#this arc was great 10/10 for emotional damage

[moonlight-blue-rose]

I'm finally finishing the 1863rd arc yayyyy

Ch 299

1863rd hsy will stay to lead them ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡)

Also the Fourth Wall is working so hard, trying to keep kdj’s panic attack at bay. He still can’t believe what happened… ;-;

Unavoidable… I wonder was Gabriel trying to protect something or someone. A person who cares about the other angels… choosing the lesser of two evils seems like something they would do

I can’t help but adore the way he cares for Uriel… He wants to help her. She helped him so much and showed great care and love. Kim Dokja just wants to do the same for her awwwww

Jophiel staying is something I never expected. But Gabriel saying that kdj & yjh remind them of their own companionship with Uriel… Both of them need each other, I see…

Ohhhh I’ve seen this quote before! Can’t believe it’s from this arc. No matter the choice, the end is inevitable… Whether you want it or not, the world keeps going ahhhhhhhhhhh Such a good quoteeeeee

*cries* he wrote down the information they could useeeeeeee

And hsy unsure whether she could accept this… It’s no longer the world kdj knew. They aren’t his companions. Yoo Joonghyuk is no longer there. Yet, he still cares so much ;-;

SHE GAVE HIM HER COATTTTTTTTTTT

Giving your coat to someone else is a love language

Doksoo nation, we are winningggggggggg

This is so cute ahhhhhhh, what the fuck, Kim Dokja has no right to say something like that, this stupid rat *shakes my fist at him* So cuteeee ahhhhh

Just the fact that you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist…. Awww man, these paragraphs make me feel things ;-;

Hold on a minute, this is ominous as all heck! You can’t drop something like this and disappear! Every story has a beginning and will one day have some kind of end. Even if it’s left unfinished, this too, will be an ending. What kind of story can exist without these things?

Ch 300

Because it was a choice only someone who loves the story with his whole heart could make. Because, even if no one could understand, there were things he wanted to protect. Things he couldn’t sacrifice for the end or for his own gain. Because there is love, and it may not be enough to change the way that story was supposed to end, but it was there. It was enough ;-;

*crying noises*

Oh you little bitch-

I have a feeling that Kim Dokja’s own belief for his story will play a role in this as well ahhhhh

Where-or when- was Kim Dokja thrown????

Ahh immediately meeting someone newTM and kdj just giving us crumbs to their identity. Such a kdj move

Lmaooo poor Kim Dokja, being embarrassed to say his modifier. Don’t worry, sweetie, your modifier is lovely

Ah, yes. Finally – the infamous Squidja lmaooo

The 1863rd arc was lovely, despite all the p a i n. I will be sure to reread it in one go in the future. But for now, let’s see what orv has in store!

[le-trash-prince]

Dean & Kenta

So I am obsessed with the parallels between these two scenes in Episode 10, and I’d like to break it down a bit.

Here we have two characters who have failed their father figures due to their involvement with Charlie's accident. These conversations both begin with physical blows.

Both Kenta and Dean deny that they intended for Charlie to die.

Tony tells Kenta not to bother coming back if he messes up again (I interpret this as a veiled death threat—does Tony ever let people just walk away?). And Alan asks North to call the police on Dean. Both Kenta and Dean are each facing exile from their families.

There is, however, a contrast in the setting for these conversations. Tony and Kenta are at Tony's house, which we know is full of people. They are even out in the open, rather than in Tony's office. But they are completely isolated, as is the standard for this home. They are standing on a black walkway with a black doorway behind them.

Alan and Dean, on the other hand, are surrounded by the X-Hunter team, by people who are directly affected by what is happening. Even though it is just the two of them talking to each other, North is literally right there with them. They are standing in a beam of light with a bright window behind them.

I think there is a lot to be said about the connection these scenes draw between Tony and Alan, although I'm not equipped to comment on parenting styles (I welcome any input). But I don't think any other part of the series has drawn such a clear comparison between these two and the roles they are trying to fill. Their emotional reactions speak a lot to the difference in their character. While both are angry, Tony is filled with entitlement—his finances have been damaged by Charlie’s, while Alan is filled with grief—his family has been broken.

