#see worst trope ever is the absent dad who actually cares

[the-owl-tree]

I know you haven't posted a profile leader of the isekai girls' clan yet, and if you don't have all the details for them ironed out yet (besides Honeypaw and Frostblaze both being the leaders kits) that's all good. But while looking at your latest post about the au, it got me thinking: how do you think the leader feels about 'Honeypaw''s sudden personality change, unnatural (because they're human moves) new fighting style, and tendency to walk on her hind legs? Because I'd imagine even if they weren't particularly close before Honey replaced her, it'd definitely be eyebrow raising to someone who knew her beforehand.

i'll definitely be putting the parents on my to-do list since I have thought of them, mainly because my inspiration is a mix of things that made go oooh yes or pissed me off so badly i stole them JUST to tear them apart in this lol

Honeypaw's relationship with her father, Owlstar, is strained. His relationship with her mother is purely political: he wants an heir, she wanted to join their Clan. In the books (from Frostblaze's perspective), he's written as an aloof but noble cat who can be stern but only because he cares. In the "real" world of the book...he's a standoffish, absent father who cares little about Honeypaw (due to her lack of resemblance to him) and often speaks of his disappointment (despite him having little presence in her life to guide her).

When the real Honeypaw is killed, he is sad and he does grieve...but doesn't stay for the ceremony. When she does come, he's happy! He welcomes her, nuzzles her in greeting, and visits her in the medic's den as she recovers...but it's also stilted, awkward, and suffocating for them both. He says very little and sometimes scolds her for her recklessness (and while in the book this is passed off as him "caring but struggling show it", in practice...it just comes off as apathy to Honey & Honeypaw).

I'd imagine her first few moons of weirdness is him passing it off as a cry for attention until it continues...and not only does she no longer seek his approval, she actively avoids him. Honey would realize his and Honeypaw's relationship is strained pretty early on and, to keep Honeypaw from being in a bad mood and also to avoid having her own father scold her (her body more than her soul), basically stays out of his way.

I can't imagine he'd investigate too much, he's more preoccupied with his successful heir (even if he can't reveal her yet). It's only when Honeypaw continues to poke around, find out more secrets than she's supposed to that he begins to really question what's going on.

Honeypaw's mother, Beesnap, is also different than in her story form. In the book, she's written as a volatile, self-absorbed mother who defends Honeypaw with her fierce temper no matter what her daughter does. When Honey actually meets her? Beesnap is a rogue-born she-cat and her status as truly a member of the Clan is always being questioned. As a result of being isolated and demeaned, she put on a facade of confidence and snootiness, intent on not letting them get to her. When Honeykit was born, her only daughter, she vowed to make sure her child had a better life in the Clan than she'd be given - resulting in her fierce outbursts to defend her child. Owlstar is absent in Honeypaw's life and that only made Beesnap more focused on protecting her.

Beesnap knows something's going on with her kid but doesn't confront her for some reason. She becomes a cat that Honey goes to advice to often when Splashpaw is busy. Eventually I think Honey does try to reveal the truth...but Beesnap probably doesn't take the fact that her beloved daughter's been body snatched very well.

Her unnatural behavior does freak them both out, Beesnap keeps having to whisper for her daughter to stOP WALKING LIKE THAT EVERYONE IS STARING AT YOU-

ty for asking!! i kind of went off topic but your question got me thinking so i ended up rambling lol both of these guys are mainly inspired from how wc and these specific webcomics treat parents and i think that shows

[maroonghoul]

Summer of Slashers: Part 4

I've been busy this past week or so. Though I was able to watch three more to qualify for this, and that's going to have to do until August. One of them is, of course, the recently released...

MaXXXine (*Spoilers*)

I guess it's debatable whether this counts as a Slasher now that I've seen it. But the way I see it, X is the closest in this trilogy to a proper slasher, Pearl is one of the American Psycho/Christmas Evil variation, and this one is a neo-noir/neo-giallo. All of subgenres very closely connected. So close enough in my book.

