#they are tragic and miserable and also my favs

[ozzieinspacetime]

Hey!! Hey. None of the (canonically) dead Deca had bodies to mourn over. Hey. Think about that. Their bodies either got obliterated or permenantly possessed or stuck in a big old paradox. They have no graves and in Millennia and Rallons case nobody remembers they exist and in Vansells case he got fully fucking disintegrated and in Draxes case he's literally always dying because he's trapped himself in a forever cycle. Hey. Hey!!!!!

[haleigh-sloth]

I'm sorry for the vent but I had to get this off my chest.

One of the many things that are annoying me about the people complaining about "so-called critics" is that they're either hero stans, dudebros, shippers (esp B*D* shippers) or Bakugo stans. And the latter genuinely annoy me the most. Like yeah so sorry that your fav was saved through the efforts of pro heroes TWICE and even got an awe-inspiring comeback and got to Save his childhood hero™. Yeah you ofc don't care about the story and think we're just being bitter over nothing because AT LEAST YOUR FAV DID NOT MEET A TRAGIC AND MISERABLE END!!! The hero who we thought would die saving you was instead revealed to be doing fine! See he's even growing his limbs back! Ofc you think your fav did not murder a villain (who mind you was pleading for Afo to give back Tomura) because *gasp* my boi can do no wrong!! And even if he were killed so what? Kurogiri's dead anyway! No point in saving a corpse! Instead let's focus on how Deku never ever acknowledges Bakugo for dying twice for him (OH HOW DARE HE!!!)

I do think deku and bakugo might have a talk about this next chapter. Hopefully maybe.

It's insulting how they seem to think we're viewing this story from the perspective of "Western lens" which is utterly baffling and stupid?? Because not everyone is western and our criticism is from a story telling perspective (hello?? themes? narratives? they do exist ya know). We're not someone to disrespect Japanese culture because I guarantee you we're not like that. Like honestly if this story wasn't so insistent on the whole "saving the villains" then we wouldn't be upset. If the manga didn't have Deku say "OFA is a power meant for saving" then we wouldn't have been so hopeful for months (like at least I would've known not to expect anything happy).

Oof....nail on the head.

Also. Let's be clear. When people try to divide the fandom by saying "western" and "eastern", what they usually, typically mean is AMERICAN. Maybe Europeans are lumped in with "western" also (because most of them they're not eastern culture), but honestly the commentary I see is mostly catered toward Americans.

Which I'm not gonna tell people to not make fun of Americans because lmao. Fair.

But acting like Japan is this enigma of a country for having conservative-like values regarding family units and societal expectations and that nobody outside of it, especially on the western half of the hemisphere, can possibly relate to it is just stupid. Would like to remind that other cultures that are vastly different from the US and share a lot of similarities with eastern culture are on the western half of the globe, idiots.

Not gonna dwell on the details of east and west. This isn't a "east" vs "west" issue. Yes there are people who do not take cultural contexts into consideration, either through simply not being aware or not bothering to research/hear what the contexts might mean. I personally do try to do my best to read what might be normal for Japanese people in the situations portrayed in the manga so I'm not wondering wtf is going on or why.

Disliking this ending has nothing to do with disrespecting Japanese culture. Todorokis for example: sorry but abuse is abuse. Hating the ending the Todoroki siblings were portrayed having is completely fair. Doesn't matter where you're from. Where I feel people need to start understanding why Hori might do something differently, or just shut the fuck up otherwise, is how he handled Rei in regards to her relationship with Endeavor. And the kids toward Endeavor. But saying "damn, that finale is fucking depressing, none of them look happy, there was no emotional release or anything, just damn" is not saying "fuck Japanese culture!" Like lmao.

There were plenty of people explaining that MHA is commenting on aspects of Japanese culture. Explaining how. Also, MHA is not the only manga that does shit like that. I also don't think saying "Wow these character arcs that were strongly hinted at going one way falling flat on their faces and going straight to hell is really shitty writing choices" is saying anything in regards to Japanese culture.

Also insisting that anyone who wanted the villains to be saved is disrespecting Japanese culture or opinions or whatever....I would like to ask where the fuck they think these tropes come from. Naruto says hi. Among others. We're not pulling these ideas out of thin air. They exist, WITHIN THIS MEDIUM, already. And MHA heavily resembles Naruto as is. So yeah. Idk, I'm not really reading anybody's bitch fits about the critics because I don't care. If they're happy then good for them. I'm not, and I'm not gonna pretend to be. I'm not trying to convince anybody to be mad with me. I'm really trying to make my peace with the manga and tell myself it's fiction, I can draw an ending I want later when I have the energy and motivation. I'll learn to live with it. If anybody has an issue with that then, well, they can argue with a wall.

[jakowskis]

Day 23 - Discuss Tosh. Opinions? Favorite moment? Least favorite moment? Any unpopular opinions? Any fun headcanons?

tosh my babygirl my princess light of my life angel darling… shes so good. shes so good 🥺 i love her dearly. she’s so damn underutilized i hate how the show regulates her to a supporting role + only uses her for romantic plots. WACK shes so much more than that. i want a plotline about her cyberterrorism like hello??? i want a plotline about her warped little mind.. i want a plotline about her finally learning spanish ;-; that show did not do her justice and it did not deserve her. i often say torchwood’s characters are too good for the show; tosh is probs the best example of that. no other character gets screwed over as badly as she does by the narrative (not even ianto!) she’s so tragic and lonely i just wanna give her the biggest hug ever. 

fav moment… every time she smiles. (or smirks. hrgh. tosh call me.) also every time she geeks out about smth. im tryna think of a specific moment but idk if i have one?? i just love her overall i smile every time she’s on screen she’s my girlie. when i rewatch i might rmr one though

least favorite moment, the absolute only thing i can think of (hell, my only complaint with her as a character other than i wish she’d get over owen cuz bad taste queen pls u deserve sm better) - it’s always bothered me how she goes over to owen’s flat in aditd and just starts babbling about her own problems. she even says something like “you think everything’s about you”, and in that ep it’s like ??? why are they all acting like he’s unjustified being miserable and angry when he's fucking dead?? like they're all so unsympathetic and mean, even tosh, and out of her it's especially weird?? tbh it just strikes me as ooc (+ kind of misogynistic highkey) writing. i mean, by all means, let tosh bitch, she deserves to blow off some steam + esp deserves to be rude to owen tbh fhsdkjfsd, but the way it’s done in that particular moment feels ooc and, like, how men write women as talking too much and never listening lmao u kno what i mean (owen’s tuned out in the actual episode but you can see her full ramble in the original script, on page 23). tosh has never troubled anyone with her issues before, why would she choose now to, and when she knows owen’s struggling? yeah, on second thought, i don’t hold that against her actually, that’s ooc to me fhdkf. thts just the writer being a wiener.

my only unpopular opinions (slash hot takes) are that 1) towen fucking SUCKS get her away from him, and 2) most people like tosh but she’s highkey underappreciated, esp in fanfic, because of fandom racism + misogyny. she’s not bashed like gwen is but she’s ignored completely which is nearly as bad, and a lot of it’s cuz she happens to be in a show with two white men in a gay relationship who are overwhelmingly prioritized 💀 i will never not be petty about the way that ship dwarfs everything else in comparison. also throwing towen into the background of janto is so gross n cheap. if ppl cared abt her they'd do smth more interesting. and it's never well-done either. ugh.

