#i stay respect of course

[homochihuahua]

If you as an author think that a comment makes you happy, imagine how I, one of your fans, feel about a reply.

[rakiah]

There’s so much Leovil moments in this event how you feeling??☺️☺️

Oh I’m following the JP releases so yes, I yelled a lot back then when the event was out! It was soooo Leovil coded, bless them for the food! And we waited for so long to have it in the EN server damn! But oh boy, worth the wait! As I said, it’s like the official translators just gave in, no more effort to be subtle when Leona and Vil are interacting, they fully embraced the “ok it’s canon! Have your regular mom and dad flirting in vacations in front of the kids and the weird uncle. We tried OKAY?”

I’ll never recover from "I’ll show you the time of your life".

So yup, I’m feeling pretty delighted~ Plus I love the relation between Leona and Kifaji, (I can’t use "Neji" sorry) behind the railleries and criticisms you can feel how much they care and respect each other and it’s just pure gem for me, I root for them with all my heart (っ˘ω˘ς

And now, all the china knows Leona was a crybaby.

[idkwhatimdoingbutslay]

I don’t personally view any endings as “this is what the narrative wants you to believe SHOULD have happened considering the circumstances/ this is the fate they deserve”. After seeing the alternate universes and Jayce coming back to reverse their fates, I think the whole thing is just about choices.

Jinx didn’t have to escape the way she did. She chose to.

Jayce did have to die with Viktor. He chose to.

Caitlyn and Vi didn’t have to end up together. They chose to.

Ekko didn’t have to save Jinx or leave the AU. He chose to.

Mel didn’t have to help the take down of her mother and (presumably, I guess) become the leader of Noxus. She chose to.

The narrative worked out the way that it did because those were the decisions the writers found fitting for the characters. No one has to agree with the decisions of the characters and trying to quantify what characters deserve seems like a waste of time to me. It’s not that the narrative is saying “this had to happen/ this character deserved this ending because of this and that,” but these are the decisions the characters are making with the hands they were dealt.

Arcane isn’t a story with morals* beyond the intersections of love, choice and fate.

*by morals I mean how you learn to not be dramatic because no one will believe you when the real thing happens from the story about The Boy Who Cried Wolf or how you learn to never judge a book by its cover lest you miss what they have on the inside from The Beauty and The Beast. It’s not here to teach you a lesson, it’s just human introspection.

[tethys-the-aquatic-sea-godness]

The worst thing is, Viconia would've fit perfectly in Shadowheart's storyline. From Viconia's (non-romanced) epilogue, we know this:

Viconia does found a cult of Shar in Waterdeep and she is betrayed by one of her followers. She is, not Shar. Shar, in fact, admonishes Viconia for this, showing she clearly never ordered that. And Viconia does not give a damn. This is the woman who left the cult of Lolth and went to the 'lighter' option that was Shar (compared to Lolth). She already deals with agents sent by Lolth, she's not going to let Shar tell her what to do.

The nature of the betrayal Viconia was the subject of is left entirely up to the player. With Viconia and Shadowheart's backstory being what they are, Shar's plot for a Selûnite child could've been perfectly inserted as the reason for Viconia's falling out with Shar.

Viconia left Lolth because of how children were treated, how she was treated herself. She did not turn to Shar to do the same thing. She would reject Shar's plot the moment the order came, and that would be the perfect trigger for one of her follower to turn of her. Shar's cult being what it is, I don't think taking down the whole lot is overkill to avoid further backstabbing. There aren't many who will pick their priestress over their goddess, especially not with how Sharran's faith emphasizes self-effacing. Can't make a decision for yourself when you don't think for yourself.

Shar's reprimends following what Viconia did further proves this wasn't what the goddess wanted. Complete that by adding she's incensed Viconia rejected her order and slaughtered her willing clerics, and you've got the perfect connection between Viconia and Shadowheart.

In BG 3, we could've met Viconia in Baldur's Gate, rather annoyed because she's been getting an influx of Sharran agents after her, and she's tracking the source to put an end to it. A Shar-aligned Shadowheart could've the mission to purge the cloister that failed to kill her, while a Selûne-aligned Shadowheart would work with her to put and end to the cloister, to give them both some peace and quiet.