So the good news is, this movie didn't do what I feared it was going to do and make Maxine a killer. I said when I was talking about Pearl that it would've been derivative. What we got instead was more interesting in comparison, in that not only is her capacity for violence consistent from how this character was last time we saw her, but the moral failings she does seem to have offers a more nuanced message here.

Was it a bit obvious to anyone who's seen the first movie that her controlling preacher dad turned out to be the killer? A bit. I was thinking either him or Pearl and Howard had a secret love child coming for revenge. But for me, it was predictable to the extent that was actually still satisfying when it was revealed to be him.

He and his followers at the end of the movie representing the religious conservative insanity going crazy around this time, especially with their cries of Satanic Panic over the most innocuous things. Not to mention, them thinking Hollywood being a hotbed of all the "evil" things they've come to fear. Kinda gave me WNUF Halloween Special flashbacks. (Spoilers for that too, I guess).

But what I found interesting is that, if you're at least paying attention to this movie, the movie industry really isn't that much better. It's care for the human lives ruined and lost in the process is performative at best, and dismissive at worst. (Really, Elizabeth? You had to criticize Molly's acting talent mere days after she's dead? No, it's not canceled out by the moment of silence you just did). Capitalism, like religious fanaticism, treat the masses as just pawns to sway while offering the false idea being you can be special enough to deserve unending praise. It's just that one of them doesn't draw the line of trying to include those of less traditional gender and sexual roles, amongst other things.

Really, the dad's real grievance is that it did his job, using and keeping Maxine under control, better then he ever could. Sure, she's "free" now, even if she's hardened to work in an environment that teaches her not to care for anyone but herself. It's just more opaque that she still has a master to serve in the first place. All this pursuit of artistic expression we've seen in all three films, has left every character either dead or dead inside.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Light side-note, this movie contains I think my favorite meta reference of any movie about making movies: the Universal backlot. Sure, they relatively empty here and they don't call out what movies and shows they're used for. But seeing places like the Courthouse Square and New York Street; it almost feels like stopping by your home town, in a good way. Bonus point for including the Psycho set as a sort of red herring foreshadowing. And speaking of which...

Psycho II (1983)

The original may be the grand...mother of the genre (I regret nothing), even if it's absent of a lot of the tropes we know and love. This not only has more of them, it also almost completely flips the script on who's actually psychotic and who isn't. Norman's character development here mirrors nicely with the original film, with in that one him being Mother is a reveal, and here it's the end of a character arc. ("It's like poetry. They rhyme."). Though the reveal of who the real killer was is a bit out of left-field with the motive, if it wasn't going to be Norman this time, there had to be some hell of a reason, I suppose.

High bar of comparing to the original aside, I can see why this might be a harder watch then the previous one. While that one is a descent into darkness in a way, this one starts as a false promise of the end of darkness, only through sabotage from multiple parties, to letting it come back in. Depressing and less fun. Seriously, was the doctor the only one really on Norman's side in this? This is especially hard hitting after Reagan closed a massive amount of the psychiatric hospitals just a few years before. Maybe that was the inspiration for this.

So yeah, this ended up being the good kind of sad, in a weird way. Also, maybe a little less transphobic??? I would have to think about it.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Yep, the original. This is the only movie on my list I've seen before. This year is it's 40th anniversary and plus there was a screening in town.

You would think this is yet another movie where it's hard to say new stuff about it. I could almost repeat everything I said in my Slasher post a year and a half or so ago. I'm not sure what I have here is new, but it's what I took away from it in this day and age. Ten years later, I'll probably have something else.

The scenes that got the biggest reaction in my screening were none of the scenes involving Freddy, which is crazy enough. But the scenes with Nancy fighting with her mother. I can chalk that up to being surprising to anyone who only knows this movie through pop culture osmosis, but I highly doubt that considering the amount of people there who were in costume. Maybe it's also because it hits a little close to home. The idea of an alcoholic parent, and one you either have to hide stuff from or try to get through to them. Sorry Mom, but protecting your kid from a killer one time doesn't cancel out the negligence you're doing now. Hell, the latter's more what you expect only the parent to do, so it's even less impressive. Again, this shows the consequence of cutting back on psychiatric help on an economic scale, and not just for Nancy, it seems.

