#douxie meta

[dreamcrow]

I need some Hot Crow Takes on what was the worst example of Villain Decay throughout ToA. also on what Leonora Janeth uses in her hair

send me a meta prompt (currently closed); thank you for the ask!

the arcane and esoteric mysteries of janeth's haircare regimen are beyond my humble (straight-haired) supposings. but for the villain decay? oh, morgana, hands down. 

gunmar is spooky, but a bit of a ham. for most of trollhunters, he’s also relatively distant. bular is a lot closer, and much more of an immediate threat, but he’s always ultimately subordinate (either to stricklander or his father) and he does, in the end, get got by a teenager. angor is initially presented as terrifying, and rightly so, but even if he becomes sympathetic he’s always formidable; stricklander starts out pretty nefarious (especially if you think about some of the implications of e.g. feeding bular a human security guard) but is of course, in proper gdt fashion, domesticated by wuv. obviously i have niche side blorbo brain fungus re: the arcane order but it's hard to assess their actual "villain decay" without having to think about That Film. at any rate, i don't think they're actually the worst example in toa: despite a concept/design that fucks so absolutely severely, once they get on screen, they're not actually built up all that much (or...well). it takes them less than the space of an episode (22 minutes) to go from "dread, ancient terrors that even merlin is afraid of" to "merlin shooing away them, the green knight, and their evil floating skull castle with less effort than he usually spares to criticize douxie." but that's another post.

morgana, though. part of what made her such a compelling villain was how little arthur figured in trollhunters. the existence of merlin implies the existence of arthur, of course, but in trollhunters arthur isn't there at all. instead, we get the negative space of him: his right hand (merlin) and the anti-arthur (morgana). obviously this is partly her role in arthuriana proper, but it also strikes me as pretty deliberate here: merlin's liege vs. merlin's student (and that liege's sister); humanity's last best hope vs. the queen of the otherworld; the king under the mountain vs. the witch under arcadia. i was not very tuned into morgana when i first got into trollhunters, but looking back over the series for this ask, the parallels are so obvious. and so tight! i wouldn't be surprised if some of this was even deliberate.

and the thing is: trollhunters has enough space as a series that its antagonists don't really have to pull their punches. morgana was nasty in trollhunters. pale lady, baba yaga, eldritch queen, mother of monsters—holy shit, right? and she's creepy, too: all muttering whispers and dread ancient magic! she takes angor’s soul, and then his free will. she taunts stricklander while possessing the body of one of his students (while threatening the permanent exile of two more to the depression dimension), and then in the guise of the human he's in love with. speaking to her faithful children—who only exist through morally dubious, unpleasant processes, for which she is implied to be responsible—via institutional heirloom phonograph! she's so much more connected to the shadow realm, here, probably the most compelling justification for reading shadow magic as dangerous. she's the big bad behind angor and gunmar (while playing them both against each other). she absolutely feels evenly paired with merlin, and (rightly) kicks his ass through most of the battle of the eternal night. she's evil but charismatic and even despite all that still a little human: when she taunts jim for not knowing merlin used her hand for the amulet, it isn't without a shadow of what must have been an ancient hurt.

and then. wizards. jesus christ (tired ben affleck smoking dot jpg)

[ » read the rest of the essay on ao3 ]

[sonicasura]

Isekai Game: Tales of Arcadia

You are sent to the world of Tales of Arcadia. With you are two characters not from the franchise, they will help you during your journey here. You will come across the series various characters and villains as you try to find a way home. Here are the rules:

One character must be from the last show/movie you watched.

One character must be from the last game you've played. If you don't play videogames, you can choose book characters! Playthroughs can also count if you don't want to choose the book option.

The characters must be a protagonist, at least good/turned good, or neutral in that respective franchise. EX: Gregory (FNAFSB), Glamrock Freddy, Roy Mustang, Donquixote Rosinante 'Corazon' etc

They have all their necessary equipment and abilities up to the current point. If a chosen character has a character that also counts as part of their arsenal, then they can be unlocked by finding a place associated. Ex: Glamrock Freddy for Gregory, can be unlocked by finding a specific pizzary or mall.

For me I got:

Tora from Ushio and Tora 2015

And Meta Knight from Kirby

My chances are really good albeit Meta Knight has to keep Tora from doing stupid. Plus both are easy to hide as Tora can just turn invisible to the spiritually unaware and the toy excuse can work on MK. Although my shoulders or back shall never be free again because both these guys will use me like a perch. Especially Tora. He already does it to Ushio so I ain't getting spared either. Then again Tora is my ride as I can't drive for shit. 🤷

I'll reek even more like cat, I got 5 cats btw, so guess befriending AAARRRGGHH wouldn't be difficult. Constant rambling with Blinky. Meeting Jim and the younger members is just gonna happen naturally. I'm in my mid 20s so you know the stranger danger accusation is against my ass. Better that we accidentally bump into each other or introduced by someone else. Though Meta Knight might have to keep Tora, Varvatos and Draal separated as they'll definitely wreck something together.

I have to use the familiar excuse if I run into Douxie, Zoe or Archie. Strickler, you ain't the only one who likes to conceal his wings either. Punch Merlin and hug Nari is on my to do list. It be absolutely hilarious to see everyone's reaction when Meta Knight easily kicks Gunmar or the Arcane Order's asses as if it was a workout. Tora can wreck them too but Meta is the true powerhouse.

How do you guys think your adventure would go?

