#mlp:fim critical

[ara-line]

I just watched that one episode where the Crusaders get their marks

I swear, they deserved better than to have their cutie marks be helping others. In season one, we are shown Apple Bloom is good at woodworking, Sweetie Belle can sing, and Scootaloo is great at the scooter. Having their cutie marks be related to that gives their narrative a more complete ending, in the sense that they tried so hard to find what made them special when it was inside them the whole time. There's a whole ton of other thoughts I have, but the Crusaders deserved better than what they got.

It also feels unfair to their character development that it ends with them helping their bully, who hurt them for not having cutie marks. It kind of goes back to that whole what makes them special was inside them the whole time.

If Apple Bloom's cutie mark was related to woodworking then it would've allowed to feel like she fit in with her Apple family. Farms need good fences, shelters and containers for the produce and livestock. Apple Bloom would've been able to contribute to the family with her talent.

If Sweetie Belle's talent in singing was her cutie mark, it would've added a layer to her not feeling like she lived up to her sister when it was in her to do so the whole time. We see Rarity designing costumes for Sapphire Shores throughout the series and Sweetie Belle having a singing cutie mark would've meant Rarity would've designed her outfits and it would've been Rarity helping Sweetie Belle shine on her own.

If Scootaloo had a scooter cutie mark, it would've added another layer to her relationship with Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash is athletic and being skilled at a scooter involves athleticism. What more can I add?

rant over.

[k4tisblog]

10 MEDIA DIARY: MLP:FiM & YAKYAKISTAN.

Hello! Hi! This post may be a bit of a ramble. I have watched all 9 seasons of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It’s a comfort show, and has been very dear to me since I was a kid. While I love it to death, I want to point out its portrayal of race.

From the "Buffalo tribe" being analogous to Indigenous Americans (S1), to Rarity gentrifying an Indian Pony restaurant (S6), one could probably write an entire thesis about it. However, for everyone's sake, I'll focus on the episode "She's all Yak." (Season 9 Episode 7). Spoilers ahead, of course.

Introducing MLP:FiM A quick summary of the show thus far- Twilight Sparkle was a unicorn who earned the title of Princess of Friendship (and also wings). She couldn't have done it without her friends Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and last but not least, Rarity! The Mane 6 (that's a pun) have a reputation for saving the world (too many times to keep track). At the premiere of season 8, Twilight starts the very first School of Friendship! The point: to invite everypony everycreature to come and learn friendship. (There are implications here- but that's another discussion in and of itself.) The school's credibility is questionable, but they get through the trials and tribulations of the education system with the power of friendship!

Yakyakistan Let's just say things can go a bit off the rails when you invite different species into the My Little Pony cinematic universe. It didn't have to be bad. It really didn't.

Alas, the Yaks. They're from Yakyakistan. Speak "broken" English when no other species does. Being destructive is "crucial to their culture". Need I say more? It is not necessary to create this association to real-world regions using the suffix "-stan", for them to have "caveman-like” speech, for their "traditions" to be destructive tendencies. They are prideful and nationalistic to an unrational extent as well. Refusing cooperation with others, instead choosing to eat and sleep on snow comes to mind.

"However, despite Pinkie and the yaks' efforts, there is too much snow for them to dig through, and their forceful digging only causes more snow to fall from the mountain. Pinkie Pie offers to return to Ponyville and get help from her friends, but the proud Rutherford and his subjects refuse to accept help from ponies. Rutherford suggests simply waiting for the snow to melt, and he and his subjects resort to eating and sleeping on snow to survive. " (S7 Ep 11, MLP:FiM Wiki)

YONA: SHE'S ALL YAK As much as the Yaks were in poor taste (AT BEST), it was easy to avoid; they typically only existed in their own standalone episodes. Unfortunately, they keep appearing; Yona is chosen by Yakyakistan's Prince Rutherford to attend the School of Friendship. The main thing with the Yaks as characters is that their main "problems" in their episodes are the clash of their “savage” cultural norms vs. the “civilised” ponies.

Considering once again a clear association to real-life ethnic groups and these "cultural norms" enforcing real-world prejudice… Yeah, I do flinch every time a Yak plot is introduced. "She's All Yak" is an episode that I watched all the way through. I have things to say. Yona is asked by her (pony) friend Sandbar to join the Amity Ball and partake in the Pony Pals contest with him. Since the dance is traditionally pony-centric, she responds "But Yona yak. Yona not pony." Sandbar assures her that that doesn't matter and she accepts.

Now filled with a want to be the best Pony Pal, Yona sees Rarity stressing about Ball dresses and feels she has a lot to learn before the event. She turns to Rarity for guidance on what to wear, and how to act.

Rarity teaches Yona how to talk - shoving Brussels sprouts in her mouth to help annunciation.

Rarity: [elocuting] The weather is quite agreeable today. Yona: [muffled] The weather is quite agreeable today. [chews, gulps, belches loudly] Yona like Brussels sprouts! Rarity: Let's move on.

While Rarity looks through different dress options, Yona tells her she likes brown. Rarity expresses disgust at "earth tones," sticking her tongue out and calling them "earthy." She says not to worry; she'll find a dress to make Yona stand out! Yona says she doesn't want to stand out, but rather to fit in… Cue the musical number. "Once you learn the pony way you'll start to fit right in." Rarity sings while Yona gets transformation montage.

Yona's struggle in integrating into pony norms is turned comedic. It's exaggerated to the point of being downright unflattering. She's highlighted as dirty, clumsy, unfashionable, and, of course, destructive.

After a long while of Yona getting everything wrong, she manages to get things right! (She dances without causing earthquakes and speaks like a posh pony now.)

Yona’s ready to rumble.

THE AMITY BALL

Gallus: I'm just glad I'm here with you guys. Least I'm not the only non-pony in the crowd. Sandbar: You're not still worried about that, are you? Like Headmare Twilight said, this is a dance for everycreature. There's no pony pressure.

Yona's friends giggle at the contrast between Sandbars' statement and the sight of ridiculously-overponified-Yona.

They are all taken aback, and Sandbar looks concerned. He plays along with it; she did all this for him after all. The dances begin! Yona is excited, inviting Sandbar to dance. She dances well until she trips on her dress and takes a tumble. Regaining her composure, they move on to the Pony Prance. Yona’s wig temporarily obscures her vision and she freaks out. Stampeding through the Ball, she ends up hurting everyone and destroying everything in her path. Inconsolable, Yona runs off in tears.

"Yona disappoint Sandbar. Yona not make very good pony." Sandbar finds Yona and they have a heart to heart.

Yona: Yona just want to do all the right pony things and fit in at dance! Then maybe Sandbar and Yona win best pony pals contest. Instead, Yona win worst pony ever.[crunch] Sandbar: That's not true. (...) Sandbar: Yona, it doesn't really matter if you're a great pony or a horrible pony. You're the best Yona I know. That's why I asked you to the dance.