One thing I’d also like to highlight is Alan’s constant use of the word “family” towards his employees throughout the entire show (I know this can be problematic irl sometimes, but it’s quite apparent here that Alan really thought of them as his family), while that word seems to be entirely missing from Tony’s vocabulary, even though these people are legally his children. X-Hunter is Alan’s family, while the Chen Foundation orphans are Tony’s property.

Family is a recurring theme in Pit Babe (insert Fast & Furious reference here), and these scenes do a great job of showing contrasting perspectives on family. "Family is not everyone's safe zone." Family can hurt, family can heal, and family can fail you.

In the end, as seen below, Tony quite literally throws Kenta away from him, while Alan lets Dean slip from his embrace.

Kenta ends the scene framed almost completely by black, but his face is bathed in light, and he is standing upright, while Dean is the opposite; he is on his knees, bracketed by light, his face entirely in shadow.

I also find it interesting how much this dialogue of Dean's feels like it could have come directly from Kenta himself.

To me, Kenta and Dean are on very similar trajectories, but moving in opposite directions. They have both been background characters, observers in someone else's story, and they're both unhappy with where they are.

Dean was revealed in his scene to be a traitor to his people, and I think Kenta’s scene is showing us that he is in the same position—without coming out and saying it directly. In my opinion, it’s some very nice visual storytelling that’s doing a great job of building up what is coming for Kenta’s arc.

[burst-of-iridescent]

atla live action thoughts: episodes 3 & 4

SPOILERS AHEAD

tw: opinions

things i liked:

jet, you beautiful, beautiful man. had me twirling my hair and kicking my feet fr i NEED this show to get a season 2 just so i can see more of him in the ba sing se arc please netflix

but looks aside, sebastian amoruso DELIVERED on the performance. the softness, the vulnerability, the charm, the intelligence, yet also the ruthlessness beneath it all? KILLED IT.

the moment between him and katara where he tells her to remember her mother as she was alive and not just her death was absolutely lovely. “remember the sunrise” made me very emotional

on that note, can’t believe jetara fake marriage is canon now lmao

i am SO here for desi omashu. i love the vibe and aesthetic of the city and again the visuals are STUNNING. live action repping the south asians better than the original ever did i’ll be honest

shameless fan service but “MY CABBAGES” being so fucking dramatic had me dying

of all the things i expected from the atla live action, secret tunnel and omashu being lesbians wasn’t even on the list but i’m not mad. hilarious that they turned the cave of two lovers into the cave of two platonic siblings though

jet, omashu and northern air temple arcs actually meshed together better than i thought. the NAT episode never sat well with me in the original so i’m glad they moved them to omashu instead.

the freedom fighters were RIGHT OUT OF THE ANIMATION. casting directors absolutely killed

love that they showed resistance movements within the fire nation and azula being part of rooting them out. it’s a nice nod to the deserter, since i’m guessing they’re not including that episode

really glad to see that the atla live action is following the tradition of having weirdly unnecessary zutara crumbs in every iteration of the story because what in the om shanti om was that zutara scarf moment. 10/10 no notes

having one of the earthbenders transporting iroh be angry over losing a loved one because of iroh’s siege of ba sing se was a really great change. i’ve always thought the original glossed over the true extent of the damage iroh did, so having him come face to face with what he’d done in the past was a great way to add some complexity

“how dare you beat up that child!” everyone go home seeing zuko being beat up by a random old lady is the highlight of this series. really love that they were just running around throwing things at each other that was major book 1 zuko/aang fight energy lmao