Tagging: @pinkytoothlesso11 , @theslayerbrother , @bluheaven-adw

[starsweepers]

okay listen I've had the pleasure of reading your meta regarding Nari and Cleo and now I'm gonna get down on my knees and beg you to discuss how they would interact together. like I just feel like Nari has the patience and confidence to kinda breakdown Cleo's walls and help her deal with her anxieties and that together they could bond over their toxic family relationships and help each other cope and also Cleo getting to be in touch with her human origins for Nari like there are parallels and I feel like they'd make great friends but I want your view / opinion on that please and thank you and also I love you and your portrayals okay bye !

tbh i've had to think about this for a while because it never even occurred to me that you're right. in the long run, nari and cleo are... i don't want to say opposites, but they're not very much alike! for a myriad of reasons.

cleo, despite my adoring headcanons, is fairly superficial. she is still a princess, and she is used to being treated as such. regardless of her family being the pressure points they are, she is still spoiled. she has servants and can get pretty much anything she wants with daddy's money. nari, meanwhile, is a more humble being who prefers only the value of nature and finds technology and wealth to be a bit beyond her interests.

another thing is nari represents life and preservation. cleo is... kind of an antagonist to this. not necessarily by choice, but she quite literally opposes the existence of life as intended. nari may be capable of resurrection and whatnot, but she's never done it in a way that counteracts nature. arthur's resurrection was done by her siblings, leading to it to be rather disturbing and morbid. morgana's was done well enough with her help, and i often believe nari helped to pull douxie back from death. but she still maintains a level of... normal when she does so. cleo is not that. her heart is in a jar. she's left with powers and instability of her form. this fact would disturb nari, and she would call the mummification of cleo's family to be a terrible thing. something that... wouldn't really be wrong to say.

however, despite all this, you're not wrong in their shared ties. their familial pressures, their "disappointment" so to speak. this would indeed give them something to ground a relationship in. and while i believe nari would be a bit of a menace to cleo, i think she would ultimately support the young mummy. it would be... a chaotic and playful friendship. they both kind of annoy each other, but they understand a bit of where the other comes from. nari would probably annoy cleo to a degree due to nari's tendency to mischief and finding much of what cleo indulges in to be... ridiculous. cleo would most likely give nari a great deal of sass and frustration, but nari would take it in stride.

she would ultimately be quite patient with the mummy and try to guide her down a better path as she did. do what she believes in and not crumble to the pressure of her family who doesn't quite know her own heart... even if it is in a jar. nari might find cleo's existence a bit off, but knowing she was human and was put into this situation without much say, she'd want to protect this new, weird "life" of the other.

cleo is pretty old but not as ancient as nari. they would be like siblings in a way but... a much healthier way than cleo is with her sister, obviously. little teases to each other, ready to get under each other's skin while also supporting and able to talk to each other about issues they'd rather not address with others.

[inhonoredglory]

I thought this needed to be its own post, since it’s a huge meta and I really loved writing it.

The following is my attempt to analyze the symbolism and staging of @tenyai​ ‘s impeccable storyboards to Douxie and Merlin’s farewell, in the final episode of Wizards: Tales of Arcadia.

Teny, your boards and the thoughtfulness, heart, and passion you put into them have legit inspired me to take up boarding as a truly narrative, imaginative, and character-driven art. Thank you for these and for all the love. Your skill and craftsmanship and sincerity of emotion come shining through in these arts, and it warms my heart and fills me with absolute joy. I’ve been in awe of your handle of cinematographic symbolism ever since you teased so much meaning out of the final scene in Killahead Part 2, and I’ve changed my entire view on how to analyze scenes and characters on screen because of it. I cannot wait to see your analysis of this scene. It’s rich and powerful in ways I cannot even express.

People, please go check out her boards on her blog and at her professional portfolio on the website in her bio!!

______

Waking up in Merlin’s Study

First up, parallelisms… Merlin’s study is the symbol of everything Douxie is aspiring to in his life. It’s the heart of Merlin’s knowledge, his position as a master and a wizard. It’s full of things Douxie is off-limits to (like the safe or the time map), as we saw in the second episode. He’s always been a student and an inferior in this room; that’s why he considers it an ironic Hell. But unlike in “Dragon’s Den,” when he wakes up in this room on the floor, scared and confused––here instead, he wakes up on the table, surrounded by Merlin’s books, Merlin’s knowledge. And he’s much more comfortable and relaxed. Symbolically, he’s not scrubbing the floor anymore as an inferior.

I almost want to say that Merlin’s tables represent the places where Merlin crafts and makes things––like in “History in the Making” when he is shown making the amulet over one of the tables in his study. But in this case, the person Merlin had a hand in crafting was Douxie. And being a father to Douxie, by saving him from the streets, is Merlin’s greatest accomplishment. He may have saved Douxie, but Douxie took on a life of his own and surpassed Merlin’s wisdom, in a way much like the amulet took on a foresight far more wise than Merlin could have ever predicted (choosing a human to be the Trollhunter, despite Merlin’s belief that a human wasn’t enough).

Walking to the Light

After Douxie wakes up, we get the walk towards the Light, with Merlin starting out in the Light and by the end of this scene, falling into Shadow. Symbolizing Douxie’s growth and perception of Merlin, and symbolizing Merlin’s position as Master Wizard of this realm and his willful relinquishing of that role to Douxie. At first, Douxie wakes up, thinking about his past in this room and all the service he did for his master––who in this shot appears as a hazy halo-ed vision speaking down at him from the unattainable glow: “Hello there, boy,” said with the kind of judgmental snide Douxie’s used to from Merlin.