It's such an uncomfortable sit 90% of the time everyone dismissing Nancy, whether through disbelief of the supernatural or toxic masculinity in Glen's case. Hot take here, but it's so bad that even Freddy being either his 1st or 2nd most scariest here (Compared to New Nightmare maybe), he's still almost comic relief, in a ghoulish sort of way. Sure, all his time with Tina stops being funny at all really fast. But he seems to really take his time with Nancy. Like this Freddy's not even interested in using his powers to come up with ironic setpiece deaths for his victims yet. He genuinely seems to like the chase. Like a homeless person similar to the one that terrified Wes Craven as a kid; he'd rather show off a trick to the kids...before he kills them.

Maybe, in a sick sort of way, that's why he really took off even with the younger crowd. "Oh look, an adult paying attention to me and actually creating something related to my interest! And bonus points, making sure I don't have to live in the 1980s anymore!" He was always kind of a goofball with infectious energy, wasn't he? Which makes it all the more bewildering there has not been a new movie these past 12 years. Hell, maybe these past 12 years were the actual consequences of no new Freddy movie, not what New Nightmare's about. Sure, Pennywise filled in the gap. But it just doesn't feel right that almost every other slasher villain made a comeback in the past 5 to 10 years, except him and Jason. At least with Jason, his spirit is kept alive with parodies and homages like the one that came out earlier this year. A New Nightmare wouldn't really have to break new ground. Just one that feels like it has the amount of effort and creatively of the previous movies would feel so good about now.

Also, stop trying to make him a child molester. They made the right call cutting that from the original movie.

[kitcatimezz]

Okay this is all very random, but I just finished Brooklyn 99 for the 2nd time this month (yes I know copoganda shit LET ME LIVE IN A SIMPLE FANTASY WORLD OF GOOD POLICE, BAD CRIMINALS, AND FOUND FAMILY OKAY) and I NEED to rant about it. I'm just gonna point out my favourite relationships in the show (not in order)

- I LOVE Jake and Holt's relationship. It's mentioned jokingly throughout the series, but Captain Holt really is the father figure Jake so desperately needed. When the series started, Jake was an immature manchild who would eat candyburritos for breakfast, be in crushing debt due to barely understanding how bills worked, and who ran on complete impulse at all times. Having gone through his parent's messy divorce, his dad being Da Worst and his mom seemingly absent, he had few people around to show him how to be... a functioning adult. And then Holt comes in. Already fully grown up to a comical degree, married, captain of a precinct, overly interested in classical music and globe collecting. Yet, he too had had his struggles, being a gay black detective in the 80's and 90's was hard, and we can see how hardened and serious it made him. Throughout the series, the two constantly put their back into helping each other out of bad situations, for no other reason but because they care about each other. Holt gives Jake advice and guidance, an example, but Jake also forces Holt to have fun, ending in Holt even cracking jokes sometimes, and also forcing him to face more emotions, like when he made the captain talk to his mom, or during fights with his husband. In the last episode, Holt tells him how he heard how Jake could deduce any case, except the one about growing up, and how, if he'd had a son that turned out the way Jake did, he would be very proud. That genuinely brought tears to my eyes...

- One of the few couples in anything life action, Jake and Amy. I won't dive too deep into it, but ahg they are the best. Sure, in the beginning it was the classic 'pulling pigtails is flirting' tactic, but even then all the teasing is genuinely friendly, like yes Jake might make fun of Amy, but it never crosses a line, and he's overall genuinely supportive and trusting of her. Even when he starts to like her while she's dating someone else, he's honest about everything without it ever making it her problem. I love how when they finally start dating, their characters don't change much. You know the trope of 'high strung woman needs to find a man to go loose'? This show says no and instead makes it that every nerdy type A thing Amy does is actually something Jake (and the others) like about her, in the same way that Jake can still be a goofball with her and still make it feel like they fit. I love how much Jake is willing to sacrifice for her, how it pushes him to grow, how they're always honest with each other, how Amy starts using Jake's catchphrases casually, how they make an effort to understand each other's interests. Their wedding was amazing, and having watched it as many times as I have, I sometimes notice them wearing identical rings, even in episodes where they're split up and don't interact, it's just casually there. I was genuinely invested in them wanting and eventually getting a kid. And then at the end, when Jake decides to be a stay at home dad to be with his ' little buddy', letting his wife now chief be their main income, sure its progressive, but it doesn't feel forced, it really fits in their arcs. It was so cute how they constantly reaffirm that they're a team together. It's just so cute bro, I want them to be my parents, please give me healthy standards for relationships!!!