SECRET TUNNELLLLLLLL

leaves from the vine instrumental was 100% to inflict emotional damage and it fucking worked. the scene between zuko and iroh at lu ten’s funeral was so beautiful & then to have it flipped around at the end when iroh says “everything i need is on this boat”… fuck you for this netflix i didn’t need these tears today

things i disliked/am conflicted about:

not a fan of what they’re doing with katara’s character. they’re toning down a lot of her rage and fierceness, and boiling her down to “trauma over mother’s death.” in the original katara didn’t freeze jet and splash water at him because he tried to fight her, she did it because she was hurt and pissed off! there’s no way animated katara would’ve just run away from jet without sending a water whip at his face first. i’m concerned for how the pakku fight is gonna go tbh

bumi my guy, what did they do to you 💀 this series seems hellbent on having everyone remind aang that he ran away which doesn’t work when a) you already changed aang actively running away to him just going off for a break and b) you’ve made that point! the original omashu episode was about bumi teaching aang to look at the world differently, here it just weirdly feels as though he’s punishing aang by venting all his anger and despair on him?? that’s NOT what animated bumi was like & they didn’t even have the two of them go sliding down the delivery system in the flashbacks so adding it in at the end felt very out of nowhere. they didn’t even genuinely seem to be FRIENDS

having aang immediately figure out it was bumi was… sigh. can we please not do the thing where characters already know everything it’s giving me trauma flashbacks to the percy jackson show

jet’s plan feels more reasonable here than it did in the original. i get they’re trying to show that he didn’t care about the collateral damage to innocent people and that’s bad, but idk him wiping out an entire town unilaterally felt more extreme than a few bombings.

heavily dislike what they’ve done with zhao. i know they’re trying to show him clawing his way to power but that’s more of a long feng move than a ZHAO move. it’s important that zhao always holds more power than zuko and that he has an overinflated sense of ego from the start for him to fulfil his narrative purpose of serving as a warning to zuko of what he might become.

i like seeing mailee but why are they in this show? it feels as though they’re cardboard cutouts there for fan service instead of being actual characters

overall i liked these episodes better than the previous two & i do enjoy how action-packed and visually pleasing the show has been so far.

overall rating: 8/10 for episode 3, 7/10 for episode 4

[fountainpenguin]

Zombiewood, my beloved...

Man... thinking about how much I love Double Life Martyn & his interactions with Cleo again. There is... so much silliness going on there. Legit, they can barely hold a conversation without giggling. And the drama... Just existing together under the drama umbrella makes them fantastic story material. 10/10 soulmate pair.

Martyn's terrible game show flop. Devastating. Him getting in a fistfight with Cleo at the end of it. That little fast-paced vent he does while ranting to Jimmy about how Cleo is really into building bridges with Scott but not him, which pitches up into a scream. I love how 'into character' he gets there; it's so good...

The entire hilarity of Martyn building a giant heart in front of Cleo in an attempt to win her back, which she loathes and ignores while he spends the series fighting with the HOA for the right to keep it. Everyone constantly yells at him for dropping their property value. All he wants is Cleo's attention and Cleo just... is not impressed. so funny.

"It's small, but it's enough. Just like me." - Martyn, what??

The way Martyn builds his base "in Cleo's front yard." That's so nuts. From an in-universe perspective, I love that swivel from denial and anger in Episode 1 to bargaining in 2.

So many good tidbits throughout their 5-episode relationship... Martyn peeping at Cleo through his spyglass at night and muttering "She seems safe; she seems happy; she seems healthy" before zooming in all "Wait, she has to use the furnace OUTSIDE?? Take it inside! Look, he's ruining you!" Like... Okay, Martyn.

"This is all her fault, 100%!!" He's a needy, angry man grasping at straws. I love dumb roleplay drama. Ugh, the commitment to the bit is so glorious. What a great arc.

The way Martyn thoroughly convinces himself that Scott's the shoulder devil who swayed Cleo away from him, so he shows up to speak his mind ("We can be real, proper soulmates, but right now you're being really selfish. You let him speak in your ear! You let him tell you that I was off not caring about my soulmate! I was providing!" and Cleo hits him with "Martyn... I was the one who brought it up first."

Just... idk, the way he freezes right then is great. The "emotional damage" clip he plays right then just makes it for me. That right there is the moment that Character Martyn splinters. It's so good. And yet he doesn't give up?? astounding.