Then they start walking and then we hit the window at the far end of the room, a kind of apex in the parabolic staging of Douxie and Merlin’s movement through the scene––with the arc going from the back of the room and the table, to the window, and swinging again to the back, this time from the right side of the room. Merlin’s dialogue when we hit the window is important. He’s first talking about how he’s dead and vaporized into soot, etc, and then he opens the time map and asks, “The question really is, Why are you here?” A charged, thematically rich question placed right when we see the mingle of blue and green light from the time map’s lenses––the mingling of these two’s lives through the ages, the summation of all Douxie’s insecurities and all Merlin’s expectations, all Douxie’s greatest mistakes and his greatest triumphs.

Why Are You Here?

Why is he here? At this point, Douxie’s finally let go, he’s accepted Merlin’s death, accepted the title of successor, accepted his gifts and powers and heroism. And he’s accepted that death is part of the job of Master Wizard if it means saving those he’s sworn to protect. So why is he here? Because he’s done everything and more that a true Master Wizard is supposed to do. He’s equalled Merlin, nay––surpassed him in heroism, wisdom, and responsibility. The mingling of the time map’s lights symbolizes that Douxie has achieved everything Merlin represented to him, and more.

And then Douxie touches the Light, looking out into the glow of the hereafter, saying nothing (I love that and makes me crave for his thoughts).

There’s something so fundamentally and chillingly introspective and metaphysical here in this shot for me. It comes on the heels of not only “Why are you here” but also “I am most certainly dead. You saw me vaporize into soot.” Cuz that’s what happens when we all go, isn’t it? You might be the wisest person on this earth, mastered all there is to know about life, become the greatest wizard, lived a thousand years and more, and still in the end, you will die, and to the dust you will return. Maybe Douxie’s thinking, Am I here because I’m dead too? Because my body is gone, because somewhere out there beyond the stained glass is the explanation of the mystery of what happens when we die? Because even if you master life, there is no mastery over death, because none of us will ever feel what it truly is to be on the other side until we get there?

Separate and Equal

Symbolically, with the lighting, it also means Douxie’s touched Wisdom/Maturity in a way. If the hazy glow of Merlin at the start was from this Light, from this Unattainable Essence––then by the time of this staging’s apex, Douxie has achieved what Merlin has. He’s touched the thing that he has sought for so long. He too can be framed by the Light of the person he wanted to be. So now, we see Douxie talking back to Merlin, and not being silent anymore.

Merlin and Douxie are on the same plane now––as equals. We get the vitally important shot of them side by side, Douxie laughing off Merlin’s disapproval, both of them framed by the Light, both of them standing on their own, balanced by the pillars and the light, each of them solid and independent, separate and equal.

Douxie’s Need for Validation

And then we get to the other side of the parabola, the shift in Merlin’s dialogue from disapproval to one of admiration and pride. “I can see you no longer need my validation.”

This line kills me, because you can see in Douxie’s face that yes, he does. Oh how he desperately wants it. But he’s worked so hard to NOT need it, so that he can grow and flourish. And Douxie falls back into that quiet again, waiting on Merlin’s every word, because his rebellious veneer is stripped right now. Merlin’s hitting on the core of his needs, the source of his insecurity. In the film version, he’s even holding his hands together in front of him, and if that body language means anything to me, it’s Douxie feeling small and childlike again, needing and wanting something from his Dad but not having the courage to tell him.

Staging-wise, Douxie’s still very much following Merlin. He’s behind him, chasing after him, looking up to him. The “ancient Draconic” stand-off was the first and most important show of Douxie’s growth, born from Douxie’s own gumption and sass, when Merlin for the first time in this scene walked up to *Douxie* instead of the other way around, even if it was to judge him:

But like any good hero’s journey, after one win, our hero gets a setback, a reminder of his failures, before he wins again. And this time, it’s Douxie feeling like this latest monologue from Merlin is again some kind of judgement, some kind of backhanded lecture. Would his show of strength and independence fall on deaf ears?

“Remember when I told you that magic is mastery over life?” Merlin says, holding up an alchemy bottle and then a book––tools of the trade, spellcraft and tricks. All the things Merlin taught him. In a huge way, Merlin wasn’t there for the real lessons Douxie learned to become truly wise. Douxie became strong and selfless and kind because he had to, because those were the ways he knew in his heart would take him on the path to reaching that wisdom of life Merlin was talking about. I wonder if there’s something to the fact that once Merlin starts saying, “Nine hundred years you’ve guarded this realm…” he puts the book away––putting away his own knowledge and symbolically recognizing that Douxie’s wisdom has taken him far past Merlin’s own teachings, and that in the 900 years that went by, Douxie has guarded this realm with a mastery of life all his own.

In the final version, the moment Merlin says, “You’ve disrupted time, freed ancient beasts,” that’s when Douxie drops his hands, stops walking, and looks down––a brushstroke reminder of his guilt on doing these things, things that Merlin disapproved of, but things Merlin is now seeing as good and right things to do.

And then we get to the shot of the amulet blueprints, and the wonderful crowning statement of Douxie’s morality: “You’ve… fought to save one life at the risk of countless others.” Meaning Jim, meaning the very person who inspired Douxie to take his selflessness that one step further and set aside his own life so that he could save everyone. Because every life is precious. I find it fascinating that on this line in the boards, Douxie silently fist-slams the table, disappointment all over his face. While Merlin, now in Shadow, has a look of wistful regret.

This shot is so pack full of meaning, and I keep adding to this interpretation...

