#i was thinking of using these drawings as filler for a bigger drawing but i felt that one was too much

[callias-w]

I dont know why I draw Yashiki in such a way he feels so autistic to me. That one drawing walking on his toes?? Self complacent art probably, I love Yashiki so much. He's so weird and cool. He is also always wearing comfy clothes…

[r3t4rdp1ckl3s]

Was thinking about another fanfic and I wanted to try to write this one because I’m actually familiar with both games I’m referencing.

So! I’ll make a separate account to write fanfics and I’ll use this account to post WIPs and drawings! :D

So I’m thinking of writing about

Resident Evil x SebastianCastellanos!Reader

Just a hot, older, detective reader with immense depression while he also fights big boys? Beautiful. Now this takes place after Evil Within, and Evil Within 2 has NOT happened yet, so Lily isn’t in the picture yet. Just a very alcoholic reader. (Kind of considering they’re the reason Leon is alcoholic lol)

BUT of course, the hardest part of doing a fanfic is starting it and trying to incorporate reader into resident evil. So i have two ideas.

1. Sebastian leaves after the Evil Within and meets Wesker first, investigating STEM (don’t really have to change them because they are easy to stitch into bigger companies like UMBRELLA)

2. We cut straight to the RACCOON INCIDENT with Leon where he’s working as a detective and not yet has become a drunk.

Wesker option probably has a little more romance, especially since reader is very vulnerable from the incident, while Leons option is more slow burn.

Not going to lie, weskers option sounds so awesome, but I’ll put a poll to see where this goes.

[azrielthedrawer]

Anonymous because.. not yet.

How do you, or do you have any tips on having and writing a storyline?

I’m an animator (tween w AM) who’s learning renpy and soon making a visual novel. I was wondering if you just have writing tips. Thanmnsk

Hi :D (sorry for taking so long to answer)

Considering that my only posted work is the AU, I’ll tell you a bit about my process while writing it, so hopefully you’ll find it useful for your future projects owo

1. The What-If Question: I find that with all or most of my written works, I end up asking myself “what if _____ happened?” For example:

What if Pastor Craig summoned an imp?

However, asking this question once won’t suffice to create a whole plot. So I asked myself more follow-up questions after that:

Why would Pastor Craig summon an imp? What would his motivation be?

What kind of information would Tweek hold? What types of stories would he tell?

Why are we taking the time to hear such stories?

With that, you start to build the scenario in which your story will stem from.

2. Plot First, Characters Last: Though it’s really fun to think about the characters (whether original or predetermined), I find that sometimes it’s easier to craft the plot first, then create/assign characters later. Yes, the characters are important, but the plot is what keeps the characters vivid, so I would suggest working on the plot first.

3. Dynamics: The way in which characters interact with each other is vital to how they are perceived by the audience. This can apply to original or predetermined characters. Some characters will act a certain way around some people and another way with others. Dynamics also extend past singular characters, but also things that are bigger, like power. How do these characters interact with certain aspects of their world? Do they care?

4. Motion: When writing, and also drawing, you have to remember to keep the environment moving based on the scenario. A lot of times, some casual scenes might seem stiff, but this can easily be fixed by observing the way in which you yourself find yourself going about your day. Yes, there are some times in which you are standing face-to-face with someone while having a casual conversation, but that isn’t always going to be the case. A lot of times, people are multitasking, moving around, or sometimes don’t speak as clearly. Consider these little things when observing the situation that you are trying to convey.

5. Get in their shoes: I would say this is more of when you’re writing more emotional scenes, but this can apply anywhere. As a writer, you have to get yourself in whatever headspace you are trying to write. If you feel like you can’t get it right, watching TV or films can help you visualize the type of emotion that you are trying to portray. Aside from how people feel inside, they tend to also have visual reactions, so I would suggest paying attention to those.

6. Where are you going with this?: A lot of times, people get lost on what they’re writing about because they don’t know where the story is going or how it will end. Now, you don’t have to necessarily know how the story will end from the beginning, but it can help to know what the first conflict will be for your characters to overcome. It’s okay if you don’t know how your story will go from the beginning to the conflict, but that’s okay. This space in between is used to get you there. On a similar note, it’s okay to just visualize plot points without knowing how to get there. There’s a reason why filler episodes exist.

7. Think of your favs: I’m sure that there’s a show or movie out there that you might feel inspired by to make your own story, so use it as motivation to write! Now, I’m obviously not telling you to copy the characters or story, but it’s also common for people to take what they observe in other pieces of media and take inspiration from it. Create a little collection of cool things you see from media you like that you’d like to apply to your own story.

Anyway, that’s just my thoughts. Hope you find this helpful and good luck with your work :)

[genericpuff]

Do you have any current voice claims for the Lore Olympus : Rekindled characters you've introduced so far?

Also, kinda just curious, you can ignore this one: Are you slightly worried about Rachel finding out you're reworking her story, seeing how she doesn't take criticism well?(genuine q)

LOVE your art work, btw!

Fun question, but unfortunately I don't really have any sort of neat answer to it. I don't tend to think in the realm of voice acting/live action when I think of the characters I write, it's just not really where my brain goes. When I read scripts internally to myself, they tend to just be default imaginary voices that I use. The technical sound of the voice itself isn't so much important to me as the line delivery and how they communicate (so like, 'voice' in the sense of writing rather than auditory). So like, how often do they pause, do they use lots of filler words, do they breathe heavily in between sentences, do they speak in short or long sentences, do they get to the point or speak in run-on sentences, do they speak eloquently with bigger words or do they prefer fast-paced conversation with slang, do they have a stutter or any other vocal block/impediment, do they approach conversations with cockiness or modesty, that sort of thing.

More often than not my inner voice when reading dialogue to myself just tends to be variations of my own voice lmao My brain doesn't have much imagination in that department unless I'm imagining a specific person from the very beginning (so if you ask me to imagine Will Smith's voice in my head while reading dialogue, yeah, I can do that just fine, but if you ask me to do it in reverse by assigning a specific person's voice to the characters I write, I'm just gonna draw a blank LMAO) The only other voice that pitches in on the reading process is my husband when he's doing dialogue exchanges with me (so basically I'll read a few lines of dialogue to him, which will turn into him going "lol imagine if it went like this..." which then turns into us doing casual improv, it makes for a great way to come up with organic conversation or re-write punchlines). But my husband's voice definitely doesn't pop into my head when I'm reading my dialogue to myself, again my brain just automatically defaults to my own mind voice.

If there's a specific actor you imagine when you read Rekindled, though, I'd love to hear it!

Regarding question #2, yes and no? I'm less worried about her (because legally there's nothing she can do about it, it's literally just fanfiction lol) and more worried about her fanbase, people call ULO toxic all the time and yet it's the fanbase who have historically done all the shitty things like doxxing people, witch-hunting, dogpiling, bullying, etc. so I'm basically just waiting for the day that I get a flurry of asks or hate directed my way and I can go "yep, they found out about Rekindled" LMAOOO

But on the other hand, it is just on Tumblr and it's not even really parodying LO, it's basically any other AU fic with the exception of it being in comic form. Like, if someone found an excuse to bully Rekindled on the basis of it just existing, it would be pretty hypocritical (and hilarious) when AO3 is full of LO AU's from people who detest what LO has become just as much as I do. As much as Rekindled was born out of criticism, the comic itself is still just its own thing, telling its own story, none of what's in it is meant to directly mock LO or even outright criticize it - it's just aiming to take things in a different direction than the one LO took, with the motivation of giving the fans who have dropped off LO due to its lowering quality some catharsis (and a new reason to look forward to Saturdays). I think the pettiest thing about Rekindled on its own is that it updates 15 minutes before LO does LMAO

Of course, all that stuff about Rekindled not generating hate will only last if I stick the landing. So far so good, but we'll see how it goes as it diverges further away from OG LO (mostly with the plot as it drops a lot of the things that seemed to be used as distractions especially in S2 onwards, and we're not even really tackling S3 because of how much of a mess it is; we're still very much in the 'prologue' section of it where a lot of it is closer to the OG version, but we'll start seeing more diversions as it goes on).

So, yeah, I am a little worried sometimes about the "what ifs", but it's not a constant fear that lives in my head rent-free. I was definitely more anxious about it when I started, but so far it's been great and I know ultimately that when people do act out in my inbox, often times they're just fundamentally misunderstanding what my intentions are or the fact that I'm not trying to make them hate LO or "dethrone Rachel" (though I do make jokes about that LOL) I'm just doing what many artists have done before me - expressing myself and doing something in my own way with the disappointment I've felt over the past year due to LO.

Frankly, I also don't think any of the problematic stans of LO are even on Tumblr. I find most of the toxicity so far has been on reddit and Facebook (°ー°〃) So I think Tumblr has made for a very safe platform to post it to. I think if it were on Webtoons it would ABSOLUTELY generate a lot more hate, there are other H x P comics that have nothing to do with LO that get harassed by the LO fans just because it exists and happens to be about H x P (as if Rachel herself invented the myth).

[kairiscorner]

HI ATE!! (idk if ur older LMAO) im planning to write a fanfic! slayyyy, ive never wrote anything before, im an artist, i draw stuff, but my artworks arent that entertaining to post i guess? so i wanted to know if you had any writing tips that you could give! ty if you ever decide to reply to this!

