believe this is a completely reasonable, rational way to feel, at an age when one’s body is changing, not every body is changing at the same pace, and children are extremely cruel to one another.

And… many PE teachers obviously don’t care about less athletic children, focusing their attention on the stars who will compete on school teams. The rest of us are afterthoughts. As a non-athletic person, I remember being surprised by discovering I was good at, and really enjoyed, cycling. Rather than being encouraged to get on it and build my confidence and my skill, I often found myself having to wait around while the girls on the gymnastics team dominated the equipment. They needed it more. Those of us who were not good at sports just did not matter as much as the students who were.

Basically, in students that aren’t good at sports, it exacerbates poor self-esteem and is a constant source of embarrassment. No, not all PE teachers do all those things, but enough do some of them that the class has gotten a bad rep.

oh wow... are you perhaps from the u.s. by any chance? idk why but i kinda got that impression just from reading through this. personally my old highschool (southern italy) wasn´t too serious about physical education. the school "gym" was in shambles and the equipment non-existent. during winter, when we couldn´t go outside, we just stayed indoors doing the untouched homework for the following class. and during spring, the teacher would let the boys (and only them) use the outdoor soccer field while he entertained us teenage girls with farfetched anecdotes where he made himself look cool and important (yikes @ men, amirite).

but yeah, it is no coincidence imo that conservatives and (historical) fascists are so keen on pe and sports in general, stressing and promoting the concept of a "healthy able-bodied" youth through physical performance, while underperforming or disabled children who can´t keep up will get only humiliation and isolation.

i´m not great at sports myself, quite the opposite, but i don´t want to brand the entirety of physical activity or competitive sports as an ableist area that´s 1000% toxic for anyone who doesn´t have a perfect health or a stereotypically fit body. i believe sport can be inclusive. it should be, actually.

even in schools, growing up, kids should be exposed to examples of "sportive" bodies that are not the typical fit well-proportioned conforming athletic body. i follow a fat woc, who´s also an activist against fatphobia and racism on ig, and she´s recently taken up pole dancing!! and every time she posts new videos of the exercises she can manage to do now, it fills me with wonder and awe because im like!!! we were never taught that fat people could master or even just attempt pole dancing!!! it is just... not something they tell you back in school or ever, for that matter.

and the reason is, of course, fatphobia and body policing, that certainly also overlap with ableism more often than not.

so in conclusion, sport per se is not ableist or exclusive to healthy or skinny people, it´s the fatphobic ableist gatekeepers like the pe teachers you described that make it seem so hateful and inaccessible for so many children

[thetoxicgamer]

Final Fantasy 16 isn’t coming to Steam yet, but this JRPG is

Atlus, a studio most known for its work on Persona, has unveiled Metaphor ReFantazio as its newest JRPG. Initially, it was stated that the game would be released on PC and consoles, but the makers have just made it clear that it would be available on platforms other than the Windows Store. Atlus announced the Steam release of Metaphor ReFantazio in a thorough creator's message stream. Other information, such as the game's main plot ideas and real-world influences, was also covered. Coming in 2024, Metaphor is set to launch on each platform simultaneously rather than doing what Final Fantasy 16 is and releasing on console first. Throughout the stream, the game’s devs discussed how Metaphor is just in the polishing stage. This means that it is likely already finished with production but simply needs ironing out still. They also stated that it is set to be a large-scale epic fantasy RPG, with a story centering around you trying to garner support and become king. Various races exist across Metaphor’s world, and they all speak Esperanto, a real constructed language. Similar to Persona, the game leans heavily on Carl Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious but is set to do so in a much deeper fashion. Just as the trailer showed and as the title itself alludes to, Metaphor is all about change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnidfYhqftg As we JRPG fans continue waiting on more Final Fantasy 16 PC port news, Atlus’ new games can tide us over a bit. According to the devs, they originally wanted the game to have a more medieval look to it, but they ended up giving it a unique spin. For example, fashion trends taken from the mid-1900s blended with a fantastical take on the Middle Ages. Some of the other key concepts the devs hope Metaphor players explore while in-game include facing their fears. In Persona games, there is a strong focus on facing one’s own inner self. Metaphor hopes to take this idea of fear to the outside more so than the inside, with the director, Katsura Hashino, stating that he wants players to leave the game feeling empowered to overcome any external fears. Metaphor’s art speaks to this as well, as devs chose to have the game look almost like a painting tainted by a bit of darkness. All in all, Metaphor is meant to represent “the very best of Atlus.” If you are excited to learn more about Metaphor ReFantazio, you can also check out some of this year’s upcoming PC games to keep you hyped throughout 2023. For more role-playing fun, be sure to look through our favorite RPG games that are already released. You can also browse some of the best story games if you are most looking forward to Metaphor’s focus on its narrative design. Read the full article

