#i know not everyone in this fandom is allergic to nuance

[bibibbon]

something that i can’t stand when it comes to this fandom is that basically no one can wrap their head around the fact that a victim can also be an abuser.

yes, rei was physically and emotionally abused by endeavor. yes, she was literally sold to him.

but she also just completely checked out and left fuyumi to pick up the slack.

yes, it’s not her fault that the abuse caused her to shut down, but as a result of that she neglected her children.

after she left fuyumi had to raise her brothers and become the woman of the house.

again, at the end of the day the root cause of the abuse is endeavor, but rei had checked out even before dabi's death.

it’s not victim blaming to point out the fact that rei neglected her kids. victim blaming would be saying that the abuse she suffered was her fault.

sometimes this fandom can be so fucking braindead. it’s always black and white, good or bad, hero or villain.

there is not a soul on this earth who is 100% a pure and good person.

all might, knowing full well what one for all contained and the massive responsibility that came with it. including an old wrinkly guy who will stop at nothing to take it, to a child and then proceed to not tell the aforementioned child what he was getting himself into. he with held crucial information because he knew that if he told izuku everything there was a chance he wouldn’t take it.

on the flip side, no one is 100% evil.

dabi cares deeply for the league, even though he doesn’t show it. shigaraki is literally the only person he will take orders from. some people may think he showed everyone hawks killing twice just for more ammo against the hero's. but thats not true at all. he cared about twice, and he wanted the world to know who he was. he wanted the hero’s to know that twice was human.

again i’m fucking rambling but i just hate how this fandom can be allergic to nuance and critical thinking.

I do think that many people do want a simple answer because at the end of the day it's easy to root for the good guys and boo the bad guys. There's also the fact that the narrative itself does sometimes struggle in creating a proper grey space morally.

Take for example the abuse victims in MHA. A lot of them are straight up innocent perfect heroes victims like izuku (who can never feel resentment in the narrative) and shoto while the others are straight up villains like Dabi and shigaraki. There's no in between with these characters and it's annoying. I remember talking with @mikeellee she has her saying of Shigaraki being the dark deku which honestly after that chapter where izuku comes into contact with a evil version of himself makes more sense.

I do agree with you in the sense that no one is 100% good or evil and in a way almost everyone is a victim to hero society. All might did willingly give a quirk that has a big responsibility to a naive quirkless child and all might is a bad mentor. However, at the same time all might is also a victim to a society he contributed to creating which is honestly so ironic and I wish horikoshi would explore these aspects of all mights character yet he doesn't and just gave us iron might (I dont like iron might tbh).

Also I love the fact that you brought up Rei himura and honestly Iam a big advocate for giving rei a redemption arc since it would of been more interesting and it would actually make sense to give her one than giving enji todoroki one. Rei was a victim and yes motherhood is difficult especially with the fact that she was abused and stripped of autonomy or agency but she also wasn't the best mother and that's something she does recognise in the narrative. My main problem however, is that the narrative doesn't allow her to fully engage with the family and she doesn't do much about it. Yes she apologises to both shoto and touya but what about her other children?!?! What about fuyumi who had to take on the role of a mother and shoulder a huge family burden? What about natsou who was also neglected?!?!. I say by giving rei himura a redemption arc the series can do so much that being actually involving the entire todoroki family into this, having more introduction to the hospital arc that may connect both touya and Rei and you can also have Rei make a connection with genten as @nyc3 suggested.

However, this also applies to the flip side. Characters like twice, shigaraki and Dabi aren't completely evil. Yes they have done bad things, yes they are bad people but they are also victims of the hero system and hero society. I do think that the leauge is a bit underdeveloped and I did definitely want more development between Dabi and shigaraki's while frenemies fiasco going on.

In the end I do think that almost every fandom may be allergic to nuance in one way or another. I do actually mean this because I remember seeing people try and say that Eren Yeager is completely good while some tried saying that he is completely evil but in reality he is complex and layered. You really can't put a definitive label on the aot characters because they all did their fair share of good and bad things and that's what makes them well written and enjoyable.

[kylermalloy]

im so curious of ur attack of titan presentation. 👁️

In reference to this post

Omg Yuki—the way I genuinely considered sitting down and making a PowerPoint presentation 😂

I won’t. I could—but I won’t.