HI OMG I'M SO PROUD <:DDD i'm looking forward to your fics, and as for tips, here's some i hope would be helpful :DD

write what you know/are familiar with most to start. writing can start to feel more fun, in my experience, when you're writing about things you understand or (also like me) are delulu and imagine a lot about :D

don't hinder your imagination if it serves the plot. fantasizing about where your plot will go is actually super helpful, and very fun! i do recommend not to add fillers though if they don't have any impact on the story, like side plots that go nowhere or random dialogue that doesn't serve any purpose to further the story or the characters' motivations ^^

liven your vocabulary. like many other authors here, i find it generally more pleasing to have more unique and plentiful ways on how to describe a characters' actions or thoughts, even describing parts on a character can be worded in longer or more unique ways! don't confuse it too much though, and i suggest not to use the same word twice when it's just been mentioned--maybe after a paragraph or two can you mention it again ^^

develop your style. like in art, writers have their own styles of writing, for example, mine is usually very descriptive and thought-provoking (wow ang yabang ni ate girl) and usually, i'll focus on the dialogue and description of the situation and story, so generally, my works are a little longer than i expect them to be ^^ you don't have to copy other writers' styles to get better though, what you can do is draw inspiration from them and ask yourself 'what is it i want my story to have?' you can try experimenting with dialogue, scenery descriptions, character descriptions, flashbacks, narration--keep trying, and you'll get to where you want to be eventually :DD

ask for feedback. this is one of the most important tips i have, because reaching out to a bigger audience about your work will help you see where your strengths and weaknesses lie. getting opinions from other people can help you accommodate many others into your works, too, through their suggestions and criticisms ^^

take breaks. this, i struggle with, so i'm kind of hypocritical for suggesting this :'D but if you ever feel like you're stuck in a certain point in the story or that you have to rush to post a story, please don't force yourself to finish it and rush, you might have a lot of regrets about the final product 😭😭😭take time to think about yourself first, then your story <:)

that's all i can think of right now, i'm really hoping your fic comes out well! i'm sure it will >:)) good luck !!

[plumbley-bee]

Watched the first episode and these are the things I liked

.zuko being a blatent avatar fan boy and furiously drawing a picture of aang the moment they meet to put on his little find the avatar wall.

.sokka actually having a good reason as to why he doesn't like it when Katara waterbends because it's dangerous and their mother literally died to protect that secret rather than him just thinking its weird.

.the memory of his former teacher being the thing that calms aang down from his freak out after finding out his whole tribe is dead rather than katara and sokka.

Really really tried going in with an open mind, I wanted to like this show so bad you guys. But these are the only changes so far that I think we're done well. Maybe the next few episodes will be better, but Aang narrating everything he's feeling very quickly after we meet him and also to nobody but appa? Katara and aang not even introducing themselves before she comforts him? Sokka gets mad at aang for "lying" about being the avatar but like in this adaptation they talk like what, once? Before that gets revealed? How could he lie he was unconscious half the time you've been around him! In the original katara literally asks him if he knows anything about the avatar on their way back to the tribe and he actually lies to her, but the live action doesnt even have them interact until after he learns his people are dead. He isn't given time to lie to them! He barely knows them!! Everything being told to us and aang by grangran, fully pulling us out of any immersion you could even try to have because it came out of NOWHERE and fit so horribly like we barely meet grangran before this happens and suddenly she's breaking this really important impactful news? I literally bust out laughing bc it felt so unserious.

I felt us seeing the massacre of the Airbenders was unnecessary, I felt learning about it by watching Aang learn about it was much more heartbreaking and left a bigger emotional impact. But that would've been fine had they given the moment he discovers the remains of the air temple any emotional weight, but after it was all already explained to us with a monolog from a minor character, a lot of that has also unfortunately been taken away from that scene.

oh and aang getting his air glider from zukos ship was fine but that thing literally is supposed to mean so much to him?? Like that's one of the few things he has from his people left and it's not even his now ig???

(Also the sokka immediately going to sacrifice aang felt so out of pocket like you're gonna tell me that the 16 year old boy who has been looking after the kids in his tribe most of his life is going to throw a 12 year old to the wolves because he lied to you even though he really didn't because he was never given time to even lie to you in the first place!!)

I'm also sad aang didn't get to play with the kids, or go penguin sledding with katara, they were silly filler stuff but they were important in their own way too.

"Aang brought us something we hadn't had in a long time, fun."

This has always been the heart of the show for me. learning to live rather than just survive, still enjoying things, and finding hope during even the hardest wars. Aang as the avatar brings the potential for the world to finally know peace again, aang as the last Airbender bring the hope that Airbenders aren't all extinct, but aang as the boy in the iceberg? He brings joy and fun and laughter where he goes. He remembers what good came from the world before all the bad. he runs from his responsibilities and problems because he's a young boy and he's scared and that fear and that "cowardice" brings him so much shame that he just tries to fix other people's problems instead to make up for it and THATS THE AANG THAT IS SUCH A GOOD MAIN CHARACTER!

Idk, I'll try to keep watching, but they've already removed so much heart from just the first episode.

[lilareviewsbooks]

The Blade Itself - 3/5

Rating: 3/5

Pages: 515

Contains: characters that are so awful that you love them; long action sequences; war!! Murder!! BLOOD!!

This year, I told myself I'd read as many fantasy "classics" as I could get my hands on. I even wrote out a little list for myself. I put Joe Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy in there even though I was more than halfway through the first installment, and struggling. But just for the satisfaction of ticking the box I drew next to The Blade Itself, I decided to finish it. I ended up having a nicer time than I’d expected, although the problems I had with the first half-and-a-little-bit persisted.

The highpoint of The Blade Itself, though, for absolute sure, is its characters. Almost exclusively male, the cast is nevertheless compelling and full of interesting figures. The book introduces us to Glokta, a prodigy soldier who was grievously injured and turned torturer, Luthar, a Captain in the military, and Logen NineFingers, a barbarian with a violent past, amongst others. 

But that’s almost all that it does - The Blade Itself reads as an introduction to a larger plot, the beginning of which is almost out of reach. Of course, the first installment of a series is always, in some form or another, an introduction, but The Blade Itself leans very heavily onto this. All the interesting situations our - solid cast of - characters find themselves in are only temporary, mere rehearsals of something bigger that’s to come. To me, this meant that the story just didn't hit as hard. 

Aside from that, The Blade Itself suffers from very particular problems. I found it was just overly cinematic - and, as a film student, I never thought I’d mind. However, Mr. Abercrombie’s scene construction involves describing minimal details, and running us through pages of “useless” dialogue, just to set the stage and construct an ambiance. Sometimes, this extends to whole scenes, which are mostly just there as filler, building on this atmosphere. That’s alright, I think, when it’s done sparingly - see George R R Martin’s extensive prologues -, but Mr. Abercrombie relies heavily on this technique, enough that it’s frustrating.

Alongside this issue, the writing, that is, for the most part, pretty decent, suffers some slips. Some are awkward phrases, like “the docks were heaving with activity, even for the docks”, which are mostly forgettable and excusable, while others stick out, such as: “the memory of that unfortunate meeting hung between them like a fart”. I mean, I get his meaning, but… why? For the most part, though, the writing draws you in, and is pretty effective in communicating the characters’ feelings. 

However, the action sequences are unbelievably long and detailed. That might be a plus for some people, but I didn’t find it entertaining at all. For me, it just felt like it dragged, and it became a habit to skim through these scenes. 

In general, I guess it was a mixed bag. I don’t know, yet, if I’m going to continue on with this series… It’s a “classic”, after all, and I feel like it’s required reading for all fantasy fans. But these writing/structural quirks are turning me off, though the characters are telling me to go forward with it. I’ll have to wait and see if the urge to read the next one comes to me, I guess!

[doctapuella]

okay @keefsteef i was gonna send this in an ask but i got SO OUT OF HAND that i'm just putting it here so i can keep it organized!!! it's so many words i'm sorry!!!!!!!!! behold: my konosuke takeshita manifesto

i don't actually believe that you need to know or understand the rules of a match to get a lot out of it! they have a set time limit, and go until either they reach time (ending in a draw), or a wrestler can win either by covering and pinning the opponent (both shoulders flat on the mat for a count of 3) or submitting them (getting them in a hold they can't get out of, and the opponent physically or, if thats not possible, verbally taps out and gives in). everything else you can pick up as you go.

OKAY SO! sometimes it's difficult to find full matches for the bigger professional wrestling promotions (including AEW which is the one i've been mostly watching and the US-based one that takeshita is working with rn). the smaller/indie promotions (which he also wrestles with sometimes) often upload full matches to build hype, and those tend to be really intense and less cinematic and sometimes a lot cooler than televised matches. but! AEW does usually put up highlight clips, and those are really good for catching up on a storyline. so i'm dropping a few takeshita-focused links here for you to enjoy at your leisure:

this video i found is kind of a "who is konosuke takeshita?" mini doc, which is def a great starting point! it's about a year old and there's a lot of filler, but i learned a lot from it about the structure of japanese wrestling and the context of how wrestlers like takeshita have gotten to where they are. the takeshita-specific parts start around 6min.