i have a few hcs that are gonna end up in my owento verse (gwen and tosh are prominent characters in it bc i love them, and their relationships w owen and ianto and each other also have value lawl). tbh a lot of em are just things i think they should introduce into their lives to be happier. i want them happy ;-;

she starts coding video games recreationally!! nothing fancy but she rlly enjoys it + also gets into the swing of making little storylines n getting to express herself that way which is good for her. owen playtests shit for her

her and gwen go on spa dates sometimes. they put it on the torchwood credit card

she gets into fish tanks and fish tank care!!! esp like aquarium plants. shrimp and moss balls, that sort of thing. maybe plecos or loaches. she loves it + it’s grounding, which is good for her bc shes otherwise always got her head in her computers yanno. she’ll sit by her tank while she codes her games and the water sounds are calming. 

she also sits by it while she studies her spanish books which she does finally do. she doesn’t get around to the piano, though; doesn’t prioritize buying a keyboard. maybe one day (this is a nobody dies au btw so she will in fact eventually get around to it ;-;)

oh she’s autistic have i said that. the fish tanks absolutely become a spin. she has a few we know of from canon - math and computers, obviously, but also history (gbg) and the uk’s rivers (from gooseberry; i think it was just the uk maybe it was europe’s rivers. or the world’s! i don’t remember). she also loves trivia like she knows a fair amount about quite a lot of things + loves accumulating random info

lowkey also. giving her a kitty. i think tosh should have a lil fuzzy kitty to keep her company 

well this is smth from my owandy verse but i think it should happen anyway. so it kind of kicks off bc gwen mixes up a blind date (it was gonna be tosh & andy and then owen & a friend of hers, but shes an adhd icon n bungles the invites <3)... tosh ends up with gwen’s friend, who’s straight, but they hit it off and she invites tosh to have drinks or maybe come to a bookclub meet or something with some friends of hers?? point is, tosh makes some casual friends. maybe meets a pretty girl there or smth 👁️ but mainly i want tosh to have girl friends like i think she grew up very lonely i want her to have some normalcy

also sometimes i like tosh x andy maybe they have a little meet cute at a torchwood crime scene or smth fshdkfd. i think they’d be cute and he’d treat her well. she'd babble abt tech stuff and he wouldnt understand a damn word but he'd listen very intently

i also like tosh x ianto for similar reasons. i think it’d be a kind of friends to lovers sitch... they should just be close in general tbh, platonically or not yanno, and in my owandy verse i like the idea of smth kicking off between them i just think theyd be so sweet

she’s a very sleepy drunk and also a lightweight. if the team goes out to drink she’ll get two glasses of smth moderately fruity and then fall asleep against someone’s shoulder it’s very cute (this is just cuz i like the idea of a sleepy tosh 🥺 my baby my baby shes so precious to meee)

[mightnotfeelrealbutitsok]

Fav part of every TTPD song -

Fortnight = the outro. thought of calling ya/nother fortnight lost in america/buy the car you want but it won't start up til you touch touch touch meee. it's so crazed

TTPD = who's gonna hold you like me? who's gonna know you if not me? and all its repetitions

My Boy... = the second half of each chorus. cause it fit too right.../cause i knew too much... perfectly bitter

Down Bad = bridge bridge bridge. I loved your hostile takeovers encounters closer and closer all your indecent exposures how dare you say that it's !!!

So Long, London = bridge! AND YOU SAY I ABANDONED THE SHIP/AND MY FRIENDS SAID IT ISN'T RIGHT TO BE SCARED

But Daddy I Love Him = i'm running with my dress unbuttoned screaming but daddy i love him i'm having his babyyy - whenever it comes up

Fresh Out The Slammer = as i said in my letters now that i know better i will never lose my baby again (so satifsying)

Florida!!! = bridge and fuck me up Florida

Guilty As Sin? = what if he's written mine on my upper thigh??!! in the last chorus, obviously

Who's Afraid...? = so who's. afraid. of me. in the outro

I Can Fix Him = on a six-lane Texas highway, his hand so calloused from his pistol softly traces hearts on my face?!?! pop off with the imagery taylor, and so ethel-cain-core

loml = the last chorus. it just keeps going. what a valiant roar what a bland goodbye/i'll never leave never mind/your arson's match your sombre eyes!! (this song is becoming such a favourite)

I Can Do It... = he said he'd love me all his life!-- but that life was too short... and its counterpart: he said he'd love me for all time!-- such a good illustration of having to keep those miserable thoughts in check

The Smallest Man... = well clearly the whole raging bridge (YOU SAID NORMAL GIRLS WERE BORING BUT YOU WERE GONE BY THE MORNING)

The Alchemy = i can't lie. no part of it really wows me.

Clara Bow = i'm not trying to exaggerate but i think i might DIE if i made it/DIE if it happened - prechoruses

The Black Dog = the choruses, particularly the one that comes first and last. you jump up but she's too young to know this song that was intertwined with the magic/tragic fabric of our dreaming!!

imgonnagetyouback = say you got somebody i'll say i got someone too EVEN IF IT'S HANDCUFFED I'M LEAVING HERE WITH YOUU

The Albatross = also a song that does not hit me at any point. sorry.

Chloe et al. = the choruses. say i loved you the way that you were/say you've always wondered... also i/you just watched it happen... :(

How Did It End? = bridge bridge bridge the unsympathetic unfeeling roboticness and post-mortem detail and the rhythm and rhyming oh my god (say-it once-a gain-with feel-ing)

So High School = ARE YOU GONNA MARRY KISS OR KILL MEEE and also truth, dare, spin bottles... and all that. satisfying rhythm and rhyme strike again

I Hate It Here = choruses. the I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child/I dreamed about it in the dark the night I felt like I might die line. and no mid-sized city hopes and small-town fears i'm there most of the year cos i hate it here....

thanK you aIMee = lowkey an annoying song for me.

I Look In... = the verses, especially all the south south south and now now now now downtown downtown downtown parts

The Prophecy = and i sound like an infant feeling like the very last drops of an inkpen, a greater woman stays cool!!

Cassandra = so they killed Cassandra first cause she feared the worst is the best line but i don't particularly like this song.

Peter = THE WHOLE SONG. love. verses and choruses and bridge. chef's kiss. maybe best moment is YOU SAID YOU'D COME AND GET ME BUT YOU WERE TWENTY FIVE

The Bolter = verse 1. childhood anecdotes always hit

Robin = the bridge, I cry, reminds me of Ronan, you got the dragonflies above your bed, the echo of you have no idea...

The Manuscript = verse 2, the theme of growing up again, she wished she was thirty/she only ate kids' cereal

that's all thank you bye

[funnywormz]

mob psycho for the ask meme?? :o

hell yes mop time

blorbo (favourite character, character i think about the most):

it's dimple. i am crazy insane and full of brainworms about this fart blob. thinking abt him So Much every day. he has so many issues

scrunkly (my "baby", character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped):

obviously it's shigeo. The Mop. he's so special to me he's very relatable and has been a huge inspiration to me when it comes to becoming a better kinder person. my autism baby

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fav):

TOME she's such a great character she's so hilarious and i love her character development so much....... ik she's pretty popular but i wish there was more fan content focused on her....... maybe there will be if the reigen manga gets to be an ova or smth

also Dimpole (again). he is so underappreciated by the fandom and ppl act like im some kind of weirdo bc he's my fav and im sick of it. appreciate the blob embrace the blob make him your god

glup shitto (obscure fav, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and i won't shut up about it for a week):

THESE TWO they have such a fun dynamic and i love that they're just working at a convenience store together in canon after they leave claw. there is a lot abt them left up to the viewer's interpretation, even sakurai's backstory is pretty barebones and koyama doesn't get one at all so there's a lot of fun exploration you could do. i would love to just see a slice of life thing abt what their time at the convenience store is like. i also think that they are gay and in love and there's nothing in canon to prove me wrong so........

poor little meow meow ("problematic"/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fav):

mogami is a rlly compelling and interesting character to me. ik a lot of ppl don't even want to go near him bc of how horrible he was to mob and i get it. i associate him with a pretty miserable period of my life where i was hyperfixated on him for a while and at the time i was deeply depressed and found him relatable/even agreed with his view on the world to a degree. so i have very complex feelings and associations with him bc he reminds me of a dark time in my life and a shitty miserable side of myself. but that's also why i think he's a great character, because it's easy to see how he ended up the way he did and to understand his motivations, even if i don't agree with his view on things. idk if i exactly enjoy/like him as a character, but my god he's so well written........