There’s a ton of cute presentations on this website about “why you should watch this show uwu it’s so good and the characters are adorable and it’s got a great message you’re gonna love it!” and, well…that’s not Attack on Titan for me.

Aot is…a curiosity to me. I do really like a lot of the characters, the animation and music are gorgeous, and the story is sufficiently intriguing. And yes, ultimately, it does have a message I can get behind (War Is Bad. Stick to the classics.) but it wasn’t a show that grabbed me instantly. I had to simmer in it for a while—and I do mean a while.

I suppose mostly what I want to talk about is the Disk Horse, which I kind of hate to do because tumblr is allergic to nuance—but. I also like to talk. So here I go.

(This is going under a cut because I CANNOT shut up. Also, I’m going to get into some dumb fandom drama nonsense and I would like to hide that in order to maintain my dignity.)

I actually first became aware of aot BECAUSE of the discourse. I had more posts on my dash claiming that it was a Bad Show and Don’t Watch It than posts that…actually told me anything about it.

Eventually as I started easing into exploring anime, I decided to check it out. Out of morbid curiosity, mostly. I wanted to know what was so bad about it.

For the first three seasons, I was a little clueless. An annoying protagonist with questionable morals? Main characters attached to some sort of military organization? The protagonist being the Exceptional One, the savior because of his unique abilities? …guys, these are all standard shonen tropes, and I’d only watched like…five animes at that point (I’ve now watched, like, ten. My immersion rate is s l o w.)

Then I reached the end of season 3, and I wen “ohhh.” Not because everyone who’d been insisting it was Bad were right, but because I could actually, finally see what they were talking about.

I hear the word “allegory” get thrown around a lot when it comes to aot, and…honestly, I don’t think that’s the right word. An allegory is a direct, deliberate parallel with either a real life event, or another story. Aot is not an allegory of anything. Now, does it use some real life elements as worldbuilding and narrative devices in its own story? Yes, and sometimes to a “yikes” effect.

But this is a fantasy story that takes place in a fantasy world about races of people that don’t exist. The parallels can be drawn, but it’s not an intentional allegory.

Think of the difference between Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia. C.S. Lewis was very clear both in his writing and when talking about his work that it was a Christianity allegory. Aslan represents Jesus—created the world, died for its sins, all knowing, all powerful, does not always intervene, eventually edged out by a false god at the end of the world, etc. etc.

Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings took a lot of inspiration from his experiences in World War I. Read anything about LOTR, or watch any of the movies’ supplemental material, and that’s one of the first things you’ll hear. BUT—did old John Roald Roald intend it to be a one-to-one allegory? No.

The orcs are not the Germans. Humans and elves aren’t the English and French. This is not a fantasy retelling of real-world events—it uses elements of real-world warfare to enhance its own narrative. The faces in the Dead Marshes. Frodo’s life-altering trauma. The hobbits’ return to an unchanged safe haven, only to find they have changed irrevocably. Sam’s/Faramir’s introspection on the “evil” of the men they fight.

Aot does the latter, not the former. And while using imagery we associate with Jewish persecution and the holocaust…isn’t a choice I would have made when writing a story, it wasn’t a deliberately anti-Semitic choice.

We can talk all day long about how it’s not a wise choice, and how the implications can have ramifications—but this wasn’t something the mangaka did out of long-held prejudice, whether conscious or unconscious. I mean, do you really walk away thinking we’re supposed to HATE the Eldians? (If so, get better reading comprehension.)

I guess that’s what my Attack on Titan presentation should really be—teaching people how to read and therefore understand the themes and story correctly. Either that, or I could just make a ship chart and explain why Armin deserves to bang every single character, and in what order he should do so.