[quick side note! you may have heard the whole 'wrestling is fake' comment before and really all that means is that outcomes are often predetermined, but the moves are all legit even if coordinated, and any good wrestler will say that their primary goal in any match is to make sure their opponent is safe. which i mention because some matches, especially indies, can get super violent. so for me, i'ts important to know and remember that they're highly trained not only in making stuff look cool but also in keeping both themselves and their opponents safe. some of the clips below include copious amounts of blood, but i didn't put anything with major legit injuries.]

some AEW highlight videos from the past 6 months or so, that give the overall trajectory of his current arc:

match vs bryan danielson (member of the 'blackpool combat club' faction), who was currently on a run to challenge for world champion title against mjf (current champion). couple weeks later, takeshita fought mjf and got real wrecked, and danielson came to help him out, nearly missing his own match in the aftermath, because his opponent's faction-mates trapped him in takeshita's locker room. (the takeshita vs mjf one was also the first match i watched live! so it has a special place in my heart.) (also mjf's character is a fucking dickhead to the extent that i feel the need to give a heads up for it.)

he then had some one-off matches that didn't really impact the story, and tbh i think they didn't have a good grasp on his storyline yet, but then!!!! a huge feud (that is still going on currently and i do not even understand all the layers of it) arose between two groups:

the elite (brothers matt and nick jackson, kenny omega, and later hangman adam page)

danielson's faction, the blackpool combat club (=bcc, also including jon moxley, claudio castagnoli, wheeler yuta)

there's also a manager figure, don callis, who has accompanied omega for years, but during this feud he started trying to lure takeshita into working with him and joining with the elite. he is trash. multiple people have called him a carnie piece of shit.

[almost everything from here on out is summarized in this video, but because i'm obsessive and extra, i added other links too. i do not myself know japanese, so i'm not sure who the guy at the end is or what he's adding in commentary, but from the backdrop it looks like he's with DDT, the japanese promotion takeshita works with and the ones who put together the video.]

at the end of an elite vs bcc match, callis got takeshita to come out and help the elite, more allying as the feud continues and he fights a match alongside omega. after it the bcc thought that, because of his history of respect with danielson, that he might help them. he refused.

then! callis turns on omega and attacks him in a match against another big figure of the bcc, jon moxley. everyone forgets about takeshita. then at the big pay per view event, big match between the two factions, omega is about to secure the win for the elite but then A MASKED FIGURE comes out of the crowd, vaults over callis (who is trying to interfere) and knocks omega to the ground. pulls down the mask to reveal that he's takeshita! working with callis, and now officially A Bad Guy (aka a heel). now he wears a leather jacket and all black gear, and glowers at the camera.

he hasn't gotten to do TOO much since, except this singles match against another awesome wrestler, bandido, then this past weekend he sided with the bcc (still hasn't joined officially) in a big match against the elite, which the elite won (the summary video above includes the announcement of the match, where moxley calls takeshita tall dark and sexy, but it doesn't have the footage of the match itself. i can't find any good clips).

i don't know whats next!!!

some cool indie matches where you can watch a whole match:

against speedball mike bailey in june 2022. bailey is another super unique wrestler (imo) and so it's really cool to see them together! it's one of my favorite matches and even from the first couple minutes you can tell it's a banger and that they're both going to make sure they highlight each other. they've teamed together in the past, so they know each other really well which makes it fun. (side note: mike's wife veda is a commentator on this one, which is also a fun element to this particular match!) i know that in this one, takeshita does one of his signature moves, the blue thunder bomb. it's such a cool, high-impact move. also uses his big finishing move, the german suplex, which he is a master of. and he talks a teeny bit at the end!

AND then this is a pretty recent one, at a lucha libre (mexican wrestling) street event in april. the organizers are a pair of brothers from mexico who also wrestle in AEW, so for them to have thought of takeshita when it came to putting together a lineup for this one-off event speaks very highly of him. i don't know this opponent that well, but the match is really cool, and i also think the setting is really unique and adds a lot as well.

oh my god this is so out of control i'm sorry thank you for your time

[janet56892]

I did find it hard coming up with the initial concept or sketch, as I was thinking fireball, but also leaning into the mediaeval style via clothing, to give it a place in time.   

The drawing was challenging as I tried to keep the outlines a slightly darker colour than the main filler colour, but when I took all the out lines away I found out that I liked what I had, and started to work with that.

Another challenge was getting the look and feel of a flame, I played around with different shades of red and yellow layered on each other, and eventually found something I could work with. During this time I was using a soft eraser to gradient the colours, so the blended well together

After the first iteration the only feedback I had was to make the expression bigger, and stains on the apron. Originally the written feedback said nothing about more human eyes, and I did some cool eyes that were glowing, as I put them in the middle for pupils, yellow as the iris. And red fading to nothing on the outside gives it a glowing look, personally I like this better, but the human eyes does give a more friendly appeal.

Overall it was a nice challenge to work from some else's idea and then bring it to life in my own style

[portraitmypet]

What I Learned About My Cat from the Artist Who Painted Him

It may seem like a small detail, but I am so thankful for how much she knew about my cat. For example, she said that he is grey and black with white paws and tail. She also mentioned that he is an American shorthair breed, which I didn't know before. She even got his age right! The artist could've just used this information as "filler" while they waited for me to give them more details about my cat (which was actually the case in some of the other drawings), but they took what they had and made something beautiful out of it.

This made me realize how much time artists put into their work—I never realized how many hours go into creating something like this until now!

But I know he is a little bit fat.

The artist does not see your cat. They work from a photo or description and may ask you questions to clarify if there is something they don't understand.

If you say that your cat is "a little bit fat," the artist might use that description when painting the animal, but they might also choose to paint it thinner than it actually is (or vice versa).

You can tell an artist how much extra weight you want on your pet—but be aware that this will affect the way their body looks in proportion with their face and legs as well as their overall size in relation to other objects depicted in a composition.

The artist made a painting of him and I told them how much I love him.

The artist painted a beautiful portrait of my cat and I. I told the artist how much I love my cat, and they painted him really fat. It looks kind of like my cat, but it was clearly not intended to be an accurate representation of him; this is something that could only have been achieved through careful observation and interpretation.

I don't know if there's any real correlation between telling an artist that you love your pet and them painting them as obese, but I'm going to consider it for now. In fact, I think this might work for any animal-related art form! If you tell an artist that you really enjoy insects or reptiles or other animals in general, maybe they will paint your favorite one with six legs instead of four!

So they made the painting of my cat really fat.

So, our cat is fat. He's not just a little overweight, he's what you might call a fat cat.

I could have told that to the artist when she came over to take his measurements to make sure his proportions were right for the painting, but I didn't. I was nervous about putting too much weight on the artist and their work by saying something like "Hey, my cat is pretty big."

Instead I said nothing: I didn't want to risk them making him look even fatter than he already did in real life. But now that the painting has been completed, it made me wonder: Does telling an artist how much your subject weighs affect how they portray it?

It is not that bad because it looks kind of like my cat.

It is not that bad because it looks kind of like my cat.

While I was waiting for my portrait, I wondered if you could tell me what your process is? How do you decide which colors to use and where to place the lines and shading?

What I got back was this:

You're right! It's not so bad. I think it would have been even better if the cat looked more like the original picture than this one does but that's just something we'll never know. The good news is he seems healthy and happy in the photo so maybe that's all that matters?

Liking something does not mean you should make it look bigger in a painting.

The artist who painted your cat knows that you love him, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he should make your pet look bigger in the painting. What you think will be a flattering portrait of your furry friend may end up being a cartoonish caricature or something else entirely.

The artist is not an exact mind reader (although I hear he has been working on his telepathic powers), so it is important for you to be specific about what you want depicted in the work of art. You don’t have to speak in sentences like “I want my cat to look like a fox with blue eyes and no pupils”—this can sound confusing when translated into visual terms—but do make sure that the finished product will resemble what you envision when asked if they can paint, “My cat looks like all cats look: large ears, small nose, long tail…and white feet!”

[lyranova]

Chapter 4: Moving In

Hi guys! I’m sorry it took a bit to get this chapter out, I’m working on COTF and some requests (as well as an event) so this has been put on the backburner a bit. But i’ll try and keep this updated once a week! This is more of a “filler” chapter but I still hope you enjoy 🥰!

Word Count: 2,317

Warnings: None

After Zera had agreed to move into the Golden Dawn base she quickly finished up her work at the flower shop and closed it early so she could pack a few things.

She decided she would only pack the necessities, as she didn’t figure she would be there very long. Once Captain Vangeance finally realized that this was all a big joke he would probably have her removed from the base, at least that’s what Zera figured.

After she packed she looked at the ring box on the table, before Captain Vangeance had walked outside he had placed it on the table so she could put it on herself. Zera walked towards the table and picked up the box, she slowly opened it and couldn’t stop the gasp from escaping her again.

As she suspected, this was the most expensive ring from the jewelry shop! She pulled the ring out of the box and inspected it for a second before hesitantly slipping it onto her left ring finger. This would probably be the most expensive piece of jewelry she’d ever own in her life!

She felt a sudden pang in her chest and frowned, what was this? Maybe her breakfast from that morning wasn’t agreeing with her? She shrugged it off and grabbed her things before heading downstairs.

Zera made her way down the stairs and looked around her shop, she felt bad for leaving her babies behind. But she promised them that she would come back tomorrow to take care of them like usual, and even promised she would take a few of them with her back to the base so they wouldn’t be lonely!