- Also, Amy and Rosa are best friends!! There's one episode in the beginning where Amy tries to compete with Rosa over something, and Rosa tells her to quit it, they're the only female detectives around, they gotta have each other's backs. And they DO!! during one of the heists, Rosa joins on Amy's team and is all ready for all her dorky overpreparing, when Rosa gets impulsively married within a week, she counts on it that Amy can throw it all together in the short time. There's an episode where the two of them catch some criminal together, and it is so cooool!! And then in that last episode, how they cling glasses and say 'I'm glad I could spend my time here with you' before saying some genuine 'I love you's' in a completely platonic but such an important way. It just feels so genuine, how Amy so clearly admires Rosa's strength, and how Rosa's as tough as she is, yet still has that clear soft spot for Amy.

- Also Jake and Rosa! their episodes together are usually the best when it comes to the cases. With others, it usually centers around the relationships, but Jake and Rosa are so passionate about being detectives, the case is the core, through which they then learn some emotional lesson and connect. I love how they've been friends for years, yet it's never even considered that one could have potential romantic feeling to the other just because 'boy and girl'. They're just completely platonic and seeing them work and support each other is always amazing. I loved how supportive Jake was of her when she was coming out, how they're always super supportive of each other. And then in the last season when Rosa leaves the police to become a PI to investigate police brutality, while jake himself was still with the police. I loved how they handled the conflict between the two, while still remaining friends in the end.

- Also, Rosa and Charles! In the beginning, it was the lame 'guy pining after girl out of his league trope', and I remember watching it the first time and rolling my eyes at it. But then, Charles actually gets over it, and they become genuine friends. Like, they get genuinely close and casually laugh together and support each other and all that. I love how Rosa asked him as a bridesmaid that one time, and whenever Charles calls her 'RoRo'

- Also, Holt and Amy's! Yes Holt is a father figure to Jake, but he's something similar to Amy. At the start, Amy is completely desperate for any kind of validation from an authorised person, and she often tries too hard to please, they sometimes felt a bit one-sided. But over time she grows less insecure and at the end is able to casually have an argument with someone she seemingly worshipped in the beginning. I like how Holt often acknowledges that he intends to mentor her, how he's the first to see her dream of becoming Captain and is all ready to lead her to that, and how much she looks up to him.

- What else can I say, uh... Jake and Charles! I love how much Charles cares about Jake (sometimes a bit too much maybe) and you see Jake being a bit uncomfortable with this at times. And sometimes it seems to be kinda one sided, but then the next the two of them talk it out and we see how much Jake genuinely cares about his friendship with Charles, and it seems that he just has a harder time with casual affection like that.

- Also in the last season, Holt and Kevin!! I'd been waiting and anticipating a Vowel Renewal since that one episode, but I didn't expect a full season long arc of a failing marriage being picked up again because even though things are hard they love each other!! And then Amy and Rosa bringing them back together in the rain!! Holt being ready to give up his job, only for Kevin to say he never wanted him to sacrifice that much, how they're so willing to give for each other. It was so gooooodd!!

- Oh oh!! And PB and J! Pontiac Bandit, aka Doug Judy, and Jake!! The cop and the criminal who promises to help catch another criminal before going to jail, only to slip away himself in the last moment. Their friendship is so good and I understand its a one episode a season deal but Damn those episodes are always in the top and I wish we had more. And then how they ended it, how Jake 'accidentally' gave him a way out of prison after finally catching him.. I died bro. So cute.

All in all, love this show. Watched it at least 10 times. Will watch for another 30 or so!!

[gch1995]

I’m actually watching the 2016 PPG reboot. While in some ways it is actually nice to see the girls hanging out and interacting more like sisters in slice of life scenarios, it is irritating that they aren’t really doing a ton of saving the day.