[roemantics]

i am allergic to talking about Vi and ESPECIALLY Vi and Jinx on tumblr.com because i will start banging my head on the wall sobbing slumping to the ground in anguish. i understand them both so well you guys will never understand.. i spit on the graves of everyone who talks shit about Vi. she is literally the most attractive female character ive ever seen and also one of arcane’s most interesting characters. u guys get only scraps of my thoughts bc i refuse to delve into arcane like i did w previous fandoms because i will get sooo miserable. no sad comics (this is likely a lie) bc it will make me too sad!! i tried to rewatch episode 9 and actually cried.. i was fr praying on silco’s downfall (and it was deserved) but after episode 9 i was literally sniffling choking on tears bc of him. ‘you’re perfect :’))’ SHUT UPPPPPPPPP imagine being a bad horrible ass dad but at least still loving your kids. silco and vi loved jinx/powder so much but they have both done completely irreversible damage to her and tbh life is just like that! jinx isnt the joker for women she is SO MUCH MORE. vi and jinx are for the girlies who know what its like to suffer.. who know what its like to have that undying love for a sibling and who know what its like to be disappointed and what its like to be the disappointment. i promise i can actually have coherent thoughts about this show and make artwork with nuance and detail that isnt just silly doodles of the characters who cause me the least pain but it wont be today.

[thatvampireblog]

Look at me.

Look. At. Me.

Marwa wasn't a person. Not the Marwa we were given, anyway. Obviously she was at some point, but the Marwa that Nandor had resurrected was nothing more than a projection to begin with. Neither she nor Freddie 2 were real in any true sense. The real Marwa probably lived a long, full life after her Husband's death that didn't revolve around him. What we saw of her was only a projection of a long dead woman. THAT BEING SAID. What he did to that projection of a woman who had died centuries ago was fucking vile, and you SHOULD be upset about it! That was the point!!! The point was for it to upset you!!! The point is that Nandor has always been a Bad Person who does Bad Things and makes Bad Choices!!!! It was DISGUSTING what he did to that projection of a person, stripping her of her personality and her agency and then completely turning her into someone else, but it was also COMPLETELY IN CHARACTER.

And furthermore, the choice does NOT come down to "Nandermo goes canon and it sucks, or it's queerbait"!!!!!

First of all, Nandermo was ALWAYS going to suck if it went canon!!! Look at them!!!!!! Look at the absolute DOGSHIT mess of power dynamics!!! At the lack of agency Guillermo had for 12 whole years!!! At the fact that the only way he was able to get a LITTLE bit of respect was to demonstrate REPEATEDLY that he is a THREAT!!!! It was ALWAYS going to be horrible and ugly, but y'all didn't want to believe that until now!!!

And it's not "Queerbait" if they DON'T get together!!! I AM LITERALLY BEGGING YOU TO LOOK UP WHAT "QUEERBAITING" IS AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT IT!!! It's a queer show!!! Explicitly!!! They're queer!! All of them!!! There's no trap to bait!!! They didn't trick us!!! IT'S FUCKING QUEER, DO NOT ERASE THAT JUST BECAUSE IT DIDN'T FIT YOUR IDEAL IMAGE OF WHAT A PERFECT QUEER SHOW SHOULD BE!!!!! I'm literally begging y'all to let us have queer characters that are multifaceted and more than just "Here is me and my boyfriend with whom I have the healthiest of relationships". Not everything has to be Heartstopper or Love Simon to be a valid queer story.

[agentrouka-blog]

something I rarely see acknowledged the wider fandom (meaning never) when discussing outline sansa is just how utterly painful her situation must have been for her.

like I've fiercely defended this version of sansa's choice (it's not even a choice ultimately, as anyone with sense can see) but people don't really seem to realize that sansa believed that in order to protect her child, the only way to protect her child, was to turn her back on family that she loves.

People look at the outline, they read "dubious loyalty" and they think GRRM is pronouncing an ethical judgment on this barely developed character named Sansa.

What series have they been reading?

As if outline Sansa would not have been another scalding commentary on how their toxic feudal patriarchic society forces tragedy on everyone, but especially the ones pushed into vulnerable positions for the gain of others. Others here being Ned Stark, her father and legal owner who would have passed her into the ownership of her in-laws, the same way canon Ned used Sansa's betrothal as a front for his investigation.

The conflict in the Stark family that GRRM wanted to provoke by creating (literally any version of) Sansa is not about her flaws. It's about exposing the flaws in their own midst. The flaws in the toxic system they are a part of, that even generally loving relationships can't erase. The Starks are problematic because they are part of the same system, and Sansa is the character who highlights that - because she isn't a rebel against it like Arya, and she isn't an obvious victim like Jon the bastard, nor does she have (potential) power like Robb or her other brothers. Sansa is dutifully doing everything that is required of her, she even is undeniable the daughter of a man who loves his children and is even quite lenient with them - and still nothing saves her from being used as a pawn, from having no power to defend her own interests, from eventual catastrophe. THAT is what she exposes.

