#maybe less assuming you are the main protagonist of the universe king???

[rawliverandgoronspice]

If I keep my motivation up with the animatic project, I plan to make ganondorf just. soooo uncomfortably correct about things. you know, in that event horizon of being both indefensible enough in his actions that you feel like he's just saying things to make himself look less bad, but also you can't really retort a proper counterargument without revealing huge biases in your own perception of reality

just riding that wind waker swagger to more extreme extremes

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About The Mitchells vs. the Machines

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is up there as one of the best installments of the MCU. Sure, the action and CGI sucks, and the season finale could use a bit more polish, but there is so much more of what it does right. It brings up an engaging discussion through Karli; the bromance between Bucky and Sam is incredible; Zemo's surprisingly a riot, and U.S. Agent is a character whose inner psychology is something I would like to study. Plus, the series really dives deep into the themes of race and the realistic hesitance that comes with making a black man Captain America. It's easily an 8/10 series that is worth an in-depth discussion.

But f**k that s**t, because I'm talking about The Mitchells vs. the Machines instead!

I know it might be questionable that reviewing a movie starring a predominantly white family of idiots saving the world instead of the TV series about the powerful journey of a black man taking the mantle of an American icon...but this movie is fun, alright? And yes, I'm going to spoil it to explain how. So if you still have a Netflix account, I highly suggest you check it out when you have time.

Because, random people on the internet who most likely won't read this, this Ordinary Schmuck who writes stories and reviews and draws comics and cartoons is going to explain why The Mitchells vs. the Machines might just be my favorite film of the year (steep contest, I know).

WHAT I LIKE

The Animation: Let's get this out of the way right here and right now: If a single person ever tells you that this movie has awful animation, or the worst animation they have ever seen, just go ahead and assume that person is an idiot. Because holy hot cheese sticks, does this movie look amazing!

Say what you want about most of Sony Pictures Animation's movies, but you have to admit that they nail making a CGI movie looking like it could be in 2D. And The Mitchells vs. The Machines is the peak of that style. Every character in nearly every frame looks like they could work well if the movie was hand-drawn, and I love it. I am addicted to seeing films that look 2D with a 3D makeover because there has to be ten times the amount of effort to get that look just right, what with modeling each character in unique ways to nail that style wherein a hand-drawn film, you could just, well, draw it. Not to mention that the cell-shading and certain hand-drawn elements also add to the aesthetic.

Plus, there is so much attention to details, such as most of Katie's character model being covered in sharpie, or how you can see a hint of Eric and Deborabot 3000's drawn on faces even though their black screens are showing something else. Seriously, you can listen to any criticism this movie gets, but don't you dare let someone get away with telling you that it looks awful. It doesn't. It's incredible, and I SO wish that I could have seen it all on the big screen.

The Comedy: On top of being incredibly well-animated, this movie is also incredibly funny. Like, really funny. I shouldn't be surprised since it's made by the same people responsible for Clone High and The Lego Movie, but yeah, I found myself laughing, chuckling, and snorting with nearly every joke in the film. Not every joke works, to be fair. But because of the fast-paced humor, the bad jokes are almost immediately followed up with better ones soon after. What's even better is that the writers know when to take a break with the humor and let some surprisingly compelling drama take over. And even then, when there are jokes during the dramatic moments, they add sincerity to the scene rather than take anything away. Looking at you, The Amazing World of Gumball...I mean, I love you, but sheesh, you need to learn to let a solemn moment play out.

Anyways, the comedy is hilarious. And while I won't spoil every joke, I will go over some bits that might have gotten to me the most.

Katie Mitchell: Let's just go ahead and add Katie Mitchell to the list of characters I highly relate to on a personal level (which is getting longer by the minute, hot damn). But jokes aside, I really like Katie. Her love and desire to make movies is something I identify with, and her goal to just go to a place where she feels like she belongs is easy to understand. Trust me, if I found out there was a group of weirdos who like the same things I do and enjoy the things I make, I’d be willing to pack everything I have and go to them as fast as possible too. Plus, I feel like a lot of us can relate to a character who lives in a household where people question if our career goal is something we can make a living with. I remember two years ago when I told my aunt that I wanted to make my own animated series, and her reaction is a little too similar to Rick's when Katie showed him her movie. They mean well, but sometimes it's for the best to have a cheerleader rather than a critic, especially if that person is family.

Now, Katie isn't perfect as her enthusiasm can get a little annoying at times, and her desire to leave can be conceived as a little too harsh as well. Still, she's pretty cool and serves her role as a protagonist pretty well...also, if the movie gets a sequel, let's hope she and Jude become cannon by then. GIVE KATIE A GIRLFRIEND, DAMN IT!

Aaron Mitchell: But as great as Katie is, it's this goober that earns the reward for my favorite character. At times it looks like Aaron is nothing more than a source of comedy, but he handles some dramatic moments really well. Partial credit goes to Michael Rianda for that one. Yeah, having a child actor would have made Aaron sound more like a kid, but no other voice could have fit him better than what Michael offers as he comes across as weird but never obnoxious.

Also, let's give the writer points for making a character who is clearly neurodivergent. Yet also refraining from having him be annoying or useless to the rest of the cast. No one ever really disrespects or belittles Aaron and instead chooses to work with him rather than against him. Especially Katie, who forms a solid sibling bond with Aaron as a fellow weirdo. It's genuinely sweet to see, and I loved every minute that the writers showed that just because someone acts on a different wavelength doesn't mean they shouldn't be treated any less because of it. You get that with Katie, a little bit, but I see it much more with Aaron, for some reason. And I love him every minute, so that’s a win.

(Plus, I may or may not have had a dinosaur phase when I was younger, so go ahead and add him to the list of relatable characters too.)

Rick Mitchell: This is probably a character you will either love or hate, and I can see both sides of that argument. Because on the one hand, I really like Rick Mitchell. His motivation is clear and understandable from the first set of home videos with him and Katie, both near the beginning and the end. Sure, he messes up a lot, but he is still a man who cares deeply about his daughter, as well as his entire family. He gets to the point where he would make great sacrifices for all of them, especially Katie. Plus, it's just pleasant seeing a cartoon dad who isn't a complete idiot or overprotective regarding his daughter's love life.

However, there are times when Rick comes across as an irresponsible d**k. When he does things like smash the family's phones without telling them or giving them screwdrivers for "presents," you're either gonna find that funny or you won't. Personally, I enjoy Rick and his antics, and I have no problem with irresponsible cartoon dads. As long as they don't cross the line toward Modern-Peter Griffin territory, I've got no problem with dads like Rick, who I believe has never even got that bad. Still, some people might think differently, and I can't blame them. Because after getting great cartoon dads like Greg Universe, I can understand if some people won't be interested in characters like Rick Mitchell.

Rick’s and Katie’s relationship: Alongside the top-notch animation and gut-busting comedy, Rick and Katie's relationship is what I consider the movie's most essential asset. These two are the main characters of the film, and as such, they develop through each other. And what's crazy is that they have very conflicting goals. Katie wants to escape and be with her people, where Rich just wants one last chance to have a good memory with Katie before she leaves. To do so, they first have to understand each other. Katie has to learn why Rick is so desperate to spend time with her, and Rick has to realize why Katie is, well, Katie. What I love most about it is that they try. These two don't spend the entire movie arguing and being at each other's throats until a sudden "Oh" moment in the end. No, there are actual moments when they genuinely try to understand one another and fix their relationship. It's nice to watch, and I especially love when it cuts to Linda and Aaron celebrating each time Katie and Rick get closer to each other. When recommending this movie, I'd say come for the animation and comedy, stay for the phenomenal relationship building.

Monchi: There are probably people already comparing Monchi to Mater or the Minions due to being a comic relief with nothing else to add...but gosh dangit, do I love this little gentleman. Maybe it's because I'm a dog person, but I find Monchie to be incredibly adorable, and I will fight anybody who disrespects this king of kings. Probably not physically, 'cause I'm a wuss, but I will verbally. So WATCH IT!

“HeLlO. i Am DoG.”: Have I mentioned that this movie is funny?

Rick’s videotapes of him and Katie: And right there. Rick's motivation for everything is set in stone through a solid case of visual storytelling.

PAL: The writers do almost everything they should have with this character. PAL might not have the most creative evil plan in the world, but to me, a villain can have a generic scheme as long as they're funny. Thankfully, PAL is funny. Not only is the idea of a smartphone ruling the planet hilarious in all the right ways, but Olivia Colman delivers such a great cynical energy that the character needs. The way PAL reacts to people explaining why humans are worth living is just the best, and her flopping around in a fit of rage successfully gets to me.

If I had to nitpick, I'd say that I wish PAL had more of a meaningful resolution to her character. The movie builds up that she makes a big deal about Mark dropping her, so it feels weird that neither of them really get any actual closure with each other. I'll get more into that in the dislikes, but I wish PAL had more of a fitting end than just dying after accidentally getting dropped in a glass of water. Other than that, she's a great comedic villain for a comedic movie.