She walked outside her shop and saw Captain Vangeance standing there waiting patiently for her.

“ Do you have everything you need?” William asked as he noticed she was only carrying one bag, and the ash-blonde haired woman nodded.

“ Yeah, I tend to pack light.” She told him with a small laugh. “ Besides, I can always come back and get more things if I need to.” She added and William nodded, he reached out to take her bag but she pulled it away.

“ I can carry it myself thank you.” She told him a bit too harshly, but she wanted to draw a line in the sand, this was strictly a business marriage to her and to him, well, she didn’t quite know what this marriage would be to him.

“ Ah, right.” He said softly, he then used his World Tree Magic to create two brooms for them to use to get to the Golden Dawn base.

The two flew silently to the Golden Dawn base, neither one really knowing what to say, and to be honest they didn’t have much to say. William turned towards Zera a few times to say something but then thought better about it.

Soon the two made it to the base and Zera looked around, it was a lot bigger then she had expected. But then again, this was the best Magic Knight squad in Clover, so of course they were going to have one of the biggest bases.

Zera quietly followed Captain Vangeance inside, and the inside was just as impressive as on the outside! She suddenly stopped when Captain Vangeance turned to look at her.

“ You’ll be able to meet the other members of the squad a little bit later, so for now you can just focus on unpacking and settling in.” He told her simply and Zera just nodded, he turned back around and led her towards her room.

“ I’m sorry it isn’t much.” William told her as he opened the door to her room, Zera shook her head and walked into the room.

“ It’s alright, it actually reminds me of my room back when I lived with my family.” She told him with a small smile, she walked over to the bed and placed her bag down on top of it.

“ I’ve already made arrangements to expand one of the rooms in the base so you’ll have room for your plants and the rest of your things.” William explained as he stood in the doorway. “ I didn’t think you would be comfortable staying in my room so…” he trailed off softly, and Zera nodded. That would be pretty awkward, two strangers sharing a bedroom.

“ Well I’ll let you settle in, then I’ll introduce you to everyone.” He told her before turning to leave the room.

“ T-Thank you!” Zera blurted out suddenly, surprising both her and William. “ For um, for giving me my own room, and for expanding one of the rooms for me. You didn’t have to do that.” She added softly as she looked down at the ground.

“ Of course I did,” William said with a small frown. “ You’re going to be living here, so you should have a space all to yourself.”

“ R-Right! Of course.” She told him with a sheepish laugh, she watched as he closed the door behind him. She let out a sigh before sitting down on the bed.

Captain Vangeance was right, she would be living here from now on and it was going to take some time getting used too. As she looked around the room she noticed how dark and plain it was, she stood up and opened the window to let some fresh air into the room.

She would have to bring some of her babies when she went to the shop tomorrow. That would make her room a little livelier.

After an hour or so Captain Vangeance walked back to Zera’s room and told her the others were back. She quietly followed him just like she had earlier. She wouldn’t admit it out loud but she was very nervous to meet them, it wasn’t just because they were all Magic Knights, but they were sort of like his family. At least, that’s what she assumed anyway.

The two stood outside the dining hall doors, and Captain Vangeance suddenly turned to look at her.

“ Don’t be nervous,” He told her softly and with a comforting smile. “ They may seem intimidating, but they’re harmless.” He added, he chuckled when all Zera could do was nod in response. He didn’t think she would ever be speechless.

‘Think of it like you’re meeting a bunch of potential customers, you can do this Zera!’ She tried to tell herself firmly, she moved her shoulders back and held her head up high. She could do this!

Captain Vangeance opened the dining hall doors and walked inside, with Zera behind him. She watched as all the Golden Dawn members turned towards him, they all stood up and gave him a small salute.

“ Everyone, this is Zera Cassia, my soon-to-be wife. Zera, this is everyone.” He said briefly. “ Everyone will probably introduce themselves one by one later after we’ve finished dinner.” He added with a small smile.

The two went and sat down at one of the tables, and Zera couldn’t help but feel everyone's eyes on her. She would sometimes hear people whisper and when she would turn to look they would go quiet.

‘Well, these people were harassing you for the longest time. So of course they’re going to be suspicious of you! Wouldn’t you be if your roles were reversed?’ She thought to herself, it was true, they all probably thought she was taking advantage of their Captain and was using him.

Which they wouldn’t be wrong about, since that’s exactly what she was doing.

Suddenly a group of Golden Dawn members came towards her and Captain Vangeance, they all stood there a bit awkwardly.

Two men and two women, one of the men had light blue hair and glasses, the other had messy black hair and bright amber eyes. One of the woman looked vaguely familiar with her wavy brown hair and warm smile, and the other looked eerily similar to Captain Vangeance except her eyes were a lighter purple and her hair was a little more platinum then the Captain’s.

“ We thought we’d go ahead and introduce ourselves, I hope that’s alright Captain?” The brown haired girl asked kindly, and Captain Vangeance nodded.

“ Of course.”

“ It’s nice to meet you Ms. Cassia, I’m Mimosa Vermillion.” The girl told her cheerfully, and Zera smiled. That’s why she looked familiar, she was related to the Royal Vermillions.

“ My name is Klaus Lunette and it’s an honor to meet our Captain’s future wife!” The blue haired man nearly shouted as he saluted her, Zera quickly held her hands up.

“ I-It’s alright! You don’t have to act so formal around me.” She told him quickly with a small laugh, he seemed very ‘by the book’.

“ I’m Neva.” The blonde haired woman said simply, and Zera nodded. She was very blunt and to the point it seemed. The platinum blonde haired woman gently nudged the dark haired man beside her and he let out a soft sigh.

“ Yuno.” He also answered simply, causing Zera to tilt her head. Half the group was cheerful and eager, while the other was more calm and reserved. It was quite amusing.

After the four introduced themselves others began to as well, and as their meal ended Zera had learned and memorized everyone in the squads names. Most seemed friendly even if they were a bit shy and quiet, but there were one or two who seemed a bit stand-offish towards her.

“ What’s that Alecdora’s problem? He was glaring at me all throughout dinner.” Zera muttered as she and Captain Vangeance walked back to her room, she had wanted to go around and explore the base a bit, but Captain Vangeance had told her he would give her a tour tomorrow.

“ Alecdora’s just protective, it’ll go away soon.” He told her with a chuckle. William had learned that you had to be patient when it came to Alecdora, once he got to know you then he would begin to warm up.

“ Yeah right, he looked at me like I was beneath you or something.” She muttered as she crossed her arms, maybe he figured out that she was only using the Captain for a ‘get out of jail free’ card? No, there was no way he figured it out that quickly, right?

“ That’s just Alecdora. He was like that with Yuno as well, and now they seem to be on better terms, at least a bit.” William told her, and he couldn’t help but find it amusing that she had an issue when someone didn’t like her.

“ It’s not very fun when someone doesn’t like you even before they get to know you is it?” He asked her, and he watched as she turned to look at him with wide eyes and he chuckled again.

“ I-I, well, that’s because you kept sending people to harass me! So what else am I supposed to think about you?” Zera stammered, and William nodded. They both knew the other had a point.

“ I’m still investigating that by the way,” William said as the two had reached Zera’s bedroom. “ I’m going to try and find out why members of my squad were harassing you.” He watched the ash-blonde haired woman nod.

Of course just because the Captain said he was investigating didn’t mean that’s what he was actually doing. Zera figured he was probably feeding her a line or two to try and placate her, but she wasn’t going to let him off the hook about it. But as she thought about it, wouldn’t it be better for her if he did stop investigating? If he found out about her former crimes then he’d call off the engagement right? Which would mean her immunity would become null and void!

“ Oh you can take your time investigating it!” Zera said quickly and with a bright smile. “ You’re a very busy person and I’m sure you have a lot more important things to investigate than that!” She added with a laugh which caused William to frown.

“ But-.” William started before she quickly cut him off.

“ It’s really fine so just take your time ok?” Zera told him before looking at a nonexistent watch on her wrist. “ Oh my look at the time! I’d better get to bed so I can open my shop tomorrow, goodnight Captain!” She added before she turned to go into her room.

“ Wait a second!” William grabbed her arm gently to keep her from running inside. “ You may not be able to go to your shop tomorrow.” Zera quickly turned around to look at him.

“ Why not?” William looked away sheepishly.

“ Because tomorrow all the wives and fiancé’s of the Captain and Vice Captains are meeting, and well, you were invited.” He told her softly, and she blinked.

She was supposed to keep her shop closed and neglect her babies just so she could mix and mingle with a bunch of uppity noble women and royals?!

‘But wait a second Zera, those uppity women like flowers and plants right? Maybe you could use this to your advantage! You could promote your store to them, and when they come in, you can raise the flower prices and make them pay lots more than what they normally would!’ She thought to herself evilly, she let out a small laugh at the idea, that was one way to get back at the rich nobles!

“ Um, Zera?” William asked hesitantly. “ Are you alright?”

“ I’m fine! I’ll…I’ll go to that meeting I guess, but when it’s over I’m going to my shop!” She told him firmly and William nodded.

The two said goodnight and William walked away after Zera closed the door behind her. He walked a bit down the hall before he frowned. She was acting awfully suspicious today, when they first met a couple of days ago she wanted him to investigate, and now she suddenly didn’t?