I don't have an issue with the message this episode is trying to convey. It's an obvious trajectory towards being yourself; you don't have to change for anyone - I appreciate the representation of this in Sandbar and Yona's relationship.

We get a sincere apology from the Mane 6, admitting that it was no fault of Yona's but rather their fault for unknowingly forcing her to be something she was not. Yona and Sandbar are given the winning trophy for the Pony Pal competition!

Spike then exclaims that "everypony wants to learn that crazy dance [Yona] did." She teaches them all the "Yakyakistan Stomp." They all start to dance as the camera shakes and the credits roll.

How do you feel about the use of the word “crazy”? CONCLUSIONS As much as I understand the intent, I can't ignore the root of Yona's character. From her personality traits to her place of origin... There are too many implications. I've scavenged for online articles, forums, etc. for opinions on My Little Pony’s Yaks, but it's proving to be a bit of a niche topic. Only in conversation have I heard of people who share my concerns or even acknowledge them. A friend of my girlfriend's posted about this on Reddit once, as I have come to learn, but was shot down by negative responses and disagreements. I suspect the difference in the main fanbases for MLP are a factor.

(I might go into this more in a future blog post - let’s just say that humanified fanart now is more diverse compared to a decade ago.) These comments I found while scrolling through the MLP:FiM wiki piqued my interest. While a fine assessment of the episode at large - the descriptions of Yak culture further prove my point. Just choosing to describe Yakyakistan culture with the word "simple" says a lot.

User Angel Emfrbl's "not that bad" feels like we're settling for "it could be worse. It all makes sense with the current characterizations." I want more people to want to dig deeper into what it all represents. There is a lack of acknowledgment of the root of the Yaks’ existence - their designs, plots, and worldviews.

The unflattering portrayal of Yaks being destructive and completely un-ponylike feels dehumanizing (deponifying?). There ARE ponies that are portrayed as Indian and East Asian. Even the Kirin species closely resemble ponies (just sporting different manes, horns, and tails.) If I'd even go out on a limb and hypothetically say the Dragons are implied to be Europeans (since they based on traditional European dragons), who could be hurt by being compared to a dragon? It certainly gets complicated to explore not only racial implications between ponies, but entire different species. Nonetheless, there is a heavy responsibility to check in with those who experience real-world discrimination before using it as plot points. At the end of the day - Personal biases must be checked, especially when writing for children's media. Hm. Thoughts?

Comments? Concerns?

Otherwise, have a good evening!

[toughtink]

holy FUCK imogen is like if applejack and rarity had a daughter who was human O-O

[miss-barker]

The My Little Pony fandom's initial reaction to Alicorn Twilight (2013, colorized)

[mailb0xbunii]

(almost) every qsmp member and character as various creatures from mlp:fim ; a semi-long post !

90% of these are based of vibes alone . i'm here to have fun , not think too critically ^_^ . also some of these are a bit obscure , so feel free to ask me anything about them Smile

exactly the same as they are in canon : The Manager , all the cucuruchos , the capybaras , The Angel , The Devil , The Watcher , and the little eyeball buddies

dragon ? (with added features from their parents) : the eggs

unknown creature ??? : antoine

The Smooze : Charlie Slimecicle

draconequus (powerless due to lore reasons) : mouse , tina

umbrum : bbh

earth pony : all faceless workers , tubbo , germán , pierre

unicorn : vegetta , maxo , kameto

pegasus : mariana , rivers

bat pony ? : luzu and arin

skeleton pony : missa

crystal pony : lenay , dantdm

griffon : niki , fit , carre

hypogriff : jaiden , philza

changeling : roier , mike

kelpie : foolish

abada : etoiles , pac

kirin : felps

diamond dog : spreen

abyssinian (cat people) : bagi , cellbit

avian (bird people) : baghera , quackity , elquackity

minotaur : pol , technoblade (yes he counts)

[thecatfight2023]

The Bracket™ is here!

here are our competitors!

to space out the polls some, we have them divided in mini-brackets (each mini bracket will be posted a day as to not overwhelm everyone with all of the polls at once)

THIS WILL ALSO BE UPDATED TO HAVE THE LINKS TO THE POLLS!!

mini-bracket 1

Mewo (OMORI) V. Spider Cat (OMORI)

Domino (Amphibia) V. Ghost (The Owl House)

Thomas O’Malley (Aristocats) V. Marie (Aristocats)

Oliver (Oliver & Co.) V. Mochi (Big Hero 6)

Cat (Coraline) V. Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)

Tasque (Deltarune) V. Tubbs (Neko Atsume)

Daffodil (Spiritfarer) V. Black Cat (The Witch’s House)

Neite (Runescape) V. Black Cat (Divinity Original Sin 2)

Alpine (Marvel) V. Goose (Marvel)

Isis (Batman: The Animated Series) V. Alfred the Cat (DC)

Mikeko (Ace Attorney) V. Shoe (Ace Attorney)

Cats (Jet Set Radio Future) V. Shadow (Super Lesbian Animal RPG)

Fat Louie (The Princess Diaries) V. Orion (Men in Black)

Milo (Milo & Otis) V. Miss Kitty Fantastico (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Cat God (Identity V) V. Yuumi (League of Legends)

Opalescence (MLP:FIM) V. Ice Cream Kitty (TMNT 2012)

mini-bracket 2

Ichigo Momomiya [cat form] (Tokyo Mew Mew) V. Alto (Tokyo Mew Mew)

Kyo Sohma [cat form] (Fruits Basket) V. Kuro (Blue Exorcist)

Sakamoto (Nichijou) V. Kuroneko (Trigun)

Prince (Genshin Impact) V. Neko (Genshin Impact)

Pusheen (Pusheen) V. Simon’s Cat (Simon’s Cat Animations)

Nyan Cat V. Minecraft cats

Video (Strong Hearts are Mandatory) V. Ginger (Brimstone and Roses)

Midnight (Castle in the Air) V. Jenny Linsky (Jenny Linsky books)

Schrodinger’s cat V. Tuna Sandwich (Kid Cosmic)

Pura (Crash Bandicoot) V. George (Spyro)

Tom F14 (Atom: The Beginning) V. Murr (The Case Study of Vanitas)

Mausfänger (Pentiment) V. Myau (Phantasy Star)

Cam (Squishmallow) V. Autumn (Squishmallow)

Serafina (Barbie Princess and the Pauper) V. Wolfie (Barbie Princess and the Pauper)

Melog (She-Ra 2018) V. Curious Cat (RWBY)

Judd + Lil Judd (Splatoon) V. Webkinz cats (all of them)

mini-bracket 3

Tama V. FDC Willard

Stray Cat J V. Pangur

Grumpy Cat V. Miette

Jinx V. Jorts

Gandalf V. Raymond 

Smudge V. The Cat Foretold

Forever’s Brood V. Norman (SolidarityGaming)