PAL MAX Robots: These guys are the funniest characters in the movie. Half of it is the bits of visual humor, while the other half comes from the solid line delivery from Beck Bennett. Especially with Bennett's and Fred Armisen's Eric and Deborahbot 3000. These two are definitely the comedic highlights, as nearly every line they say is both hilarious and kind of adorable at times. And just like with Monchi, if you dare disrespect these characters, I will fight you. Because they are funny, and I will not hear otherwise.

PAL demonstrating what it’s like to be a phone: Have I mentioned that this movie is funny?

(Don't disrespect your phones, kids. Otherwise, they'll try to take over the world.)

PAL turning off the Wi-Fi: Again, have I mentioned this movie is funny?

“I love the dog. You love the dog. We all love the dog. But at some point, you’re gonna have to eat the dog.”: It's the sick jokes that get to me the most. Everyone booing Rick afterward is just the cherry on top.

Attack of the Furbies: Have I. Mentioned. That this movie. Is funny?

Seriously, if you haven't lost your s**t during every second of this scene, then you never had to deal with the demonic entity that is a Furby. In a way, I commend you. But you also don't get to appreciate the comedic genius of all of this. So I also weirdly feel bad for you.

The Mitchells deciding how to celebrate: You don't have a real family if you spend more time arguing about how to celebrate after saving the world than you do about how to save the world. I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

The PAL MAX Primes: There's not much to say about them. The PAL MAX primes look and act pretty cool, are brilliantly animated, and raise the stakes while still being funny at times. I love 'em, but I don't have much to analyze with them either.

The origin of the moose: ...I'd make the "I didn't need my heart anyway" joke, but to be honest, it's still shattered after WandaVision.

(For real, though, this is a really effective scene that establishes why Rick makes a big deal with the moose and why he might feel hurt that Katie is willing to disregard it completely)

The Theme of Technology and Social Media: There's a theme about how family is important, and working hard on making things work is worth the effort. But that's a bit too generic for my tastes, so instead, I'm gonna talk about the equally important message this movie has about technology. Because as twisted as she is, PAL makes a great point. The technology we have today helps us in a variety of ways. It's especially useful with sites like YouTube, allowing content creators like Katie to reach out and share their voices. The only issue with technology is how people use it. Take note that the main reason why the Mitchells stand a chance against PAL is by using her own tech against her. Yes, over-relying on all the advancements around us can be dangerous, but if we're smart with how we use them, we can get by just fine. This movie isn't about purging all technology like most robot apocalypse stories are. Instead, it's about using it correctly and not being helpless sheep the second the Wi-Fi gets turned off. Which might just be the most unique thing this movie has going for it story-wise (more on that later).

The Climax: The Mitchells vs. The Machines has everything that I think I climax should have. First off, it utilizes callbacks and jokes that I wouldn't have thought twice on actually coming in handy for how the Mitchells win the day. But showing that Monchi causes the robots to malfunction turns a pretty "eh" joke into a solid case of foreshadowing.

Second, everyone does something. Some characters do more than others, sure, but the fact that every Mitchell, even Monchi, has a hand in beating PAL and her robots is a great sense of writing to me. It shows that you really can't cut anyone from the main cast, as they each add value to how they are essential to the plot. Even Aaron, who arguably does the least in the climax, still manages to be the catalyst to what is easily the best scene in the movie. Speaking of which...

Linda Kicks Ass: By the way, that's the actual name on the soundtrack. I'm not even kidding. Check it.

Anyways, for the most part, Linda seemed like a decent cartoon mom. She's insanely supportive but still has the common sense to keep her foot down, like agreeing with Rick to stay safe in the dino stop the second the apocalypse starts. A pretty fun character, for sure, but nothing too noteworthy...but the second she loses her s**t, Linda Mitchell frickin' SKYROCKETS to the best-cartoon-mom territory! Believe me when I tell you that seeing her slice and dice robots like a middle-aged female Samurai Jack is as awesome as it is hilarious. Does it make sense how she can suddenly do this? No, but at the same time, who gives a s**t about common sense?! Because this moment was epic, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching it over and over again.

Rick Learning How to Internet...Again: I consider this the funniest moment in the movie. Trust me, the Furby scene is a close, close, CLOSE, second...but I think this scene was funnier.

The final goodbye: This is what I'm talking about when I say humor adds to the dramatic moments. The Mitchells saying "I love you" in moose is pretty funny, but it's also a sweet moment given that this is absolutely how this family of weirdos would say goodbye to each other. And, yeah, I got a little misty-eyed during this scene. Especially when Rick saw Katie pocketing the moose. That s**t just cuts deep, man.

Alex Hirsch Voices a Character: ...That's it. I look up to Alex Hirsh as everything I want to be as a creator, and the fact that his name is on this movie fills me with joy. He's also a story consultant, so that can also explain why the movie turned out as great as it did...although there are some imperfections.

WHAT I DISLIKE

Katie-vision: What's Katie-vision? Well, throughout the movie, we get to see how Katie views the world as there are these hand-drawn elements that look like effects Katie would add if she was the one who made the movie. At times it can be subtle and cute, like when this little beating heart appears when Katie is talking with Jude and her other friends. It's when the movie is in your face with Katie-vision does it get annoying. Like showing how Katie is lying about being certain she can drive up a vertical ramp or signifying what is the Rick Mitchell Special. Even if you justify that this would be how Katie would edit the movie, it still doesn't change how obnoxious these moments can be. For instance, Monchi is justified to be essential for the plot, but that doesn't mean people won't hate him...I'll still fight them if they do, but that's beside the point.

I can totally accept this being a personal issue, as I'm sure some people enjoy it. As for me, I think Katie-vision works best when used subtly instead of crudely.

The Meme humor: It's something similar here. Because some people like meme humor...but I don't. To me, it just dates your story if you reference memes even once. Now, a show, movie, or book being partially dated is nothing new. We Bare Bears, a series that I love, reference memes, apps, and social media constantly. Yet, the show still has a timeless feel to it as it doesn't rely on those references too much. The Mitchells vs. the Machines doesn't rely on memes as much either. But even then, that doesn't make a difference about how annoying that gibbon monkey joke was. Seriously, what the f**k was that? And how is THAT the joke that gets used twice!?

Underutilizing Mark Bowman: It really bothers me how this guy barely does much. I mean, Mark Bowman is the main reason that anything happens in the movie. Because he mistreated PAL, Mark acts as the catalyst for events to come. So the fact that he could have been written out the second PAL takes control doesn't make sense to me. It's worse since I could see more potential with his character through his relationship with PAL. These two could be anti-Rick and Katie, as Mark and PAL show what happens when people disrespect their family. So separating them halfway through the story, and keeping them as such, is a huge mistake as it results in neither having a proper resolution to their arcs. Like I said, Rick and Katie develop through each other, and the same could have happened with Mark and PAL. It doesn't, making it something that I can't help but feel disappointed about.

The Poseys: These are characters I feel like work better with multiple appearances. Sure, they only have the one joke about being a perfect family, but at the same time, you can make a joke like that work. Look at Yvonne from Shaun of the Dead (Which might just be my favorite movie). That's a bit-character whose only purpose is showing how better she is than Shaun despite being in an eerily similar situation. But she works well as we constantly see how great she's doing in every instance we see her. The same could be done with the Poseys, as using a similar joke for one scene is underutilizing great potential to make an already good movie into a better one.

Plus, if you're gonna shoehorn in a romance between Aaron and Abby Posey, the least you could do is have more than one scene developing that...just saying.

Katie’s and Rick’s “Oh” Moments: I want to make it clear that I actually like these scenes. They're well written and effectively emotional. My problem is that they also happen two seconds apart. There's nothing wrong with having a character realize the error of their ways through a tear-jerking moment. It's a popular tactic for a reason. And given how both Rick and Katie are the protagonists, they both need their own "oh" moment. But you gotta space them out, as it makes things easier to see the emotional manipulation that you're clearly trying to pull on the audience. They work, but putting them back to back is an issue easily solved with at least two minutes of padding, not two seconds.

Katie’s Death Fakeout: This is one of the few instances that a joke doesn't work in the movie, made even more annoying with the fact that I could see the punchline a mile away and kept thinking, "Just get to it already." I'm pretty sure no one bought this, especially when Katie didn't look like she could have gotten killed in any way after throwing PAL. It's poorly handled and proof that even the funniest comedies have a stale joke every now and again.

Nothing New is really being done here: Keep in mind that in terms of style, this movie is incredibly innovative. And here's hoping future animated projects can take notes. But narratively speaking? Yeah, there's nothing really new that this movie is offering.

A story about how technology will be the death of us? Been there.

A story about a group of idiots miraculously saving the world? Done that.