But people are just unbelievably dumb and allergic to nuance and think GRRM wants us to blame the girl child. Over the system. Over the men in power. Over, you know, the point of why he is telling the story.

[unacaritafeliz]

8, 13, 31, 34 💙

8. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write? i literally just write whatever I want and hope it's in character. It's all just a vibe. everyone is equally as easy and hard, because i don't know what nuance is.

13. First fandom you ever wrote for? the first fandom i published fic for was class*c al*ce (we're hiding from the tag) i think, but i definitely remember writing one of those typical self-insert fics when i was twelve (or younger?). it was a pirates of the caribbean sequel focused on an OC who was jack and anamaria's daughter? because she would be brown? shut up i was twelve.

31. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them! i am very allergic to writing OCs these days so i only have one - her name is Mishiro Miya and she's the nurse at Karasuno High School (Haikyuu). She's a chaotic lesbian who will ship the students together (and the coach and advisor too) if they insist on acting so lovestruck in her sickbay!!! she is very kind and fun and she goes out drinking with takeda, ukai, saeko, etc. the kids love her!

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of. bit of a long excerpt but azula being iconic in the zukka umbrella fic sequel under the cut

"It's not not a date," Azula says, cryptically, handing back Zuko's phone. "If you want I can wait until he comes over and help analyse the situation. Mai and Ty Lee won't mind if I'm late for a noble cause like this one." Zuko rolls his eyes and shoves Azula off of the armrest. Azula talking to Sokka is only a recipe for disaster. "Yeah, no thanks, Zula" "I think I could be helpful," Azula says, gracefully getting to her feet. There's a fake sincerity to her voice that makes Zuko's skin crawl. "I could find out what he wants, how he feels, if he's cyber-stalked you..." Zuko groans. He'd texted Azula asking about Sokka's name the moment he'd gotten to his office after the Umbrella Incident, and it had been the biggest mistake of his life. She'd demanded cheese tarts in exchange for the information so he'd found it out himself - by finding Katara's full name from the hospital's LinkedIn account and Sokka's first name from Katara's Facebook page. It hadn't been Zuko's proudest moment, but it had felt good to finally sidestep Azula for once and do something himself. Or, it had felt good for the fifteen minutes it took for her to demand cheese tarts in exchange for her not telling Sokka that he'd found his name by cyber stalking his little sister on fucking LinkedIn. "Fuck off, Azula," he says, and she laughs as he shoves her towards the door. "Go stay at Mai and Ty Lee's tonight, I'm sick of looking at you." "Right back at ya, nii-chan," Azula says. Zuko has no idea how she makes the honorific sound quite so sarcastic. "But sure, I guess I can give you and your not-boyfriend the apartment tonight if you really want it."

[chalcedonywaves]

so...of course my original goal was to avoid spoilers at all costs and really go in cold like i (mostly) did with TFA, but instead of having a big twist spoiled for me by some dick in random Instagram comments, I went and gazed into the abyss that is StarWarsLeaks. initially i refused to believe anything i read because nothing added up and everyone clearly was pushing their preferred agenda, but one version seems to be corroborated, and that’s the one I’ll be speculating about under the cut:

how things are worded plays a major part in how feasible they sound. that’s why everyone laughed at the first “leaker” but took the one who backed him up seriously. and frankly, when you spell out the plot of ESB in the most basic and detached string of plot points, it sounds pretty fucking stupid. “luke gets his jedi traning from a two-foot-tall little green man. han gets frozen in a block of carbon and carried off by some random bounty hunter because this friend of his we just met sold him out to vader. oh yeah, and vader is really luke’s dad and cuts off his hand.”

i’ve seen people freaking about the concept of “Renperor,” about the fact that Kylo killing Snoke and assuming command makes him the Biggest Bad for IX and this spells NO REDEMPTION EVAR, but this also seems to me like the kind of binary thinking we’re supposed to be moving away from. like the idea is that Kylo is going to kick back on his new throne and attempt to be Sidious Jr. while wiping out anyone who poses a threat to his power, including Rey, the only other person with that kind of power. we KNOW their relationship is not that two dimensional. it’s about to become the axis on which this trilogy turns.