Jellie (GoodTimesWithScar) V. BB (Jacksepticeye)

Garfield (Garfield) V. Meowth (Pokémon)

Puss In Boots (Shrek Cinematic Universe) V. Kitty Softpaws (Puss in Boots)

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess cats V. The Garreg Mach Monastery cats (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Purrsula (Dragon Quest Treasures) V. Shiro/Blanche (House 1977)

Slugcat (RainWorld) V. Pussyfoot (Looney Tunes)

Li'l' Mittens (WordGirl) V. Mittens (Wander Over Yonder)

Greebo (Discworld) V. Maurice (Discworld)

You (Discworld) V. The Cat (Infinity Train)

mini-bracket 4

Cat (Ghost Trick) V. Cat (Stray)

Salem (Sabrina the Teenage Witch 1996) V. Binx (Hocus Pocus)

Firestar (Warrior Cats) V. Scourge (Warrior Cats)

Mothwing (Warrior Cats) V. Leafpool (Warrior Cats)

Sprigatito (Pokémon) V. Litten (Pokémon)

Meowstic (Pokémon) V. Shinx (Pokémon)

Jiji (Kiki’s Delivery Service) V. Luna (Sailor Moon)

Artemis (Sailor Moon) V. Diana (Sailor Moon)

Morgana (Persona 5) V. Ravage (Transformers)

Fukumaru (A Man and His Cat) V. Nyanko-Sensei (Natsume Yuujinchou)

The Judge (OFF) V. Mr. Midnight (Fran Bow)

Khoshekh (WTNV) V. Catbus (My Neighbor Totoro)

Grudge (Star Trek: Discovery) V. Spot (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Lumi (Cats are Liquid) V. 808 (Hi-Fi Rush)

Ser Pounce-A-Lot (Dragon Age) V. Warmseeker (Elder Scrolls Online)

Frumpkin (Critical Role) V. The Admiral (TMA)

polls for mini-bracket 1 will be scheduled to post around 2 pm EST tomorrow! also reminder they will be open for 1 day each!

propaganda is encouraged!! go wild! we will do our best to reblog as much as we can and it will be tagged with "purr-opaganda" (for those who want to filter the tag). we also recommend making propaganda for your cat blorbos sooner rather than later so there's a chance for them to win!!

-mod orange

[synergyedits]

i contain multitudes / i contain multiple dudes !!

MODS

🌸 mod viva

🧶 mod ruffle

🐸 mod phineas

👽 mod spacecase

WHAT WE DO

rentry graphics

icons (shaped, pride, matching, etc.)

headers

npts (names, pronouns, titles)

positivity

banners (no dni banners)

userboxes

blinkie/favicon suggestions

moodboards

stimboards

pendulum, tarot and shufflemancy

all of these are welcome to be done for kin, fictive related stuff or even just ppl who like the characters theyre requesting!

WHITELIST

( heres a list of medias that i will do that im familiar with. you can try to ask for other stuff, but no promises! )

persona (any games)

ace attorney (any games)

danganronpa (any games)

ai the somnium files (either game)

pokemon (all games and other media)

cookie run

warrior cats

mlp:fim (especially grimdark stuff!!)

homestuck

saw franchise (all movies)

BLACKLIST

( i have no ill will towards anyone who likes these medias, considering i understand critically consuming them, i am just highly uncomfortable with even seeing them requested )

hazbin hotel

south park

rick and morty

alfreds playhouse

i wont do joker x futaba, i also wont do sumire x futaba or goro x futaba

i will not do anything involving hiyoko from danganronpa

i do not have a dni otherwise. i just dont really like making them - ill just block if i need to.

TO DO

sunstar npts

korekiyo npts

crowfeather rentry graphics

QUEUED

n/a

[harmonic-psyche]

Does Anyone "Deserve" Redemption?

Fandom discourse often focuses on whether certain characters deserve to be redeemed. Online fandoms for kid-friendly cartoons (such as Avatar, MLP:FiM, She-Ra, and Steven Universe) seem especially likely to feature intense debates on that topic.

Every time those debates seems to follow the same patterns, so I want to talk about them generally.

One of those patterns is being wrong. Not that everyone involved is wrong, but the debate itself is wrong.

(The framework below is based on real life and then presumed to apply to fiction — just like most criticisms I have seen of fictional redemption arcs.)

I. Is "Deserving Redemption" Contradictory?

Trying to decide who does or doesn't deserve redemption is hard. Factoring in every detail about someone's situation, relationships, history, and moral character to determine what they truly deserve is always a Gordian knot of complexity. Let's start by considering a few simple reasonable statements about ethics:

Every person should be a good person.

"Redemption" means becoming a good (or at least better) person.

Every person should get exactly what they deserve.

Some bad people are so bad that they do not deserve redemption.

From #1 it follows that every person should become better, and that every bad person should be a good person. Put those together with #2 and you get "Every bad person should get redemption."

Put together #3 and #4, though, and you get "Some bad people should not get redemption." #3 and #4 contradict #1 and #2, so at least one of them is wrong. Which?

#1 and #2 strike me as true by definition:

Something is “good” if it is what it should be, so every person should be a good person.

A person who is considered successfully “redeemed” is basically always considered a better person than they were before.

If we accept #3 and #4, then bad people can only deserve redemption by becoming good enough to deserve it. They must become better — but that's what “redemption” means!

Restated a final time, if redemption is making a bad person into a good(/better) person, and someone only deserves redemption by already being a good(/better) enough person, then nobody deserves redemption at all!

But some people should be redeemed. On that point I expect everyone here to agree.

Since #1 and #2 are true, #3 and #4 cannot both be true. We must reject at least one of them. Why not both?

II. Should We Even Say "Deserve"?

I propose scrapping the idea that some people ""deserve"" bad things and do not ""deserve"" good things. We do not even need to use the word ""deserve."" Everyone should become better because becoming better is good, regardless of what anyone ""deserves.""

In my experience the word ""deserve"" has been worse than useless, mostly just causing confusion and rationalizing punitive/vengeful feelings. Conversations about redemption, punishment, and rehabilitation would often benefit from never using the word ""deserve"" at all. Then we can talk about whether trying to redeem someone is helpful.

Everybody (or nobody) ""deserves"" redemption because, at least in my view, the idea that anyone ""deserves"" bad things or does not ""deserve"" good things is usually an unhelpful idea. Throwing it out can give us an even better value system, one which prioritizes harm reduction and helping everyone flourish.

Sometimes punishment is part of redemption. Sometimes it is not. Sometimes punishing a "bad person" makes them worse, and sometimes rehabilitating a "bad person" with zero punishment makes them better. In those cases, punishing the "bad person" is simply unhelpful and so it is wrong.

III. Should Anyone Try To Redeem Their Abuser(s)?

No.