Something strange was going on, and he was going to find out what.

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a good day 🥰!

[lesbianakaashi]

The Forgotten Shounen: Katekyo Hitman Reborn

This is not a “Why you should watch/read khr” or anything like that. This is just me going into the deep dive and throwing my findings at you. I’m making this because khr used to be my favourite series when I was 15 (I had plushees, posters, tradingcards, the art book etc) and now as an adult I constantly find myself baffled at how unknow it seems to be.

1. Okay first what is khr?

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! or just Reborn! is a series by Akira Amano which was published in Weekly Shounen Jump from 2004 to 2012 (with 42 volumes) and got an anime adaption which run from 2006 to 2010 on Tv Tokyo (with 202 episodes and one OVA).

2. What’s it about?

Khr is a parody of the italian mafia and plays in a world where the mafia is heavily influencial. The protagonist is the japanese middle schooler Sawada Tsunayoshi who is known as “No good Tsuna” because of his failing grades, general weak and cowardly personality and weak physics.

He becomes aware of the mafia world when a 2 year old baby called Reborn arrives at his house claiming to be the greatest hitman and declaring himself his home tutor. Reborn was send by the 9th head of the Vongola famiglia who is ready to retire and looking for a new heir. Which of course, is supposed to be Tsuna and now it's Reborns job to shape him into a worthy sucessor.

Tsuna rejects the violence of the mafia world and refuses the position as the 10th. Thanks to Reborn and his general craziness Tsuna meets different people and starts to make real friendships. Reborn wants 6 of those friends to be Tsuna's future guardians, basically a group of people which will be closest to him in the vongola famiglia. Tsuna might have no interest in those positions but the friendships he builds with them become really precious to him.

Reborns arrivial also brings in the enemies of the Vongola family which leads to Tsuna being forced to engage in battles. Generally Tsuna openly avoids fights and prefers to run away but will put himself in danger for his friends' sake or because of something Reborn did.

Through out the series Tsuna matures and gains strenght but he never becomes a power fantasy. He's just a guy with many flaws who grows through the human connections he makes.

Personally I think the relationship between Reborn and Tsuna is one of the best student teacher reltaionships in all of manga only topped by Mob and Reigen from Mob Psycho 100. Especially the last arc really underlines their unique relationship to me.

Furthermore, khr offers a new and unique battle system: The flames. I'm not gonna go into to too much detail but the general idea is that one fights with their dying will flame which basically turns off your the savety switch so you can fight with everything you have. The flames are seperated into different categories such as: sky, storm, mist, rain, sun, lightning and cloud and have different attributes asigned to each one. Tsuna's use of the sky flame and his transformation when using it is still one of my favourite shounen transformations to this day.

3. What happened?

The series did really well and then not so well over the course of its serialisation. After the manga got an anime adaption it increased in populairty and video games, light novels, and other products such as CDs were created based on the series. Reborn is one of the best selling series of Weekly Shōnen Jump and has sold around 30 Million volumes overall. It was and still is very popular in Japan but rather unknown in the west.

According to the article "The Rise and Fall of Weekly Shonen Jump: A Look at the Circulation of Weekly Jump" khr was the 10th bestselling series in Weekly Shōnen Jump, with a total of 7 million copies sold in 2007.

This number increasing to 15 milion in 2008. Which placed khr into the 4th best selling series of 2008 in Japan.

Between 2008 and 2010 those sales declined but still kept strong with khr as the 6th top selling manga in 2009, 8th best selling in 2010 and then 24th best selling in 2012.

In November 2014, readers of the Da Vinci magazine voted khr number 17 on a list of Weekly Shōnen Jump's greatest manga series of all time.

After the anime came to an apprupt stop in 2010 for unknown reasons the manga sells took a visible hit. (Apparently the studio wanted to put the anime on halt because they were busy with other projects and give Akira Amano time to develop her story but I couldn't find any source for this claim) Furthermore, the rushed last chapters of the manga in 2012 declined the popularity of the series even more. There's no offical statement as to why the manga was ended in such a way but it's reasonable to assume that Jump either cut it considering the decreasing sales or Akira Amano choose to end it for personal reasons.

Nontheless, Tsuna not being included in Jump Force (a fighting game where you can play as different characters from Jump) in 2019 even tho he made it in earlier Jump Stars games also underlines the decreased interest in the series.

Rumors on a reboot or anime adaption of the last two arcs surface from time to time but are genereally unlikely. Artland the studio which made khr has gone bankrupt around 2015-2016. It might be taken on by another studio but rather uncommen especially with such an old series.

4. Art style

The khr anime ended over 10 years ago and the old art style might not be appealing to newer audiences.

Especailly because the anime adaption follows Akira Amanos old art style which heavily developed within the years. Here a picture comparing characters in the new art style:

A modern anime adaption in the new art style would be aesthetically pleasing. It would probably look similiar to Psycho Pass since Akira Amano did the concept art for this series.

(My personal art student hot take is that both art styles are unique and fun. Up to this day Akira Amano still has my favourite art style and even if the amount folds in the characters clothing is a little extreme I love it dearly.)

5. Criticism

The show is not without flaws and even if I greatly enjoy it it wouldn't be right not to adress them.

Daily Life Arc:

A lot of people view the first 20 to 25 episodes as fillers and quickly lose intererst in the series. This is due to the fact that Akira Amano inteded the series to be a gag manga and focuses the first chapters on world building, character introduction and comical narratives. It's rumored that the decision to develop the story into a battle shounen was made because the sales weren't doing well enough at first. So the first chapters/episodes may seem titidious but are necessary for the story and the development of the characters. The tonal shift from a more gintama like gag manga to a darker battle focused story can also be offputting to some viewers.

Either way a lot of people blame this arc when discussing why khr never got an english dub or didn't end up on Toonami. I've also read that the manga never finished serializing in the north america. However, it finished in other western languages like german and spanish.

Censoring:

The anime censors A LOT. From Gokudera's smoking habit, Yamamoto's whole character arc which deals with heavy themes such as depression and suicidal thoughts. The general bloodiness of the manga was censored and sometimes whole chapters and characters were left out even if those were important to the devolopment of others.

Filler episodes:

Out of the 202 episodes the anime has around 29 filler episodes which makes roughly 14 %.

Sexism:

Even if Reborn was written by a woman most female characters are rather flat and their storylines often tied to a male character in one way or another.

Genereal things:

Khr, like many other long running series, is sometimes criticised for a lack of world building or unpopular narrative choices.

6. Hope?

Khr isn't exactly dead. As stated before the series is still very popular in Japan and still gets new merch pretty regulary. There are also petitions floating around for a reboot or a new anime season but those never get a lot of traction. Furthermore #Reborn2期アニメ化 (#Reborn2ndAnimation) used to get some traction on twitter not too long ago. Last year the Anime News Network did a poll on which anime the readers would like to see a rebooot of and khr placed second.

Either way here's a collection of recent khr things I could find.

- In 2018 a new bluray set was released in north america

- The khr stage play reached yet another new season

- A mobile game was released last year

- Currently ongoing anime cafe event called "Concerto di Vongola"

- Last month there was an event with the former VAs and stage play actors where they discussed their favourite khr episodes.

- There has been an increase in blind reacts to the openings on youtube which might bring in a new fan base. The biggest one I could find had around 90k views and was made in 2019. On this note check out the soundtrack. The first openeing Drawing Days by SPLAY still makes me go insane (but I'm biased of course)

There also renewed hope for a new season/reboot because Shaman King, Inuyasha and Bleach got anounced for new seasons after a long hiatus. It's important to keep in mind that the circumstances for those series are differnt tho. For example bleachs new anime is often tied to the immense success of the gatcha game.

7. Conclusion

Khr is a series which used to be a flagship for Weekly Shounen Jump and is deeply beloved by it's fans, especially in Japan. It influenced other shounen series like bnha. It would be nice to see it gaining a bigger fanbase in the west :)

[fandoomerthesequel]

Hi hi. Here to shower you with the love and appreciation. Really, I mean it. Just like odinnadtsat-mun said, I've heard lots about you from otverzhennyy-mun, and we all adore your art. The Viktor and his puppies artwork is so cute (I love the one in the back especially). And might I add: that donna x pyro agent, well hello cute npc ship how you doing? Sign me up!

I cannot express how much your art really brings joy to us.

Also, the way you draw expressions and poses, as a fellow artist I have to say I'm in awe. And gosh damn, I don't know if anyone complimented you on this but be proud of those hands. Holy shit man, you draw good hands (*wheezes*), those are so hard to draw. Keep up the good work and I wish you good luck and fun in your oc remaking!

No need to respond to this, just wanted to pop in, say hello, and thank you for the follow. I hope you have a wonderful week!

Signed, Duke (sir-huffman mun)

@sir-huffman

I had a whole ass heart attack 😎 honestly, cant believe anyone would actually talk about me? Like, to anyone? And thank you! When i drew the one in te back it was for filler becuase that side looked uber empty, and then i got attached, he is my favorite as well.

Now that ship came becuase i was making two seperate doodles but donna looked like she was looking at the agent, and then my crack ship became, my ship.

In fact i drew it again, becuase you reminded me of it, and i got motivation lmao. I love cuter ships becuase as much as i love angst, i have ocs for that.