I really enjoy how Pearl took the divorce quartet situation and spun it into clingy 'crazy ex' roleplay with Scott, and Martyn went the complete opposite route and tried to woo Cleo over with grandiose gestures of affection, really playing up the "I'm a provider; I didn't want to show up emptyhanded" angle. They were so different in how they handled the break-up and I still think that's cool. They did such a good job. Fantastic season.

Martyn: I care about us! I bring the skill; you bring the vibes- That's what I was signing up for! Cleo: If you look at it this way- You don't have to watch out for me. I've got somebody else who's willing to lay down their life for me.

Like??

Martyn wants someone he can share affection with. Cleo wants stability and trust. The whole "This is better for both of us" is so good... Hilarious.

The part that really makes it for me is Martyn starting to protest "So this is what we're doing?" and Cleo softly shushes him, just like "Shhh... They're coming over."

They kick off a secret alliance they don't discuss in public... Cleo apologizing for misjudging him and extending a hand. Martyn playing the part of jealous lover who's got an open door waiting for him if he'll meet her halfway, which he can choose to do at any time if he swallows his pride... It's SO GOOD... What a set-up!

Martyn & Cleo, my beloveds... Where else can I find the goofy 'jealous ex with a flair for art and drama' + 'Annoyed ex who moved on with their life and got a new partner and a home' health-sharing soulmate combo with this much commitment to the anger and grief and forgiveness and regret... They're great.

Martyn: I don't know where I stand with her. She sort of seems to be looking out for me but absolutely wants nothing to do with me. It's all very confusing... and maybe Cleo will come back to me one day.

Well, I've got good news and bad news, boss...

Cleo giving Martyn a heart-to-heart and he quietly wanders back to his base, turns to look at them, and tells the audience "Maybe me and Cleo are more on the same page than I initially thought" while in Cleo's POV a moment later, she's like "Look, sometimes you just have to speak to him in a way he'll understand" [gameplay strats] ??? slkdjf

Cleo sending Martyn on his way with his first diamonds of the series to craft a sword with... the "Don't die" / "I promise; I'll do us proud- Don't you worry" / "[Sigh]... Do yourself proud" exchange just kills me. Martyn swivels to his softer 'serious roleplay voice' to 'pledge loyalty' to her and Cleo just Is Not Having It With Him and shuts that down so fast.

Cleo: You don't need to worry about me. I've got my partner. Martyn to the audience, so Cleo can hear: She's saying that even when there's nobody around. I am VERY confused."

Two dead, many injured.

Cleo tossing a flower in his inventory when he wasn't looking. Cleo offering to let Martyn stay with her after his base gets griefed. Also ??? Martyn and Cleo getting a house together when they were constantly fighting?? why did they do that.

Cleo and Scott on their bridge above the ravine, doing their daily axe crit to the chest... Martyn in Ep 3 whips around and yells "Do you two mind??" Cleo tells him it's their way of showing affection and Martyn immediately gets out his enchanted axe and goes for her. He looks Scott in the eye and says "At least I've got a heart" and Scott's instant reply is "Do you??"

Martyn later refusing to use the bridge because it would be "awkward"... Martyn sneaking around Cleo's house and getting upset that she joined the HOA, immediately followed by her chasing him out of her yard insisting that she didn't. Martyn's swap into bubbly music when he's in the panda reserve. "The admission fee is love!" / "Oh, I come with buckets of that because somebody isn't accepting mine."

On the way out the door, Scar tells Cleo and Martyn that he'll find more romantic music to play the next time they visit and Martyn doubles back and says "Yeah, if you could." Love that for him. All the man wants is a partner who doesn't want to kick him in the teeth. What a great episode.

I love how Martyn and Cleo interact on their weird stepping stone bridge above the ravine... He keeps pushing for "I'll take your gear and go down to the ancient city to get your enchantments sorted out," trying to kill two birds with one stone and play up that role of being "the provider," and Cleo just... keeps trying to reel him back.