DIMPLE AGAIN (AGAIN). i know a lot of ppl dislike him as a character and he's just generally not that popular as a favourite character but i am obsessed with him and i think he is so cool and tragic and most importantly A Bit Silly. love this guy

horse plinko (character i would torment for fun, for whatever reason):

reigen

eeby deeby (character i would send to superhell):

reigen. just to be clear i mean this and the above answer as adoringly as possible i love reigen he sucks <3

[wildernessuntothemselves]

bITCH ARE YOU FUCKNG KIDDING ME I FUCKING KNEW IT jk I had no idea

I knew things were not looking good for gyu but for a moment when the execution scene came out I really thought it was taehyun who has gonna die and I was ready for that but I wasnt ready for what came after likeee all this time I thought oc would've never have the guts to do that to gyu like really when the part where she pulls the dagger came I felt my stomach dropp like no wayyyyyyy

soo in the heat of the moment she was going a bit crazy with guilt and then she gave in to her most impulse thoughts and that was greatly expressed in the writing cause the vibe was so tense and anxious like I was having cold sweats for real reading that

I'm gonna be honest, I feel bad for my fav toxic couple. In the first part of the chapter they had their cute moments and I was so immersed in their love, also the smut was so hot that for a moment I forgot that this was the final chapter and heads were gonna roll at the end and give us the closure of the story. Anyways I think if gyu died then it would be for the best that oc dies too, cause she will probably live a miserable life with that son and would lord taehyun even take her back? The thing is I really wasn't expecting HER to kill gyu, that changes everything. Killing the king? Wouldn't she be sentenced to death? I think so

I like that even when gyu was taking his last breath he said some sweet words to oc, it's better than if he just dropped dead. And of course...he took her with him....that's so Romeo and Juliet of them, very romantic and tragic

even though this was my plan from the beginning i really wanted to not go through with it 😭 i wanted our favorite toxic couple to live on and have their family and then get cursed for all eternity but let them be happy for a few years 😭 (even though oc wouldn't have been happy knowing she killed taehyun and gyu wouldn't have been happy always worrying that she still loves taehyun)

thank you. i know a lot of people were surprised she actually did it when she kept saying she couldn't but i really tried to express how oc was going insane with the guilt and how she kept thinking that she had to kill gyu, she had to kill if she wanted to do the right thing, she had to kill him or she'll live in guilt her entire life, and eventually it got too much for her and she lost it when she saw tyun

yup even if gyu didn't kill her, she would've been executed (following the birth of her child) and there is no way tyun could've taken her back

beomgyu's last words are a summation of his character. they sound sweet and comforting but really they're just as possessive and manipulative as ever. she belongs to him even in death and he wasn't going to let her go.

[aimwigs]

based on the fact the last ask i sent was extremely fluffy and happy i need to send the horribly angsty thought that’s also been confusing me because i don’t know why i keep doing this to myself (anyways read house of the exorcism on ao3 <3). nick and z2 experience something horrific, maybe a deadly car crash or fire or something and they were the only witnesses. this puts a huge damper on the relationship, as there’s deeply complicated feelings of feeling lucky they survived and why did those innocent people die and we didn’t. slowly as they are both each forced to go back to normal life things start showing up. shadows that depict images of tragedy start showing up in nicks photos, horrified faces in z2’s paintings that would be impossible to create with the brush strokes they make. they’re both expressing the new wave of fear and anxiety way differently and to the concern of everyone around them. just the haunting of trauma and grief, is it real or is just the untreated ptsd? does the relationship survive, do they? i love seeing my favs miserable and tragic and i didn’t want to suffer alone with this thought ❤️❤️

okay first off omg i loooove house of exorcism like it's one of those fics i read and immediately linked to my friends ANYWAY

im not a particularly good horror writer so i can't contribute much but this is so interesting. it's like are you being haunted for real or by metaphorical ghosts. i actually had a close friend that witnessed a deadly car crash and hearing her talk about it alone gave me the chills. i love the concept of them exploring it through art, unintentionally, maybe almost obsessively, and not knowing if it's what they actually are creating or something more sinister... this is such a fascinating concept

[luvreyn]

My Manhwa List (2021) Part 6

Hi hi been a while! Hope you’re all okay so now onto the list ~

Your Majesty, Please Spare Me This Time

Source: https://www.tappytoon.com/en/comics/your-majesty

Description:

Following the emperor’s unjust massacre of her family and her own miserable death, Laliette Bellua wakes up to find that she is in the body of her 12-year-old self. She immediately sets her sights on a single goal: suck up to Emperor Rupert Edgar Laspe Vellelum and save her family. Laliette’s plan is foolproof, except for one tiny detail… In her present timeline, the future emperor is still masquerading as a princess named Rapertte! With only a single suitcase and some change in her pocket, she sets out for the capital to become the princess’s closest and most beloved attendant. Can Laliette prove her ability to keep a secret? And more importantly, will she be able to win the favor of the cruel and sadistic Rapertte?

THOUGHTS AND WHY YOU SHOULD READ

- mc is freaking adorable

- plot - 3.5/5

- art - 5/5

- she hates the ML sm omg like she often has thoughts of wanting to kill him and it’s so refreshing?? cause every fl in this type of story are like just scared so I love that she’s so scared but she also wants hurt him

- I know they’re gonna end up together but it’s nice to see her being so adamant and succeeding in hating him despite his sometimes humanity

- shookt at the revelations!!

- the ml... idk what to say about him but let’s hope he’ll freaking redeem himself

- conclusion: an okay read!

The Night When the Crow Caws

Source: https://www.tappytoon.com/en/comics/night-when-crow-caws

Description:

As the hottest actor in the action genre, the handsome and talented Woogang is always being chased by the women around him. But when a mysterious agent on a secret mission breaks into his home, he's the one who falls in love at first sight. Sadly, he has no clue who the beautiful stranger is... until she shows up at his workplace as Detective Park Taeyi to investigate a bomb threat. It turns out that she's no ordinary policewoman, but an elite member of the Secret Intelligence Agency who is after a criminal organization called "The Crows." Fate brings Woogang and Taeyi closer when the actor catches The Crows' attention and needs the agent's protection. Can Woogang break through Taeyi's cool exterior and win her heart as they face off against their dangerous enemies?

THOUGHTS AND WHY YOU SHOULD READ

- ml is kinda annoying tbh or idk maybe it’s just me

- badass female!!

- art = 4/5

- plot = ?/5 ‘cause I forgot lol

- I love the premise!!

- love at first sight? check!

- m y s t e r y

- action!!

- conclusion: an okay read

Saving the Villain from the Heroine

Description:

Sielle is an ordinary handmaid working for the Grand Duke Ferzei Yekarte. The thing is... she knows he's a villain of a story she read in her previous life on Earth. With her prescience, she managed to foil an assassination attempt on her master, only to be framed for the crime! Worse yet, when she drank the poisoned wine to prove her innocence, she turns into a little girl... And now the Grand Duke wants to ship her off to a notorious family of assassins? Will she manage to survive through all this, even if she knows how it will all end?