I want to clarify that trying to "redeem" bad people can still go horribly wrong sometimes. Sometimes, trying to redeem someone is not worth the effort. Sometimes that effort is better spent trying to escape from, or remove, that person's power. For example, abuse victim(s) trying to "redeem" or "fix" their abuser(s) is generally a terrible idea.

"Redeeming" someone who abuses their power over other people generally starts by taking away that power. If someone genuinely wants redemption, then they can prove it by giving up their power. If someone does not want redemption, then they cannot be trusted with that power.

Abusers characteristically leverage their relationships with people for power over them. Trying to "redeem" someone by letting them abuse you will basically always fail, as many people have learned the hard way. Arguably it is impossible.

Even if everyone can and should be redeemed, that does not mean that you can redeem them if they refuse to change for the better. Abuse victims should escape if (safely) possible, and in some cases incapacitate their abuser(s), to reduce harm by preventing future abuse.

IV. Caveats: An Incomplete List of Important Factors I Did Not Address in This Post

"Redemption arcs" are a storytelling trope in fiction which often serve a very different purpose than real-life people pursuing self-improvement. Although I believe that the argument above applies to claims about what fictional characters do(n't) ""deserve,"" other factors may limit its application.

If someone defines "redemption" differently than I did above, e.g. as improving someone’s reputation instead of their character, the discussion becomes very different.

In this post I use the word "redemption" interchangeably with "rehabilitation."

The concept of "redemption" originates from, and remains heavily influenced by, a Christian ethical framework. Christian ethics focuses on doing what the Christian god commands. Typically that interpreted to include prioritizing interpersonal forgiveness over harm reduction. But I don't. I do not endorse or recommend using a Christian ethical framework.

[idleglowingpixels]

talk about Collector

WHYYYYYYYYYY okay now that I got that off my chest let's get serious LMAO

Before I dive in too deep, to any other ppl reading, THIS IS YOUR FAIR WARNING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ANY CRITICISM OF TOH. Something that is really apparent in this fandom particularly is that a lot of ppl refuse to allow and accept genuine criticism discussions, dumbing it down to personal biases, misinterpretations of the text (or in this case, the show), and proclaiming "It's intentional that the show did that!" every time someone breathes something negative about it. This is ESPECIALLY annoying with the "Blame Disney/the shortening" nonsense -- a key skill in television writing is to be capable of working with the allotted time that the studios give you. After they were told Season 3 got cut short, they still had 11 22-minute episodes of Season 2 and all three 40+ minute episodes of Season 3 to conclude the story in a satisfying way.

Seeking and reading criticism posts outside of the general tags, ignoring warnings on posts that give forewarnings, then getting mad and upset that someone criticized your comfort show is generally an unhealthy behavior, especially if you're not in a good mental state. If you can't take people criticizing something you enjoy, and more-so if you deem it your comfort media, and feel the need to bother them because you made yourself upset reading their posts, you've got a lot of soul searching to do. That, or maybe you should log off until you can handle it.

Also, obviously, spoilers ahead for TOH, as well as Amphibia because these shows parallel a lot more than I want them to. :')

---

I have a LOT to say about The Owl House from a critical and writing perspective, and I feel like the show is EXTREMELY overhyped for what it actually is. I feel its sister show Amphibia executed much of the same/similar themes better, and that's not even a bias thing. Just from the way both shows are written, you can tell which one feels more competently structured from a narrative standpoint (and, let's be honest, which one is actually funny).

Okay enough about general opinion, let's get to Collector. From a character design perspective, GOD I love this little guy, both the reflection/shadow form and the actual form are distinct from the rest of the cast. I'm a big Sun and Moon design/symbolism enjoyer (Sun and Moon from FNAF, Sun and Blake from RWBY, Celestia and Luna from MLP:FiM, etc.) so these types of characters are always welcome. And while their voice annoys me personally it ABSOLUTELY fits them, so no matter how annoying I find it I don't think I'd want them to have any other voice.

But that, unfortunately, is the only props I can give to Collector.

The show is FULL of redeemed antagonists that range from okay (I'd like to think Amity was decent enough and Hunter was alright but definitely should have been introduced earlier so his redemption was a slow burn but this post isn't about them so I'll end this note here) to "what the actual fuck" (Idc what anyone says, there is no excuses PERIOD, Lilith's redemption was the absolute worst redemption arc I think I've ever seen AND I'VE SEEN CATRA'S), and Collector is very much on the lower end of that scale. We hardly see them overall and their character writing is rushed beyond belief -- and again, I'd like to reiterate that that is ENTIRELY on the writing team for the show. Disney and the shortening DID NOT DECIDE TO KEEP COLLECTOR IN. The writing staff were aware of the time they had left and made the decision to shoehorn them in and expect everyone to just be okay with it.

From a writing perspective, they bloat the story exponentially and 100% should have been left in the drafts or saved for future content like what Dana said she might do if she is able to through books and such. If we only get hints of the other Collectors, this one should have STAYED hints with them.

We have essentially no significant amount of time with them outside of Hollow Mind and the season 2 finale before season 3, and what we DO have of them in season 2B is so drastically different I'd consider 2B Collector and 3 Collector as two different characters entirely. And before you tell me, "They're different because sun/moon symbolism!" "They're different because Belos and King influence them differently!" etc. etc., don't waste your time. Yes, those are good explanations as to why they feel so different between seasons, but that does not make the writing of the character inherently good. Allow me to elaborate:

In S2B, of what little we see of Collector, they are extremely sadistic in nature, and while they appear childish the writing of that lack of care for others is ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. And it seemed that way even as Belos first encountered him as Philip in the flashback episode. There, they weren't yet "influenced" by Belos and his plans; hell, he hardly had an actual plan yet.

Skip ahead to Hollow Mind, easily the best episode of Season 2 imo, and Collector is taunting Belos, mocking him and his schemes. Saying things like "Ooh, you were mad!" and "I'm starting to think you make those [grimwalkers] just to destroy them. You have fun with it, admit it!"

I cannot find any reasonable explanation as to how or why Belos would influence Collector into doing such things. Why would he want a little pain in the ass making fun of him for hundreds of years? And by his response to Collector's taunt about the grimwalkers and Hunter, "Of course I don't, Collector. It hurts every time he chooses to betray me," he took offense to their words, but kept his tone from shifting to anger as he does with everyone else because of Collector's power.

Belos doesn't want Collector thinking he doesn't like them because of their abilities, but he does want to stay on their good side for information. For knowledge of spells. And he puts up with Collector's annoyances because of that.

Essentially, that wasn't something Belos taught them or influenced them to do. All Collector knows is to adapt to their friends' behaviors, yes, but Belos is like, over 400 years old. I don't know about you, but I doubt with the way he speaks and how he's written that he would taunt his underlings in the same childish vain as Collector, and do so enough for Collector to pick up and mimic that behavior.

Now to the finale, their appearance is pretty much just them getting duped by Belos and sent into the depths of the titan skull, where King ever-so-conveniently finds them, making the pinky swear that releases them.