"No, no, no! You don't even have to do that! All you have to do is say 'I'm sorry for abandoning you on the first day.'" / "Mmmmm... I don't understand." sldkfj. "All it takes is an apology, Martyn." / "You're not getting one. We both know you're not getting one."

Delicious self-inflicted drama. Cleo's so willing to bend and he's so dang stubborn. I love them...

Personal highlight for me is right after Martyn kills both Cleo and himself by punching them off a cliff. Scott puts himself between the two of them while Cleo seethes and Martyn apologizes profusely and he just keeps saying "You have ruined every chance of ever being with her as your soulmate. You have lost every opportunity." Cleo following it up with "Remember when I said Martyn would be a good person to have on our team?

Yeah, just drive that sense of "Nobody wants you" into the one guy who's been so desperately roleplaying affection... topped off by the fact that when they're alone, Cleo drops the loud angry voice and cracks up laughing. Your honor, they are literally just some guys.

The fact that Cleo had to save him from an enderman while he shrieked and buried under her bedroom floor. I cannot get over the mental image of "Take me back, babe" immediately followed by them almost dying twice in 5 minutes. Martyn literally runs inside and hides under Cleo's bed... they can't stop giggling. Yep. He's here: the perfect man.

DL!Martyn is so funny to me... He explicitly uses the phrase "I'm breaking up with you too" when he dumps Pearl at the end of Episode 1, and then he does it AGAIN when Ren says they should bring Pearl into the Broken Hearts club.

The whole "Uh... I broke up with Pearl, so this might take some convincing" bit just cracks me up. Ren so wanted this alliance to work and Martyn is like "... ah. Yeah, about that..."

Semi-related, but thinking about that one Reacts clip where IRL Martyn said "See, this is why me and Cleo are soulmates" while listening to them talk about his LimLife finale betrayal...

idk; that's funny to me- I like the in-universe image that character Martyn is still hung up on Cleo (and/or the mental image of character Martyn hanging out with her at a post-LimLife party, trying to study her and figure out why they were paired).

Martyn and Cleo are on the same page in so many ways... but they have different communication styles / preferences and they crashed and burnt so hard... Ah, the sweet tragedy of it all. I'd have loved to see how well they could've fared together as a team.

Cleo losing their Yellow life because Martyn scrambled towards her begging her to eat and she forgot she was drowning as she opened inventory to check her pockets... His "Leave her alone!" and "Cleo, we good? We good?" during the ancient city fight. Cleo inviting Martyn into her Red Life base. Yeah. Them... Messy to the end.

Anyway, they're hilarious. GG to them on the improv and the commitment to it, even though the break-up was probably a scary roleplay / gameplay choice...

Also that moment where Bdubs casually says hello to them while they're walking home from the panda reserve and they immediately go for their weapons and start threatening him "Your money or your life" is so perfect... Love me a couple improv troublemakers in total sync. They're my favorites.

I love them and their silly donkeys Glen and Schmoobles... Nothing like two soulmates both picking the same companion animal without coordinating and both giving them silly names in the complete opposite directions from each other. They're great.

I love them...

[thefringespod]

Its #AudioDramaSunday somewhere so we're going to do a late post!

Starting things off with episode 7.5 of @tellnotalespod where Leanne once again breaks my heart 💜 The way Leanne writes people talking about their queer experiences will always gut me, they're so wonderfully done

Up next, early release for @souloperatorpod episode 8. I sent @totcoc0a a 4.5 minute long voice message after that one. Do with that what you will

@camlannpod episode 7 did irreparable damage to me <3 I listened to it after having emotional damage dealt by TNT and SO which made it hurt 10 times worse. The reveal about Dai was *so* well done but also Ella Watts I'm shaking you (affectionate)

@woebegonepod episode 153 also did emotional damage to me. This was a great week for dealing emotional damage to Pine! 153 was one part fun and funny and one part me grasping at my chest going "Oh gods" over and over again. It was great! Easily in my top 10 eps