Epilogue could've them both sharing tips on 'How to best kill an agent of faith sent after you'. They both have sharp tongues and a similar past, they could've had fantastic banter.

Instead we have this mess.

[vv-ispy]

Been rotating the image so much that in my mind, once Venti and Kaeya vaguely become aquaitances Venti just starts showing up in Kaeya's house sitting on his furniture and making himself right at home while Kaeya's there like 'as far as my intelligence knows, you don't have a house so I suppose you can stay with me'

[faithandfairies]

I never talk about Claudia because I love her so much and the circumstances surrounding her life and death piss me off.

And more than that, in the book, and in real life as far as I understand it, her death is an inevitable tragedy. So acting like it's not feels like a disservice to her origin story. But in light of the recent interviews addressing her death I thought I'd talk a bit more about my thoughts pertaining to her life and death.

To me the way her story has been told on the show up to this point gives the impression that her death could have been prevented. And that if it had she could and would have been the best of Louis and Lestat. And that makes me spitting mad.

And let me preface this by saying I love Louis and Lestat separately from Claudia. But on the show, there is the impression Claudia's death is the culminating result of her having absolutely shit, dishonest, selfish, passive parents who can't see her for who she truly is beyond the role they've assigned to her and the attributes they've decided she possesses and can't be bothered to really care enough and who choose each other over her, her needs, her happiness, her safety, almost every time.

And that doesn't mean they didn't love her, they did. And they did do their best to raise her in a right and loving way initially. They just did not love her enough to put her first when it mattered. (The only time she was put first was when Louis chose to give her what she wanted by letting Lestat die and then following her dreams with her until that didn't work for him and it all went wrong and he made her pretty much lie in the grave she dug herself).

I get it, she's a dick (to them eventually and rightfully so), but she is the best of them and if they had actually been great parents Louis and Lestat would have been able to simply take one look at each other during that trial and known they were going to join forces to try and save her and her girlfriend over themselves by any means necessary, whether they would have succeeded or survived it or not. Because they knew each other and themselves to put their child first regardless of the circumstances and how they felt about each other. But that was not the case and that is the real tragedy.

Because season 1 Claudia in particular truly is the best of both of them. She has Louis' humanity and human teachings, without his self-loathing, recurring depression or resentment towards his partner which is what allows her to have this healthy, beautiful relationship with Madeleine.

And she has Lestat's ruthlessness and cunning and his vampire training, without his out of control hotheadedness or insecurity which is also what makes her such an excellent vampire and a loving partner.

And both of them taught her self-love and shielded her from as much trauma as they could even as they both struggled with this for themselves and all of this is what allows her to be the absolutely spectacular vampire she is. She knows who she is, there's a clarity and self-awareness to her, and she's not apologetic about it for even a second.

All this to say that, again, I am spitting mad that she did not get to live when it seems that at least on the show her death seemed preventable. And if I had a child with someone and said child got into trouble and that someone had the option to save said child's life or mine and they had the gall to choose to save mine over said child's, I would probably kill them myself. Because how dare you.

[pilgrimattinkercreek1974]

i have spent the last two weeks feeling crazy and fragile and afraid and angry and devastated and anxious and frustrated beyond belief and above all else just completely fucking exhausted and in about 23 hours my thesis will certainly be submitted which means i am expecting each of those negative feelings to dissipate entirely like vapor

[rmorde]

Trigun Manga Reaction

Now, back to Volume 1 Chapter 9!

Insurance Ladies know they are going above and beyond what is normal here. But, they still continue as consummate professionals.

THIS IS SO ADORABLE!!! SO CUTE SO CUTE SO CUUUTEE!

I like the tiny little details that hints something about the characters too.

The most obvious things are Milly's childish expression (playful) and Vash's one leg raised on the seat position (gremlin). However, "no nonsense" Meryl's feet are placed inside the table's rings! You'd expect her to put them by the side of the table but nooooo!!! They need to be IN the ring (she's not above them all!). LMAO.

Tbh... I think the Kaite & Vash relationship feels more fleshed out here in the manga than the anime. I guess it's because of the Rem conversation. It added more weight to their interactions.

Also, they're adorable! Kaite is one sharp kid calling out Vash's bullshit. Vash, like a dog with a bone, keeps deflecting.

Oh wow. This is a huge difference from '98. Kaite was totally alone when he approached the crew.