A story about a father forcing their teenager on a road trip so they can spend quality time with each other, thus ruining the teen's chance of hanging out with their girlfriend? Believe it or not, I have seen A Goofy Movie...multiple times...both as a kid and as an adult.

Now, I have no issue with a movie's plot being a bit by-the-books, and in some cases, cliche. If done effectively, and if I still have a good time, I don't think there’s much to complain about. And there isn't with The Mitchells vs. The Machines. The problem lies with that I'll forget this movie along with the dozens of others like it in a couple years. Which might just be the biggest issue any film can have.

---------------------

Overall, I'd give The Mitchells vs. the Machines a well-earned A-. It has nitpicks, sure, but it's still a blast to watch. It might not be innovative or groundbreaking as movies like the last Sony Pictures Animation movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. However, it is fun. And when the world is burning down around us, it's nice to have a fun movie that can distract us from all of it. So feel free to log in to Netflix the next time you're in the mood for a film that is great for the whole family. You won’t be disapointed

(And I will talk about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier pretty soon. I just needed to get this out of my system first.)

[spockandawe]

So, my heart keeps circling and circling back to The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, and I was idly prodding at why that is, even more than the other mxtx stories, and then I thought to myself, ‘why not ramble into the internet abyss instead of just in your own head?’ And so here we are.

I love this story so much, seriously. It was maybe the most difficult of the three novels for me to begin, because the translation editing is definitely rougher than mdzs and tgcf, and I think the story itself assumes that readers are kind of familiar with transmigration concepts (teal deer, person from real world reads novel, involuntarily is pulled into novel, often(?) as one of the established characters, lives out the-novel-plot-but-different).

But once I got past like, that first chapter? MAN. I was so hooked. 

I think the first thing that really stands out to me is that Binghe as a love interest is...I’m not sure I want to say he’s more “flawed” than the other mxtx love interests, but that’s the best word I’m finding right now. The wangxian ship is mostly in tune with each other in the present, despite a few lingering misunderstandings. And the hualian ship, like, hua cheng rolls up like ‘heyy what up i would do anything you asked of me’ and xie lian was like ‘you. i like you a lottle.’ and their in-book development is mostly about bringing xie lian up to speed on the depth of their history together.

But Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe! The original canon Binghe is specifically a blackened hero, who is casually cruel and manipulative, and has collected up a massive harem of pretty ladies to be his wives and concubines. Pretty much the last straw in that blackening is that his abusive teacher (who he still desperately wanted the approval of) found out he was half demon (also news to luo binghe) and kicked him into the abyss where he had a miserable few years having his demon blood awakened. Later, he came back to the human realm, much stronger and angrier than when he left, and his morally questionable adventures involved de-limbing his old teacher, cutting out his tongue, and keeping him alive for years.

Shen Yuan is a modern-day human bean who has been hate-reading the webnovel of this story, where he can see a lot of interesting potential in the story, but is massively frustrated by the things the author has chosen to do with it. It is a Significant shock to his system when he wakes up inside the story, in the body of Shen Qingqiu. After Luo Binghe has already been his student for some time. Also, there’s a System that’s policing whether or not he acts in-character as Shen Qingqiu, and he’s going to get punished if his points drop below a certain threshold. He gets more freedom to act as the story progresses, but at first he has to do things like argue with the System about why he should be allowed to give medicine to Luo Binghe after he gets beat up (it will shame their sect if outsiders see him with a bruised face). And on the one hand, he’s trying DESPERATELY to avoid a future where he gets mutilated and tortured by his student, but... he is absolutely a massive softy who takes no time at all to start ADORING this kid and being super proud of everything he does. He won’t admit that, even in his own pov, and he has a very, very reserved external manner, but he’s so soft on the inside.

(ps why did using fans as conversational props stop being a thing. maybe sometimes i don’t WANT my face hanging out in public, maybe sometimes it’s extra fun to hide your expression.)

And this makes for a fascinating dynamic, because this new Shen Qingqiu 1) adores Luo Binghe, 2) is terrified of Luo Binghe.

At first, when Luo Binghe is still a teenager, it’s easier to land on the side of just adoring him. The original canon character was a sweet, sweet kid all on his own. And Luo Binghe is still an extremely good boy when this novel starts, even though he’s being mistreated by his teacher and most of his fellow disciples. But when Shen Qingqiu starts giving him support and positive reinforcement, oh my god, he BLOOMS. 

But Shen Qingqiu is from outside the novel, and he knows where this is headed eventually. And at the point where the original character shoved Luo Binghe into the abyss for a couple years of misery, the new Shen Qingqiu thinks he’s in a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation, and... reluctantly does the same thing.

So here’s the trouble. Luo Binghe is... needy. He’s a needy, needy boy. He loves very hard and cares about his people (person) a lot, but he is also clingy as heck, jealous, and has MASSIVE abandonment issues. Getting this treatment from his favorite person in the entire universe is... not ideal. Having it happen when he’s just found out he’s half demon is even less ideal, especially when the framing makes it look like he’s being rejected because of What He Is, not something he has any power to change. And it ties back into to his oldest, most painful insecurities. His name literally means ‘lowered into the icy river’, because that’s what his birth mother did with him. 

So when he comes back to the human realm, he’s not as blackened as he was in canon, and doesn’t have a grudge of the same magnitude as the original Luo Binghe. But the person he loves most in the world hurt him very, very badly, and he :) has :) some :) questions :))))))))))))))

And this is the point where every time Luo Binghe breathes, Shen Qingqiu goes WAUGHHHH

Which is so TASTY, honestly! And the escalation of hurt and mistrust is such a delicious feedback loop! I love a good supportive relationship, but I live for two people who care about each other inadvertently inflicting massive wounds on each other’s hearts.

I don’t want to go into describing the later parts of the plot, because that seems like such a waste, but I feel like transmigration stories are the MOST tasty if having prior knowledge of a novel’s plot makes the leads act as dumbasses in all kinds of new and exciting ways. Which definitely, definitely applies here.

And there are all kinds of DELICIOUS side relationships, which weren’t there in the original canon, and that Shen Qingqiu accidentally discovers/uncovers while he’s fumbling around trying to dodge his canon fate. Like, early in the book, Shen Qingqiu is supposed to kill one of his peers in the sect. The guy was suffering from a qi deviation and the original Shen Qingqiu was like ‘look, he was out of control, and I didn’t want to kill him, but it was him or me.’ Everyone was skeptical, but they didn’t have any evidence to contradict him. This character was the brother of one of Luo Binghe’s eventual wives, so it was pretty much just another bonus reason to hate his shizun once he turned against him.

The new Shen Qingqiu is like ‘okay, so this Liu Qingge is supposed to be strong. Maybe if I save his life he’ll protect me from Luo Binghe?’ And it changes SO MUCH! And Shen Qingqiu is SO DUMB! He’s like ‘wow, liu qingge really hates me, huh.’ And Liu Qingge is like ‘WHY ARE YOU BEING NICE. IT’S WEIRD. ARE YOU REALLY STILL YOURSELF?’ And then later there are spoilery developments, but there’s this act of devotion that moves me so much. (five years!!!!!!!!!!)

And I don’t want to undersell the intense emotions these characters are so frequently feeling in this story, but they are also. so dumb. so frequently, frequently dumb. and I live for it.

Like, I just got past the part in the novel where Shen Qingqiu sees Luo Binghe and Liu Mingyan having their first conversation. Liu Mingyan is a legendary beauty (so beautiful she wears a veil, because otherwise her beauty is just too distracting) and eventually becomes one of Luo Binghe’s favorite wives. So Shen Qingqiu (who hates the original novel, but also sure has a lot of passion for it and remembers a lot of the details, considering how much he theoretically hates it) is like ‘OH, HOT DAMN. MY OTP’S FIRST CONVERSATION. I WANNA SEE HOW THIS GOES.’

And what happens is that Luo Binghe gets so massively jealous. We get a bit of his pov, where almost all of his thoughts are ‘WHY IS SHIZUN STILL LOOKING AT HER?? IT’S NOT LIKE YOU CAN SEE MUCH PAST THE VEIL ANYWAYS. AND ANYWAYS, I’M PRETTIER???????????????’ And finally Luo Binghe goes off out of sight with her so shizun can’t watch her anymore, and Shen Qingqiu is like ‘ah.... alas....... of course the protagonist and his lady get privacy for such an important scene..............’

They are so dumb, guys. They care so much, and they ache so much over each other, and they are so dumb. And the supporting cast isn’t much smarter. Even the smart ones have the dumb ones inflicted on them.