Douxie for so long has been stripped down for everything he’s done, been criticized by Merlin for being different from him. In some ways, he thinks this latest monologue is more of the same, more ways in which he’s disappointed his father. And clearly, despite his growth, it still hurts him.

And it hurts him that while Merlin is talking about saving Jim’s life, Douxie never really was able to save him. Douxie died while Jim was still corrupted. He died only seeing Jim lose himself to the Green Knight. He never saw Claire’s heroism in bringing Jim back. Personally, Douxie failed.

But even more than that, it hurts him that for all his love for Merlin, he could not save him. He might give his life to save the world, but he cannot bring Merlin back from the grave. Every life is precious and he would risk countless to save just one. But he couldn’t save the one that meant the most to him.

Merlin recognizing he’s wronged Douxie

In the end, Merlin here isn’t talking Douxie down, even as he’s pointing out their differences. He’s in awe at this idealism Douxie possesses. He’s not criticizing him, he’s not being wry or ironic. Merlin looks up at the portrait, knowing that it wasn’t him who gave Douxie this outlook on life. It wasn’t his harsh treatment that gave Douxie his beautiful soul. Douxie had it all along, and Merlin was too dense to see it and nourish it.

So what Merlin says next hits even deeper––

“And yet, despite such relentless hardships…” Merlin’s looking up at the portrait. He’s looking at himself. He’s looking at everything he’s done to Douxie that’s burdened his son with that guilt, that insecurity, that fear, that emotional abandonment. He’s acknowledging here his part in the trauma of Douxie’s life, and his regret is that all this time, it was Douxie who was the better man than he was.

And then we get the symbolic shot––“Despite such relentless hardships, you managed to protect those dearest to you”––with Merlin in Shadow and Douxie lit from behind with the Light. A reversal of the opening shot of this scene, when it was Merlin in the Light and Douxie, unsettled, in the Shadow. This is finally Merlin laying down his ego, seeing in Douxie the strength and force of love and protectiveness he never had. The very thing Merlin didn’t do, when he didn’t protect Douxie all those years, when he let his son down, when he left him and ignored him and took him for granted. When he didn’t give the person dearest to him the love he deserved.

Resolution

And finally, it’s Merlin walking *up* to Douxie, Merlin falling in Douxie’s shadow, and Douxie being once and finally again on an equal plane with his master and peer. “My Hisirdoux, what a life you’ve lived. What a wizard you’ve become.” This is the climax of Douxie’s parabolic hero’s journey in this room. Merlin has at long last given to him what he desperately needed to hear––pure, unadulterated pride in his father’s eyes, and an honest and sincere expression of love, kindness, and emotion.

It’s too much for Douxie’s desperate heart, and he collapses into his father’s arms, releasing 900 years of pent-up emotions and need.

(Is that symbolically why Merlin’s always in armor and Douxie never had any––cuz he’s fragile and bare in the face of Merlin’s cold, callous exterior?)

After that hug (waaaah TEARS, every. freaking. time), we once again are treated to the Light symbolism. First again to show how equal these two men are––Merlin importantly a step down from his son, with the light behind Douxie. And then to show the time map, glimmering with a calm, peaceful, happy equality.

Life and Death

And now we’re in scene denouement, as Merlin and Douxie walk to the end of the parabola (past the first table and eventually out the door). Fascinatingly, in the boards, Douxie glances around the room and then his eyes I believe land on the table he woke up in earlier, before the scene cuts and we get a shot of that same table, panning up to reveal Merlin and Douxie facing the doorway to the hereafter.

And in my brain, it’s like we’ve come full circle in Douxie’s life arc. If waking on your back is birth, snarking about your tough childhood, and now after all you’ve gone through, you look back on that time at the end of your days, ready to face what comes after death…. (well, that’s what it means to me anyway).

Douxie’s fully prepared to leave the mortal world. That’s how far he’s come in his maturity. He closes his eyes, accepting the unknown and resting in the confidence of who he is.

The Hero’s Journey

But like any good hero’s journey, the end isn’t to leave the ordinary world with the boon of your new knowledge and wisdom. It is to return to your home and share that knowledge with others, to use what you have gained and become a teacher and protector for your family and community.

Merlin gives him one last lesson, one last parting gift to tell him, Hey, you have more power than you even imagine you possess. Your rebellious spirit made you who you are today, and it’s what will keep you alive and fighting because it’s your gift and how you protect the world. Your way.

Merlin’s parting sign of the horns is the cherry on top of this whole thing, a perfectly subtle way of Merlin acknowledging who Douxie is, accepting it, and celebrating it. Saying goodbye to his son in a language meant for him. Douxie’s tears at the end (wish they got into the final oof!) speaks volumes to his beautifully mingled emotions––amusement at Merlin’s gesture and a poignant love that he did it for him. I tear up just thinking about the look on Douxie’s face and what it all means in his heart.

Anyway, that’s a wrap, folks. I love Douxie with my entire soul. Thank you for sharing these boards, Teny, and for putting your heart and tears into this masterwork of a scene. (I listened to “Moving On” to write this for the Mood and guhh, it’s a tear-jerker gosh.) This fandom is incredibly lucky to be the recipients of your favorite sequence in your career to date. It’s been an absolute pleasure to see your work and feel the heart you poured into them.

[everlastingfable]

The animation in this scene was just spectacular. I love how we got to see Archie immediately comforting Douxie after he was tortured. You can see how distressed and out of it Douxie is at the moment, and how Archie’s presence is very needed to give him some sense of stability.