Remember the occasional flaw in the writing for the OG cartoon of Buttercup getting subject to mean spirited centrics where she and/or her loved ones were subject to character derailment in order for her to be punished, suffer, and/or get double standards? Well, that’s not a problem in the 2016 reboot anymore? She does most of the saving, and gets a most of the attention in the reboot.

Unfortunately, they’ve created a new problem by focusing too much on Buttercup in the reboot, however. Now, Blossom and Bubbles don’t have much relevance.

While the OG PPG classic cartoon was a great show overall, I won’t deny that there were bad episodes and ooc moments here and there, but what have they done to the girls personalities here in the reboot on the whole, though?

Blossom has become a butt-monkey, a Yandere, and a neat freak. She still likes getting good grades, but she’s more bossy and naggy than the intelligent, mature, and resilient leader she was in original.

Bubbles has become “cute, but psycho” trope most of the time in the reboot, whereas in the OG cartoon, “Bubblevicious” was mostly just a one time thing when she went off the rails because she wanted to stop being seen as a “baby.”

Buttercup originally was the “toughest fighter” with a tomboyish personality and a bit of an instigator side, but like, she had restraint and common sense most of the time. Here in the reboot, she destroys an entire state fair and accidentally gives Bubbles a black eye because a villain called her “Princess.” Really? WTF? Also, she just seems to have become much more openly obnoxious and bratty. Like, why would she make fun of Ms. Keane for teaching a grammar lesson? Why would she steal Octi from Bubbles without provocation? She didn’t always respect authority in the original cartoon, and she did like to mess with Bubbles in the OG cartoon. However, she’d never been this petty and disrespectful in the og cartoon.

Don’t get me started on how wrong the writers got the Professor in the 2016 reboot...It’s probably the worst character assassination in the reboot, actually. While he had some OOC moments in the original cartoon of bad parenting in some bad episodes that didn’t make any sense, such as “Moral Decay,” “Daylight Savings,” and “Keen on Keane,” for the most part, Professor Utonium from the OG cartoon was a really great dad to the girls. He was attentive, brave, kind, caring, intelligent, reasonably strict, protective, and selfless more often than not in the og cartoon “Boogie Frights,” “PowerProf,” “Collect Her,” “Knock it Off,” “Beat Your Greens,” “Little Miss Interprets,” the 2002 prequel movie, “Film Flam,” “Get Back Jojo,” “Nano of the North,” “Helter Shelter,” “Supper Villain,” “Just Desserts,” “The PowerPuff Girls Best Rainy Day Adventure,” “Pet Feud,” “The Mane Event,” “Stray Bullet,” “Meet The Beat-Alls,” “Octi-Gone,” “Oops, I did it Again,” and “Members Only” showed just how much he loved those girls, and just how great of a dad he could be. Sometimes he could be an absent-minded, overprotective, and embarrassingly cheesy Dad™️ in episodes like “Uh Oh, Dynamo” and “Powerprof.” However, he really did love Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup more than anything, and would risk anything to protect them. He really loved to hang out with them, and he usually took a genuine interest in what they were doing.

In the 2016 reboot, however, the Professor is more often than not a completely idiotic, insensitive, neglectful, reckless, and selfish manchild. Whenever he has centrics, the girls actually parent him more than he actually parents them. He barely seems to care about them at all. He is such an idiot that he actively endangers them by locking them up all in a room together where they can’t escape when he thinks one of them is about to turn into a monster, rather than isolating them all in separate chambers, which is something that the OG Professor never would have ever done before with any of the girls, not even in his most OOC moments. In the original cartoon, Professor Utonium created the girls because he wanted to raise some kids, and make the world a better place. In the reboot, he actually created a PowerPuff Girl before Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup called Bliss, just because he wanted to win a science fair. Really?