Okay, so, with all yall saying you talk about it, i got super excited and happy so with this one, i told my friend and i was just being dumb in general lol. It really does mean alot to me and im honoured that yall would like, like my stuff??? I dont know, im not used to people just telling me that i guess. And im very glad that my art has brought some joy into yours and your friends lives.

Thank you, its the tying my worth to my drawing and therefore just gettin good as kids would say ~~ive mostly gotten over it tho lol~~ . Hands are my favorite thing to draw! Hands, eyes, and sometimes ears, are my favorite things to draw, although noses are fun as well.

Although ive mainly been otverzhennyys fan, and only just started kinda scrolling through yours and odinnadtsats blogs, i think of you three as my peers, and more advanced and bigger blogs, so it really does flatter and honour me, that you guys even enjoy my content, and to think that you guys are like, kinda fans really makes me happy and just, giddy i guess.

Also i hope you have an equally wonderful week!

And here are the two images i drew for ✨ you ✨

Hands are really fun

[ordinaryschmuck]

Why I (Want to) Love Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

Salutations random people on the internet who most likely won’t read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

When I heard Disney was making an animated series based on Tangled, acting as a continuation from the original movie, my initial thought was, "Why?"

Sure, Disney is infamous for its unnecessary sequels of the story after happily ever after, with the many, many, many failures that follow suit. Even then, though, most of these continuations were movies that kind of have the potential to tell more of a story. But what more could be said about Tangled? Sorry to spoil a movie that's over ten years old at this point, but by the end of it: Rapunzel lost her golden hair, was reunited with her parents, fell in love, and lived happily ever after. Her losing the golden hair is the most essential part of that list because how can you do a series based on a Disney princess when her most iconic feature is gone? Then I found out that the series forced a way for her hair to come back, and my new initial thought became, "Oh man. This is gonna suck, isn't it?"

Despite the hesitation, I decided to give it a chance anyway. After all, I've been pleasantly surprised before. Things like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and even The Owl House (yes, really), were shows (and a movie) that I didn't think would be that special. Only to find myself enjoying nearly every minute. So after watching Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, I can certainly say I was surprised...but it was entirely for the wrong reasons.

And to explain how requires spoilers. So if you haven't checked the series out yet, I highly suggest you do it to form your own opinion. Just keep in mind that it's a bit of a mess, but it can be an enjoyable mess...sometimes...let me explain.

WHAT I LIKED

The Animation/Art Style: The series swapping from 3D to 2D might have been the most brilliant decision anyone could have ever made with this series. Usually, when an animated movie gets turned into a show, the most noticeable downgrade is always the animation. Whether it’s not as detailed or not as fluid, it's always subjective that the movie is better animated than the series. But by switching up the styles, the contrast becomes objective instead. 2D and 3D animation each have their pros and cons, so deciding which one is better is nothing more than a matter of opinion. So by changing the style, Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure avoids getting complaints of being a downgrade from the original movie. It also helps that the art style of the series is really unique.

The best way to describe how the show looks is that it's like a coloring book brought to life. At times, everything looks like it was drawn and colored in with crayons, which sounds like an insult, but in actuality, it's one of the best features of the series. As much as I love most animated shows nowadays, I will admit, they all look a little too similar at times. Then here comes Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, which tries to incorporate a whole new style that successfully sets it apart from most shows.

As for the animation itself, it's really well-made! It's remarkably expressive when required, while the movements are really fluid during the correct scenes. Sure the fighting can be a little floaty during some action set pieces (yes, those exist here), but the dialogue and comedic moments are really where the series shines with its animation. I may have problems with the series as a whole, but I give credit where credit is due for the perfectly executed effort that I see in every episode in terms of animation.

Rapunzel and Eugene’s relationship: This was not something I was expecting to enjoy from the series. In the movie, Rapunzel and Eugene were fine. They were the typical Disney couple that worked off of each other enough that it was always entertaining, even if it was unbelievable that they fell deeply in love with each other after, like, two days. They weren't bad, but they weren't anything to go crazy over.

But the writers for the series said, "You know what, let's make these two adorable in nearly every scene they're in." And they are!

Even though I don't believe in their relationship in the movie, I fully believe it here. Both characters have a large amount of faith in one another on top of having endless love for their partner. Like how Eugene knew Rapunzel would be fine when taking out an airship or how Rapunzel couldn't bring herself to say a bad thing about Eugene when making Cassandra a sparring dummy of him. It's legitimately pleasant to watch, to the point where I put Rapunzel and Eugene in my top ten list of favorite fictional couples. They're that good to me, and it's one of the reasons why I don't jump on the bandwagon of shipping the two main female characters together. I'm all for LGBTQA+ representation, but give Cassandra her own girlfriend. Rapunzel's taken, and most of my enjoyment of this show comes from her and her man. So, you know, keep things as they are.

Cassandra (Seasons One and Two): Seeing how I've already mentioned her, let's talk about Cassandra, shall we? Because when making a series based on a movie that had only four prominent characters, with two of them being comedic animal sidekicks, you're going to need to introduce more members to the main cast to write more potential stories. And Cassandra, in Seasons One and Two (I'll get to Season Three), is a worthy addition. She acts as a strict straight man (I know the irony) who interacts well with Rapunzel and clashes perfectly with Eugene on occasion. She was passably entertaining in Season One and developed amazingly in Season Two. Her growing frustrations with Rapunzel's actions lead to a slow build-up that made her betrayal heartbreaking but somewhat understandable. And as for the results in that betrayal...yeah, I'll get into that later. For now, I'll just say that Cassandra was a pleasant addition to the main cast, especially when she was a part of the main trio, and she's yet another good surprise that the writers supplied for the series.

The Songs: The songs are...not going to be for everyone. Most of them are passable yet kind of generic, while others sound like they belong on Disney Junior (Looking at you, "Bigger Than That"). But when Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure makes a hit, MAN, it is a home run. Numbers like "Ready As I'll Ever Be" and "Nothing Left to Lose" are sung phenomenally, orchestrated well, and are songs I can listen to on repeat multiple times. And "Waiting in the Wings" is not only something I consider to be the best song in the series, but it's also something I'd place as high up on Disney's best due to how f**king incredible it is. "Waiting in the Wings" is a powerful ballad that manages to be both tragic yet inspiring on top of how well it sums up Cassandra as a character. The writers may not always be on top of their game when it comes to music, but songs like these prove that they know how to earn that Disney name.

And that’s all I have for the likes...Oh boy. That’s not a good thing is it?

WHAT I DISLIKED

It Peaked at Season One: It did. It really did.

Season One felt like the writers had a grip on what type of show they wanted: A slice-of-life series with Rapunzel dealing with the issues of her kingdom with a meager threat of these black rocks growing in the background. It was all cute and well-balanced for the most part, but that all disappears in Season Two. Because now it's sort of about this adventure, but because Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure set itself as a slice-of-life series, there need to be these small-scale stories that intertwine the grand narrative being told. The issue is that the story comes to a grinding halt one too many times as fans are forced to sit through these filler episodes that, while not all of them are bad, still feel like a distraction. And by Season Three, the series does feel more focused while having some slice-of-life episodes added to the ongoing story instead of distracting us from it. But the writing isn't as strong, there are several plot holes in the narrative (how did Rapunzel's sunstone get into her dress?), and there is way too much time going back and forth on Cassandra's morality. They claim that she's a villain while arguing that there might still be some good in her, and they continue this train of thought for nine episodes when it really could have been settled in two. For me, it's a bad sign for a series when the first season is the best one. Because if it's all downhill from there, what's the point of even watching?

It Tries to be Epic: This might have been the worst decision the writers could have made.

Now, here's the thing: I don't mind grand epic tales of adventure and battles against demons. If anything, I'm all for them...when it's appropriate and fits with the tone of the series.

Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure suffers a similar problem Frozen II has, in which the writers felt like a big, life-threatening adventure was the perfect continuation of a meager, personal story about the relationships of characters. It isn't. If anything, it's completely missing the mark about what the original story was about. And sure, sometimes writers can succeed in telling personal stories through grand adventures. Just look at The Owl House and parts of Amphibia. But with those shows, it's established within the first few episodes that action and peril will be a series staple. With Tangled, while there was some action and peril, it's all very subdued compared to how high the stakes got raised in later episodes in the show. Especially in the series finale.

And, I mean, c'mon. You're making Rapunzel an action hero?

Judy Hopps? Yes.

Moana? Maybe.

Raya? Most definitely.

But Rapunzel? The character who’s all about optimism and seeing the best of others. That's the character you're going to morph into a hero that fights against an evil demon laid dormant for years? Did you even watch the original movie? Yeah, sorry, but I just don't buy it.

If you want to tell an epic story that gets the blood pumping for fans addicted to adventure, go for it! See where the wind takes you. But make sure to set that tone as early as possible while also making sure that it fits with the characters. If not, the end result is a series that feels like it's trying to be something it’s not.

Eugene is Kind of an Idiot at Times: It should be noted that Movie-Eugene and Series-Eugene are practically two different characters. In the film, Eugene was more or less the straight man, as he often questions the wackiness in the world around him and keeping Rapunzel grounded in reality. For the series, most of that personality got transferred to Cassandra. Thus making Eugene's new role in the series act as the egotistical imbecile. Sure, he had those moments in the film, but not as frequently, and it really pains me when the writers really lean hard into a minor aspect of his personality. Sometimes there are moments when Eugene acts like his original self. But it's all small scenes that are spread apart with entire episodes where he has half a brain cell. I'm sure some people didn't mind this change to the character, but as someone who adores the movie version of Eugene, I can't help but feel disappointed.