In this post, it's been discussed that Douxie is probably prone to anxiety and has gotten panic attacks before. The way Archie immediately goes to comfort Douxie, and what looks like is purring, tells me that Archie frequently helps Douxie through these highly emotional moments. This is such a small moment, but it's so wonderful to see them again and again to show us that this is an actual part of the characters and not some one-time thing for the plot.

[piracytheorist]

for @micromys

What I find interesting here is how Douxie knows he won’t be remembered, because he lived through nine centuries with no-one ever mentioning the name Hisirdoux Casperan. It’s not out of pure humility - he’s being realistic. In the beginning of Wizards, he talks about how he and Archie are unappreciated, yet still keeping the world safe. Here, even though he got what he was looking for - Merlin approving of him as a Master Wizard, by proof of finally getting his own staff - Douxie laments the fact that no matter what he does in the battle to come, his name won’t make history the way Arthur’s or Merlin’s will. He doesn’t hide the impact this has on him and his feelings. Yet still, he’s determined to do his best and do what’s right. It’s yet another step of his path to defining himself the way he is and wants to be, not how others see him as. History would see him as nothing; but he won’t allow himself to be nothing.

[aspoonofsugar]

Wizards: “I can fix It”

Douxie’s catchphrase is “I can fix it” and I think it conveys an important theme (if not the main theme) of the spinoff series.

This is because this same concept appears over and over throughout the series, even if sometimes the words used are different:

These are just some of the occurrences where the motif of fixing/breaking appears. Let’s see what it means and how it is linked to what is probably the main theme of the whole franchise:

DOUXIE AND MERLIN: REDEMPTION FROM A SCORNED MENTOR

Douxie’s obsession with making things right has to do with his wish to win Merlin’s approval. He feels he has been failing for 900 years and he wants to finally prove to his mentor and father figure that he has grown. He can make things right now.

This is why the plot literally starts with Douxie failing to bring everyone to safety and ending up lost in time with the others. Since then, he has been trying to fix things. This idea evolves in not only going back to the future he left, but also into making a better future:

Douxie and the others try to fix the relationship between Morgana and Arthur, but this ends badly since not only Morgana dies, but also Excalibur is broken.

Douxie tries to fix things, to make them better, but the result is that Excalibur (aka the only weapon which can be used against Gunmar) is broken.

Here, we are introduced to a statement, which is the opposite of Douxie’s motto:

It is not by chance that Merlin is the one stating this because throughout the series he comes to embody this line of thought. Merlin never tries to fix what is broken if it means other things might get lost. He never risks anything to make things truly better, but fights to keep things from degenerating. For example, he loses Morgana, but does not try to save her. What he does is to try not to lose Douxie as well. In the time travel section, Merlin’s objective is not to make history better, but to make sure things go as they should. This means some things are lost, but also others are gained and safe.

This kind of behaviour works to keep the world balanced, but it does not solve the main conflict to the point that 900 years later things are still like they used to be in the past. The Order is still trying to destroy humanity. Morgana and Arthur are still not at peace. The world still needs a trollhunter and so on.

This is why it is symbolic that Merlin does not fix Excalibur, but Douxie does:

And he does so by doing things his way and not Merlin’s.

The time travel arc is solved because Douxie and Merlin work together. Merlin’s struggle to preserve history and Douxie’s one to make it better balance each other out and in the end they succeed in saving the future they all know.

That said, the difference in POVs between Merlin and Douxie is still there and it manifests when discussing Jim’s fate.

Merlin wants to sacrifice Jim for the greater good, but Douxie refuses and comes up with a plan to win everything. He wants to fix things completely and not to lose anything. The result is that he loses everything:

Merlin dies and Douxie is once again confronted with what his mentor told him in Camelot:

Some things just can’t be fixed and the fact that loss is gonna happen must be accepted. It is something at the root of life itself. Who refuses this truth is bound to stay a prisoner of the past.

ARTHUR AND THE ORDER: “OUR REDEMPTION”

Arthur talks about redemption twice, but the meaning behind the word changes each time. The first time, Arthur wants to find redemption by reconciling with his sister. The second time, he wants to destroy the world to make things right.

This is important for two reasons.

a) “Redemption” is just another word for “fixing it”. A redemption happens when a person makes a mistake and then fixes his mistake. This is why Douxie himself wants a “redemption from a scorned mentor”.

Douxie and Arthur even have an important scene where they discuss this topic:

In there Douxie inspires Arthur not to give up just because he made mistakes. He should instead try to make things right.

b) The different kinds of “redemption” the king mentions show the danger of embracing the mentality of “making things right” to an unhealthy degree:

After all, the Order and Arthur’s objective is “to fix the world”, but in order to do so they are ready to destroy humanity.

Why is their mentality wrong? Shouldn’t the idea of “fixing things” be a noble one? Sure, it might be difficult to succeed, but generally the attempt of mending a mistake is considered as positive, isn’t it?

The antagonists show that this is not always the case. As a matter of fact the will “to fix all mistakes” can lead to extreme standpoints and to a refusal to embrace change.

This is made clear by both Arthur and the Order.

When it comes to the Order, they are trying to bring the world back to how it used to be. Still, they refuse that things have changed and that they can’t go back. This is why they are symbolically trapped in a time loop first:

And then in an infinite series of doors:

It is because they refuse to go on.