This week saw the triumphant return of @thesiltverses ! The twists and turns of this episode were phenomenal and I cannot believe how much it made me root for Shrue. Just 10/10 writing and Sarah Griffin went above and beyond with their performance

The Magnus Protocol also returned this week and gods was it something. The statement itself was absolutely enthralling but the plot bits outside the statement have been rattling in my brain. Mr. Bonzo has a license to kill. I will live in fear forever

@audistorium released a new episode on their patreon which was read by the incredible @madd-vo! I cant wait for public release so I can scream about it. Lemon wrote a 10 minute long episode that has wormed its way into my brain forever

Speaking of Lemon, he also made a heartfelt and tear inducing video which has been released on the Audistorium socials. I'm so lucky to get to know Lemon and to see this show he's building, he's so kind and the way he's building his community is incredible

Here on the Fringes, I have recorded the first draft of the Q&A! It was very long and rambley so I am going to be giving it a listen and then possibly recording some bits to be better answers, but expect that coming soon!

And over on @forgedbondspod we have 11 episodes left to write! I'm so excited to write this final arc of the show and share it with my cast. Speaking of my cast, I've gotten some more recordings in for the first half of the show and gods yall they're so fucking good

If you would like to support the Fringes and Forged Bonds and whatever else I make next, you can do so at patreon.com/PineTreePods! And if you have suggestions for content you would like to see on patreon, please let me know!

That's all for this week! I'm looking forward to what lies ahead and can't wait to share stuff with yall

[kariachi]

Made the mistake of watching OSP's 'Noodle Incident' video and while it's not the same thing ended up reminded that I hate hate hate how they handled Kevin's scar.

Cause like here's this little bit of additional intrigue added to his future self's character design. A self that is first seen, I would like to point out, at a point over twenty years post-OV in universe. Like, Alternate universes or no, we first see that scar on a Kevin who is in his forties. He's barely if eighteen in OV. So it's not like any of us were really expecting to get to see what happened. Especially when the show gives us shit like 'Kevin fights Vilgax' and 'Kevin is murdered' and 'Kevin gets a hand taken off' with no lasting effects, it rather sends the message that this is 1) something that did serious fucking damage to leave the first visual scar on our mains, and 2) not something we're liable to see because it couldn't live up to expectation and has twenty-odd years to happen in.

So what do we fucking get? What do they do when they decide to show us how this intriguing scar happened? Do we get Kevin fighting some great foe? Some scene that gives an impressive character moment to go with a very notable scar on a character who was a villain the first time we saw it and is now a treasured friend? A stupid moment that wouldn't have lived up to people'd imaginations but would have been funny and let the shipping people write patch-up fics where people tease him about 'oh Vilgax can't leave a mark on you but a toaster oven-'?

No.

Do they at least, if they're so big on having this happen during the Rooters arc, make it happen in Rooters of All Evil, to showcase that this is a different sort of danger they're dealing with while symbolizing the mark Servantis already left on Kevin's life? Using the scar and the fact that the kids' Rooter uniforms are the same outfit Kevin 11k wears in Ken 10 to try bolster the idea that this is the point in the timeline where we lose Kevin?

No.

He gets kicked in the face by his bestfriend while trying to reveal that he hadn't actually turned on him.

That's it. There's no fucking weight to it, it just happens. It doesn't have any reason to do more damage than anything else we've seen happen to him, it's not at some emotional moment, it doesn't have any symbolic significance, it's not a character moment. It just happens.

And yes, scars do just happen in life, but this is fiction. This is fiction, and a scar that'd had the fandom's imagination for years. You can have it just happen, but you can't have it just happen between big important points. Because you know what happens then? Fans go 'that's fucking it?!', as they have every right because you decided something that had their imaginations didn't deserve the fucking effort. It can be a footnote within the big important points, but after a point you have to do something with it. There's gotta be some sort of weight.

And the thing is, it falls under the same problem that happened with BenKai. The scar, the uniform, Ben and Kai, all of it is the result of somebody deciding that all that shit from Ken 10 1) had to be given an explanation, 2) had to be canon to what was very clearly a changed timeline given Kevin wasn't evil anymore, 3) had to be shown as happening during this time period however they could shove it in, 4) with the exception of giving us Devlin's mom because gods forbid we touch the Holy Gwevin.