THOUGHTS AND WHY YOU SHOULD READ

- cute cute cute

- plot = 3.5/5

- art = 3/5

- the art is okay but the deadpan expressions ruins the story like it’s so fake

- the ml is prob one of the most extra ml ever lmao 

- found fam!!

- an okay and cute read

Answer Me, My Prince

Description:

Cordelia Grey, a 22-year-old novice editor with many aspirations visited an antique shop to receive the manuscript for the sequel to the fairy tale novel, "The Princess and the Knight." But she ends up exchanging letters with Prince Archie, a character from the fairy tale, using a book chest she obtained through a twist of fate. To Cordelia, holding a conversation with a novel protagonist is like something that only happens in fantasies. To Prince Archie, Cordelia's advice is desperately needed, since she knows the future of the his world. The two continue sending letters to each other, not realizing how the summer nights are slipping by...

THOUGHTS AND WHY YOU SHOULD READ

- omg I'm so shookt

- the plot is = 5/5 chefs kiss!

- art = 4/5

- it’s so interesting and I'm pleasantly surprise when I read it!!

- ml is so smooth 

- a lot of mystery and magic

- making its way to my fav list!

I Met the Male Lead in Prison

Description:

I met the male lead in prison.

Okay. I get that I transmigrated into an R-19 tragic romantic novel, but why is he like this?

“Arf! Arf! Arf! Grrrrrr…”

I can’t believe this guy is held by a curse that makes him act like a beast… And that’s not the end of it, because he then returns to normal for a moment.

“I-i-if you aren’t g-going to take responsibility for what you did to me, th-th-then don’t t-touch me!”

At any rate, I felt relieved that I probably wouldn’t have any sort of romantic interactions with this guy.

A year later…

“Th-th-the day I leave this place, please…m-meet up with me!”

Well, it wouldn’t be a big deal to meet him once. But then, when I was released from prison…

***

“Welcome back. My lovely younger sister.”

The day of my release, a man approached me. It turns out, I’m the villain’s sister.

“You must have suffered going to prison in my stead. I waited only for you.”

…F*ck. My brother is the male lead’s sworn enemy?

***

3 years later, I met the male lead again. He looked totally different than when I last saw him.

“It’s been a while, Iyana. I’m going to kidnap you now.”

THOUGHTS AND WHY YOU SHOULD READ

- I've been waiting for this since forever!!

- art = 6/5

- plot = 4/5

- ADORKABLE!!

- she’s so cool!! 

- the ml is so cute and I just want to pet him!

- 2nd ml (?) is so whipped I cannot lol

- the bro is the most interesting ‘cause I don't know him yet but he hot!!

- conclusion: a new fav!

[clever-and-unique-name]

Hi, Reki! What’re some of your favorite animes, story and style-wise? -💝

my fav animes tend to be kinda fantasy-ish with a romantic subplot (or main plot) and usually deal with some themes abt trauma

my favorite anime ever, n where my name is from, is called haibane renmei. its story and music are so so so good! but it's got some pretty heavy themes of depression n grief.

I rly like an anime/movie called hotarubi no mori e, or "into the forest of fireflies' light." it's only 44 minutes but it's a beautiful tragic story about a girl who got lost in a forest and met a half-spirit boy who can never touch humans. I won't spoil it but if you have an hour to spare I highly recommend it!!!

n on that note, "wolf children" is another good movie-anime abt a human n a wolf-man who fall in love and have kids together and try to make life work. it's also got that "happy sad" vibe going on (mmm seeing a bit of a trend here)

violet evergarden is my go-to anime if I want to cry every other episode. it's abt a child soldier who lost her arms in the war and is trying to deal with trauma and loss and her inability to understand (her own and others') emotions by writing letters for people.

the ancient magus bride is a rly good anime abt a girl named chise who grew up so miserable due to her ability to see magic creatures that she sold herself into an auction n was picked up by the inhuman mage elias to become his apprentice. chise learns to deal with her trauma n learns magic n how to settle into a home with her new family.

annnd last (bc this is getting long) is akagami no shirayukihime, or snow white with the red hair. about a small-town herbalist who meets a prince and slowly falls in love with him, all the while pursuing her dream of becoming a court herbalist. it's a good love story abt supporting each others' dreams and respecting each other!

- reki

[danhoemei]

[ID: Anonymous asked: Just wanted to know who your favorite “villains” (or antagonists) are in all of MXTX novels. Whether it’s a big bad/final boss like *censored* or more of a side character like Xue Yang. Whether you wanna do a ranking or just throw some names out in no particular order. /end ID]

Sorry anon for the screenshot, I wanted to avoid a major spoiler for one of the novels 😘 Even though this blog is not spoiler free I try to avoid at least the major or too direct ones.

That being said,

VERY MAJOR SPOILERS ALERT

for mdzs, tgcf and svsss.

Really don’t read if you don’t want to spoil yourself the whole novels.

Nie Huaisang

Goddaaaaaamn I was IMPRESSED by his level as the mastermind. He fooled me for over half a book, I started being suspicious just a few (10-odd?) chapters before the big reveal. I think cql has more obvious foreshadowing, from what I saw on some screenshots, but in the novel he was impeccable. Such a meticulously woven plan, executed perfectly and fooling everyone to the very end, even the most perceptive characters like wwx. Absolute fav from the antagonists (honestly weird to call him that but he pretty much is).

Meng Yao

I gave some thoughts on this character here. He deserved better ;-;

He Xuan

I liked him as ming yi, his grumpiness and done attitude, and very enjoyable dynamic with sqx (beefleaf 💚). Then the venerable of empty words arc absolutely destroyed me. It’s one of my fav arcs in tgcf actually. I experienced literal catharsis in the culmination scene with shi brothers, I was freaking gaping at the screen, then mumbling and tearing up, then key smashing to my friend who read the novel earlier. This whole arc was a wild ride, fascinating and with a lot of unexpected turns, constantly keeping me at my wits end and hungry for knowledge, while I gradually learnt about he xuan’s devastating story, shi wudu’s ruthless selfishness and sqx’s obliviousness. This whole story was really extreme and even though it was absolutely heart-wrenching, I was elated by the amount of emotions it dragged me through. I am regretful AF that he xuan couldn’t end it in a different way and am sad for beefleaf 💔 But still, I like him as a character and can’t really hold his choices against him. I dwell on wholesome AUs though xd

Shen Jiu

Also pretty much this (the same ask as linked for Meng Yao).

Jun Wu

Ngl, he was very annoying for me and I wished many times for him to leave xie lian tf alone xd But he grew on me at the end during his exchange with xie lian and mei nianqing, but especially as we learnt his background. So I ended up pretty much with mixed feelings towards him, annoyance for his present sorry self and softness for his past. I also like dwelling on what ifs and AUs here xd Not too much because, on an everyday basis, I don’t think about him at all, but whenever I see a fanart of junmei, I melt a bit xd

From the ‘smaller fries’:

Mobei Jun

Cold, emotionally stunted demon learning what care and love is thanks to his hamster’s influence 💙

Qi Rong

He was quite annoying and just a comic relief, but I grew to enjoy those comedic scenes with him, and especially his progressing father-son relationship with gu zi. There was development in this character, who was quite human and relatable in how he starved for recognition and attention, but still failed miserably and was always second (or worse). I agree with this post by @thisworldgodonlyknows​.

Sha Hualing

Wild, cheerful, chaotic lady ❤ I respect her and enjoyed her appearances (rather later in the book, first appearance was as an annoying, overconfident brat, but later we get to know her better and I love the friendship and banters between her, lbh, and mbj).