The same can be said about Arthur:

He could never overcome the loss of his beloved and  ended up stuck in the past and unable to accept the future with its contradictions. This is why it is meaningful that he is killed by the remnants of Camelot (something broken, which can’t be fixed) and that he is told by Morgana that times have changed:

Let’s once again highlight here his foiling with Douxie. As a matter of fact Douxie too must accept the death of a loved one:

He is even symbolically asked to “break Merlin’s staff” to progress in his mission. Here, breaking the staff is functional to the plot, but it is also symbolic of Douxie’s grief and of him breaking free of his idea that he has to fix everything. Like Merlin said, not everything can be fixed.

Interestingly, Arthur’s grief is commented by the breaking/fixing motif as well. As a matter of fact Excalibur breaks when Morgana dies. In that situation, the sword breaking is symbolic of Arthur’s own heart and character breaking. He is supposed to be the chosen one, but he gave himself up to hate and lost everything:

Merlin: “I will repair Excalibur and perhaps mend out shattered hearts.”

In the past, Arthur is given a chance to fix his mistakes. Excalibur is fixed and he bonds with the trolls he had persecuted. However, in the end he becomes too broken to be fixed once again and he dies as a prisoner of his own shadows. All because he can’t accept his losses and his mistakes.

WIZARDS MAKE NO MISTAKES, HE MAKES UNEXPECTED POSSIBILITIES

So, not everything can be fixed, but at the same time it is necessary to try to make things better. How can one do so? The answer is given to us by Merlin.

Mistakes must be seen as new possibilities. Sometimes bad things happen, but they can still change a person’s life for the better, if the person is able to keep an open mind.

If the person keeps going, if they keep becoming they can embrace possibilities, which just were not there.

This is why it is not necessary to fix everything in the sense of bringing everything as it was. It is impossible and it is wrong. What a person can do is to make things better in a new way.

This is how Douxie tricks the Order:

The Heart of Avalon is not there anymore, which means they can’t go back in time to fix it. However, fragments of it are still there and they can be used to make something new:

I personally loved how the time-loop trick worked because it builds on what happened in D’Aja vu, when magic and technology were combined. It was a nice idea and very symbolic of what these two worlds (which are clearly linked) can obtain when they integrate.

In the end, Douxie does not fix everything. He gives the Seals away to save Nari and the others. The Order is still around waiting for their chance to strike. However, he still saved his friends.

The same can be said about the major subplots of the season. In the end Morgana and Arthur’s relationship was impossible to mendle. However, she still mendles her relationship with Merlin:

Moreover, Claire manages to save Jim. Not only that, but Jim comes back as a human. Even in that case, though, the trollhunter amulet is broken.

Still, this does not mean that everything is lost, but that there is room for new possibilities:

Being it Jim or someone else, a new hero will probably answer Excalibur’s call and end the conflict. Another person will keep on becoming.

MAGIC IS THE ART OF LIVING

This brings us to how the spinoff explores the idea of becoming, like the rest of the franchise does.

This idea is presented at the very beginning of the series, when Douxie is told by Merlin this:

Magic is the art of living and living is different than simply existing. Living means existing in an active way.

It means to make good use of the chances you are given:

It means not to run away from who you are:

You can and must do it both if you are “remarkable”:

And if you are “nobody”:

This is because it does not matter who you are in present, but who you can become:

Once again the foiling between Douxie and Arthur brings the point home.

Arthur is the chosen one, while Douxie is nobody:

Still, Arthur is the series main antagonist, while Douxie is the main hero. This is because they have decided to become different people:

This is also why “every life is precious”. It is because every individual can become something amazing:

Still, to do so, they must accept change, face fear and find a place of belonging:

[hisirdovx]

we talk a lot abt unbecoming in the aftermath of rott, but tbh, i think the oath has some really strong moments that hit the same beats rott was trying to do with jim. he actively chooses to destroy the amulet with no knowledge of the fact that merlin will be around to rebuild it, i think maybe in part because of what he learned in unbecoming. with or without the amulet, he’s the trollhunter, and he’ll still do everything he can to stop gunmar.

and also the way dictatious mentions that the staff and amulet are connected through merlin’s magic... if destroying merlin’s staff was what it took for douxie to say goodbye and vow to protect the world in his own way without the guidance of merlin, then having the amulet be destroyed for good should have been what led jim to do the same for himself. that should have been his rott arc. 

...i just think a lot about how much time jim spent in trollhunters going against what everyone expected him to do as the trollhunter, only for him to fall back to thinking that the mantle isn’t his anymore simply because the symbol is gone.

[sergeantsporks]

On Excalibur

Excalibur being a blade that chooses the “worthy” is a bunch of bull excrement. In this essay, I will--

Okay, seriously, though. Let’s talk about Excalibur. I see a lot of “Douxie should wield Excalibur! Jim should wield Excalibur! Steve should wield Excalibur!” and, uh, while all great and also beautiful fanart, my guys, it’s all a waste of time.

The character’s worth isn’t tied to that sword (which I know wasn’t anyone’s claim, but anyway, just hear me out). That sword doesn’t GET to decide who’s worthy. The sword is, for better or worse, a sword. Its decision-making abilities are moot point. Why, you ask?

Because it allowed Arthur to wield it twice. And then was able to be corrupted by the Order and chose Arthur again. Then it didn’t let Jim pull it out? Or fuzzbuckets, didn’t let Toby pull it out? I don’t think it has a set of criterion it’s following. With the amulet, the trollhunter ought to be brave, loyal, selfless. It has a set of standards you have to meet. Excalibur? I’ll get to it.