They maintain that mocking attitude even after Belos betrays them, calling King "boring" for calling them Mr. Collector and feeling generally disinterested by King before he promises a game to play. And even after they're released, they continue the attitude further with the whole "I remember someone throwing me off a bridge...I'm not angry, though!" bit, only to send Belos to his "death" moments after, deeming it as a game of tag. They've seen Belos kill grimwalkers first hand, fully aware that their lives mean nothing, and replicated the behavior by returning the favor to Belos (or so they thought). Their lack of care continues when they nearly try to do the same thing to the Hexsquad, people who didn't even do anything to them, before King stops them, changing the subject before they can cause further harm.

After stopping the draining spell, Collector continues the destructive maliciousness they have all the way to the end of the episode, and that's the impression of them we're left with. They were sadistic, uncaring and childish, but only learned the behavior of killing from Belos -- even though Belos didn't actually die, the intent was to kill him, and they were fully planning to continue with the Hexsquad.

And then...We get to Season 3.

Just a side-note, I think it's a safe assumption to say the first 2 seasons of The Owl House took place between roughly 2 months, as Luz was outside waiting to leave for a summer camp after the school year ended before initially arriving in the demon realm. Going off of that assumption, in Part 1 Luz returned to school as she returned to the human realm, presumably in late August/early September due to her living in Connecticut. And since Part 1 takes place in the timespan of about 3-7 days, the last day being Halloween, the timeskip only brought us about 2 more months ahead. Keep this in mind.

After Luz and co. return to the demon realm in Part 2 -- objectively the worst episode of the season -- we already see King's influence on Collector since they turned everyone into puppets instead of actively injuring or killing them when they don't comply. Still bad? Yes. But from how it looks in Part 3 with the Hexsquad, it seems more like the puppets' consciences are just comatose or an alternative to sleeping, maybe in a REM-like state. But of course, the show didn't have enough time to explain that further over all the nonsense in Part 2.

Anyway, when we see Collector in Part 2, they're still being childish, which is unfortunately the only thing that stays consistent with this character. They then say two lines that were the most god-awful writing decisions I've seen in a hot minute, and this show is STOCK FULL of really bad "this is peak humor LAUGH" moments like this.

They say that Eda has this "cool aunt vibe" and such, which sounds like one of those "character dynamics/tropes" posts on social media like Tumblr and whatnot. It comes off as really pretentious in the writing, and was shockingly unfunny to hear for a show that calls itself a comedy. Another line that frustrates me, more-so for lore reasons, is when they ask Odalia to make pizza bagels, when it was previously stated that human food is inaccessible to Luz during her time in the demon realm. So not only is it contradicting that whole thing (Eda actively struggled to find food for Luz that she could eat), how would they or King even know what one is or how to actually make one??

It seems like a small point to get heated over, but it once again feels like one of those stupid one-liners that one of the writers thought was the funniest shit they've ever thought up and kept it in because they knew die-hard fans would just laugh it off and brush it off as a joke, and that the writers forgetting about Eda's maternal struggle to feed her adopted kid is Disney's/the shortening's fault because they're at fault for everything wrong with the show...and not the ppl who wrote it.

Regardless, this whole shtick is extremely out-of-character for the way they had spoken in Season 2, and from what I can recall (I'm not gonna rewatch the entire show for the sake of a single post), King never talks like this. Luz does around him, but he himself doesn't talk like this.

I've discussed with friends before about this, including Robin (the one who asked me to talk about this), but from Part 2 onward Collector gets the same Luz-like writing every character that gets redeemed suddenly dawns out of the blue. I started calling it luz-ification, but it doesn't just happen to Collector.

It happened to Hunter, where his more cocky and ego-centric dialogues from early 2A was dropped for a more "comedic" personality and an anxiety-ridden character, though it's later eluded to that his cocky attitude was him masking his true self, so I try to keep it to that perspective.

But this happened to Lilith as well, where she suddenly started acting like "Cool Aunt Lilith" IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HER ADMITTING TO CURSING EDA AND ALLOWING HER CAPTURE. WITH NO CONSEQUENCES TO BE FACED OTHER THAN THE CURSE SPLIT WHICH IS HARDLY UTILIZED IN THE SHOW.

(Side-tangent: Characters facing little to no consequences for their actions is something that goes on so much in this show but this is long enough already and I really don't like talking about this shit for long 'cause I could be using my time on better pieces of media, I'm sure there's plenty of posts explaining this point elsewhere by ppl who enjoyed TOH more than me)

Hell, it even happened to Amity for a hot minute. For some moments in the show she's written really off-character and saying things that just completely contradict how she's typically written, but then goes back to the more sassy and balanced character later on.

This post has gotten WAY longer than I wanted it to be, but to keep me from spending even more time on this, Part 2 shows a drastically different Collector, to the point that they do not by any means have the same character writing as they had before. They got luz-ified. Using social media lingo they couldn't even have access to in canon, and being written to quite literally just sound like a mini-me of Luz with the more obnoxious undertones of the childish thing.

Point is, they mimic these behaviors of Luz that they wouldn't even have reasonable access to learning from, because she's in the human realm for almost all the time after their release. It only makes sense in Part 3, when Luz is actually there for them to see her behaviors in action, but even that is so contrived and rushed that it feels unrealistic and narratively unnecessary. Remember what I said before about the timeskip only being 2 months? Yeah, 2 months isn't nearly enough time for a character to fundamentally change who they are as drastically as Collector.

Now to the part where I talk about Amphibia really quick and mention how it did the whole "having an alternative threat acting as a mini-boss" thing a million times better than this shit ever could. King Andrias, paralleling Collector for this particular scenario, is shown relatively early on that he's an antagonist to the audience. It's later revealed as a plot twist not to the audience, but to the characters, who least expected it. They don't waste time trying to throw off the audience with red herrings or telling its audience "He's not a bad guy, he's totally not going to be evil later on." They just show the audience he's evil and keep the story moving.

He's given enough time to feel like this ominous, looming threat, and True Colors masterfully showed how messed up this guy is and the lengths he is willing to go to ascend to the Core and cheat death, just as the souls within the Core had. His motive to avoid death and return Amphibia to the world-conquering ideologies from centuries' past is what made him such a love-to-hate villain. And the motive to cheat death in a children's cartoon? Metal as hell. The Core also parallels Belos here, and further on in Season 3, being the one manipulating Andrias through his fear of death in order to make him do what they want him to.

In the third season, Andrias continues his work by the Core's demands, only giving up in the final battle when he's read a letter from someone he had considered a friend long ago, which admittedly didn't have much set-up but it was at least the focus of an entire episode prior to the big pre-finale.

At the end of the series, he's shown to have moved on, allowing himself to age naturally and to stop using technology to keep him in pristine condition for eternity. He accepted the natural cycle of life, and in turn accepted that he will come to pass one day. He wasn't a perfectly written character, but considering what it's being compared to? Leagues better.