Kevin in Ken 10 was in the Null Void, wore a distinctive outfit, and had a distinctive scar? Well clearly we have to show him having been part of a group stationed in the Null Void where that was his uniform, and he'll gain the scar fighting Ben- because Ben's always the most important- before being revealed as still a good guy because we can't actually double down and let him be evil again (he's popular and besides it might hurt the Holy Gwevin).

Ben has kids with Kai like a decade from the present? Better reintroduce her to the show.

Ben is already seeing someone and he and Kai's personalities haven't matured to the point they work yet? Better bring Kenny in from the future to push them at each other and then have his current girl just casually drop him so he and Kai can be a thing.

And all this could be done well, is the worst part. Not the way they did it, but it could have been done. But it wasn't. It was rushed in at the end without proper care given, leaving us with shit that should have been big deals or fun moments that instead are just kinda there at best and annoying at worst. Like they learned they only had so many seasons left, realized there were things from Ken 10 that had never been touched on, and panicked.

By all right Kevin's entire future should have been changed? Doesn't matter, shove it all in at once so we can say we answered the questions.

Ben ends up with Kai sometime in the next decade? Jam them together, put pressure on with their future son, just make it a thing don't worry about proper development.

Hell, even with Gwen. Gwen ends up being able to work with Charmcaster's stone beasts and such in twenty-off years? Fuck it, she's got Charmcaster in a bag on her shelf and goes from there.

It was unnecessary. They were loose ends that could have been left hanging with no ill effect. Even if you really wanted to show shit like 'hey remember Kai, Ben has kids with her someday' you could just reintroduce her in the show without having to push them at each other right then. 'Gwen's going to learn Charmcaster's tricks someday' you can have the last time they're shown together involve them parting on decent terms or some shit without having her hold the woman in isolation against her will until she decides otherwise. But no, they were so fucking desperate to clean up any loose end that didn't risk pissing off fans too bad that they just threw out what I assume was whatever first idea came to somebody's mind.

It's a waste of potential, a waste of intrigue, and it aggravates me to my fucking core.

[coloursofhappiness]

Just some anxiety thoughts. ⚠️Spoilers if you're not caught up with the manga ⚠️

The Gojo x Sukuna fight is seriously stressing me out. I really feel like anything could happen at this point. Gege might want to take this opportunity to kill off Gojo, which would at least make sense, even though I hate to think about it. Yuuji is the main protagonist afterall, and having Gojo being able to kill off the remaining antagonists on his own doesn't quite feel like great storytelling (unless Gojo wins but is somehow unable to continue fighting?) But on the other hand, Gojo dying would be so disappointing, plot-wise (I won't even talk about the emotional damage). I've seen people talk about how it would bring closure to his character, but I don't feel like it would. He has unfinished business with Geto. Right after being unsealed, he said he wanted to give him a proper burial, and him dying without being able to do that would feel so wrong. There's a whole arc about his past, about their relationship and how it fell apart, so it feels really necessary that Gojo gets his closure with it (also I need it for mental health reasons). Geto and Gojo's decisions (Geto deciding to commit genocide and Gojo not going after him, then not burying his body after he finally kills him like 10 years later) have had so much impact on the whole story, I hate to think it would end like that. Annnd at the same time, it would kinda suck if Sukuna dies because he's a cool villain so fuck me I guess

[vendettavalor]

⚔️ TV Tropes ⚔️

OBJECTIVE: Browse this website and select 3-10 tropes that represent your chosen character. You may elaborate on these selections if you wish, but it is by no means necessary.

SUTEK MET'HARK

A BEAST IN NAME AND NATURE: An unfortunate consequence of being a child of prophecy - and not the good half of it - is that Sutek is known by several names with very negative connotations. The Black Dragon, the Great Destroyer, or just Mordeu (Death God). As a Sith, his new name of Darth Gore also falls in line with this trope.