In the extras, at one point demon king Luo Binghe is addressing his main retainers, and he’s like ‘if... hypothetically..... two people’s hearts were out of alignment with each other........ how would u fix that.......... hypothetically..............’ And his poor retainers are like

But I really, really think that the protagonist being afraid of the love interest is a really key point for me, personally. And then it’s extra my favorite, because of 1) him having a good fucking reason to be afraid, and 2) his love interest having no goddamn clue. It makes for such a good blend of humor and sincere pathos. I’m weak to dumbasses-in-love as a dynamic, but it can be hard to have something so lighthearted while also working in painful emotional depths. The premise for this story is hard to replicate, and I’m kind of drawing a blank on anything that I’ve read that measures up to it, and the plot REALLY makes the use of some incredible foundations.

Anyways, thank you for coming to my ted talk, this book is ridiculous and i love it, and it’s also the shortest and most linear of mxtx’s books, and i highly recommend it to everyone.

[blossom765]

Watched Frozen 2

Finally watched frozen 2 and I have some spoilery thoughts so be warned:

First off, this was a pretty good movie but I wouldn't say mind boggling great

First off, the way everything starts

It starts with a flashback of of Elsa and Anna as kids and listening to a story and a lullaby from their parents. Then it moves to Elsa and she just starts hearing this voice. And I didn't really like that very much. It just happens, there's no trigger, no set up, just stars because the movie starts. That problem persists for quite a lot through the movie. Things happen, there's not really a big trigger. Like when the elements attack Arendalle. Why attack now after all this time? Because Elsa sang a song? Because she said now she wants to go into the unknown? That's not a good enough trigger.

There's also the huge amount of songs on the worst places. Don't get me wrong, these songs are the shit and I'll probably be listening to them for years. They're far superior to the soundtrack in Frozen 1 but, that's kinda the problem. I feel, that one of the reasons Let it Go was so popular was because it was levels above the rest of the songs in the movie. Can really put for the first time in forever on the same level as let it go. For the first time in forever was great but it wasn't as huge as let it go and that's because we knew that that was the movie's main song. ( Little Mermaid had Part of Your World and Aladdin had A whole new world). And that's the problem. In this movie, all the songs are on a high level. It's like they were trying too hard to find the next let it go but they tried too hard so there's no one song that stands out from the rest. I don't really see Frozen 2 songs having the same impact let it go had but maybe that's just me. And about that part about putting the songs in the worst places, I wasn't kidding. In the first part of the movie, there's like 3 songs barely 5 minutes apart. In the first movie, they not only had songs that told the story instead of just being random songs, but they also felt like time had passed in between them. Here it just feels like their shoving songs in there. And Olaf's song about understanding things when he's older was put in an incredibly awkward place. This scene had ominous tone with the spirits throwing things out of wack and they thought this was a good time to put a comedy song. I do feel this is a better song than Olaf's frozen 1 song but at least that song was put in a better place of the movie. I think only 4 of them were placed in good places. And lost in the woods just takes us out of the movie. It was a good song but, come on. ( Lullaby, Show Yourself, Into the Unknown, The Next Right Thing )

Another thing that bothered me was Anna and Kristoff's relationship. When reviewers said that Kristoff's whole thing was about proposing to Anna, they weren't kidding. Other than saving Anna a few times, he has nothing to do except try to propose to Anna and he disappears in the third only to randomly reappear. When Anna and Kristoff kept having misunderstandings, all I could think off was how bad their communication was. Like how is it the time to think about marriage. If this was real life, this would have been one short ass marriage. Why didn't they address they? Why couldn't they have had Anna and Kristoff have a small conversation about how they need to communicate more? It doesn't even need to be that long.

I really wish I could have seen more of Elsa's and Anna's mother but oh well.

The animation is great but I wish they'd have showed more settings than just dark settings. But, I'm sure with the advancements this movie made with animals, we'll get more movies with this amazing animation talent and with different settings.

There's also that one scene where Elsa sees parts of the first movie including when she's singing let it go and she seems embarrassed by it. That was an important moment. That was a step in the direction of her being free. Why would the movie make fun of that? Bad idea, such a crazy bad idea.

The movie is way to fast. That has a lot to do with how everything happens because the movie is happening, not because there's an in-universe trigger to start things.

I also didn't really like that destiny thing thrown in about Elsa being the fifth spirit. This is more of what I don't like. I don't really like how destiny pull the character to do something. I prefer if Elsa was just both with these powers and the spirits choose her to be the next spirit based on her actions. But, whatever.

I didn't really like how they were ready to destroy the dam and Arendalle without thinking about the people. I know it had to happen but at least mention that they'll be destroying people homes. And these people didn't do anything or know anything, it was just their ancestors. Actually, it was just the king and a few of his soldiers!

There were a lot of characters that were introduced and had very small roles. Maybe we'll see them in Frozen 3. I believe a lot of these issues are here is because the creators assumed the first movie would be it and they only made a sequel because of good the first movie performed. At least now they know that if their movie does well, the higher ups are probably gonna want a sequel. I'm sure if they make a frozen 3, then they will expand more on the underdeveloped mythology. I'm okay with that with another sequel. I would prefer more original works but I'll take an animated sequel over a live action remake any day.

Now, let's get to something that a lot of people are split about. Elsa is a bad protagonist. Some people say she's great, others say she's emo and has no personality. To be honest, I can see where both are coming from. You see, Disney's characters, especially their princesses, don't have much personality diversity. They all have traits like hopeful and cheerful and often exude a sort of innocent childness. Think Anna, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Auora, Tiana, Jasmine. You can tell when they're happy and cheerful. They're all so energetic. They all have their big smile happy moments. So, when we see a character like Elsa for the first time in Disney, it can be a little jarring or a little unique depending on the person. I do prefer Anna with just how much energy she brings but I am glad Disney made a character like Elsa. It's not your fault, it's not mine. It's just what we've come to expect from Disney.

Also, is Elsa immortal now?

Also, did that part from the trailer where Anna pulls a sword from Kristoff and swings it ever in the movie? If not, what the hell? I would have loved to see it.

How does destroying the dam save Elsa?

Is that voice coming from the ice land ( I don't remember the name) itself?

So, is the horse and Bruni the lizard spirits? And of so, are they causing everything in Arendalle? I'm still so confused about this mythology, it's really underdeveloped.

Was that beautiful autumn Forest scene from the trailer ever shown? Again, what the hell?

And, how bloodthirsty are those Giants? How far are they gonna go to kill one tiny person? Jesus!

But, time for some positivity. I really loved the ending with Elsa staying in the enchanted Forest with the Northuldra. I'm glad that she still felt out of place being the only one with magic. Being the only Muslim in your school, being the only African American in your neighborhood, etc. It's a problem people can face. It's why a lot of people feel less out of place when they're surrounded by people like them. ( Like when they go to their family's home country ) the way they handled it was pretty good. You can be with your own culture and people and still be with people who are different from you. It's a better message than just having the usual "follow your dreams" Disney message. I loved how Anna became Queen. If we get another movie, I'd like to see more of what Anna does as Queen. And a smart way to do this is that Anna and Elsa aren't that far apart in age so I'm sure they've had close to the same amount of training so I'm sure Anna knows a lot on how to be Queen. And I love how Anna and Elsa followed their own lives but still have easy contact. Just like families today.

There is a lot wrong with this movie but there is so much that's good. The music, the animation, the ending, the message. It's done so much that's great. I'd still highly recommend it. I expect that future movies and possible future frozen sequel will have better writing.

Thanks for coming to my thought talk 😘

[clumsyprophet]

Cinderella Phenomenon as Tarots

Welcome, welcome!

So, as the title said, this is an analysis that attempts to link each Arcana to someone (or something) from Cinderella Phenomenon. Why? Well...I like tarots, I like Cinderella Phenomenon and I like rambling, in no particular order. It's not an original idea by any stretch of the word 'original': pretty much every fandom has done it, but it's still an interesting analysis to make! The Arcana are archetypes, something ancient and universal...and their message can be found basically everywhere, assuming you are willing to reflect a bit to notice the links.

I'm not an expert Tarot reader (or scholar) by all means, so I'm more than willing to hear critiques, suggestions and whatever you think might improve my analysis. Also, I would definitely not object if someone wanted to use this as a base to draw the deck/an Arcana: if you want to go ahead, this is not private property, it’s just something I made for fun and then decided to share.

With that being said, some final notes:

I am only considering the Major Arcana...it would be nice to have a full deck, but I'm afraid there's not enough material to fill 56 cards in addition to the 22 described below.

I tried to include all named characters without repeating them. Lucette is an exception, since she appears from 2 to 4 cards...but she's the protagonist, so that's kinda expected. Another exception is Rumpel's ex (which doesn’t appear), a bit because I forgot about her and a bit because when I remembered she still didn't fit anywhere. Village man #2, Child #1 and their faceless friends are also not included, for rather obvious reasons.

This will contain SPOILERS, no way around that. So, if you haven’t finished the VN what are you waiting for, go and finish it read at your own risk.

So, without further ado, let’s start!