i’ve seen the word “balance” used to describe this film, but if it ends the way it’s alleged to end, it’s going to become the defining word for IX. by removing Snoke as the Big Bad and leaving only Kylo and Rey, two people who see each other’s potential for dark and light, and who each think they can pull the other to their side, we’re faced with a completely different kind of conflict from what we’re used to seeing. this is what people are reacting so badly to; the idea that good and evil aren’t such clearly drawn lines, and that there is nuance at play, a word that most people in this fandom are severely allergic to. from the naive tumblr antis who dismiss anything that’s less than perfectly morally pure as “toxic” and “abusive” to the shortsighted reddit fanboys who make horrible analogies to Dragonball Z and Harry Potter vs. Voldemort and reveal their own ignorance of the franchise they profess to love in the process.

i’ve never been especially married to my headcanons. i’ve already been down that road with the prequels, which first came out when i was in high school, and i’ve learned to accept them as they are in the years since. i’m still incredibly excited to see what Rian is giving us and now i’m mad curious how these spoilers, if true, are really going to play out. i can’t make an accurate assessment of anything without seeing it myself, more than once so i have a chance to catch as many details as possible. what i do know is that i really like what i’ve heard regarding Kylo Ren as a character from both Rian and Adam. for Kylo to strike down this galactic oppressor, who also happens to be oppressing him, because he wants to “end this” and then invites Rey to join him...well, we already saw Grandpa do this:

I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I... I can overthrow him! And together, you and I can rule the galaxy! We can make things the way we want them to be!

sure, he’ll get shot down just like Gramps did, but the difference is that we have another movie to resolve this, and with Snoke dead, the conflict shifts to the tug-of-war between Kylo and Rey, who each think the only way to resolution is to win the other over to their side? it’s not going to end with one of them dead. you don’t get balance that way.

so yeah...i’m still pretty fucking stoked to see where this all goes.

[coderealizeheadcanons]

Code: Realize Episode 1 Review

Hello, everyone, this is Mod Cheshire! So as you know, Mod S and I will be reviewing every episode of the Code: Realize Anime, as a way to stimulate the fandom and, hopefully, interact with our lovely followers! The format will be pretty simple: we’ll talk about our likes and our dislikes for each episode as well as our expectations for the next episode. These reviews will probably be pretty long, so they’ll all have a “Keep reading” break.

That being said, let’s begin!

Mod S

Going into the first episode of this anime, I was quite hesitant. It's common knowledge that Otome game anime are usually not up to par with the source material; I had this same fear with Code: Realize. The difference between C:R and most otome anime that came before is that the story of C:R is incredibly dense and full of important nuances that would be sorely missed if forgotten. Rushing through too much of the story of C:R would not behoove the anime itself. And while we have a while yet to wait and see where this anime will take us, I'm more hopeful than I was going into it. 

The first thing that's worthy of my praise is certainly the animation quality. While it's not the most amazing I've seen (I would have wept tears of joy if A-1 Pictures or ufotable had picked up C:R), it's certainly not bad. It's smooth, there wasn't too many awkward faces or movements, and the character models are mostly to my satisfaction. Particularly Lupin's, Cardia's and Victor's. Also, I think they animators did a great job capturing the unique movements of the characters (Cardia's hesitance, Lupin's grace and Impey's silliness).  So far, I give the animations my seal of approval. 

Naturally, the cast is absolutely on point. While the first episode shows only a few of the characters, I look forward to the gradual introductions as they take place. I have full confidence that the cast will reprise their roles with aplomb. I'd like to particularly praise Yuki Kaji's excellent English pronunciation, Showtaro Morikubo's amazing ability to showcase multiple emotions in 30 seconds, and Saori Hayami's terrific grasp of Cardia's character. Admittedly, I was unsure if Saori Hayami could pull off Cardia, but I am much more confident in her acting chops now. She's also got my seal of approval. 

As for the pacing: this one is hard for me to judge. While my gut instinct is that they were moving far too quickly, I'm not saying this as an outsider looking in. I'm saying it as someone who had previously played C:R and remembered the majority of the scenes they happened. Animating every single scene from the visual novel is just impossible to expect (an otome game anime with that kind of budget? you're more likely to see a live unicorn). Will they have more than 12 or 13 episodes though... 