Like I said before, TL;DR, Collector is the bloatware of The Owl House's plot. They were shoved in as a last minute addition because they were the writers' "precious bean silly goose little gremlin blorbo" that they couldn't just keep in the drafts with the rest of the collectors. So instead of maintaining what little integrity the show's writing had to begin with and follow through to the end with the Day of Unity plotline being the series finale (Which was VERY OBVIOUSLY WHAT THEY WERE GOING FOR), they essentially made a side quest distraction that dragged the story on for longer than it needed to, wasting the audience's time.

I'm not mad that the Collector exists, I just find that their inclusion in the series did more harm than good for the writing. The show has a serious issue with giving screentime to unnecessary characters like the miscellaneous Hexside students, giving characters too much screentime (The biggest offender for this is Amity, there's more episodes centered around her than Hunter, Willow and Gus combined) and not giving ACTUALLY necessary characters enough screentime (Looking at you, Emerald Trio).

I really want to rewrite TOH, and if I feel the need to rewrite a show, it's usually because there's too much fundamentally wrong with it for me to give it anything higher than a 6/10 overall. But I've already got a whole AU and a whole rewrite in the works for two other series I care wayyyyy more about, so that's gonna have to be left to other writers in this fandom.

---

If this post is how you've stumbled upon my page, hi :') Feel free to ask me about more or to elaborate on smth I said here if you want clarification, but if you check out my intro post and see another mutual interest we have maybe ask me about that instead of TOH please and thank you

[nostalgiacriticshitpost]

Do u think the NC is gonna retire soon? What will u do if so :(

I saw a comment under a Reddit post in CA sub saying that according to what Doug said in Q&A streams he would be retiring NC in distant future. (Kinda around 20th Anniversary, but obviously it's not set in stone) I got kinda sad after reading that since I'm like REALLY attached to Critic, but at the same time it's inevitable. NC is turning 17 this year and I've been watching since it was around 11, which is so wild to me. (From my age perspective it's 14 -> 20, yikes...) If the final review will have an appropriate plot you bet your ass I'm going to cry like a fucking bitch just like people did in 2012 over To Boldly Flee and the last "classic" NC. (I was bawling over MLP:FIM finale so it's not going to be my first time lol)

I'm probably going to be fine since a lot of the posts I make are based off older reviews and this blog is entirely run by my hyperfixation, really. I don't really rely on new NC episodes anyway since they really winded down on the character stuff. (Thank you, people who screamed about skits being cringe so loud that Doug actually listened /j)

I actually wanted to post something along these lines yesterday, but I decided not to, because I don't like making posts out of sadness which I will get over after sleeping.

[lemonthepotato]

Thoughts On Muffins Rescripted So Far

For anyone wondering, I will give a brief summary of what Muffins is. The Muffins Saga is a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic grimdark fanfiction series. The series started with a short 2013 fanfiction titled "Muffins", which was a spin-off to an infamous MLP:FiM fanfiction "Cupcakes" by Sergeant Sprinkles. Thirty-six prequels, sequels and midquels were written, with six supposedly remaining.

Due to the controversies surrounding the author, Rainbott made their own reclamation of Muffins. This version of Muffins is called ‘Icing On The Cake’, and has a few differences from the original. I want to go over the synopsis I’ve seen so far and give my thoughts on what I like and what I don’t like. I should clarify that while I am critical of some aspects of this re-write, I didn’t make this post to shit on Rainbott. This is a blog hardly anyone reads, and I’m not trying to be rude. I’m just giving my opinion on it. I will clarify this: I like the concepts presented in the re-write, I’m just uncertain about the execution and how that’ll go. I say this out of love for the original, the concepts presented in Icing On The Cake, and my personal opinion.

If you want the tl;dr: I have mixed thoughts on Icing On The Cake, but I like that it makes an attempt to bring new life to an old story. I like the fact that Pinkie is portrayed as more of a manipulator, and I like that there are a lot of unique, creative ideas in the story.

Topic: Onyx ‘Minkie Pie’

So, I’ve seen a lot of Minkie redesigns. I even made my own. And I think this one stays close to the original, while adding some new stuff in with it. The blue and the purple look good together, and her cutie mark is unique with a heart shape to it. It’s a pretty okay redesign.

I don’t really like how in her backstory, as it kind of goes against what Muffins originally characterised Cloudy as. I mean, it’s a re-write, right? Haha, that rhymes. Cloudy… I mean, Peppo… Also, look. I know she isn’t the brightest, but how can a NEWBORN be ‘taught’ demonic things? Cloudy isn’t that thick, even if she pretty is. I don’t know, it seems low stakes to me.

Something I noticed is that Derpy and Apple Bloom’s name are consistently spelt wrong. Derpy Hooves is spelt as Whooves, and Apple Bloom is spelt as Applebloom. Also, I feel like Maud - from the synopsis - doesn’t play a massive role. That’s kinda sad… anyway, I still disagree with giving Minkie the ability to spot lies.

Pinkie Pie’s Project - I think the cheese grater is still a problem. I mean, Nightmare Moon is feared, right? A villain. Why would a child want to replicate a villains actions, especially when fillies fear Nightmare Moon? I thought it was going in the direction of “Pinkie makes a sacrifice for Nightmare Moon” but eh… personally, I’d have Rain Cloud be stumbled across by Pinkie Pie, who was her best friend, and Pinkie breaks down and doesn’t know what to do. The cheese grater incident (which occurred before) gave her inspiration to keep her friend with her forever, by baking her. She then takes revenge on Rain Cloud’s behalf, taking out village bullies, before her morality shrinks as her urges become unbearable and she begins preying on innocent.

Just my idea.

3. Beauty Lies Within

It’s alright. It’s essentially the same as the original, and I loved the original story. I’d say it was my favourite Muffins story.

4. Stuck In The Limelight

Eh, I don’t mind it. It’s alright.

5. The Fun Never Ends

I feel as if this re-write excludes a major detail that was one of the stronger original points: Minkie protecting AB and Derpy. Idk why it was cut.

6. The Last Crusade.

I like it. I like how manipulative Pinkie Pie is.

7. The Rest

The story at this point gets… a bit ridiculous. And then by A Glimmer Of Hope, it gets beyond ridiculous. And the time travel is where I kinda lost it. So, by time travelling, did Apple Bloom just abandon her old timeline? What happened to the Inkie, Minkie, Blinkie and Derpy of that world? The ending also feels a bit too optimistic, too perfect. What did any of it mean, if in the end, Apple Bloom would just travel back in time anyway? What impact did killing Bellatrix really have if it was ‘erased’ from the past? I feel like by having a perfect, rose-tinted ending, it kind of sours what could’ve been a great story. Because I like some of the concepts in Icing On The Cake, I just don’t like the synopsis we’ve been given so far. And it’s that disappointment is something that could’ve been great that’s why I’m even making this post, not hate, not anger, but disappointment and a love for a concept. My comment on Rainbott’s video doesn’t have any of these criticisms, because I don’t like going out of my way to tell people I don’t like this or that. This is just my opinion. This version of the story also treats Pinkie like the ultimate root of evil, when in reality, what the original Muffins did right was highlight the effects that long term abuse from a highly religious family could cause.