And this is just as painful and hard to see because, you can absolutely understand the crew's reaction and feelings. What Kaite did was wrong. At the same time tho, he is just a kid who didn't know better. Taking out their grief and fury on him is not right.

Gosh... It makes me think of Little Vash and The Great Fall.

I wonder what exactly went through Vash's head here. In my perspective, Kaite is reflecting Vash unknowingly in this scene. But it's so painful because he's just a kid. He should never have been put in this position. He is too young to be on this path for atonement and redemption! It's just wrong.

Hmmm. Another big difference. Interesting. The Plant was never mentioned in '98 at all.

So, Tristamp followed this manga arc more closely. Some elements are remixed such as Wolfwood replacing Kaite, the Gung-ho Guns substituting BDN as a threat, and the race is avoiding destroying a town instead of avoiding falling off a cliff. All beats are the same tho.

HOWEVER!

I think '98 has a more logical timeline personally because they are in a hurry to stop the ship right? It's a critical moment. If you think about it, there should not have been enough time for Vash to regroup with Kaite after the duel. So, '98 having these two events happen simultaneously is actually good.

Another benefit is Kaite's offer to help feels much more genuine when he was alone and away from Vash in '98. It really sells the idea that this is entirely his own decision despite the risks of retribution.

Of course, Vash didn't influence him in the manga too but by visually having him there with Kaite, it kinda undersells it imo.

Oi. Vash. That's no way to talk about your sister!

While I do appreciate the changes on the Plant design in Tristamp, I really like the '98/Manga more. They're both excellent designs for Sci-Fi but I just really like the 90's flavor of magical Angel Power Plant... which appeases my thing for magitek.

Tristamp tho is a modern flavor of alien Faerie Power Plant - not bad but not my cup of tea. However, the glowing lines feature is wonderful! It reinforces the idea of them being power plants because they have "circuits" in the body. Restraining myself from saying Magic Circuits!

Oh... This is a really fascinating set of panels that I think both '98 and Tristamp haven't adapted well.

'98 kinda skipped this. However in Tristamp, the emphasis on Plants is very clinical. Not sure if that is the best way to describe it, but, in the plants feels so much more objectified in Tristamp. I guess the horror element about the human-plant relationship is further emphasized there.

It's contrasting the manga which seems to be more focused on the awe-inspiring side of it like in the scene above. The scientist waxes poetic and is practically making a religion out of the whole thing.

I guess, to put it simply, the manga effectively shows how humans see Plants worthy of worship. Meanwhile, Tristamp displays how humans see Plants as just a life-essential battery.

So beautiful... Oh...

What if the re-design happened because animating expressive individual feathers would be a pain for Orange staff? GASP! Is that why everyone's hair were cut short?! Because hair is tedious to animate. OMFG... IS THIS WHY MILLY WAS CUT OUT IN SEASON 1 since she really really long luscious locks?!

I kid. I kid. 🤣

Oh. That's really clever remixing by Studio Madhouse. So '98 Miss Purple Avenger Episode is like a "Prototype" of this manga arc. This is where Vash having to prevent an explosion of a Plant came from.

Okay. Another great difference... I've been saying that a lot in this chapter. Sorry.

In '98, Vash dealt with this alone and the only witness was terrified. It focused more on the mystery.

However, here in the manga, Vash is not alone. Humans must work with him to save the Plant and everyone. He can only buy time but it's up to them to stop the whole thing. It's a really nice display of Vash's hopes and beliefs regarding human-plant relations. ----> BTW, the art in this page is really pretty and interesting! (1) The almost "gradient" like transition of Vash's coat to the bulb is so creative. (2) The drawing of the Plant resembling a blooming flower: feathers as ray florets, the plant/sister as the disk floret, and the wires as receptacle/stem.

These pages are so gorgeous and the way the slowing down of the heartbeat was shown through the interspersed tiny panels is just really good.

ROFL. The human instinct of "I don't know what's going on but it's helping so I won't pry anymore and I'll just roll with it!". Love to see it!

I think this arc is so good because it justifies Vash's often criticized brand of hope - his endless patience at giving humans chances to bridge the gap between their species.

Humans can work together and save themselves with just a little push. They won't rely on exploitation forever.