[thesecretravenblu]

Guide

Well, hello, friend. 🙂

I will try to remember to put trigger warnings at the beginning of posts, but if they are not there, try checking the #’s. Just proceed with caution.

This will pretty much be just a self guide if I actually stay consistent:

# vent - Posts about me venting and expressing my negative emotions.

# rant - Posts that are (about) ranting.

# depression - Posts surrounding depression. I’ll talk about symptoms, how its effected my life, and more general aspects of depression. I may even talk about depressive desires.

# anxiety - Posts surrounding anxiety. Much of what I will talk about surrounds social anxiety and smaller aspects of life I struggle with. I may go into some detail as to why I feel as though I have it and my symptoms.

# writing - Posts surrounding my personal writings or reblog writings.

# art - Posts surrounding my personal drawings or reblog art.

I may add onto this if I feel its needed. I don’t know if I can claim if something is abuse so please take this as your trigger warning. I will have strong language; sometimes the emotions we put behind swearing is the only way we know how to express ourselves. Will I make over-generalizations? Possibly. Will I talk about controversial concepts? Probably.

Personal info:

I am 18+. Plz no children.

I don’t know who I am, I struggle with individuality. Use any pronoun/gendered terms you wish. I do consider myself queer/lqbt+. You could consider me alt.

Admittedly, I am dumb and naïve. I do not have a good foundation of life.

I am yt, so while I am open to talking about race issues or topics, I do not have any lived experiences to base my opinions on (except witnessing racism). I do try to keep myself informed on topics and if I am wrong, tell me. Please do not allow yourself to feel burdened on my behalf, point me in the right direction and I will put effort into research.

Don’t have many friends or family I am comfortable with.

I am in therapy. It was suggested that if I struggled with in-person socialization, I at least keep myself open to online. I told them I would try so here I am. I am gonna try to be consistent (meaning not give up after the initial commitment).

Please call me out on my bs.

General Interests(?):

Details - I just really like details. I don’t know why, I just like seeing a lot of details. It may be associated with the amount of work and effort put into something, which then leads me to placing more value onto it. I don’t know. 

Horror/Blood/Gore - From creepypasta to slashers to real life.

Deity/Religion/Spirituality/Myth Talks - Open to religious talks, but I don’t want to argue who is right or wrong. I just want to learn.

Psychology and Mental Health - Maybe its because I am mentally ill myself, but there is something so beautiful(?) about the brain even when its at its worst.

Escapism - I have separated myself from the real world for at least a decade now.

Art and Writing - fan-work is valid and fun.

Aesthetics - Examples like Cutegore or Goth. I love seeing multiple forms of self expression. Just keep Poorcore/Poor Chic or anything like that out of here.

Animals - Real, fantasy. Fluffy, scaly, feathery, give me anything. Facts, development, relationships, pictures.

Anime - I haven’t watched many in a while but I am willing to try to develop an interest in anything. I used to be a pretty big fan of Ouran Highschool Host Club, Assassination Highschool, My Hero Academia, Black Butler, Hetalia: Axis Powers(?), and Death Note.

Video Games - I’ve played phone games like Twisted Wonderland, Obey Me, Mystsic Messenger. Also, I’ve played Pokémon, Minecraft, Sims (mainly 3 & 4, didn’t have it in the supposed glory days of 2), Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Kirby Dreamland (or something like that), Club Penguin (light of my life), Call of Duty, Doom (kinda),  and even Roblox. Don’t really have the money to by stuff and sometimes my interests have been more on the ability to create an interest in character design (personality, background, physical design, etc.) sooo.

Music - I’ll try out any genre. I like music made for fun, by fans, or act as internal expression. There is a slight preference for lullabies, video games, and queer-alt. They make it so easy to dissasociate.