While there were occasional hints that Buttercup was kind of the black sheep of the family in the OG cartoon, mostly thanks to the writers not knowing how to write centrics around a tomboy in a positive light, in my opinion, rather than the characters themselves, Professor Utonium never once told any of the girls he had any favorites between them. In the reboot, he lets it slip that Bliss was “his favorite daughter,” which instantly makes Buttercup feel hurt. Though he tries to reassure that he doesn’t actually have any favorites, the damage is already kind of done. In the reboot, when Blossom is concerned about not ever leveling up in her powers like her sisters, the Professor actually makes it worse by telling her that she might never level up in her powers, and might just become a normal little girl. In the OG cartoon, if the girls ever confided in the Professor, he was never this insensitive and stupid.

Also, why did they take out the backstory of Mojo’s connection to the girls in the reboot? Now, he’s just a boring one-note chimpanzee villain with a big brain, who talks in the third person, and who acts stupid more often than not. It also just makes the Professor look more incompetent than he originally was in the og cartoon.

However, I’m going to get through this whole thing, no matter how stupid and insulting to the original it gets.

[thatshinobilife]

I’m almost too lazy to make this post because God it’s just so self explanatory but my loyalty to Temari runs too deep so here goes: 

They did exactly what I called they were gonna do and made her an over aggressive nagging house wive. This is why I complained over and over again three years ago when I saw they had moved her to Konoha because I KNEW someway somehow they were going to subject her character to this. They want her to be Yoshino 2.0 even though that’s NEVER been who she is because “lmao get it Shikamaru is just like his dad! Parallels!!”. They don’t take the time to think about how her character would actually react because none of that matters now - she exists solely to be Shikamaru’s wife. 

Some people are crying “abuse!” at what she did but I don’t really want to go there tbh. It’s very clear that in the Naruto universe things we find abusive are just par for the course. Calling out Temari in this instance would require we call out basically ever other female character which is not realistic. Domestic violence in Naruto is always played for laughs which is obviously fucked up but not something I think it’s fair to fault the characters for as we’re not intended to see it as abusive (even though realistically it is). No, what I really take issue with is the fact that being an overbearing and strict mother/wife is basically all Temari is given to do. 

This woman was born in one of the most fucked up situations of any character we see. He father was a walking human disaster, her mother was dead, and her youngest brother had a nasty habit of slaughtering anyone who looked at him the wrong way. She has always been strong and confident but throughout the series she softens considerably as she learns caring is not a weakness. She is a better diplomat than either of her brothers and remains calm and collected in even the tensest of situations. Her dynamic with Shikamaru has always been one of mutual respect and understanding which is what makes their relationship work so well (and IMO better than any of the canon relationships we got). Yes, Temari is a take no shit kind of person who probably WOULD chastise her son for his pitiful behavior - but not in the way we’re shown. In Boruto her parenting method basically amounted to “I’m just going to hit you and intimidate you until you get the picture and ultimately just end up listening to your cooler nicer wiser dad.” She doesn’t actually say anything of significance to Shikadai at all - that is reserved entirely for Shikamaru as he’s the influential one in their sons life. Temari is just there to be the ol’ ball-and-chain ~what a drag~ mom whose only dominion is the house she is confined to. THEN there’s the fact that Temari refusing to make dinner inevitably meant neither Shikamaru nor Shikadai could eat - as if a grown man could not make his own dinner and HAD to have his wife do it because it’s her domestic ~duty~. This is extra and dramatic but it actually makes me sick that they’re doing this to her. After everything she went through she would have something worthwhile to add to the conversation other than “bah you’re too easy on him I’m going to withhold meals to prove a point!!!”. She doesn’t treat her brothers like this and they’re consistently shown to value her opinion because her opinion is worth hearing.  Temari played a crucial role in Suna politics prior to the end of the series. She sat on the council and came with Gaara to all the kage summits/meetings. She was one of the best kunoichi in the series just brimming with potential and strength and ferocity. During the war I began to get annoyed with how much they were making her revolve around Shikamaru’s character because after a certain point basically all her dialogue was in relation to him. That’s when I knew things were about to take a hard left turn for shits-ville and boy was I right. In chapter 700 ALL we see her doing is sitting in a house chastising her son and serving her brothers tea before they head out to a kage meeting without her. We don’t get any indication that she’s still affiliated with Suna, hell we don’t even get any indication that she’s still a ninja. In the boruto manga/movie she doesn’t interact with her siblings ONCE and is not with them in the pit with all the other Kage/advisors. I was happy to see she still had her fan but other than that I left highly unimpressed. Now in the anime she is ONCE AGAIN pictured in a house, serving people drinks and nagging away as if that’s all she’s good for anymore. I know it was played as a joke but that’s exactly what makes me so mad - her character has become nothing more than a trope meant to appeal to the lowest common denominator. The nagging housewive angle truly is the lowest hanging fruit but studio peirrot really could not resist could they.