Tianlang Jun

Such a non-stereotypical demon for PIDW world, just wanted to indulge himself and experience the world, fell in love and wanted a happy life. Which got harshly destroyed ;-; I regret their tragic backstory, his and su xiyan, and wish they could have been happy together ;-; He was also very fun (a bit like pei ming), with his constantly shipping mind xD

[beneathashadytree]

I saw your song requests were open, so can I please have "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence for Bertholdt? S/o is a Warrior and shifter that's also part of the Paradis Island Operation. They're closest to Bertholdt because they understood that his duty as the Colossal Titan meant that he would be alone in life, yet tried to be his friend :') Over the years they slowly developed and pursued their feelings for each other, even though they knew it would end in tragedy with their short lives. Thank you ❤️

ARCADE - BERTHOLDT HOOVER X READER

Warnings : mentions of death, blood, gore in general, implied depression, reader is gender-neutral!

Genre : angst with tiny bits of fluff

Word count : 2.3K words (oops)

Additional notes : I absolutely ADORED writing this, you have no idea. Bertholdt is one of my fav characters, and this song fit perfectly, so I got a bit carried away hehe. Thank you for your request; I'd love to hear your feedback!

Synopsis : Was it all worth it? That was the question Bertholdt's lover would come to ask their own self. And the answer was always a miserable but firm yes.

Requests : Are open! Check the rules over here.

Want to support me financially? Here’s my CashApp!

Masterlist

With Reiner's mangled body to their left, and a haunting vacancy to their right, the tight grip on their heart seemed to almost squeeze it out of their chest. The place that should've been occupied by the man they'd spent so long wrapped up in his arms, was entirely empty, only replaced by the salty sea breeze. The relief that they should've felt on their return trip where they could've spent their final years together was instead a lingering feeling of sorrow and melancholy that burned through every inch of them.

Here they were, homebound and half of a whole. It was almost as though their thoughts were a barren wasteland; unable to process the fact that he was there no longer. No matter how hard their brain struggled with it, and no matter how hard they wished they could just blatantly deny it and live a false life of believing that he was fine, there was no escaping it---Bertholdt was long dead, and they were on a ship back to a home that would never feel like its name without him.

Wringing their hands in front of them, smiling at the cruelty of fate that they'd somehow miraculously survived with no more than a few scratches, they found that they couldn't find anyone else to blame aside from their own self. After all, who'd take a look at their 13-years-left lifespan and decide that it was the perfect time to fall in love with a person holding the same tragic fate? Idiocy had reigned king in their mind, and they were now paying the price for jumping headfirst into the destiny they had foolishly thought they could distract themselves from.

The inevitable was to come to pass, even if it had happened under entirely unprecedented circumstances and far earlier than it should have. Glancing at Zeke with his cigarette languidly held in his fingers near the ship's rail, they were painfully reminded of the smoke that had risen from Armin's transformation, when he'd just sent their world crashing down on her right before their horrified eyes.

They had to shoulder the blame for their own hurt. But try as they might, they couldn't bring their self to regret having loved him and been loved by him.

The choices for the new generation of Marleyan warriors weren't up to them. That had been entirely up to fate, and in the way things played out, they'd ended up being chosen, one amongst the lot of weary Eldian kids striving to clear their names and save their struggling families, and alongside them had been a shy and softspoken tall boy who seemed to have the heart of a kitten more than that of a lion.

Upon knowing that he was destined to inherit the colossal type, they'd felt a mix of horror and awe. Unbeknownst to them, the boy had felt the same jumble of emotions himself, and seemed to have shrunk inside his own shell even more, even though the bunch of kids had been a rather boisterous one (save for Leonhardt, who enjoyed loneliness and silence more than a child her age should have).

And seeing him like that, they couldn't bear the thought of leaving him alone to his devices, where a life of solitude surely awaited him for being a weapon of mass destruction. So, in a similar fashion to the way they would soon befriend 'island devils', they'd approached him with eyes shrouded in kindness and warmth. Like a calming spell had washed over him, the brunette, Bertholdt Hoover she'd learned his name was, tentatively accepted her advances, and allowed her to seek friendship in him.

Much to his best friend Reiner's chagrin, their conversations were full of shy glances and gentle smiles that spoke volumes louder than their words ever did. It was in Bertholdt's nature to remain passive and only speak up when spoken to, and the added intimidation caused by an overwhelming teenage crush did not help ease his nerves in the least. More often than not, the stout blond was forced to clap his taller friend on the back so he could stammer back a shy reply to the words his charming crush had spoken to him.

Little did he know that the budding feelings were mutual. In his sweet smile they found peace amidst the hellhole they'd been immersed in all of a sudden. His slightly-clammy hands had clutched theirs nervously when Marcel had been eliminated at the very start of their operation and left their small group a divided mess. Whenever the overwhelming feeling of anguish washed over them after the wall had collapsed, gentle green eyes had provided reassurance without even being aware of the power they held over them. During the sleepless nights that had them heaving over the magnitude of their betrayal to the people they were pretending to treat as family, a deft finger would brush back their hair like it was the most delicate thing he'd ever touched.

All that and so much more over the years slowly developed into an emotion whose name they knew but cursed their self for feeling at a time like this: young love. It seeped into their blood and had their heart pounding whenever his tall frame walked beside them, slightly protective and yet somehow still timid. Their hushed conversations soon began lapsing in silence, heavy blush dusting both of their cheeks whenever they'd accidentally brush against each other's bodies. Unblinking eyes would grow wide and they'd stumble over their words, before an annoyed Reiner would tell them to 'stop being so dense and make the best of their time left', which would then leave them with a dreaded cloud hanging over their heads.

Because, at the end of the day, there wasn't much time left to spend. Their lives were expendable. Annie knew that the most, and she'd decided she would bide her time in safety; a smart move on her part. But for them? They didn't have much of a choice but to carry out their orders as best as they could, lest their lives come to an end far too soon. And being in such close quarters with Bertholdt for the rest of their lives was equal parts a sobstory and a fairytale.

Knowing damn well that they couldn't afford to waste any time, and knowing damn well that with the way things were progressing it wouldn't take long before things would go downhill, they had the sudden epiphany that it was now or never. With their heart on their sleeve, they decided to confess their feelings so they could---at the very least---rest easily.

"Bertholdt, I think I've fallen for you."

The silence in front of the bonfire had been deafening, and that was something they'd expected, but they certainly hadn't foreseen the unshed tears that made his beautiful eyes sparkle.

Voice thick with sadness, he had apologized. And without him having to elaborate, they knew what he was apologizing for---for the fact that they had to fall in love at a time like this.

But they were delighted to hear that he felt the same. He did tell them that he reciprocated their feelings, so that was a reassurance that would, for the moment, keep their worries at bay.

And so, just like that, the newly appointed cadets found out that there was a new couple amongst them when they woke up to find a small body slumped against tall figure and cuddled under the same wool blanket.

The following years were spent with entwined hands, rapidly beating hearts, and stolen kisses whenever people's eyes weren't on them (and they had a knack for finding the best and most secluded spots, seeing as they weren't exactly the most conspicuous two people, even if Bertholdt's height sometimes brought them unnecessary attention). And Reiner was undoubtedly a fine friend and wingman, often playing the part and distracting others with his genial nature so that curious eyes would leave the shy couple and trail back to him.

"I got you something," soon became a phrase they awaited from their boyfriend, as it was often followed by a simple albeit thoughtful gift. A small bunch of wildflowers, perhaps, or a book that they'd expressed interest in, maybe even a rare pastry he found while strolling the town on return from a mission---whatever it was he handed over with a bashful gaze, it was always a gesture they truly appreciated, knowing that he was truly a gentle giant.

In the false haven they'd created between themselves, they seemed to have forgotten that their mission was a suicide mission, one that had grown even more dangerous as the years passed and their pre-written fate was about to pull their happiness from underneath their unexpecting feet.