However, I think that the staff made the right choices picking which scenes were important and which ones could be avoided. Most of the scenes that were cut were not crucial to C:R's plot, just added slightly more depth to the beginning of the game. The scenes that were taken out also were related to the choices that the player could make, which certainly means that the story's main focus does not revolve around them. Overall, I'd say I'd approve of this more than I disapprove. 

Lastly, I'd like to praise the staff for doing something I felt like the game did not adequately do: give us detailed insight into Lupin's character. I'm not saying that Lupin was necessarily a bad character in the game, but the majority of his route is focused on Cardia, Finis and Isaac Beckford. Therefore, Lupin's development is rushed in comparison to the rest of the characters. It makes Lupin feel like kind of a Gary Stu, and even a Manic Pixie Dream Boy at times (which oh my god you NEVER see those). 

Yet the one scene where they subtly show that Lupin identifies with Cardia lets me know exactly how it was Lupin fell for her. He found a kindred spirit. I can only hope the fandisc also goes into that as well. Thank you, Code: Realize anime, for giving Lupin the character development I so desperately wanted him to have in just one scene. I hope that this means that there will be more to come for him. 

Now I’ll focus on my concerns: 

Some of this is my own personal opinion, so take it for what you will. I do love the animation in the anime, but I felt like the opening sequence could have been animated a bit better. The scene where Van is jumping from the bomb in the airship race was a bit awkward, and I was sorely disappointed in the animations for his shotguns. Surely it was to save money so that the best animations could go into the anime itself, but it made me feel a bit scared for what kind of budget cuts we're going to see in the future.

 I'm hoping the actual scene itself is well executed, but I have no idea what's coming from this point onward. Hopefully, the animation will stay on par with today's episode, but anything can happen I suppose. 

So now let's talk about what changed. From between Lupin's rescue of Cardia and Cardia arriving at Saint Germain's mansion, there were major differences. Cardia waking up in the car with both Impey and Lupin instead of in the field with Lupin, not having to sneak into London, how they discovered Victor's wanted poster, Victor's introduction as a whole, and the switching of the scene where Cardia exposed her chest to Lupin. Personally, I think it would have been a little silly to not expect things to change, and most of the scenes they trimmed in the first episode don't bother me much. Some I enjoyed, like having the show open with Finis singing London Bridge instead of Impey. 

With the exception of Victor's introduction. I really would have liked to see him interact with Cardia the same way that he did in the visual novel. I think it would have been a better showcasing of Cardia's poison skin than having her be briefly attacked by wolves. That first scene with Victor was just amazing and I'm disappointed they cut it. 

I'm also wary of how they plan to introduce Saint Germain, but I'm hoping that they'll be able to keep some of the mysteriousness of his first interaction with Cardia. 

The ending sequence made me hopeful for some of the most fantastic moments in the game, such as the airship race and the backstories of the characters actually being discussed. I'm a bit wary because I'm uncertain if they will keep the train heist, Victor's showdown with Queen Victoria and how Finis reveals he is also a homunculus. 

Lastly, the pacing of the episode gives me a sinking feeling that the anime is likely to only be 12 or 13 episodes. This really breaks my heart because Code: Realize has such depth to its plot that I really don't think 12 episodes can't do it justice without some major cuts. They are likely to just expand Lupin's route and go into the character's more there. How they will be able to cram all of Saint Germain, Victor, and Van's backstories into 12 or 13 episodes alongside Lupin's route is beyond me. 

In Conclusion: 

I think that the first episode was actually very well done. They managed to include much of the opening in the game without changing too many significant things, save for Victor's introduction. The animation is quite good in comparison to some otome anime that I have seen. I love that the anime is exploring sides of Lupin's character that we missed out in the visual novel too. As for the cast, they're all terrific; I am much more comfortable with Saori Hayami voicing Cardia than I was before. She's doing terrific. 

Despite this, I'm wary of what kind of animation cuts there will be based on the opening sequence. I'm not really afraid they'll change too much, I'm afraid they are going to cut some stuff that I really liked in the visual novel. Victor's introduction is already an example of that. I'm hoping the things that are cut aren't too major, but if there's only going to be 12 or 13 episodes, I just don't think that'll be enough. I give the first episode my seal of approval; I'm hopeful, but we'll have to see how the next episode goes!