THE FOOL

Lucette (riches to rags version) / Lucette (w/ Mr Broom)

Ah, the Fool, number 0 (or XXII) of the deck, the child, the wanderer, the...well, fool. This card is a card of beginnings, of a journey that is about to start with all the wonders and perils (often dictated by inexperience) that such an adventure brings by default. So, who else other than the Ice princess, who has just woken up having lost everything, can represent this card? While she lacks the enthusiasm the fool usually overflows with there's no denying that she has a long journey in front of her, one full with danger but promising a shining happy ending. Hopefully...have you seen how easy is to get bad ends?! *Ahem* Anyway...another option would be having the scene where Lucette is swept away by Mr Broom...same reasoning (journey just started) with an emphasis on the 'Fool' part of the Arcana.

THE MAGICIAN

Waltz

...I swear not all the cards I chose are this literal. Ahem...either way, the Magician is a card of potential applied, will shaping reality as the Magician desires, the male (or active) principle of creation, the Yang to the High Priestess Yin. Also, even if I'm rather reluctant to bind powerful cards such as the Major Arcana to rather mundane elements (but hey, someone does) the Magician can represent a young, willful man. So...well, Waltz. He's even a witch, what more can you wish for.

THE HIGH PRIESTESS

Delora

As I mentioned above, the High Priestess is the counterpart to the Magician: where the Magician is a willful, active force of reshaping reality the High Priestess is an intuitive caretaker of hidden secrets and intimate knowledge of the universe. So, why Delora, you ask? The High Priestess knows, but she will reveal only when the time is right, when you are ready to accept the truth she is offering. I considered Parfait for this card, but I believe Delora fits better (and we have the nice symmetry of two witches, one male and one female, holding the complementary positions of Magician and High Priestess).

THE EMPRESS

Ophelia

The Empress is a feminine card like the High Priestess but, unlike the third Arcana, the aspect she focuses on is not intimate, intuitive knowledge but rather 'motherhood': creation and nurturing. She is Mother Earth, offering to her children endless affection and sustenance, forgiving their slights when they hurt her because her love is just so deep. So, well, Ophelia might be a Queen and not an Empress, but she has all the other characteristics of this Arcana.

THE EMPEROR

King Genaro

...Okay, maybe quite a lot of cards are rather literal, but it's not my fault they fit so well. The Emperor is the Father to the Empress Mother, to no one's surprise: he loves his children no less than the Empress, but the gift he gives are rather different. The Emperor is a card of unbreakable will, like the Magician, but this time applied not through creation but through laws. He is strict and can appear, at times, rational and cold, but that's his way of protecting his children...and have no doubt, he will protect them. He wields power, but he will never be corrupted by it. So, well, here we are, our beloved King.

THE HIEROPHANT

Alcaster

The Hierophant, much like the Emperor, is an Arcana of law and order. Unlike the Emperor, however, his domain is far more focused on the society as a whole, his objective being upholding a system of belief and/or traditions. If that system is fair, just and peaceful then good, if it's not...well, you get Alcaster and his plans for a 'better' Angielle.

THE LOVERS

...Too many to count, TBH

Aight, this is one easy card to explain, since it's exactly what it says on the tin: an union (90% of the time a romantic one) between two persons, working harmoniously together towards a goal. Said goal can be living together, bettering themselves...you name it. Sometimes it's a reminder to choose between two persons, but the usual meaning it's the first one I explained. The problem with this card it's that there are simply too many couples that can fit even discarding my first idea, Garlan and Jurien, since they are already taken for another Arcana. Candidates are Viorica and her fiancee, or Lucette in her Evermore outfit framed in a way that makes ambiguous who the LI is. No shipping wars, thank you.

THE CHARIOT

Rod

The Chariot is an Arcana of emotional control. Much like the driver depicted in all decks is guiding the horses in front of them to lead them to their destination, a person blessed by the Chariot will (ideally) guide their emotions without suppressing them but instead using their tumultuous strength to reach their goals. Of course, this card could also means that you are controlling your emotions too much...don't look at me like that, I never said the Arcana have only a favourable meaning. So...well, Prince Rod, case closed.

STRENGTH

Fritz

Much like the Chariot, the Strength is a card dealing with controlling oneself. With quiet determination and unwavering patience most cards depicts a maiden taming a lion, animal representing the wildest, darkest side of her. If you aren't getting what I'm implying go back playing the game, because seriously, just replace the lion with a wolf and the symbolism becomes as subtle as a punch on the nose. Fritz, full stop.

THE HERMIT

Hans Grimm

I'll admit it, this was an hard Arcana to assign, but I believe I found a rather nice match. The Hermit represents, unsurprisingly, the need for a withdrawal from the world. Maybe it's because you need to reflect alone on your life...or maybe because you feel extremely guilty because your stories (unwillingly) caused a war and countless death, who can say!

THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE

You

Yes, you read that right: you (the player) are the Wheel of Fortune. Chances, situations shifting, choices with uncertain outcome: all are the domain of the Wheel. You are fate, you are the force that sways the path of the Fool, you are, in the end, the difference between a bad and a happy ending. Sadly, it's a bit hard to represent 'the player' in a tarot, so I'm proposing the closer thing that can be easily put down in visual terms: a stained glass wheel (or, well, circular window if you want) with all the routes' symbols (referencing the main menu), maybe with Lucette's slippers in the middle, to represent the biggest choice a player makes while playing (that is, which route will they follow).

JUSTICE

Jurien and Garlan

Remember when I said that I considered our favourite knight couple for the Lovers, but in the end I changed my mind? That's because they equally fit the Justice...and no one else does fit this Arcana like them. Justice is the herald of Judgment, a reminder that Karma (not, not him) exists and will reward you as you deserve. Alcaster, dear, thought you could get away with your coup? Bitch, please! Also, the Justice can represent a fair and just attitude, doing the right thing no matter what...well, I don't need to say anything else, right? That's our noble knights, right there.

THE HANGED MAN

Rumpel

The Hanged Man, like everybody who has some knowledge of Tarots symbolism will tell you, is Odin, hanging upside down from the branches of Yggrdrasil so he could gain the knowledge of Runes. Rumpel and his quest for knowledge (well, memory, but it's still some form of knowledge) fit nicely. The Hanged Man also warns us that in order to gain something it's often necessary to give up something else: in our case, give away his old habits that ruined him so he can gain a true happy ending.

DEATH

Parfait (end of Waltz' route)

Death is, probably, the most misunderstood card of the whole deck, though I have to admit lately its true meaning has become more and more known. Death is a card of endings and change (and, unlike the Hanged Man, this change is often forced instead of voluntary), but with the promise of a new beginning. Death is winter, with the implicit promise of a new spring. While Parfait dies at the end of Waltz' route, hope is still alive: her niece will uphold her legacy and a new era will be born, one hopefully devoid of the hate that destroyed the last one. It's sad, to see her go, but she has no more regrets, her story ended: now it's time for a new tale to be told.

TEMPERANCE

Annice

Temperance is, by definition, a card about balance and restraint. What does that mean, you ask? Well...other than the obvious meanings, it's a card that encourages solving conflicts with grace and diplomacy. Life will slap you hard in the face (life, and people), but it's (usually) not a good reason to fly off the handle. Keep your wits with you, stay calm, breathe: you will find a way to go on. Don't bend backwards, of course, but do try to let hatred flow away like water in a stream. I have to admit, I had a lot of trouble with this card...then I thought about Annice. True, she can't remember Lucette firing her for something she didn't do (thus she has no reasons to 'fly off the handle'), but she is still a composed, hard working girl. Also, I considered the Lucis and the Tenebrarum for this card (emphasizing the whole 'balance' aspect)...but, in the end, they got roped as candidates for another Arcana (more about that later!) and besides, I wanted Annice to be somewhere in the deck, too.

THE DEVIL

Varg

The Devil is, in short, a powerful reminder of our dark side. Our inner desires, our negative: the Devil appearing in a reading often means that, right now, your worst enemy is none other than yourself. With that being said, this is still part of you and you have to accept it: both stubbornly ignoring your dark side or being completely dominated by it are harmful; that's the message of the Devil. So...that's literally our wolf man, here.

THE TOWER

Hildyr

The Tower is known as the card of ruin and, to be honest, this reputation is often well deserved: like a lighting bolt striking a previously (apparently) intact tower, this Arcana warns about sudden, violent changes often revealing flawed bases. Death can be seen as the natural conclusion of a situation: maybe the ending itself was rather sudden, but there were very clear signals about the outcome...not the Tower. Mind you, this change can be a positive one (and since it tends to let everyone see how flawed the previous status quo was it's not entirely harmful), but it's sure shocking! Now, with that being said, if Hildyr and her resurrection is not a lightning bolt destroying the apparent peace in Angielle I don't know what that is!