It didn't come as a surprise for them that they would, eventually, have to expose of their true natures; to show their betrayal like a theater play for every one of their 'friends' to see. But what did come as a surprise---and a confusing one at that---was Bertholdt's adamant refusal to let them reveal their true colors alongside him and Reiner after Annie's capture.

"But why?" they'd whisper-yelled at him one night, anger coursing through their veins when he'd even refused to look them in the eyes and even picked at his shirt.

"Because I don't want you to become their enemy!" he'd choked out, gritting his teeth as his heart had clenched in his chest.

They'd stilled in his arms, looking at him and asking incredulously, "But you'd rather you and Reiner take the brunt of it?"

He nodded firmly, an air of sureness and confidence that they'd never sense before surrounding him.

"If it means keeping you safe and happy, then yes."

They'd argued back, "I was trained too. And if push comes to shove, you'd keep me safe."

His grip on them tightened, "I might not live. If that happens, I don't want the two of us to die without the chance to go home. Keeping your identity a secret means that Zeke could save you without arising suspicion. They'll think he took you because you wanted to mourn over me."

"Don't," their sobs had permeated the quiet night air, "Let's not talk about this when I sneaked around Captain Levi to hold you like this."

He'd given them a lop-sided smile, before kissing their temple and squeezing them once more for good measure, "I know you don't want to, but please. Listen to me. I'm doing this because I'm in love with you and I don't want your safety to be compromised."

With tears in their eyes, they'd begrudgingly nodded their head in agreement, "Alright. I love you, and I don't want you to worry either."

Little did they know, that his words would prove to be true and would spell out the future that was soon to happen. With anguish in their expression, months later, they'd watched Armin's teeth snap her already-limbless lover into an unrecognizable mess of flesh and bones, his blood splattering on their dirtied clothes and ODM gear even from the precautionary distance they'd taken. Mouth agape in a silent scream, they stood rooted to the spot as the horrifying scene had played before their eyes.

They hadn't had the time to process it. Their lives spent together had been supressed into a reel that played in their mind so fast, just like one of the films they'd inspected with wonder in their eyes so long ago in their pre-teen years. He'd always been incredibly intuitive, but they'd wished desperately that he hadn't been so right about this.

Body growing numb as a stinging pain had taken over them, everything had faded into the background as the sight of their loving boyfriend and companion being devoured took over every nook and cranny of their mind. Hell; they had no recollections of being rescued by Pieck and Zeke, nor did they know how they wound up on the ship back home.

The only thing they were sure of was that they wished that they hadn't made it out alive---at least, not alone. Living was a bland thing; an extra effort they couldn't exert when it was done without Bertholdt.

A small hand placed itself on their hunched shoulder as their empty eyes gazed at sea. Without even looking up, they knew that the only one that could possibly be offering a semblance of comfort would be the ever-so-gentle Pieck. Wordlessly, she sat down to her right, folding her legs underneath her as her hand fell to clutch at their trembling ones. For a while, they sat in silence, only interrupted by the occasional screeching birds and the crashing waves against the massive hull.

"We knew this would happen," they swallowed thickly, surprising Pieck a little to see them be the one to initiate talking, "Bertholdt and I. We thought it would hurt less if we accepted our misfortune. And yet," they began to choke on their words as tears began to well up in their eyes, "I still feel like my heart is being wrenched out of my chest."

With only their sniffles keeping them company, Pieck sympathetically held them into her chest. She didn't speak. She couldn't and wouldn't dare to. After all, what good would her words do, when her old friend had just realized that loving him was a losing game from the very start?

Taglist: @blondeboyfriend

[cruncylotusroot]

@shinidamachu @splendentgoddess Reading second time and now at the chapter Kikyo final death. I have a little better understanding compare to the first time I read and watch this anime / manga few months back. Kagome is my fav character in the series so this comment may a little bias.

The whole ordeal and disaster was begin from Kikyo - she started it subconsciously.

She known as kind, caring and considerate woman. There are so little material to know how Kikyo pre-dead. I think she also deeply flawed - she is arrogant and shows hubris throughout the series.

As jewel protector she would know the background and history of it (I assume). Chapter 94 was explain on the birth of the Shikon no tama, where there was a man who secretly love Midoriko and the yaokai took advantage of the man’s weakness and possessed him. Yet she still taking care Onigumo and lead to the birth of Naraku. So Kikyo was the very reason why there’s Naraku at all. I do not know why she taking care wanted criminal Onigumo - there could be few reason, here is the theory:

1. It merely fate - the Jewel orchestrated the whole thing to keep the cycle

2. Because of her pride and she wanted to be the one who make his life all better as she is well known miko of the land. Similar statement she made for Inuyasha

3. Because she is lonely and she forgotten on the Jewel history.

4. She is naturally kind hearted person. However if this is indeed the true reason why did she not tell Inuyasha about it - the man she was dating? Sounds fishy to me.

Kikyo is not evil, she just tragic character. Because all the people she met worshiping the ground she walked on, she can’t have normal conversations with other that make her feel less human and lonely. If she has met someone who would talk to her like equal she may less lonely and will embrace her duty to guard the jewel instead of trying to run away from it.

Throughout the series keep mentioning that Kikyo is the first person who willing to talk and kind to Inuyasha. This goes both ways, Inuyasha is also the first person that talk as an equal with Kikyo. And both mistaken that as a form of love (I will not call that love - as it will take a lot more than that). If Kikyo were to meet other man who did not know her background and talk to her like equal, Kikyo May fall for that man too. Because how lonely she is and longing to have “normal” life thus she try to find any possible way to achieve that.

I have also been wondering why Kagome get stronger while Kikyo weakened when they are in love? Personally I don’t think that is curse, Kikyo want to stop fighting and have normal live, whereas Kagome wanted to protect the person she care and love. Kikyo lack motivation she no longer willing to fight that’s why she weakened.

So, was Kikyo truly in love with Inuyasha? Very hard to say, I can’t find enough proof that she completely in love with Inuyasha pre-resurrection. I don’t think her relationship with Inuyasha was deep at all, she states this herself eps 23 "The love you speak of is but a shallow emotion which only served to deepen the hatred". I think they were in love with their potential and any remnants of their relationship are sustained by grief.

However I also notice that she did grow her feeling for him post-resurrection after she witness the goodness in him as Kagome change him to the better. But the sad thing is that even after her second chance she still know so little about Inuyasha until the day she died again. She still did not know the sacrifice she was asking Inuyasha to give up when she proposed to turn him human.

Post resurrection she is more arrogant and shows hubris, she knew how Naraku was born yet she gives Naraku the jewel shards she stole from Kagome and thinking she would be the only one could defeat him because he has onigumo’s heart and this screws over everyone. She miscalculated big time - Naraku is strategist he is very good at it and every time he is miles ahead Kikyo that’s why she failed miserably. I got the point that she want the jewel to be complete faster but giving it to Naraku was wrong move. I was wondering initially why she did not take the jewel from Naraku and give to Kagome instead as she have half of it? Kikyo will never do that because of her hubris and thinking she will be the only one can do the job. There could also possibility that the jewel influenced Kikyo to make Naraku stronger without she notice it, as Naraku is the candidate to replace Magatsuhi. She missed one thing - this time is no longer her fight - her time has expired, it was Kagome’s.

This analysis by @inuyashaographer is very comprehensive on the problem with Kikyo’s plan

[wolfsneedles]

My Re-read of a storm of swords and i just cant get over how interesting it as book with iconic lines and carefully crafted dialogues and some miserable important deaths of some of my fav characters. Like this book, is really the iphone of asoiaf lol. A fine wine. Arbor gold. It starts from same events left incomplete in clash of kings but only that now every person meets their consequences and disastrous results of wrong moves & mistakes end so perfectly and painfuly in conclusive way. A feast for crows obviously focuses more on king's landing events and some of the riverlands with brienne and jaime. Might say it isn't my fav book yet since im reading it too apart from some breathtaking prophecies and aemon declaring how prince that was promised could be --> dany

However, ASOS is best best book ever. So much mess and bittersweet endings.