Nimue’s standards seem to be... obscure... as well. She initially judged Douxie to be “unworthy” then changed her mind 5 minutes later. Yes, he let her free, and that’s why. HOWEVER, if Nimue could really “see into people’s hearts” she’d see who Douxie was. Douxie would have freed her upon knowing the truth at any point, that’s just who he is. So that action alone shouldn’t make a difference except in Nimue’s personal preferences which isn’t a great criterion for magic weapons. So, what are Excalibur’s standards? Here we go.

You just have to believe in yourself.

That’s it.

That’s the standard.

No inherent character traits, no bravery or loyalty or kindness or goodness. You just have to believe in yourself.

Think about it. Nimue judged Douxie to be worthy when he freed her. Up until that point, he doubted every decision he made. In fact, everyone in the cave at that point was none too confident in themselves, and thus were judged unworth (I’m sure Merlin was technically confident but r e v e n g e) But that decision, the decision to free Nimue? Douxie was absolutely positively certain that was the right thing to do at that moment. He had conviction. He believed in himself. And he was judged worthy.

Arthur, for better or for worse, was very confident in what he was doing. Both alive and dead. He believed staunchly what he was doing was right, except for two instances. The second instance, when he’d been turned down by the trolls. Excalibur wasn’t being wielded at that point, can’t say anything about its standards. But the first moment? When he’d killed Morgana. He didn’t believe in himself. He was furious with himself. He lost his conviction. And in that moment? He broke Excalibur. He made Excalibur UNWIELDABLE BY HIM.

Toby, by his own admission “just had to try.” He never thought he could pull Excalibur out, so he didn’t. He wasn’t expecting anything to happen, so nothing did.

Jim, at the time he tried to pull it, has lost faith in himself. He’s not even sure he’s the trollhunter anymore. And Excalibur doesn’t budge.

We all KNOW that Jim is worthy by literally any other standard. And I’d say Toby is as well. But believing in themselves? Yeaaaaahhhh not so much.

So, yeah. Excalibur doesn’t judge anyone’s “worthiness.” No one is “worthy” enough to wield Excalibur. They’re simply confident enough.

[jeans-ong-ong]

Non-binarism in Tales of Arcadia

I have to say the truth - I have some very conflicted feelings about the depiction of the characters Skrael and Bellroc in the series Tales of Arcadia: Wizards.

Bellroc is on the right and Skrael on the left in the image.

Their design is awesome; skulls on the head are a fixation of mine, and those eyes on the shoulder straps of Bellroc? Absolutely fantastic. Their voices are both very interesting and refreshing in a somewhat incredibly cis-heteronormative show, so that was immediately a great joy for me to see. From the wiki, it also seems like they both use they/them pronouns, and belong to Primordial Magic (which reminds me of the sacred narrative of deviation from binary gender type, what is different is somehow also closer to spirituality). I’m also going to add that I loved their scenes, and one of the funniest moments in the entire saga for me was the interaction between Steve and Skrael* - they were enjoyable.

However, I’m a little concerned about the fact that these are the only characters that depict non-heteronormativity and they are probably the most powerful enemies. 

Rewind In the cast we have two male wizards: Merlin and Hisirdoux, both positive characters; three female witches (one is technically a demigod): Claire, the positive character, Morgana and Nari, both started out as enemies but changed their mind during the story;  two non-binary demigods: Skrael and Bellroc, both negative. This show has a history of having enemy characters turn to the good side in the last minute, but I doubt it will happen to them.

Is it that bad? No, I’m definitely not going to accuse the writers of transphobia, it’s actually interesting to see super cool and powerful non binary entities once in a while. However it is a bit tasteless for them to be only enemies -  especially if we add the fact that one of the characters of the Zeron Brotherhood, Omega, referred as brother, had a female voice actor and I read that (positively) as a non binarish thing (even if we should take in consideration alien gender identity, gender presentation, roles and biology to judge this properly, but that’s something that wasn’t explored in the show).

Now, apparently, to look for an image of this character, I found out that the wiki defines Zeron Omega as female, and the brother term is used only as symbolism, which confuses me, but that’s okay. In conclusion: I wish I had more material to come to a conclusion! This saga is almost over, and I wish it was a little bit queerer; the point of this show are not relationships and i get that, however identity is a central theme, so umh - yeah I’ll write my own things someday and yadda yadda. I always find it annoying when people accuse creators of transphobia for such little things, so i won’t do that. I just think it’s important to remember that in the history of literature, talking about homosexuality was only permitted if the character was a negative one, or if they did not end up in a good place in life. I believe this narrative habit became an habitus, and we still find traces of it in current media and literature. I don’t have the time and energy to look up some sources on this type of phenomenon, but I definitely will someday, and maybe I’ll write more in depth about it.  *Actually, about Skrael and Steve’s interactions, there’s something further to be said: as fun as they were, they did remind me slightly of the tropes about sadistic gay men and gay panic, especially when Skrael caresses Steve’s face before preparing to kill him. It’s very slight, but it’s there. Thanks for reading, cheers!

[archaeopter-ace]

Another possible theory for Douxie’s longevity: 

What if it has something to do with Archie being his familiar? Suppose that when a wizard bonds with their familiar, they begin to share ‘life force,’ or whatever, so that neither will outlive the other. Usually, when wizards take normal cats as familiars (or normal magical cats), this means extending the cat’s lifespan by several decades. But since Archie is actually a dragon, this meant that Douxie’s lifespan got extended instead. 