YouTube (In no particular order and while I do not have a TikTok, creators overlap with one another.) - Technoblade Never Dies, Markiplier, Jackcepticeye, Twisted Minds, Nexpo, David Firth, Trixie Mattel, Rain Paris, Tori Phantom, Mothica, Michelle McDaniel, Melanie Martinez, Penguinz0, The Theorists with Mat Pat (watch all four/five channels, sometimes), Flamingo, SenyaiGrubs, JeGaysus, FootlessJo, MegaGoneFree, Chrissy Chlapecka, Derivakat, Annapantsu, Nick DiRamio, TheVolgun, CinnamonToastKen, abitfrank, The Speech Prof, Dead Meat (binge watch their videos), Cindy Chen Designs, Atozy, Brandon Rogers, Roanoke Gaming, B.Dylan Hollis, Zet0r, Jazmin Bean, Jammidodger, Genetically Modified Skeptic, U N D E R D O G S., Bob The Drag Queen, thequeenpriyanka, shiv_sewlal, Lovejoy, Viced Rhino, Primink.

[metalandmagi]

Winter 2021 Anime Worth Watching!

Since 2020 basically sacrificed itself to give us the most stacked anime season of all time, I’m currently buried under the weight of almost 20 shows airing per week. So for anyone who’s looking for some anime to watch this winter, here’s some first impressions! I’m speed running my list this time by only talking about the new shows...because otherwise this would be my great American novel. 

If anyone’s interested, I have master lists for both 2020 anime and 2019 anime, because there’s no shortage of fun things to find. 

New Shows!

And before anyone asks, So I’m A Spider, So What? isn’t on here, because CG spiders freak me out.

Cells At Work Code Black: This...less comedic spin off of Cells At Work (made by a different studio) takes the wholesome concept of Osmosis Jones meets cute anime girls and turns it on its head. In this much more depressing version, we follow a rookie red blood cell who works in the body of an overly stressed, alcoholic smoker who puts every strain on the body imaginable. I love Red Blood Cell AA2153 and his co-workers, but man am I glad we get the regular Cells At Work airing this season too, because I need something fun and uplifting after seeing my sweet son go through hell every episode. 

*Heaven’s Design Team: Have you ever wondered how God came up with some of the weird ass animals that live on this planet? Like, what’s the deal with giraffes? And why can’t we have dragons and flying horses? Well this is a comedy about the engineers and designers in heaven creating the new animals that are going to inhabit the Earth. That’s it, that’s the show. It’s kind of in the same vein as Cells At Work, having comedy blend with a surprising amount of educational information. If you want something light and funny, this is the show for you (though I don’t think it needs to have full length episodes). I’m just hoping there’s an episode about how the hell the platypus was created. Also it’s the only new one available on Crunchyroll.

Horimiya: A romantic comedy about a girl named Hori who fits the image of a perfect queen bee and a quiet bespectacled boy named Miyamura who never makes an impression at school. When the two meet by chance outside of the classroom, we see that Hori is practically raising a younger brother by herself, and Miyamura is actually a sweet guy who happens to be covered in tattoos and piercings. This show is an exercise in breaking down the images people have of others in their minds, and it’s a concept that really hits home in a fun and meaningful way. Honestly, this has become one of my immediate favorites. The characters have great chemistry, and I can’t wait to see more of them!

Monster Incidents (Kemono Jihen): When big shot Tokyo detective Inugami is called to a rural town to investigate a series of strange animal deaths, he finds a mysterious boy with the nickname Dorotabo who has been shunned by the other children in town. As the detective gets closer to Dorotabo, he discovers that there may be more...inhuman secrets to the boy than he realizes...and Dorotabo discovers that Inugami has some secrets of his own. This is a hard show to sell without spoiling the first episode, but it had twists and turns that kept me engaged from start to finish. I’m really interested to see where the plot goes, because I thought this was going to be something totally different just from the PV and series summary. If it plays its cards right, this could be a great paranormal detective show!