People can realize when they are wrong. They can atone and redeem themselves. They do not stay cruel and ignorant forever. They are capable of change. ----> Also, this art is so perfectly adapted in '98. This page, actually, all the pages relating to this collective effort of humans to save the ships (with a bit of an assist from Vash) is so heartwarming to read. ----> Oh... Kudos again to '98 because since they relegated the 'Vash prevents a Plant explosion' to an earlier episode, the episode covering this particular plot had him out of commission. So, the stakes have become higher. Humans must set aside their differences and work together to save each other and Vash too.

And finally, humans are more than what they seem. They are complicated. What could be an enemy at first could turn out to be an ally that can save you later.

This entire conclusion to the conflict is just good and very... Vash. This is what he wants for Knives to see and understand about humans.

I think '98 really did well in adapting the essence of this arc. Tristamp is complicated because now, on hindsight as I read the manga, the episodes are basically hard-carrying and working overtime telling multiple plot lines at once!

Let's see... in Tristamp's version of this arc:

Wolfwood was working double time in the narrative as "Kaite" and one half of the "Good/Hope of Humanity". Not to mention he has his own conflict going on too.

Meryl was the second half of the "Good/Hope of Humanity" that works with Vash (Plant) in saving people.

Unfortunately, with BDN being replaced by the Gung-ho Guns, there is nothing that echoes the "Hidden Depths Enemy Turned Ally"... character...No way... OMFG! WOLFWOOD WAS SUBSTITUTING FOR THAT ROLE TOO IN THIS ARC!!! Poor Woofwoof!

Roberto is a unique addition since he is a Tristamp OG, but I think he represents well the approach taken by Orange with Trigun. He is like the "Flaws/Indifference of Humanity". He is good but experience had turned him into someone that's jaded and refuses to rock the boat (unlike Meryl). His age and 100% ordinary human status prevents him from surviving long enough to change his disposition too (unlike Wolfwood). It's pretty in line with Orange's more emphasis on the "darker" aspects of the story.

WHA-?!!!

Eh? Eh? EHHH?!!

WHY WAS THIS CHANGED IN '98?!!! THIS IS ADORABLE AND COOL!!! AHHHH!!!! NOOOO!!!!

But... then there won't be Meryl and Milly supporting injured Vash. NOOOO!!! Augh. AND THERE WON'T BE TRISTAMP VERSION OF THIS! AHHHH!!!!

Oh. So, the singing is in the manga too. That's a surprise. I thought it was a '98 original scene.

Awwww. ಥ_ಥ

[livef1sh]

Well, like, depending on what's making you green still, I might be able to un-green you. If you wanted.

I don't think that's even possible, given the parasitic nature of sanitized ink. Without going too deep into the details, you'd probably have to drain me completely dry, which would genuinely, really kill me. And if I did happen to survive, by some miracle, I'd probably end up with even more medical problems, anyway.

Thanks for the offer, though. If it puts your mind at ease, the discoloration is the least of my problems with my condition.

[kitkattaylor]

Just rewatched all of atla bc of the new Netflix atla buzz (both excited and not eeeee) and I have thoughts on future kataang, having looked into whether to read the comics or not - I wish they'd left Aang to be SHORTER! Am I the only one that can't see the connection between the adult Aang drawings to child Aang? Yes, of course he has to mature but he loses all his cheeky open face and you don't have to be taller to be older, neither do you have to be taller than your girlfriend. Like he has short king energy, let him LIVE!

[outlying-hyppocrate]

fun fact about timelines! there is, in fact, a vampire timeline (222). very few changels have ancestry tracing back to it, and vampire genetics are almost as rare as human ones from 46. most notable traits found in changels stem from the elven timeline (45) and the hybrid timeline (3152).

[theblackqueen-ofmyheart]

I’ve started misgendering homophobes and transphobes and it’s honestly hilarious. They don’t have a leg to stand on when they try to correct me. They get so bent out of shape over the tables being turned.

[beamorgan]

I'm finally reading ALL SYSTEMS RED and I get it now. Murderbot obsession initiating

[mihai-florescu]

I appreciate the dedication to preserving niches but im too bored with the concept of labels and ultimately uncaring towards circlejerk communities and maintaining a "lifestyle", perhaps at this point of burnout uncaring towards aesthetics altogether, to be able to meaningfully participate.