To give an example of a good time travelling story, let’s look at one of my favourite pieces of media, Higurashi. In Higurashi, spoilers, the true protagonist is revealed to be Rika Furude, who has been stuck in a time loop for a hundred years or so, trying to find a way to prevent all her friends deaths. In the end, things turned out fine, but there were still sacrifices to be made. The time travel worked in that story because it flips the idea of ‘being given a chance to do things right’ on its head. Rika was given many chances to, but like a human, she couldn’t figure it out easily. So she began to slowly deteriorate in her psyche. Even when she reached the ‘perfect world’, things weren’t guaranteed to be perfect. I mean, Sotsu and Meguri are the result of Satoko not getting therapy for her trauma. In this Muffins Rescripted, all of the characters horrendous actions are undone. They don’t even remember it, except AB & Pinkie Pie. I mean, even in Life Is Strange, Max faces consequences for messing with time. Time travel is generally an overpowered tool of fiction, and it can be used to tie things up neatly, even if a story is written into a corner.

We can’t know for certain how the story will go as we are only given a synopsis, but from what I’ve seen, I have mixed feelings. I think something oddly endearing about Muffins was that it felt down to Earth. There was no magical fights. And while I understand it’s intentional to stray from this, I really think the charm of Muffins is in a way… its edginess. The fact that things reflect the real world. The fact PRISON exists (yes I’m aware there’s a pony cop in the show. one.), the fact that Babs tricks kids into eating apple seeds, the fact that there are *serial killers*. The fact that the plot doesn’t rely on magic. It’s sort of an ironic twist on the original. The fantasy and sci-fi elements out of left field just rub me the wrong way… genre whiplash, sorta.

But hey, we’ll have to wait until the stories are actually out to make our full judgments.

[selfindulgentcompetition]

HERE ARE OUR COMPETITORS!

Matchups Below

Round 1A: BIDEOS GAME

1: Infernape (Pokémon) VS Togekiss (Pokémon)

2: Hisuian Typlosion (Pokémon) VS Maushold (Pokémon)

3: Corphish (Pokémon) VS Snom (Pokémon)

4: Emma (Pokémon X&Y) VS Yellow (Pokémon Manga)

5: Enderman (Minecraft) VS Blaze the Cat (Sonic)

6: Cait (Fallout 4) VS Shane (Stardew Valley)

7: Mask (Wandersong) VS Dahlia Aquino (Monster Camp)

8: Jethro (OK K.O.! : Lakewood Plaza Turbo) VS Wolfgang (Animal Crossing)

ROUND 1B: TTRPG ACTUAL PLAY

1: Adaine Abernant (Dimension 20) VS Ayda Augefort (Dimension 20)

2: Lucretia (The Adventure Zone) VS Angus McDonald (The Adventure Zone)

3: Dr. Throlo Sh’shirros (Shield of Tomorrow) VS Cassie Charke (Callisto 6)

4: Patia Por’co (EXU: Calamity) VS Lacy LaGrangia-Franklin (Callisto 6)

5: Laudna (Critical Role) VS Yasha Nydoorin (Critical Role)

6: Ashton Greymoore (Critical Role) VS Cassandra de Rolo (Legend of Vox Machina)

7: Sunny Biscotto (Dimension 20) VS Zayn Darkshadow (Dimension 20)

8: Egwene Kindleaf (NADDPod) VS Slap (Callisto 6)

ROUND 1C: ANIMATION

1: Lysil and Angwin (Amphibia) VS Chuck (Amphibia)

2: General Yunan (Amphibia) VS Bessie (Amphibia)

3: Vee Noceda (The Owl House) VS Lilith Clawthorne (The Owl House)

4: Scorpia (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power 2018) VS Entrapta (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power 2018)

5: Peridot (Steven Universe) VS Lake (Infinity Train)

6: Red Action (OK K.O.!) VS Dendy (OK K.O.!)

7: Vitani (The Lion King/Guard) VS Sunset Shimmer (MLP: Equestria Girls)

8: Trixie Lulamoon (MLP:FiM) VS Starlight Glimmer (MLP:FiM)

ROUND 1D: MISCELLANEOUS

1: 13th Doctor (Doctor Who) VS Earth Kingdom Zuko (A:TLA)

2: Ty Lee (A:TLA) VS Bolin (TLoK)

3: Raven (Teen Titans) VS Terra (Teen Titans)

4: Horse (Centaurworld) VS Monster Girl (Invincible)

5: The Calamity Trio (Amphibia) VS Tigress (Kung Fu Panda)

6: Sea Lions (Real Life) VS Smilodon (Real Life, but a long time ago)

7: Maiasaura (Real Life, but like even longer ago) VS TBH Autism Creature (My Heart)

8: Todd (From Mario) (Drawfee) (Mario) VS Rah’ōxah (Drawga)

[petitprincess1]

Hazbin/HB "criticals" (I can't believe people still unironically use that term): Why don't these fictional demon characters look and act exactly like their original counterparts! #WorstDesignsEvar! :(((

Welp. I guess MLP:FIM is bad because the unicorns/pegasi/dragons/etc don't look exactly like their mythological origins (the European ones at least)

I guess Owl House is bad because the witches aren't all green skinned with black hair and warts.

I guess the ghosts from Ghostbusters are bad because they all don't look like white bedsheets with black holes for eyes...

/s /s /s

In all seriousness, are these people just... Anti fun? Are artists just not allowed to have fun with mythology and have creative liberties when using those concepts for character designs?

Hell, MLP as a whole should be terrible because none of them look like horses lol x3 But, yeah, I really dont know. Besides, Viv has stated that these characters were never meant to be exact copies of the original demons. While, yes, she's taking creative liberties with Stolas and including things that's associated with him, Stolas is ultimately her character. Same with Asmodeus or Lilith or Lucifer. Other than small connections, their personalities make them hers.

It's no different with Netflix's/DC's Lucifer and the many other biblical angels/demons in the show. They were never meant to be exact copies of the biblical beings. Hell, just look at how many iterations of God we've had.

[tabby-shieldmaiden]

Still thinking of that one person who wrote that one critique of MLP:FIM about its handling of race where the author assumes that the grey ponies being guards for Celestia was sending a message that dark skinned people's natural place was to serve white people. It's like, I can picture the shape of a better phrased criticism the writer was gesturing towards (whiteness being associated with purity and power has potentially racist implications). But it was still a little bit of a reach which does kind of ignore much of the in-universe rules the world had set up about race and racialisation. Especially considering this is a show whose first season also included more episodes where there was area for more substantial critique to be done. And within the in-universe frameworks provided in the show at that. (*ahem* Zecora, *ahem* The Buffalo.)