An interesting implication of this would be that Archie is actually only ~19 in dragon years ;P

[douxie-casperan]

[If Tales of Arcadia has taught us anything is that even the smallest details are never an accident, even if it’s not directly mentioned or it comes up later these things are there for a reason. Thus this brings a question:]

[Excalibur prior to being shattered had a red gem, when the Lady reforged the blade it is visually shown turning into green one, a colour we associate with Merlin despite it’s recreation being down to Douxie’s own choices which seems strange. Looking at gemstones specifically instead however, Rubies are often thought of as the colour of blood and of love, giving the wielder the strength and perspective from their (Now broken) heart. Emeralds in comparison a sign of spring, new beginnings and seeing things with new clearer eyes.]

[Both Merlin and Arthur’s own clouded perspectives start to gradually shift and they will share a legendary blade in common in doing so.]

[inhonoredglory]

Tales of Arcadia, fighting toxic masculinity in traditional male hero arcs since 2016 🤘

[everlastingfable]

@spoon-cca sent me these screenshots and I'm filled with rage

literally what the heck douxie spent nearly an eon being an apprentice and waiting on merlin. Doing his bidding, staying in the shadows, and being emotionally abused by the man

And finally, in wizards he finally got merlin's trust, a staff, he became a master wizard, and generally gained confidence in himself and his abilities

And now all that is gone, for what? "Living an existence of quiet desperation" like what a massive fuck you

It's not even like going back that far does anything in terms of stopping the arcane order, it's all so pointless

[piracytheorist]

What can I say about this scene? How computer-generated pixels showed and portrayed so much emotion, for Merlin, to finally recognize his mistake in not acknowledging Douxie's potential all along, and for Douxie to unexpectedly get the validation he'd been craving, the lack of which hurt him so much. Because he sacrificed himself to protect his friends and the world, not expecting anything from his master in the afterlife. Yet he gets it, he realizes Merlin sees the real him and recognizes his growth and greatness, and not by any attempt to impress him. It's real and after Douxie's adventure, losing his master, sacrificing what was left of him, then sacrificing himself, it's so fulfilling even though he's not fully ready to move on. Because despite his bravery, there was still a part of him that was scared. And then he could finally let go of that. And all that is just so wonderfully expressed through the animation, the lighting and soft colouring, which are so amazing and so on point for the context that I didn't even want to change anything while making those gifs. It’s a moment of redemption, of closure, and it deserved the excellent work done by the creators.

This is just one of the moments in Wizards that will stay with me no matter how much time will pass. And I’m so grateful it exists.

[yellowmagicalgirl]

Personal Thoughts on how Wizardly Magic Works in the Tales of Arcadia Universe

So, I first detailed these thoughts in my fic Something I’ve Forgotten, Curled Up, Died. and then again in the 10th chapter of Once and Maybe Future, but I wanted to list them out somewhere that isn’t fic that people don’t read before we get an official Three Rules of Magic when Wizards releases

Wizards are either born with their magic (that they would have gained from a magical bloodline), or they gain it from repeated exposure to powerful magic in very early childhood. Children from magical bloodlines have a tendency to be more powerful than children who had repeated exposure, but that’s because children from magical bloodlines are also more likely to receive the proper training from a young age.

Wizards have a reservoir of magic, which is to say they can only use so much magic before they are forced to either rest to replenish their reservoir or use dark magic. A reservoir can be expanded, but it takes a lot of time and practice.

Dark magic is not evil because it can be used offensively. It is not evil because it is associated with shadows. It is not evil just because it feeds on negative emotions. In fact, many would argue that even though dark magic is not inherently evil, but it merely provides a path towards evil

A lot of wizards who use dark magic have done so in desperation because they don’t have enough magic left in their reservoir. This often kills them because dark magic eats life forces. This death is especially painful if one tried to use dark magic to heal oneself, because it creates a feedback loop.

It is possible to create what others call a dark reservoir. This is not a second reservoir of magic, but rather a barrier between one’s life force and one’s magic. It is even more difficult to form and grow a dark reservoir than a regular reservoir, which leads a lot of wizards who use dark magic to use the life forces of others. This is why dark magic is seen as evil. 

Claire is a special case, because due to her usage of the Shadow Staff and Morgana manipulating Claire’s body into a proper host her dark reservoir is much larger than her normal one.

Magic was more common back in the days of Merlin and Morgana, but a lot of wizards were killed by Gumm-Gumms and changelings (and maybe some aliens?) so their traditions and bloodlines have been lost.

There are entire modern wizarding communities that live somewhat unconnected from the rest of the modern world. There is actually a small one near the New Jersey hearthstone, but there isn’t one in Arcadia Oaks. (The magic shop is really more of a New Age bookstore where some of the books and artifacts are actually magical and the rest are just there.) This is unfortunate because there are a lot of people with latent magic from living above the Heartstone.

Usually, a wizard that grew up in a magical household will cast their first spell at five or six years old, but gifted children will sometimes cast at an earlier age. This first spell is usually something very small, like levitating a plate. (Though, I also have the mental image of three to four year old Douxie stimming, as autistic preschoolers are wont to do, and then his face just lighting up in utter delight as he forms a fireball in each hand. His family members are just going, “Aww, he’s a wizard, how sweet... oh crap we gotta childproof and fireproof everything now.”)

A wizard who didn’t grow up in a magical household would often be found by an older wizard who sensed their latent magic... though in modern times it’s entirely possible that a wizard will discover their powers by accidentally casting a spell they found on the internet. Otherwise, their magical abilities will only manifest as being effectively a toned down sort of Spider-Senses.

Familiars aren’t that common, but they do exist... however, Archie behaves very differently from a normal familiar. More human, for one thing.