Nevermind the fact that it would have been way funnier had they subverted the whole “why did you marry such a strict woman” thing by having Shikadai side with his mom instead, saying something to the effect of “why did you marry such an unmotivated slacker”. Can we stop treating Temari like she’s just an overly aggressive loaded gun that’s just one mistep away from going off. I mean I genuinely love Shikatema but I do not think the Boruto anime understands Shikatema. Part of me still wishes they just hadn’t got together because they don’t actually feel like “them” when they’re portrayed like this. No one is being respected as a character. 

Anyway all this to say I’m basically done with the Boruto anime now. I might still watch the next couple of episodes because curiosity is gonna get the better of me but emotionally I have severed all connections. It just comes down to the fact that I cannot handle them so grossly mischaracterizing characters that I have loved since I was 11 years old. I actually don’t mind the new gen when they’re on their own but every damn time they show one of the original characters they manage to fuck them up in some way. We see it with Temari, with Naruto, with Yamato, with Sakura. Hell I can’t stand Sasuke and even I’m mad about what they did to him post chapter 699. I am never going to like the new gen characters more than the original cast so if watching Boruto means seeing them get completely decimated then I’m not gonna watch it. Simple as that. Naruto being an absent father is the worst crime but I have no doubt they’ll continue to top that in future episodes. 

[bouncyirwin]

1. KakaSaku: why is KakaSaku your otp? Is there any particular tropes, or was there something you find in this ship you can't find in others? Do you believe KakaSaku had an opportunity in the manga for the idea of canon? How would you picture it? Do believe it would be controversial (the age gap)? Side pairings (like NH or ShikaTema)? And how do you deal with Sakura and Sasuke's relationship (brOTP, one night stand, etc.) canon-wise with a KakaSaku endgame? (2)

Hmm, I’ll have to go a little down memory lane for this one. I’ve been in the Naruto fandom for over ten years, ever since I was a little child. As a kid, I initially shipped SasuSaku. I was naive and too wrapped up with the idea of ‘first love is true love’. That continued for many years, in fact, up until the beginning of last year. At this point I have left the fandom and came back to it after many years. You could probably imagine I was happy when I found out they were canon at first… but then post-700 happened.

I was shocked. That’s the worst story one could be given for a pairing they like. It repulsed me. I was forced to take a step back and see Sasuke for what he truly is: a deadbeat dad. A cold husband. A selfish man.

I was forced to reevaluate everything I thought he would be. Sasuke is not prince charming, he’s not a good human, he’s not a sane human. I’m not saying that it’s entirely his fault, I’m not denying the circumstances he was dealt anon, but it doesn’t change that it shaped him into a horrible being. Do I blame him for turning evil/leaving Konoha? No. I don’t. I probably would have done the same.

So we’ve established he’s not a good person. Even if he’s shown to have gone out roaming the world for 'redemption’.

On the other hand, Sakura may have been a little mean as a kid, but she obviously matured and outgrew that. These are possible character developments. You could go from being mean to someone to being nice to them at that point of your life (12 years old). But you can’t go from wanting to kill someone to wanting to marry them, not only is it terrifying but also… impossible.

So here I kinda realised wow dude, this pair kinda sucks.

I’m an anxious person by nature, also I value security above all. There is no way I would want Sakura to be with someone as emotionally unbalanced and unforgiving as Sasuke. Someone who at some point wanted to get rid of her —tried to get rid of her.

Just a bit before I had that conclusion about SasuSaku I discovered the most awesome beautiful thing ever: KakaSaku.