The Villains are the Worst: Now, I don't mean the one-off villains that show up, cause some chaos for a bit, and disappear at the end of the episode. Those are characters with fun personalities, occasionally cool designs, and do their job as villains of the week. It doesn't matter if their motivations are laughably simple, as their purpose is to be enjoyable characters above anything else. So I actually enjoy those villains...it's the ones that act as season-long antagonists that really grind my gears.

The purpose behind these types of foes is to build up how evil they are throughout the season. The issue is that the writers try to give these characters, or at least two of them, a point. To be fair, this can work. Just look at Killmonger from Black Panther and sometimes Karli Morgenthau from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. You understand and probably even sympathize with the logic and reasoning these characters have. It's just that their actions couldn't be farther from what you would do. The problem with Varian and Cassandra is that they have the motivation, but it's not written suitably for the story.

Cassandra is a whole can of worms I'll get to in a minute, but Varian is someone I can easily discuss for a brief time. Because while I can comprehend his pain for having his father frozen in yellow rock, I don't think turning evil is the best decision to go with that character. Because A. Everything is his fault. He blames Rapunzel for not helping him, but even if she didn't have a crisis to deal with, there was nothing she could have done to stop it. His frustrations are not only unjustified, but given the fact that this wouldn't have happened if he listened to his father in the first place, it feels like him becoming evil is too drastic of a turn. And B. Varian worked much better as a supporting character rather than a primary antagonist. He was just this hopeful, if not a clumsy scientist who wanted to prove himself, who causes minor catastrophes due to not thinking ahead. Turning a character like Varian into a villain is a bit of a misstep because if the guy acts hilariously incompetent as a good guy, it makes little sense to have him be intelligent and ten steps ahead of Rapunzel when being evil. If he were to become more serious and careful when helping the rest of the main cast, I'd consider that character progression done properly. But becoming a villain is just an overreaction.

However, none of that compares with my issues with the main antagonist of the series: Zhan Tiri. This goes back to my problems with the series making itself too epic. Because if Zhan Tiri existed in any other show, I probably wouldn't have any problem with her. She's built up well throughout all three seasons and is kind of threatening at times. But she doesn't belong in a series based on a movie that dealt with a small, personal issue where it wasn't even the character who killed the villain in the end. It was her love interest and animal sidekick. Even if Zhan Tiri works well as a character, the fact that it doesn't feel like she belongs in the show makes her too distracting to enjoy. And that's why these villains suck. If not poorly written, they don't belong in a series that should focus on small-scale issues. And if you can functionally write an antagonist that appears for only one episode but flounder with ones that show up in several, well, that's just embarrassing.

Cassandra (Season 3): OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH BOY, do I have some words to express with this character. Like with Movie-Eugene and Series-Eugene, Cassandra from Seasons One and Two is frustratingly different from the psychotic IDIOT from Season Three. Basically, just take the issues I have with Varian, multiply them by ten, add them with some bafflingly stupid decisions, and you still wouldn't get how much Season Three-Cassandra frustrates me!

First off, her motivation...what the f**k were the writers thinking? The big reason why Cassandra betrays Rapunzel and motivates all of her misdeeds was that Cassandra's mother was Mother Gothal...EXPLAIN THAT LOGIC TO ME?! Because Cassandra should know what type of woman Mother Gothal was. She should know what Mother Gothal did to Rapunzel in the first eighteen years of her life. So how is Cassandra being abandoned by Gothal the central motivator to cut ties with Rapunzel, who is probably an even bigger victim in this scenario!? Seriously, Rapunzel was cut off from the rest of the world and treated as an unknowing prisoner because she was beneficial to Gothal. Cassandra was adopted into a household with mutual love and got to actually live her life. In no way does it make sense for her to be angry at Rapunzel.

Nor does it make sense that the writers try to play it off as a good thing in the song "Crossing the Line!" Sure, it sounds nice, but thematically, it gives across the opposite feelings that the audience should have. Because if Cassandra cutting ties with Rapunzel is meant to be tragic and awful, why is the music suggesting it's the best possible thing that's ever happened for the character? If you like the song, fine, but even you have to admit that it's thematic nonsense.

But, sure. Cassandra's evil now, and she considers it a good thing. Whatever. I'll take it as long as it leads to good stories...but here's the thing: In the penultimate episode before the three-part series finale, Cassandra asks a question. A question I would have never expected her to ask, despite everything that has happened in the last season. A question that was so baffling, I had to legitimately pause the episode to process the fact that she asked something so stupid. Because Cassandra, the character who is intelligent and grounded in reality, asked, "Am I the bad guy?"

I was honestly shocked to find out she was shocked! How, in the flying, everlasting, cock-a-doodle-doodling F**K does a person like her not pick up that maybe, just maybe, she isn't the hero in this story!? Call me crazy, but endangering the lives of people you once called friends and family, dressing in black, AND HAVING A GIANT EVIL-LOOKING TOWER MADE OUT OF F**KING SPIKES aren't qualities I would give to a hero!

If Cassandra was like Thanos, a character so wrapped up in his ego that he can't even notice how evil he is, I would understand. But she doesn't have an ego. Anger, yes. But for the most part, her personality is based on having logic and reasoning. So turning her into a villain and having her unaware that she's a villain is an act of lunacy that I am incapable of understanding. I don't know who's idea this was, but whoever is to blame...you've got issues.

>Sighs<...This series isn't good, is it?

IN CONCLUSION

I like the animation and some of the characters...but that's not enough. Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure is a mess of a show that tries to do too much for a story that should have so little. Meaning that it's a D+ for me. I want to enjoy it and give it a higher grade, especially with how much I hear people praise this series. And if you do enjoy it, all the power to you. Your opinions are valid, even if I highly disagree with them. Because for me, this is a show that I won't get myself tangled up in again in the future.

[musubiki]

hey so drawing isn’t my forte right.. but i do like writing and i also want to get better at it. you just so happen to be really good at writing and developing a storyline. i was wondering if you had any tips when you begin to write or where you go for inspiration it would be really cool if you gave some out

hmmm,,..,,this is a little tough because i never really thought of writing critically!! i just think about things and characters and things i want to happen and it kinda just falls together over time,,

- i guess the first point would be: have a goal for the story. whether its saving the world, destroying someone or something, or even if its something simple like slice of life, establishes the kind of story you want!! for me, tcwg has an end goal, but a lot of it is slice of life stuff in the middle, with some “major” events laced in that contribute to the endgame

- give your characters a lot of personality. sometimes its not something that can be done in one day, where you can sit down and say “character A wants to be this, and character B wants to do that!” sometimes its YEARS of waiting and watching the world around you, and watching movies and games and one day youre like “oh....thats what character A wants”

- give them hopes and dreams and fears and flaws!! give them things that will guide their actions!! because those actions is what pushes the story forward (or backward, which is fine too). give them a backstory that makes them hesistate in certain situations!! give them motivation that makes them do something!!

- i gather inspiration from literally everywhere. tumblr posts, nature documentaries, irl people i know, conversations i hear in starbucks, movies, games, everything!! imo the most “original” thing you can use as inspo is people/events/things irl. because its not you looking at an established story and taking from it, its like fate put that inspiration in your life

- if it helps, put events on sticky notes and shove them on your wall for a timeline. have some major events you know you want to happen and rearrange accordingly!! i think i did this for tcwg like......,,once. and i got tired of it. and then i was like “eh i kinda know what happens ish” and went with it

- dont worry too much about it. think about your favorite tv shows and try to picture your own story as an anime or something!! figure out what scenes are meant to hit hardest

- idk for me really the whole process was fairly unconscious...im sure theres some science to it and some official tips for storylines/story making but i wasnt that elaborate in my head about how i did things, it just came out that way

- thinking about it as an rpg game really helps!! you cant make things too easy, create some “laws” that will create difficulty for the characters!! give your weapons cooldown time. force them to go foraging for ingredients if they wanna “level up,” make certain actions have repercussions!! dont be afraid to make thinghs that will make people go “fuck if only the thunderbat could unleash lightning constantly instead of every 3rd hit, that would make life so much easier” YOURE RIGHT, IT WOULD!!! but we need them to make do

- but my main advice would be don’t rush it. the only thing i noticed about creating tcwg is that it took YEARS for the story to eventually come to this point. at first it was just mochi and lime eating oreos in mochis room doing homework, and after playing games, watching movies, reading, learning, listening for 3 years it developed into something bigger!! give it a LOT of time. 

- BUT!!! its also okay for you to establish something if it means you can move forward!! dont waste too much time going “ah, i cant do [this] because [this] hasnt been decided yet-” NO! decide it and move on. you can change it later. if it doesnt fit in with the story later on, change it when it comes to you!! dont get chained down because ONE part of the story isnt “ready.” and hell, if the whole story ends up played out and that ONE part isnt what you hoped, who cares. the other 90% of the story is still fine

- put lots of filler content to make yourself happy. let them get ice cream and do stupid pointless quests. dont be afraid to piss off your characters. not everything works out nicely. make them waste their time. frustrate them. make them make mistakes, have them act like assholes. give the story flavor

[sevensided]

how did you get into writing fic? i'd love to start but idk even where to begin! I loved adats so I was wondering do you have any advice?