Wonder Egg Priority: A psychological drama about a girl named Ai who starts having dreams about a mysterious egg that promises to give her what she wants most in the world...a true friend. Before long, she begins to see how the dream world and reality are tied together, and trippy antics ensue. It’s hard to say more without spoiling anything, but I had to go back and add this one in because I made the mistake of thinking it was an OVA when it’s actually a full series. And what a series it’s starting out to be. This anime has all the psychological discomfort of a Satoshi Kon product with the beauty and style of something from Kyoani (even though it’s made by Clover Works). It’s really one of those anime you just have to see to understand.

Sk8-∞ (Skate the infinity): An original skateboarding anime from Bones, featuring a typical sports anime protagonist who takes a new transfer student who has never skateboarded in his life under his wing. Together they compete in dangerous races and take the skating community by storm. The character designs rival Appare Ranman’s in outlandish creativity, and I can smell the main characters’ ship dynamic a mile away (considering they’re exactly the same as the protagonists from Robihachi). If you’re looking for some wild and crazy fun with top notch skateboarding animation, don’t skip this!

2.43: Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-bu (Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Club): Yes, it’s another volleyball anime. And no, it’s not just a clone of Haikyu. This story follows Yuni Kuroba, a physically built but emotionally weak teenager who finds out his childhood friend Hajime is moving back to their hometown for high school. Yuni discovers Hajime has become an exceptional volleyball player and they join their school’s volleyball club hoping to turn the unknown team into a rising star. If anything, this anime is much more like Stars Align or Free, where the sport is a backdrop for letting the characters explore their personal problems. Or at least it seems that way after the first episode. I went into this show ready to throw it in the trash because how could anything compete against my beloved Haikyu, but I found myself really enjoying the dynamics of the main duo and I’m curious to see what the rest of the team is like.

And speaking of sports anime rip-offs…..I can’t believe I’m including this but…

Skate Leading Stars: The show where the animators clearly wanted to design another throw away idol anime but saw how popular Yuri On Ice was so they decided to make whatever the hell this show is instead. It revolves around a fictional team sport called skate leading, and we follow the world’s most insufferable main character, a former figure skater named Kensei who wants to return to the ice and join his school’s skate leading team after he finds out his childhood rival is going to compete in the sport. Look, this show is just trashy enough to get a certain type of audience hooked, and it mainly has to do with the best boy of the winter season, Hayato Sasugai, the aspiring team “coach” who pulled most of us into watching this show with his punk appearance, snide comments and smug personality. He’s basically the lovechild of Izaya Orihara and Shizuo Heiwajima in a high school sports anime setting. The show treats itself with the perfect amount of sincerity to get away with being absolutely ridiculous most of the time without making you feel like you’re watching it from a dumpster...like Try Knights. You will know after one episode whether this show is for you. All I can say is, Hayato is worth the watch, and I haven’t seen any 3D animation used for the skating scenes (yet) so that’s a win for me. 

Honorable mention:

Jobless Reincarnation ( Mushoku Tensei): Yet another isekai where the main character is hit by a car (big surprise) and gets reincarnated into a fantasy world...but he happens to remember his previous life and narrates himself growing up as a jaded adult. I’m only including this because it looked amazing animation wise, and I love the opening where getting hit by a car and dying is actually traumatic. And I love the protagonist’s parents (who are retired adventurers who just want to bang all the time). But honestly...the main character is the fucking worst, and I don’t know if I want to keep watching it because of how creepy and weird he is. Like...he’s the hit on your fantasy mom as a baby kind of creepy and weird. But for anyone who wants a cool looking isekai that had an amazing PV, it’s worth checking out. 

Continuing Series!

Because the real gold of the season is in all the established anime getting their next seasons, I’m just going to list some of the things that are also amazing and definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already (because I’ve already talked about most of them at some point and don’t know what else to say).

Attack On Titan season 4

The Promised Neverland season 2

Beastars season 2

Log Horizon season 3

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime season 2

Re: Zero season 2 (second cour)

Dr. Stone season 2

Cells at Work season 2

Osomatsu-san season 3 (second cour)

Higurashi New (second cour)

Jujutsu Kaisen (second cour) 

Not to mention all the shows I don’t watch that everyone else loves...like World Trigger (which I have seen quite a bit of, but long shounen shows are too much for me now) Quintessential Quintuplets, and Non Non Biyori. 

So there’s just some of all the anime airing this season. Hopefully, someone can find something they like. Here’s to a great year...well, of anime at least...