[bracketsoffear]

I should've submitted Spy from TF2 for Stranger bracket because of his disguises, dang it. Also Agent 47, because in order to assisinate targets he disguises himself as any man regardless of age, race, appearance, or mannerisms, and practically nobody can see through it until it's too late. Anyway, here's some of my submissions that didn't make the cut: Dark

Shambler (Darkest Dungeon): From TV Tropes: “A primeval nightmare summoned from the darkest recesses of the unknown, a star-spawned horror, an infinite malignity of the stars that inhabits the Void between Worlds that was never meant to be seen […] lurks in the shadows, waiting until all forms of light are extinguished so that it can enter the world to hunt its prey and feed its spawn […] The creature itself is bathed in shadow, and coloured like the night itself […] The implication is that it's been hunting the party the entire time but can only come out when there's no light […] constantly delivers endless stress damage on the heroes by simply existing […] Much of the Flavor Text surrounding it talks about how humanity has always feared the dark and offers the suggestion that this thing is the reason for that fear”.

Nightwielder (The Reckoners Trilogy): controls black “mist” with enough strength that he can keep the entire city of Newcago (post-apocalypse Chicago) shrouded in permanent darkness. Weak to sunlight.

The Pony of Shadows (MLP:FIM): primordial darkness incarnate who wants to consumer the whole world in eternal dark--not night so much as pitch black void. Tempted Stygian into offering himself up as a host to the darkness. Manus (Dark Souls): corrupted all of Oolacile and Artorias, created the Abyss—the unchecked form of Humanity (Darkness), uses Abyss magic. Darkstalker Kaathe (Dark Souls): tries to tempt the Chosen Undead into bringing about the Age of Dark.

Stranger I already detailed in another post. Spiral

Pinkie Pie (MLP:FIM): regularly breaks the laws of physics, biology, and reality by operating on cartoon logic in a way that is fundamentally alien to the rest of her world. Feeling Pinkie Keen is an entire episode of Twilight being driven to madness because there is no logical explanation for how Pinkie Sense works, and yet it clearly DOES work, so there MUST be an explanation, but there ISN’T, and it makes no SENSE. Alternate form called Chaos Princess Pinkie Pie, who is only 20% more chaotic than Pinkie Pie usually is (https://antifandom.com/mlp-gameloft/wiki/Chaos_Princess_Pinkie_Pie). The only being besides Discord who can control Discord’s Chaos magic, but only for a few seconds before it drives her crazy. Has magic similar in nature to that of unicorns, as shown in School Raze Part 2, even though she is an Earth Pony. Her sheer batshit weirdness allows her to play ten instruments at once (including a harmonica) WITHOUT HER MOUTH. What the fresh fuck is up with this pony.

Lucretia (The Adventure Zone): Uses the Voidfish to erase the memories of her friends and gives them fake ones; this accidentally results in her massively fucking up their personalities by erasing critical parts of themselves, especially especially Davenport--his entire life was wrapped up in the mission she wiped his memories of, so his identity was practically annihilated and he was only able to say his own name. She also uses the Voidfish to wipe the memories of the entire world so they'll forget the Relic Wars; consequently, people can't even perceive words related to what she's erased as anything more than static. She does even more deception by creating a fake second moon that acts as her base of operations. Tinky (Hatchetfield): His shtick seems specifically to be driving people into incoherent madness by tangling them up in a Timey-Wimey Ball until their perception of reality no longer makes sense. His whole goal is to screw with people’s minds and trap them in The Bastard's Box: a permanent, neverending mindfuck ("a twisting, endless maze") for those trapped inside it, where the souls of those whose lives he’s turned into unresolvable Time Paradoxes are trapped forever. A single glimpse inside the Bastard's Box — or a moment of hearing the screams of those lost inside — is enough to completely break a human being's mind, as shown when he breaks Ted’s mind and turns him into the Homeless Man. He then haunts the Homeless Man for fifteen years to keep him from regaining his sanity.

Micolash (Bloodborne): Leader of the School of Mensis, who sought to make contact with the Great Old Ones through unethical science; they technically succeeded, but their efforts caused the "stillbirth" of their brains. The item description of the Mensis Cage he and his followers wear says that "The cage is a device that restrains the will of the self, allowing one to see the profane world for what it is. It also serves as an antenna that facilitates contact with the Great Ones of the dream. But to an observer, the iron cage appears to be precisely what delivered them to their harrowing nightmare." He now resides in the Nightmare of Mensis, a twisted dream realm full of "countless statues that resemble human bodies melded together, and eyes that are sticking to every surface inside the buildings." He is the "Host of the Nightmare," implying he is master of this realm, and it shows in the twisting corridors he leads the player running through on a circular goose chase during his boss fight. He revels in his madness, as shown by his voice lines, and doesn’t want to wake up from the nightmare he created. He and his followers also summoned and chained up the Brain of Mensis, which induces Frenzy (a status condition that causes damage apparently from causing physically harmful levels of madness) just by looking at the player.

Shabriri (Elden Ring): "The most reviled man in all history" of the Lands Between, who has been serving the Frenzied Flame by preaching chaos and retribution long enough that "It is said that the sickness of the flame of frenzy began with [him]." The Frenzied Flame is a god associated with madness that apparently wants to return the world to primordial chaos by killing everyone; its associated Incantations induce the Madness status effect, it drives those who fall victim to its influence insane, and it is associated with Body Surfing--Shabriri hops between corpses, and there's a questline about an apparently dead character coming back and seeking to become its servant, apparently to lead the player to its prison. Shabriri himself encourages the player to become Lord of the Frenzied Flame and engulf the world in chaos.

And Slaughter is also another not!character propaganda post. Looking forward to the Hunt bracket!

.

[pinktwingirl]

Something I really hate is when people try to excuse bad movies/shows like She-Hulk by saying “you just don’t like it because it wasn’t made for you.” Like… you do realize that it’s totally possible to enjoy things that you’re not the target audience for, right? Teenage boys and grown men were certainly not the target audience for MLP:FiM, but many of them still enjoyed it because it was a GOOD SHOW. There’s a very big difference between not getting into something because it’s just not really your thing and not liking something because you think it sucks. I’m not the biggest fan of horror movies as a whole, but I’ve still seen plenty of horror movies that I think are very good. Even though they’re not necessarily something I would put on for fun on a Friday night, there are still things about them that I appreciate, and I totally get why other people like them. I don’t go around saying that I think all horror movies suck because they “weren’t made for me.” It’s the same thing here. People aren’t criticizing shows like She-Hulk because it “wasn’t made for them,” they dislike it because the writing is awful and the CGI looks like garbage. Your target audience doesn’t excuse shitty quality.