You see catelyn, robb and riverlands arc ending in the most tragic way as result of all small excusable mistakes to the reader that piled up and finally execution of red wedding with bangs and drums, not to mention this event was so catatonic and an irreversible tragedy that almost all characters had visions and dreams of it (patchface, Ghost of high heart, theon, daenerys, jon perhaps later) knowing half of these characters never met the victims of the red wedding.

This event also meant - northern power of houses and faith of independence and somewhat retribution they deserved or wish they had is thwarted now and almost all of them die there esp strength of dustin, manderlys along with boltons betraying them and roose coming out as an iconic cold hearted brute and villain somewhat.

This book also shows how stark sisters had their paths turned after the tiring chasing and running away like arya through war torn lands and sansa finally fleeing KL to Vale with littlefinger - in a way a complete revival again of her and arya embarking on to braavos with an entirely different name now and somewhat purpose we dont know yet also ends her arc of sadness and despair she felt when chasing and running towards her lady mother and robb at the twins. kind of tragic tbh more for her how she saw or heard almost every death of a stark. near to her or family, she saw horror unfolding in front of her eyes.

You have lannisters coming off as victorious ( not really then...) since tywin and tyrion's last scene is iconic. Its like how the might of house lannister which in case tywin refers to himself is broken on a freaking privy - somewhat bittersweet ending since we know cersei and jaime are already not so in a good mental state to make up for heir of casterly rock - and then we have tyrion fleeing too again, once more, finally, to essos as we know. This ending of his arc in KL is also imp since he entered this city like tywin as hand of the king and is leaving like a prisoner. Idk seems perfect to me how he runs and tywin who came as hand of king replacing his son, now goes back in ehh coffin...glory indeed.

You have bran and rickon already parting in ACOK, BUT now the most importent part of brans journey also begins somehow. and therefore him abandoning winterfell and that side of north for further journey is too sad for me too in a lot of ways. His connection to his own home as the last stark who was residing there has ended too (prob bloodraven has more action for my boy i hope).

You have Lysa Tully in the Vale before sansa arrived there with baelish, and she also ultimately gets too much of frightening end in same castles and doors she never opened for anyone - even refusing to help her sister during war because now i wonder had the vale signed for stark side, how different circumstances would be but then tywin wanted to play rains of castamere so bad (i hate him sorry)

Jaime and Brienne still were busy in their road ventures and romantic comedy but him arriving as cripple and maimed to KL, is again of uttermost importance since he in his thoughts lose a lot of confidence in himself now not really making him a perfect candidate for so many things,,, again he has to sort out some issues with his big of bully sister and not-so-accommodating power hungry deluded father but he chose to argue and decline offer for heir of rock and also confessed his utter disregard for poor kids he have, joffrey especially. Idk im so confused what this golden lion & a trained chivalrous warrior is onto since jaime's chapter is like a realistic slap on your face & we see his POV in ASOS only and then he just goes thru huuuge turmoil lol. (not good day or year for him tbh)

Lastly we have daenerys who then vows to settle in mereen making it evident in way how she isn't obsessed with utter power and throne of her ancestors as some ppl speculate, ofc she appears in ADWD again but her freeing slaves and singing dracarys is my another fav momet of ASOS, since dany is really not a frightened confused child she was, she is getting hold of things in realistic way too, and meets barristan, gets to know abt their betrayals, basically gets Unsullied, idk a major iconic moment if u see in contrast to how everyone is losing war now in westeros and wo5k is coming to kind of an end, with balon dying, robb and joff dead, and stannis...(well he is another spiritual case) going to the wall, we see how horrifying brutal war did come to an end in ASOS in the end eventually with tywin also dying. So dany getting an army of unsullied opposed to all other armies kind of dissolving in westeros is quite a distinction. ( bonus points she is young and woman and alone and has 3 dragon )

On the Wall - jon plays and practiced swords with emmett and then struck by memory of him and robb playing & above all how he wants to be lord of winterfell. In the end Jon Snow wins the vote in a landslide victory and is named the 998th Lord Commander. His entire journey from start of ASOS was with ygritte and Wildlings and then finally giving up on mance and returning to Wall with no expectations of him being commander after having spent moments alone and with wildlings and others with him just a ranger.

Realising in the end now, how storm of swords puts people in power like jon and dany and others like boltons and freys in north & riverlands, at the same time starks and lannisters are in way battered and struck by at a time tragedies. Half of people who were away from their families unite or return back like jaime while other half return somewhere more far (arya sansa at vale and braavos with bran more far from winterfell, rickon too), most of the 5 kings are dead too. Also aftermath of war at end of ASOS and AFFC also describes perfectly the attitude and responses of smallfolk towards whoever results in being the king of no concern to them. Most of the small roads and inns were damaged and plundered with woman and children killed or raped and men usually dead too. When we see arya or jaime and brienne usually, we read their POVs, we also see the wrenching elements of war too and how main message could also be that lords play their game of thrones but peasants suffer dreadfully more, we also see how smallfolks have no trust or loyalties towards any house or liege lord. They usually refer to starks and lannister conflict as 'wolves came...or lions did this'. Major point i noticed.

not to mention again, in essos and on the wall 2 different realities and places that mid westeros, we see dany and jon and their ingrown different experiences and attitudes towards smallfolks. freeing of slaves and getting some loyalties tied to you, while living with wildlings and seeing how they rule and eat and sleep like a commoner is so important. The Wall also gives meaning to how real breathing humans are segregated from westeros and other houses as result of prejudice and inborn enmities. The slaves in chains indicate how their little lives in Yunkai is not of importance when they are...utterly children. some of them.

ASOS has major shifting thoughts and stories tbh. Its like gospel of asoiaf for me.

[markantonys]

I might be super controversial but I preferred the first season of Medici over the others...especially because I was dying to know who killed the old guy and because contessina and cosimo were such a realistic couple

i don't think that's an unpopular opinion at all! on the contrary, from what i've seen on the wider internet the first season is vastly more popular (in large part bc s2-3 came out so long after s1 and netflix didn't do shit to promote them, so a ton of people who watched and enjoyed s1 never even heard that there were more seasons) and it's really only the small pocket of more fandom-y sites (esp. tumblr and ao3) who like s2 the best, probably bc s2 just has that Fandom Appeal u know (young and pretty actors, homoerotic rivalries, hot angsty tragic bad boy with rockin eyeliner, etc. yes i know these are my own favorite aspects of s2, yes i'm calling myself out hjkfg)

although s2 is my fav i totally agree that cosimo and contessina were the best-written (or dare i say, the ONLY well-written) of the main couples. none of the romantic relationships in the other seasons were done well, the ones that got the most screentime (lorenzo/clarice and giuliano/simonetta) were horribly written and the ones that were compelling got no screentime (bianca/guglielmo, francesco/novella, lorenzo/ippolita, to some extent lorenzo/lucrezia - they did get a pretty good amount of screentime and have a few nice moments post-breakup (i'm particularly soft for their bittersweet interactions in s3) but for the most part their relationship was treated with no respect whatsoever by the writers as soon as clarice came onto the scene)

cosimo and contessina though, they were IT they avoided both the tired historical fiction arranged marriage tropes of either "they fall in love for real and live happily ever after" or "they absolutely despise each other for all eternity and are miserable" like there was miscommunication, there was conflict, there was resentment and anger, but there was also love and trust and respect. i'm obsessed with the "we've been married 20 years and deeply love each other but still don't know how to say it to the other person/think they don't feel the same way" dynamic (lorenzo and clarice's "mild awkwardness for 2 weeks of marriage before falling in instant love and trying to make us think this counts as a slowburn" dynamic could never!) and how they make such a kickass team and are a true Power Couple politically and bank-wise even when their personal feelings for each other are a mess. while i liked the bigger cast of characters and number of relationship dynamics in s2 bc i'm generally a fan of ensemble shows with multiple POVs/plotlines, s1 definitely benefited from being able to go more in depth with its fewer characters and relationships.