At first, I was like, oh my god, no, my OTP is SasuSaku. I think they’re cute but… that’s as far as liking them goes. Wrong. I was hooked.

They made so much sense I’m amazed I didn’t notice before but through reading fan fiction I discovered their potential.

Kakashi and Sakura are both dedicated ninja. They both put their teammates first. They balance out each other rather nicely, Kakashi could use someone bright and caring like Sakura to heal his soul. They’re both extremely smart, and equally balanced in power. Neither of them would look down on the other or bash them.

Sakura is strong and dedicated but I feel like sometimes she lacks confidence. Kakashi would lift her up, not break her down like Sasuke seems to do (after he left Konoha so if anyone’s reading this don’t start pulling managa screeshots pointing evidence of 12 year old Sasuke being 'supportive’)

I just like the balance between them, a harmony I can’t seem to find anywhere else. Look at every other ship, each one seems to have a dominant person, be it the woman or the man, which I dislike. Relationship/marriage should be about equality and balance, not dominance.

The manga didn’t nearly have as many KS hints as the anime but what does it matter to me? If Kishi doesn’t know how to pick two people with appropriate personalities for each other, that isn’t my fault. Look at his canon ships and how he portrays them, it’s truly repulsive. NaruHina had so much potential goddamn and he absolutely slaughtered it. He clearly built up for NaruSaku and he also clearly changed his mind around the end. SP then turned Hinata into 'Sakura’ instead of giving her a unique personality. Repulsive I tell you.

I really don’t believe the age gap matter would be a big deal. They’re ninja, they could literally die any day. To them they don’t even think they would live past 40. Why restrain them with silly things like age?

What does age signify anyway? Maturity. Do you really believe a person who’s been killing since they were 12, exposed to every nasty thing in the world would lack in maturity/self -discovery to be with an older person?

I don’t think it’s the age people might protest against, but rather their previous status of teacher and student but we all know Sakura’s real teacher is Tsunade. Kakashi is simply her team captain.

I don’t understand your question about NH and ShikaTema but if you’re asking my opinion of them, here: both had a lot of potential. One got an okay ending and the other sucked ass.

The amount of damage that was dealt to NH is ridiculous. I could’ve done a better job giving them a more realistic/not forced ending. Kishi seems to forget the concept of 'build up’ when writing romance. It’s like he pulled NaruHina out of his ass. Everything is cliche and gross; Naruto, an absent father. Hinata portrayed as the 'scary’ parent which just doesn’t go with her character (again, they tried to pull a Sakura but it ain’t workin). Hinata sending Boruto, a GENIN, one who cheated during his exams because he couldn’t win without doing so, to fight gods, telling him to 'take care of his dad’. Excuse me but what kind of mother does that? How could she just send her son to fight ninja that managed to capture her husband the freakin Hokage?? I don’t care if he resembles Naruto, no one can believe in their child that blindly, it’s just so damn unrealistic. Besides, everyone now is trying to shove down our throat that Hinata is a 'kickass shinobi’ who is 'better’ than Sakura, so why doesn’t she go fight to get her husband back?

I don’t hate Hinata. I just dislike what’s been done to her character. Just because she’s an average Kunoichi it doesn’t mean she can’t end up with Naruto without being given Sakura’s personality. They’re trying to change her character entirely. It’s gross. They’re trying to make her sound stronger than she actually is.

As for ShikaTema, I don’t have much trouble besides making Temari a stay-at-home wife. That’s not her personality at all.

Same goes for Sakura. She’s a kickass medic. Put her as head medic at the hospital not a woman dusting shelves.

If KakaSaku were to be endgame, I believe that would happen with Sakura spending time with Kakashi and discovering what being with real men is like. I believe she’d fall in love with Kakashi. Maybe even cheat on Sasuke, as unpleasant as the concept is (although I don’t blame her if she does), get a divorce, grab her daughter and leave. She’d marry Kakashi, because he’d give a shit about her child, he’d help care for if, he’d love and protect her. He’d be there for her. Basically, Kakashi would know how to be a good and respectful partner.

I apologise if jumping from answering something to the other is confusing. Thanks for the question!