Oh my goodness! I am so flattered you’ve asked me this. Yes, I can absolutely help. I’ll throw a bunch of rambling under the cut.

I started writing fic probably when I was... sixteen years old? A lot of my early works were oneshots. I couldn’t figure out how to do anything plot heavy for the life of me, so I just stuck to AUs or whatever I felt like. I wasn’t in any particular fandom -- I really wrote whatever I had ideas for. I remember I tried once to do a plot-heavy story and I received a review absolutely ripping it to shreds. Like, it was so cruel I cried lol. I ended up deleting the fic. Years later, I get what they were trying to say (basically, more substance, less style), but at the time it cut to the quick. Really, it was only when I was in my twenties that I started writing work that was longer and/or better.

The fandom that helped me actually write plot heavy work was a historical-based fandom. As I’m a historian, it was perfect. I got to use my research skills and knowledge to create works that, above all, aimed to feel authentic. I mainly read historical fiction, so I was familiar with how that genre worked. Miraculously, people loved my work. I think I wrote about ~200k in the period of a year? These were several short stories (20-40k) and a few oneshot filler fics. While I was part of this fandom I also helped organise a Big Bang which was a lot of hard work but was extremely rewarding. Along with that, I interacted mainly with other fic writers, so I spent a lot of time chatting to people about ideas and encouraging other writers, and it just created a lovely medley where no concept was impossible or any line of dialogue too difficult. We supported each other and it was truly like a little commune. I gradually stepped away from the fandom mainly because it was just a part of my life at a very specific time, and almost as soon as that time was over, my love for that story/ship faded, but I firmly believe I figured out a lot of how/what I do now purely through that experience.

Regarding ADATS

With ADATS, it stemmed entirely from wanting to “explain” three months in canon (at the end of season three). I was interested in the idea of season four setting up Will/Mike in canon, and I wanted to test the source material to see if I could draw from what already existed to create something authentic. I began with that simple idea: what happened from July to October in 1985? Then I thought about the major themes I wanted to hit -- family, friendship, coming of age, sexuality -- and I nested them around the bigger concept: how do I get Mike from being ostensibly straight to realising he is gay? That meant thinking of two steps: Mike discovering his attraction to guys; Mike discovering his attraction to Will. Those two concepts were separate “arcs” that needed addressing in different ways. Balance was key to weaving them together and making the reader feel like they knew what was coming (and that they felt smart for putting the pieces together) without just rushing through and going “now kiss!” That’s partly why ADATS needs a sequel, lol: because it’s not finished!

Writing process

The first thing I do when I start to get an idea is I write it down. Sounds obvious. But when you have a killer line of dialogue come to you in the shower and you think “I’ll remember that” -- reader, you will not remember it. You gotta get it down ASAP! I do that the whole way through, as generally I’ll be thinking of scenes I’m stuck on and then it’ll just come to me and I’ll quickly jot it down.

The next thing -- or what I do in the meantime -- is start structuring. I plan. I try to plan a lot. Sometimes it’s okay to write “and something happens here to get them here”, because you’ll figure it out later, but for the most part I’ve discovered that planning is like gold and you can’t get enough of it. I break my work up into generally 3-4 parts/sections, and I treat each section like a mini story. So each part needs a conflict and resolution, and it needs to flow into the next section. You need to have a feeling of things evolving and maturing. Once I’ve planned those little bits, I start thinking about the bigger plot arc and how I can drop in hints along the way. I’m probably not a subtle or skilled enough writer to yet pull off that sort of gasping twist you get in really excellent books, but I’m trying to get there. It’s hard, is what I’m trying to say, but that’s okay, because we’re all learning.

Then I generally do aesthetic stuff. Sounds stupid, probably. But nothing helps me get more into a mood than doing a Pinterest board or -- most of all -- making a Spotify mix. I start thinking about the vibe and the general atmosphere, and then I almost exclusively listen to that mix when I’m working. Sort of like muscle memory? Just to get the creative juices associated with that particular selection of songs.

Another thing I’ll do along with plot structure is character structure. This is a biggie. I mean, a story is nothing without characters. So I’ll just jot down a bunch of bullet points of characters and particular aspects that I want to highlight or remember. I hate continuity errors in fiction. Like, if someone says they work on Maple Street but later in the fic they’re working on Pine Street. I hate that. So I keep note of specific things that my main character might notice at repeated points in the story (colours, places, smells, names, sounds -- so they’re all consistent even as the narrative evolves). That’s another thing -- your characters’ motivations. Not everyone is going to be a huge player, but they all do serve a purpose. The most important character is obviously your main character. I personally think it’s important to let your M.C. be an arse at times. They’re going to be mean, they’re going to misinterpret things or fly off the handle... just let ‘em. Let them be wretched humans, and then bring them back and make them realise what they’ve done. Let them learn! I love consequences in fiction, lol.

At the same time, I’ll probably start writing. We’ve already written down some snippets of neat dialogue or descriptions, but now we should start the actual process. For me, I used to start at the beginning. Usually this was the most fleshed out anyway: I’ll have a clear idea of the beginning and the end, but nothing in the middle. These days, if I have a scene in mind that I can’t forget, I’ll just write it. It will possibly get scrapped or rewritten, but that’s okay, because at least you’ve got it down and now you can devote your brain power to something useful (like figuring out what the middle is supposed to be). I’ll have half a dozen of totally out of context scenes just littered in my Word document that I’ll add to as I go along. Eventually, though, you’re going to start writing properly, and that’s when you write your opening scene.

Opening scenes: super important. Every time I write a scene I think: what is the point of this? What do I want the reader to learn or takeaway? Sometimes you do have filler scenes, but they also serve a different purpose (perhaps to establish a group dynamic or to explore/describe a character’s surroundings). Mainly, though, every scene should push something forward in some way, whether it’s character development or a plot point. So, with an opening scene, I always think you have to establish: where you are; who you are; what they are doing; where they’ve come from (in a philosophical and practical sense); and where they’re going (ditto). That doesn’t have to happen in the first paragraph -- that would be silly. But if you sprinkle that information in over time it’ll gradually build up a picture of your character and that way the reader can get an idea of who they are. You basically need to give a snapshot of what your story is about. This also goes back to the character creator stuff: where they are at the start should be different to where they end up. How that happens is, of course, because of plot, and because you’ve structured everything to the nth degree, we’ve got a very clear progression of that character’s growth (/s easier said than done lol).

General advice

Write down everything: every idea, a bit of dialogue, a description, whatever. Write it down. Doesn’t have to be neat. Just has to be on paper. You can’t remember everything, so if you’re spending time trying to hold those things in your head, it’s taking up space for new ideas to come along.

Structure, plan, structure, plan. Sometimes it’s boring and I hate it. Other times, when I’ve not written in a few days and I open the Word doc and think wtf is this supposed to be, I am very grateful for Past Me for leaving such detailed notes. Seriously, it helps so much. Oneshots don’t really need planning, in my experience. You just get those out there. But multi-chaptered stories really do, even ones that “just” focus on a relationship.

Whatever you want to write, commit to it. Space goblins invade Hawkins? Do it. Eleven and Max find themselves in a cult akin to Midsommar (2019) and must escape? Yes. Just... whatever you want to do, remember that you’re writing it for you. Write what most interests you, what makes you when you reread it go AHHHHH I LOVE THIS!! Because that makes it a thousand times easier to actually get on with the writing when you enjoy what you’re doing.

Write a lot. Every day, if you can, or at least at designated times. Occasionally I have a very specific headspace/vibe I have to be in, but sometimes it just hits me and I’ll say to my partner “I need to write now” and just disappear, lol. The more you write the more you write. It’s so, so, so true. Cannot emphasise this enough. When I wrote that ~200k in twelve months? It was because I literally wrote every. day. Or near enough. Remember that some days you’ll write 200 words, and other days you’ll write 20k (this happened to me with ADATS -- part of the reason I finished it so quickly was because I had sprints of writing 10k+ at a time that only happened because I was in the rhythm of it). Write, write, write. Who cares if it’s crap! No one will see it until you are ready. In the meantime, just write!

Probably last of all (although I could go on and on) is connect with other writers. If you’re struggling to start, sometimes just talking about it can help a huge amount. I hope it goes without saying that you can message me whenever you want, anon or not, and I will talk to you. We can talk about ideas or I can beta stuff, whatever you want! Find like-minded people and talk to them about what you want to do. Another thing this helps is in advertising your work when you do publish. I see a lot of first time fic writers get super down because they publish their magnum opus on AO3 but no one comments. Honestly, it’s because no one knows you’ve published! You don’t have to be tooting your own horn every which way, but just actively talking about your work and even collaborating with other content creators with get you hyped and other people too (and the input and encouragement other fandom members give is just... out of this world. Anon messages helped me finish ADATS when I was really worried I wouldn’t [that’s the truth]. Seriously, support is everything). When you have people excited about your work, you get excited. It’s really as simple as that.

I could go on but this is already horrendously long. I hope even a bit of this helps! If you want to chat or have any more questions, just hit me up any time.