THE STAR

Emelaigne

The Star is one timid Arcana, it's message one of quiet optimism but boy how much strength can the maiden of the Star bring! Thanks to her strong heart and her unwavering hope she can walk through the night unharmed: maybe she will stumble, from time to time, but she will never give up. She will face darkness both external and internal but she will still go forward, her heart unwilling to even just consider the idea of giving up. Even if Emelaigne's trust in herself is far lower than the Star would suggest her heart and faith in others make her an almost perfect fit for this Arcana.

THE MOON

Mythros

The Moon is a card of illusions. Things aren't like they appear, maybe because someone is pulling wool over your eyes or even because you are doing it, unwilling to see the truth. Still...never trust what you are seeing in the light of the Moon, because it's distorting reality. Of all the character, Mythros immediately comes to mind: he fooled the entire court for years and played Lucette like a fiddle in Fritz' route...with disastrous results (for Angielle. His plan was rather successful). He's not the only manipulative character, but he's surely the one who has 'deception' as his whole modus operandi.

THE SUN

Karma

You survived Death, the Devil, the Tower, you endured the deception of the Moon...but you have won. This is a card of victory, and surely not a quiet one! Forget the timid light of the Star...the Sun is full of life and confidence (someone may say full of himself...not entirely wrong, I'd respond), blazing in the sky for all to see. Even reversed this card promises that setbacks are only temporary, no matter how bad things look. After all the night seemed to be dark and full of terrors (cit.), but look at the sky now! So, Karma. Yep.

JUDGMENT

Lucette (breaking the curse)

The Justice warned you that a reckoning would not be postponed indefinitely (cit.)...and now the moment has come. You are about  to reap what you have sown, buddy. So, if you are a bad guy Karma is about to kick your ass (no, not that Karma. ...Maybe? I mean, Karma kicks a lot of ass)...but what if your efforts were put into, say, being a better person? Well, your reward is going to be great indeed! Lucette is no longer the Fool she was at the beginning of the journey: through sacrifice and pain she has earned an happy ending.

THE WORLD

The Lucis and the Tenebrarum, in harmony / Lucette (Queen)

The World is, like the Sun, a card of victory. The journey has ended and you have found whatever you were searching for: sure, you will probably depart again soon, but for now you are complete. This equilibrium is not the unstable one we saw being destroyed in the Tower: it's an hard fought victory that is destined to last. Bask in the joy of the World, accept its message of harmony: you deserve the prize, after all you did to obtain it. With that being said...I can't still decide which one of the two proposals I like more: both are the symbol of the end of Hildyr's reign of terror and generally a big fat 'CONGRATULATIONS, YOU ARE GREAT', but other than that...eh. I'm slightly leaning towards the Crystal, to represent in the deck that important part of the story, but I would not object to either choice.

[cartoonessays]

Identity Politics

One of the big issues in our political discourse is around what are called “identity politics”.  To be short and blunt, the way we collectively discuss it is a total fucking trainwreck.

I’ve talked about this issue before in the recent past, but just to quickly recap it, a big point of friction in the Democratic Party primaries between opponents Fmr. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaign and Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign was of the latter’s focus on economic issues and the former’s focus on issues related to race and gender.  After Clinton’s loss in the general election, there were several pundits, whose political views range as widely as conservative, liberal, and Marxist, who criticized her campaign’s failure to understand how much of an issue economic disenfranchisement really was for such a large part of the populace, vociferously criticizing its focus around so-called identity politics.

I’ve discussed at length my own major issues in how Hillary Clinton’s campaign discussed issues related to identity, and how it was the most major manifestation in how superficial our broader discourse around it really is.  However, the critics suggesting to abandon identity politics in general and focus on economics are just as hopelessly tone-deaf as the Clinton campaign/Democratic Party.

One of the biggest recurring questions in the wake of Clinton’s electoral defeat was “how did the Democrats lose so much of the white working class, especially when so many more of them voted for Barack Obama in past elections?”.  That’s a good question to ask, but what absolutely drove me crazy is that nobody seems to inquire at all about working class people of color.  True, voters of color went for Clinton over Trump in massive numbers, but those numbers are only among the pitifully small percentage of those populations that actually voted.  It’s a problem that nobody ever bothered to ask why so many working class people of color didn’t vote.  The only response Democrats seem to have towards non-voters, especially after 2000, is to disparage them as lazy, stupid, and in this past election, sexist, racist, or exhibiting their white privilege (how do all these political experts fail to understand that insulting people you want something from is a shit strategy?).

For critics on the left that criticize identity politics, their whole framing of it is all wrong.  Thea Riofrancos and Daniel Denvir have discussed how this divisive debate on the left is oversimplified to the detriment of all sides.  Leftist economic wonks, particularly Marxists and socialists, would do themselves some good to get a better understanding of how racial issues intertwine with economic issues if they hope to gain more support from people of color.  Another example of this disconnect was highlighted by Johns Hopkins University professor Lester Spence, whose book Knocking the Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics criticized David Harvey’s seminal work A Brief History of Neoliberalism for its lack of analysis in regards to race in its critique of neoliberal economics.  Spence argues that the people subjugated in a society structured in white supremacy (he focuses on black people) are impacted even more by the effects of neoliberalism than white people.  Yet another example, historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz discusses economics as they relate to Native Americans currently and historically in her books.  Any other critiques of identity politics on the left that aren’t grounded in an understanding of Marxist or socialist theory would do better to start reading up on Marxism and socialism.

Conservative critics of identity politics dismiss the concept of it off-hand as completely frivolous.  A distressing number of liberals adopt this critique in this exact same way too.  They’re all full of shit, especially the conservative critics.  Right-wing politics are just as wedded to identity as much as left-wing politics.  The only difference is that right-wing politics focuses on the identities of the dominant class; white, male, heterosexual, economically elite, and Christian.

In her seminal work The Second Sex, the thesis of Simone de Beauvoir’s argument of how women are oppressed is that our society has been structured with men as the norm and women as the deviation to the norm.  This analysis can be extended to other identities as well; whiteness is structured as the norm and all other races are a deviation, heterosexuality is structured as the norm and LGBT+ is a deviation (see the term “gay agenda”), Christianity is the norm and other religions are the deviation.  These identities as the norm have been so entrenched in our collective consciousness that we don’t even recognize or discuss them as identities.

The point of this blog has been to analyze portrayals related to identity in cartoons, which is only a small manifestation of how it plays out in society.  The two Disney films Tangled and Frozen were named that instead of Rapunzel and The Ice Queen because they thought the less gender-neutral names would not appeal to boys.  Disney films with more masculine titles like Aladdin, The Lion King, Tarzan, or Hercules are never assumed to be a turn off to girls in their audience.  There’s a long history of female characters having more passive roles in comparison to active male characters and existing in relation to those male characters.  Media starring white protagonists are viewed as universal while media with protagonists of color are viewed as “niche” or “political”.  Media where the main character is supposed to serve as the audience surrogate are almost always white men or white boys.

Gong back to how conservatives adhere to identity politics, another reason that their identity politics aren’t recognized as identity politics is because they have a long history of discussing it using euphemisms.  As Republican strategist Lee Atwater explained in a 1981 interview:

You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968, you can’t say “nigger” — that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states’ rights and all that stuff. You’re getting so abstract now [that] you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I’m not saying that. But I’m saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me — because obviously sitting around saying, “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “Nigger, nigger.”

As a result, policies that target black people for incarceration are called “tough on crime” or “law and order”.  Those black people being targeted are called “thugs” or “criminals” instead of “niggers”.  Latino immigrants are dehumanized through terms like “illegal aliens” instead of more direct slurs like “spic” or “wetback”.  Arabs and Muslims are dehumanized by the terms like “terrorist”.  Meddling and violent regime change in other countries is re-framed as “spreading democracy”.  Persecution of LGBT+ in society is re-framed as “religious liberty”.  This terminology is the legacy of the “Southern strategy” first adopted by Richard Nixon in order to win over white voters anxious about the demands for racial equality from activist groups, particularly Democratic voters disillusioned by Lyndon Johnson’s passage of the the Civil Rights Act.  This was decades before the term “political correctness” entered our political lexicon.

Long before the 1950s and 1960s, presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson spoke out against what they called “hyphenated Americans” as a way of pandering to xenophobic attitudes towards European immigrants (who were not considered “white” in the late 19th/early 20th century).  That same Woodrow Wilson screened Birth of a Nation at the White House when it premiered.  The characterization of the inhabitants of foreign countries as “backwards” and “savage” in 19th and 20th century literature from the likes of Rudyard Kipling or Ian Fleming were used to justify Western imperialism throughout Africa, Asia, and South America.

Hell, dominant identity politics goes all the way back to Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortes.  Those damn sure weren’t other European Catholics they were conquering, raping, and pillaging in the Americas.