[willowrosenboob]

My theory isn't that serious I just thought like you that preferring bangel (and some of the other ships that I always thought followed that sort of writing style and dynamic) had more to do with morality for them and readily accepting anything the narrative would throw at them (like still clinging onto this weird outdated belief that Buffy will only ever truly love Angel and vice versa despite the fact that both of them continued to live their lives separate from one another and found other friends/families). Tied to this is also the fact that a lot of these similar ships were more "told" than shown to us, like how Bangel are this very 'tragic one kind of love' that outside of that didn't have anything else going for it. It's similar to what I've seen from some of these other ships they prefer where the narrative really wants us to believe in them or like them but doesn't try to extend scenes for them where what it tries to say is obvious for them, or at least what shippers want to make others believe about it. Obviously I don't take any of it seriously I mean it's a fictional ship and people can like w/e they want to, but at times some of these shippers take it way too seriously and even consider not shipping or shipping what they like as some sort of morality test like it's not fictional and people can like something without excusing anything about it. It's why whenever I do see people be like into some of these ships I'm like 👀👀👀 oh so its like that for y'all

honestly I agree with this a lot. don’t take this as me insulting the intelligence of bangel shippers, there are lots of reasons people ship them that I haven’t mentioned, but there are some specific bangel arguments that tend to get thrown around without much evidence.

their love can overcome anything, but angel still left in s3. buffy will always choose angel, but in chosen she chooses spike and tells angel to leave. they’re soulmates but they’re barely even friends, and they hardly know each other, especially in the later seasons. and there’s a big section of shippers who take these statements as self evident, and don’t really try to justify them. I’ve read lots of meta on their relationship, and I still don’t really believe in their love story all the way. a lot of fan interpretations of their relationship are very in line with canon, and often when people criticize the relationship they’re thought of as blind spuffy shippers who wouldn’t have any reason to dislike the relationship if it weren’t for their problematic fav. I think there’s much more nuance to this argument than people give it credit for

imo the best part of their relationship is how it affected the overall story. I loved the angelus arc, and seeing buffy cope with the death of this romantic ideal, but I never felt like the dynamic itself was that deep, or meant to last. there are so many times when angel just doesn’t understand buffy (like in when she was bad, and I’ve seen lots of people argue against this, but I just think that angel didn’t understand her trauma, and was selfishly jealous of her and xander), as well as a lot of times where they clearly make each other miserable. I think their relationship works the best for me as a thematic stand in. I don’t really believe that they fell in love so quickly and so deeply, but I do believe what buffy felt, and I empathize with how she struggles with putting her duty before her feelings. I have complicated feelings on bangel, but I actually got another ask about this, so I’ll try to go more in depth there.

also I should clarify what I meant in my last response. by morality, I didn’t mean the morality of the shipper (i think that plays a more minor role), i meant morality as one of the key themes of their relationship. that’s why it’s more important that angel gets a redemption arc, especially when compared to spike.

[yukipri]

Stolen from @cravencur​ !

1. Slowburn or Love at First Sight

I unfortunately don’t trust Love at First Sight at ALL, slow burn and platonic love to gradual romantic love plz <3

2. Fake Dating or Secretly Dating

I’mma go with Fake, bc the assumption is that they don’t mean to be in a romantic relationship at all, but slowly develop the feels after getting to know each other, which is basically the answer above. I’m sure there are contexts where I could enjoy Secretly Dating, but I tend to be wary of secrecy/hiding things from others in their lives ^ ^;

3. Enemies to Lovers or Best Friends to Lovers

Honestly love both, but I guess in the case of Enemies to Lovers, I see Friend being a necessary middle step in between? Hence Best Friend. Friendship to me is a MUST in ships I enjoy!

4. “Oh no, there’s Only One Bed,” or Long Distance Correspondence

YEP haha! Long Distance angst can be nice too but ehhhhhh

5. Hurt/Comfort or Amnesia

I love it. And if I like amnesia sometimes, it’s bc of the former, SO

6. Fantasy AU or Modern AU

In cases of non-modern fandoms (like OP), i do like me a good modern AU too, but there’s so much fun in fantasy! Fancy outfits, world building where I get to choose my rules, you name it ;D

7. Mutual Pining or Domestic Bliss

Honestly both. I like when the latter is a result of the former, and as a creator, sometimes I just want to draw the latter but only under the premise that they went through the former if that makes sense?

8. Smut or Fluff

At least when I create, tho only I’ll go for both and yes, best when combined ^ ^

9. Canon-Compliant/Missing Scenes or Fix-It

Canon-compliant is great, but wanting to imagine a different route from canon is a huge motivator for me as a creator

10. Alternate Universe or Future Fic

Gonna go with Future for this one bc I LOVE imagining how the charas grow based on what we know of them in canon, and my endgames always need a future HC. BUT I also like throwing in AU elements, and AUs are awesome by themselves too!

11. One Shot or Multichapter

I wish to learn to make more satisfying one shots instead of massive continuous stories I have no hope of finishing >.<;

12. Kid Fic or Roadtrip Fic

Ngl I love my OC love babies LMAO

13. Reincarnation or Character Death

A bit tricky, because usually I like reincarnation stories IF the characters died a miserable tragic death in canon and it’s like a second chance. BUT that’s not the only ways I “enjoy” character death, because I like ghost/coming back to life stories too? So I guess it’s not so much character death that I enjoy, but I like the angst and potential for hurt/comfort and character growth that comes from it, even if in my own stories I always add a way for them to overcome that ^ ^; Hey, it’s fiction, I’m allowed to indulge myself!

14. Arranged Marriage or Accidental Marriage

Mmm I can see either of them appealing (esp if it’s in a fake dating-esque, let’s slowly develop feels type setting), but neither are tropes that immediately jump out at me!

15. High School Romance or Middle-Aged Romance

I guess I prefer Middle-Aged bc in the case of slow built, it gives them more time together, and it’s easier to imagine a future afterwards? Or maybe I’m just getting old ^ ^;

16. Time Travel or Isolated Together

Time Travel can be awesome esp for fix-its, but as a trope in general, yessss isolated together haha!

17. Neighbors or Roommates

Rooooommatesss!!!! The appeal of neighbors is that they’re like, slightly more far away roommates anyway ^ ^;

18. Sci Fi AU or Magic AU

Magic! Much broader application I feel, modern/historical/fantasy settings all possible! I tend to like magical aesthetic better too, tho i do love me some star wars haha

19. Bodyswap or Genderbend

Especially from a visual art perspective, I just find designing genderbend costumes to be really fun! And it gives me a chance to draw more feminine bodies when most of my fav charas tend to be male ^ ^;

20. Angst or Crack

Both, tho I feel like I tend to create more crack ^ ^; My angst needs hurt/comfort and eventual happy ending and that’s more effort than just something silly lol

21. Apocalyptic or Mundane

Honestly if there’s a good apocalyptic story I’m all for it, and I love Mad Max aesthetic so defs not saying no! But mundane and enjoying the simple things is lovely <3

Not tagging anyone in particular, but just as I did, please feel free to steal if you’re at all inclined! ^ ^