Mod Cheshire

I pretty feel entirely the same as Mod S with a few changes here and there. 

I LOVED that opening scene with Finis singing London Bridge (LIKE HOLY SHIT YUKI KAJI HAS AMAZING ENGLISH). It definitely was a tease for viewers who had played the game to see all the CG’s and several other characters in the background of the turning gears. 

I love the animation so far, though the opening sequence (specifically Van’s parts) seem a bit janky. Hopefully, it’ll be like Mod S says and it’s just to make sure they have a full budget for the actual show itself. So far I really enjoy seeing the characters in their casual outfits! Impey’s still allergic to his left sleeve, Victor’s still Too Pure™, and Lupin likes striped shirts (who knew). 

Speaking of the opening seqeunce, I LOVE the song. It’s amazing and I can’t wait until I find a full version~!

The first episode has also sold me on Lupin entirely. I didn’t really like him in the game. I actually would have preferred Saint-G to have been the golden route, not Lupin. Like Mod S said, they focused way too much on Cardia, Finis, and Isaac during his route, leaving very little room to actually develop the romance between Cardia and Lupin in a believable way. Seeing Lupin so animated pretty much proves a theory I’ve had for a long time: Arsene Lupin is a True Anime Boy™.

I also really enjoy how they trimmed off the fat from the game and condensed to be plot orientated. I actually think it works really well and will allow for them to show off the plot. I actually read a comment that said “I can’t believe they cut out Victor’s intro! Having him already be a part of the group ruins his character!” Well...no. If anything it adds to Lupin and Impey’s character. They willingly brought a “terrorist” into their group to help them out. Plus, taking out Victor’s introduction, again, allows the show to focus on the plot. 

ALSO, THEY TOTALLY SHOW US WHAT ISAAC BECKFORD ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE AND HOW DARE HE LOOK LIKE AN OLDER VAN. I WANT TO HATE THE MAN NOT BE ATTRACTED TO HIM.

Ahem.

Now, for my dislikes.

Personally, I don’t really enjoy Cardia’s voice actress. I really dislike how Cardia almost sounds like she’s whispering the whole time, and almost sounds like she's a robot. In my head, Cardia definitely sounded insecure but made sure her voice was heard. I just strongly dislike voices that are like “I’m so....shy....and....insecure....”

I also....kinda have an issue with Saint-G’s animation. I’ve only seen concept art (as well as the PV’s) and he just looks really weird to me. I’m hoping that he looks better and not super weird. Van also looks kinda weird too. His animations in the opening are jagged and awkward. Like...why is he on horseback? Why can’t animators draw people riding horses in a way that doesn’t look awkward? Also, why does Impey look so depressed in the opening!? That’s so unlike him!

Anyway, that’s pretty much it. The show looks promising so far, and I’m hoping that they can add in enough from the separate routes while still focusing on the main plot in 12 episodes. I’m also hopeful that Cardia’s voice will go from weak and wistful to strong and confident. 

All in all, I’m really looking forward to the next episode!

[thecloudstan]

Some of the fanon about Ignis being stiff or humorless may come from people who prefer the JP version of Ignis. I wouldn't necessarily call him humorless, but he's far more serious than the EN version of Ignis and doesn't make puns and it's not a meme when he finds new "recipehs". So your headcanons may fit the EN Ignis perfectly, but may not line up with people who prefer JP Ignis. Neither is wrong they're just different takes on two very different Ignis'. (I hope this didn't sound rude :))

I know there are big differences, or at least nuanced enough to change aspects of interpretation. I still think the sentiment stands, though, that even without puns, Ignis isn’t the stiff, fun killer that I at times have seen him made out to be.

I’ve seen a lot of JP Ignis and I do like him. Mamoru Miyano is a joy and I’m well aware of his work as Iggy! I prefer ENG Ignis, mostly because I’ve always played FF in ENG so it just seems natural (even though I’ll tend towards subs with most anime). And while other people may get stuck on Ignis as a meme, I am not one of them. I still very much take him seriously, and I don’t think the ENG localization team can be blamed for fandom taking something and running with it. 

Everyone is allowed to think what they will, but I’ve heard the Japanese Ignis. He’s perhaps less animated, but he’s still not boring/humorless/allergic to fun.