Folks on the left better get a better grasp of what identity politics actually is and how to discuss and advocate for it in a much more productive way because the right sure knows their way around it (no matter how much they deny it).  Dismissing it outright or perverting it to take marginalized groups for granted are not the ways to go if you are truly invested in dismantling structural oppression.

Further viewing:

[just-an-unrepentant-bibliophile]

The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Summer Tree is part one of the Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. I had picked it up after watching a Booktuber gush over Kay’s writing.

The Summer Tree follows 5 Canadian college students who, following a university lecture, are transported to another world.

Now, I’m a sucker for portal fantasies, but this one was a bit different. Usually, protagonists are a little younger, and, well, maybe a little smarter.

It wasn’t until 22% into the book that any of them thought to remark on the strange world they found themselves in, where magic is real, the king of dwarves chills in the castle with a human mage, and vile, dark creatures are following and attempting to kill them. Yet it takes around 80 pages for any of them to remark on this and express concern, even though some have been having casual sex with the castle-dwellers.

So, umm, yeah.

This took me three weeks to read, which is obscene for a book less than 400 pages. I really struggled to believe the characters would react the way they did in the situations in which they found themselves, and that effort to suspend disbelief kept me from ever really connecting with any of the main characters, which is a major problem if you expect someone to invest their time in a trilogy, assuming it follows the same characters.

The book also ended on a cliffhanger, which I hate beyond almost everything in the known universe, as it seems a cheesy way to attempt to goad readers into coming back.

I don’t think this reader will.

While I didn’t loathe the book—Kay actually had some really good thoughts and various assorted passages that were relatable—it was too uneven to make me want to continue the series.

3 out of 5 stars.

[geoduinn-blog]

On why I adore Prompto, the transient heart of FFXV, and the power of bromance

So I wrote this pile of meta immediately after finishing FFXV and shortly before some similar analyses wound up on YouTube. While I agree with a lot of them, I don’t feel like they go far enough in exploring the gravity of the train scene and its impact on the story, so I decided to upload this almost a year after the discussion was relevant. Please excuse the outdated references to an ‘upcoming’ DLC for Prompto.

FFXV is a flawed game. It is plotted sparsely and structured contestably. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, and its light-and-darkness lore feels okay at best, contrived the rest of the time. I don’t even want to mention its treatment of gender, or I’ll never write about anything else (and maybe this game deserves that). But the reverence and joy I often felt while playing FFXV must not be understated. As annoyed and even angry as I am at SquareEnix in the aftermath of one of its best games in a long time, the fact remains – this IS one of its best games in a long time. This is certainly not because of the flawless execution of each of its individual parts, and definitely not because of any attempts to respect its non-male fans, but because of what generally makes a FF game a FF game – the unforgettable atmosphere, the commitment to the characters, and the miraculous success of key dramatic scenes in the face of insurmountable narrative ridiculousness.

This hybrid between a tumblr meta and an HSC essay will explore that success through the framework of some of my favourite elements of the game: a scene wherein the villain Ardyn tricks the young protagonist Noctis into harming his best friend; the relationship between Noctis and Prompto, the bestie; and the expression of the core themes of the story through the world and atmosphere that these elements create together. Themes of friendship, transience, and sacrifice will be explored, but all in all, this is just an unstructured meditation on some things I love about this game – an ode to the flawed FFXV, crafted in its image.

Ok so the scene I described above really cements Ardyn as one of the most detestable FF villains for me, while also making me love Prompto all the more. In a nutshell, Ardyn swaps bodies with Prompto, and Noctis, following the logic of the story, attacks this supposed Ardyn. While the scene relies on a really stupid narrative device, its positive effect on the relevant character arcs is proportionately strong. My suspension of disbelief has just been brutally injured by a magical technique that I didn’t know the villain possessed until two seconds ago, but the scene still somehow works. It’s such a typically FFXV thing – logically pathetic, but narratively powerful enough that I yelled at my TV.

Okay. So I assumed straight up when Ardyn appears on the train and starts referring to Noctis as his ‘bro’, his ‘dude’, his ‘man’, that he’s just being a douchebag. I was ever so slightly suspicious that the game gave me only the option to attack Ardyn at this point, but I wasn’t exactly calm enough to question it when faced with the asshole who shivved my fiancé. I just wanted to shiv him back.

When he continues the gross façade with what seems to be mock surprise at the fact that Noctis is trying to kill him, it only serves to rile greater anger. Of course, he wants to kill you, you basket case. You’re just provoking him, now. Why are you acting like you’re one of us?

And then Noctis drops a few choice lines that will haunt me/him until the end of the game – things like “why have you been following us around all this time anyway; all this bad shit has been happening ever since you started tagging along behind us…” in other words, a violently sincere checklist of all of Prompto’s greatest fears. And this Ardyn, this Ardyn-who-isn’t-really-Ardyn, doesn’t fight back. He asks, disbelievingly, “Is that true?”

The horrible genius behind Ardyn’s plan is that it kills two birds with one stone – two beautiful, innocent, emotionally brutalised birds – by having them kill each other. What could be a worse fate for Prompto than finding out that his best friend doesn’t really love him; that, in fact, Noctis has been harbouring annoyance for him all along, and that this has festered into resentment the longer they stay together, and has finally become hatred now that the truth is coming out? What could be worse for Prompto than dying at Noctis’s hand?

At this point, let’s consider Prompto’s character. Prompto is a bit of a dork. He’s the same age as Noctis but has never considered himself as being in the same league as his friend, physically, intellectually, or socially. He has the lowest base stats of any of the four main characters. His defence sucks, his attack sucks, his magic sucks, and his HP is even worse than Ignis’s. His photographic hobby serves no practical purpose, unlike Noctis’s angling, or Gladio’s wilderness survival, or Ignis’s campside culinary creativity, which all mesh together ridiculously well. He’s the shortest in the group and the most feminine in appearance, and compensates the most (and apparently in the only way he knows how) with over-the-top body language and a tongue piercing and a wardrobe straight out of Hot Topic. Noctis even (affectionately) calls him a nerd on several occasions.

Prompto is painfully aware of his role in the group dynamic. He’s the annoying friend. The plebe in a party of royals. The self-conscious try-hard with no redeeming qualities, as far as Prompto himself is concerned. He is less aware of the strengths of his role, because they are not traditional male strengths, and because he is the only person in the group to successfully wield them.

Prompto is crucial to the main group because he is the best at maintaining relationships. He is the only one who is able to consistently offer the emotional support Noctis doesn’t let on that he needs; the only one with the courage to try to defuse the arguments between Gladio and the Prince, even at risk of harm; the one who puts aside his own anger to hold up Ignis when Ignis is stumbling blind through a swamp, fighting to stay himself while Noctis and Gladio just fight each other. When King Regis dies, not even Ignis maintains the level of composure and sensitivity that Prompto has. While the others crumble under an awkward and heartbreaking silence, Prompto softly attempts to comfort Noctis, while also instantly recognising that they need to flee, lest they face the same fate as Noctis’s father. While Ignis and Gladio sit in the dining car of the Tenebraean train in silence, Prompto attempts some semblance of normal conversation out of a desire to show Noctis that he is emotionally available.

His loud public persona and awkward tendencies mean that he comes across as slightly autistic or socially maladjusted. But he is far from stupid, and his reluctance towards anger and direct confrontation should not be mistaken for dullness. His instinct to support others just outweighs his instinct to respond to his own feelings.

But if he views these abilities as expendable, then why shouldn’t Noctis? By Prompto’s logic, the idea that Noctis might actually hate him and his loud, oblivious, materialistic personality is perfectly reasonable. That dramatic irony is the tragedy of Prompto’s character. It’s a tragedy that many players can recognise in some way, be it through themselves or who they once were, or through a friend or family member who underestimates their own importance.

Of course, Noctis does not hate Prompto. Far from it.

After chasing ‘Ardyn’ through the train car, suspended in a dreamlike state and mysteriously separated from his best friend, Noctis awakens to Prompto, lifting him to his feet. They scour the train together, stop the magitek troopers together, bring down a fleet together. So when Noctis sees Ardyn and Prompto standing atop the train, with Ardyn apparently having disarmed Prompto and now wielding Prompto’s gun against him, his reaction is instant. He bolts to save Prompto by throwing Ardyn from the train. It is at this exact, context-free, confusing, and somehow still earth-shattering moment that we realise Noctis has just flung his best friend off a moving train and is now stuck on top of it with Ardyn. Who proceeds to knock him out.

Now, let’s consider the relationship between the player and Noctis. Right from the start of the game, we occupy a space in the back of Noctis’s mind. We are the third-person in his RPG world, and while we have enough distance both visually and narratively to view him as his own distinct character, we are beckoned forward to identify closely with him, all the time. One of FFXV’s great strengths is its immersive power. Whether we are young and on our own clumsy journey into the responsibilities of adulthood, like Noctis, or whether the game serves as a portal into our past, it attempts to appeal to a universal sense of familiarity. It achieves this certainly not through the genders of the main dudes or the roles the game therefore assumes they should mould themselves to, but because the undercurrent of love is instantly recognisable to anyone lucky enough to have faced a challenge beside their friends. FFXV is about growing up by supporting the people you love and accepting their support in return, and as Noctis’s shadow, we get a first-row view of his appreciation of this. We feel his appreciation through the links we make to our own memories.

So, with this clarity of vision, in this spiral of dramatic irony with Prompto at the ugly centre, we know intrinsically that Noctis cares about him. This is not even something to be questioned. We see it in his affectionate exasperation and in the way his voice softens whenever he laughs at Prompto’s awful jokes. It’s in the sincerity of the scene at the motel, when Prompto admits his fears of inadequacy to Noctis, and Noctis tells him how much he values their friendship. We know how honest Noctis is in this friendship because his whole experience is one of helplessness in the face of destruction and thankfulness for what he has left – a lurching return to innocence, heralded by tragedy and softened by beauty.

But it isn’t only in these confessions that Noctis’s feelings are confirmed – it’s in the feeling that every moment the four friends spend together is precious and fleeting. The game is saturated with gentle scores and spontaneous bursts of music that ache to reflect the joy in the characters’ journey together. The lingering sadness in some of these pieces only reinforces the inkling that none of this can last – that they cannot be friends forever, because life has a way of ending things that should go on, and love hints always at sacrifice. Even game mechanics like the day-night cycle reinforce this feeling, as each sunset bathes the world in silence just a little too soon, and we think, ‘just one more fish, just one more hunt, just one more line of ridiculous, endearing dialogue’, but to push these boundaries would be to endanger our friends, and we are forced to retire for another night. The game sears moments of perfection into our mind, and in doing so, reminds us that each of these moments can only happen once. Every dungeon is new until you know what’s inside; every fish is a question mark until you catch it. (THIS IS A SERIOUS ESSAY I SWEAR.)

Prompto’s photos are perhaps the strongest mechanic of all when it comes to creating this sense of joyous ephemerality. What appears to be a game mechanic of little worth – indeed, what many hardcore reviewers criticise as a gimmicky addition to a weird bachelor party road trip of a game – holds arresting thematic relevance. Photography has been used in many games to express the irretrievability of a single moment, or to capture a second of the impossible (think of everything from Fatal Frame to Firewatch to Life is Strange – where photography exists in a game, it always provokes meaning, even if only sometimes offering a useful mechanic). Prompto is an indispensable member of the group – yes, because he’s funny, he’s kind, he’s supportive, and he puts himself in as much danger as anyone else to stop the Empire’s mad plans – but also because he is the group’s record keeper, the one producing proof that all of this happened. Prompto is the guy with the camera, and that means more than he can know. Noctis’s final request, after all, is to carry one of Prompto’s photos with him into death.

Let’s return to Noctis as a character, and try to understand the growth he experiences, leaving him at a point where he finally feels he can face that horrendous death in the absence of his friends. By the end of the game, he reaches a place  where he appreciates that he can fulfill his duty with only his friends’, fiancé’s, and father’s love to support him, despite that he will never see any of them again. He has accepted that the halcyon days of his closest relationships are gone forever. This is in large part due to the fact that he has proof of their time together. It is vivid in his memory even when the present feels like a dream – the sidequests and aimless travel easily last three-quarters of the full game, after all, and the endgame is more of a haunted epilogue than a true catharsis. It is in his ability to even sit on the throne, as alone, he would never have survived the return to a daemon-ravaged Insomnia. And it is in the final photo that he takes with him. Noctis is heartbreakingly aware that his power is all thanks to his friends, and his sacrifice is an attempt to reciprocate this love by returning them to a time when they were free.

The scene on the train and its brutal aftermath (yes, this essay thingy is still about the scene on the train) is a crucial turning point in Noctis’s journey. After Prompto is thrown form the train by none other than his best friend, who believed he was in fact Ardyn, Prompto is captured. Sure, there’s some as-yet-unpublished DLC that happens in the middle, probably involving more horrible experiences for Prompto, but we basically know where he ends up. Captured, detained, and tortured, and Ardyn seems to enjoy every second of it. When Noctis rescues Prompto, Iggy and Gladio in tow, he releases Prompto from the Shinra-esque rack he’s suspended on and supports his exhausted collapse. Prompto says, almost infuriatingly, “Tell me Noct… were you worried?” The millisecond it takes the decent player to hit “of course I was” and yell “I fucking love you, you prick” at the TV, Noctis is gathering himself for a reply. One almost expects anger, but instead, he replies with warmth and appreciation – not even pity. This seems to be the best possible response, because Prompto confesses he knew this was true – that Noctis would come to rescue him, and that the trick had been Ardyn’s design, and not a product of Noctis’s hatred. Their reunion is essentially a happy one, despite the circumstances.

Because this is FFXV, the scene feels slightly emotionally constipated as no actual reflection is afforded the exchange. The boys accept and go about their usual business (with the exception that Prompto, bruised and bleeding like everywhere, leans unmoving against the wall with a look on his face that suggests he’s probably going to be traumatised for the rest of his life). Noctis’s apparent calmness could come off as a little uncaring from a shallow analysis (AHAHAHA BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE). However this is the first time in the entire game he has had any chill about anything. In short, he is returning Prompto a favour.

In long, he has come to terms with grief and better appreciates his role as someone who can bring stability to a traumatic time, and Prompto is a person who, for all his wildness, values that affection and stability, evidenced by the fact that he is usually the one providing it. Consider Noctis before this development. While a wonderful character, he was pretty typically a FF protagonist in his fear of letting people down, not being able to save someone, etcetera etcetera. Lightning couldn’t save Serah, Cloud couldn’t save Aerith, Tidus couldn’t save Yuna probably, Ashe let her fiancé and father die before she could raise a rebellion. Like her, Noctis couldn’t save Luna or Regis. For the whole first half of the game, his objective was to find Luna, to reunite with her, to bring her into the fold and finally marry her. Twelve years of betrothal come to a clamorous end when Ardyn murders Luna, and it echoes straight back to the death of Regis at the hands of Ardyn’s imperial army, at the start of the game. Losing not only his father and his lover but also his best friend would ruin Noctis. Talcott’s grandpa’s murder, and then Gladio’s injuries, followed by Ignis going blind, are the start of Noctis’s realisation of the length his friends will go to, to protect him. His reaction, understandably, is guilt. He hasn’t accepted his own political weight or the personal sacrifices he must make at this point, which is frankly a perfectly healthy and decent reaction to finding out that people are willing to die for you because your powers can save the world or whatever. We see how distraught Noctis is when Prompto falls, and he has to recount the ordeal to Ignis over the phone. No question from our end – Noctis cares immensely about Prompto.

At this point, he is still not the force of stability that we see him as at the end. It is through the next few days of quiet travel, the realisation that night is coming and will never end, and the slow, sad appreciation for these final moments with Ignis and Gladio that Noctis realises what everyone has been fighting for. They’ve been fighting for each other and for him, sure, because they’re friends, but they’ve also been fighting for that joy that they once knew and want to restore to the world. Prompto, too, has sacrificed more than a simple plebe should ever have been expected to sacrifice in this savage political diatribe, because he wanted to support Noctis. Noctis seems to realise, in this twilit interval between the open world of the past and the claustrophobic corridors of the future, that the time for him to become a stable force for his friend is now.

When Noctis frees Prompto from one of the most disturbing locations in the game, more akin to something from Amnesia than FF, his character arc completes. His developmental climax has already happened, and the endgame follows in swift, ghostly steps. Were you worried about me? Of course I was. The moment Prompto is thrown off the train marks a climax in Noctis’s grief about what they have left behind and what has been ruined. His reunion with Prompto forms an assurance that, despite the finality of this sadness, their adventure has fostered some future cure. The small, fleeting beacons of joy, now gone, signed a pathway toward eventual hope. Prompto will never recover, and Noctis will never be able to go back and stop what happened to him. But he is alive, and Noctis can make sure there is a future in which he can rest, and continue recording the passage of those moments vital to life.

We are important to each other. Our short time together was precious and transformative. The things we did together we may never do again, but to believe you mean any less to me because you’ll be in my past soon (OR because you’re a magitek trooper – surprise) is so, so wrong. That wreck of a bachelor party is the reason we made it so far.

And so this mess of an analysis winds to a close.

I’ve covered a few important points in this ridiculous monologue. The success of FFXV as an examination of transience and the power of friendship, probably. Some stuff about Ardyn was in there as well I think.

I don’t know. This game didn’t have a great deal of closure and neither does this essay. But I feel like there was some good stuff in there. I wouldn’t have spent so much time on it, otherwise. I wouldn’t have loved so deeply if that moment of perfection had never happened.

But all good things come to pass. The game, Noctis, this essay. That’s it.