BAIT-AND-SWITCH BOSS: In Sutek's case, Sidious is the bait-and-switch. After his fall, Sutek ends up taking over and ruling the Empire from the shadows. He's not named emperor and does not keep power centralized, instead maintaining the idea that the Empire is just "fractured and scattered" to hide the fact that it is still very much alive while he's working on the Palpaclones in preparation for the rise of the First Order.

DRAGON-IN-CHIEF: Followup to the previous trope - despite taking over in Sidious' absence, Sutek still doesn't end up being the true villain in the end. That remains to be Snoke, who takes over once Sutek is redeemed after saving Aurelia.

EX BIG BAD: Sutek post-redemption. Everyone knows what he did since he does come clean after all. They come to realize that he was behind a lot of the more horrifying projects of the Empire. But he's no longer actively working with the Empire and is trying to atone for his misdeeds.

GOD OF EVIL: While not his official title, this is what most people perceive Sutek as. Regardless of the fact that his prophecy states that he can bring peace and harmony to the galaxy if he works well with his sister, the fact that he is the incarnation of a destruction god whose fall ultimately did play a vital role in a creation myth is often conveniently overlooked just so his character can be boiled down to and automatically assumed to be evil. After all, it's easier to assume that destruction god = death god = evil god = reincarnation = evil child. Even if he was just a baby.

INVOLUNTARY SHAPESHIFTING: To a certain degree. Unlike Aurelia, who takes great steps to stop her dragon form from emerging because she has no control over it and doesn't want to acknowledge that it exists for fear of the damage it could do, Sutek leans hard into his. He does have control over it for the most part, but like his sister, intense emotion can just have it BURST out at random.

JUSTIFIED CRIMINAL: In his own mind. Sutek turned to the Dark Side after a mission gone wrong and no backup almost caused Aurelia to die. Because the council didn't believe Sifo-Dyas and his visions. Because it seemed like the Order was more concerned with answering to the Senate than to the people of the galaxy it claimed to serve. And because his own people seemed convinced that he would do nothing but bring about the end of the galaxy as they knew it, no matter how much good he did. He genuinely thought that having the power to control everything via the Dark Side would allow him to prove everyone wrong and protect Aurelia.

PACIFISM IS COWARDICE: A belief shared by a lot of Sith, including Sutek. The idea that the Order is pacifistic by nature and maintains peace by either serving one side or simply ignoring conflict that doesn't involve them despite their self-proclaimed role as intergalactic peacekeepers makes them cowards in his mind. And he refuses to stand by them for it.

STRIKE ME DOWN WITH ALL OF YOUR HATRED: Sutek, especially towards the end of his Sith arc, will goad his enemies into striking him down. It's an ideal taken from Palpatine. If they strike him down, he taunts that they will be just like him, or that they will simply have removed one cog from the machine of the Empire. Further down the line however, it's done more ferally and more as a cry for help: strike him down and put an end to what he is and what he has done.

YOU WOULD DO THE SAME FOR ME: In reference to how Sutek saves Aurelia after brainwashing her into becoming a tool and a weapon of his destruction. Upon realizing that rather than fulfill his intended goal of protecting her he's about to be the cause of her death, he rushes to stop her before she can gore herself. When asked why, he apologizes for everything he has done and all the hurt he has caused her and reiterates that despite it all, she would have done the same for him.

TAGGED BY: @valorums (this was so much fun <3)

TAGGING: Anyone who feels up for it!

[lenteur]

random thoughts about strong girl nam soon, episode three

(read more because i always get carried away lol and this post might contain spoilers)

the look of realization on nam soon's father's face when he recognizes his daughter. You can see him being torn. He knows she's his daughter, call it paternal instinct but at the same time, it's like he doesn't know how to approach her / doesn't want to bother her further. You can clearly see the look of disappointment on his face when she has to go. Disappointment because he doesn't know if he'll ever meet her again. A missed opportunity. A second kidnapping happened, at least in his mind. She's so close but then she's gone.

He ran after her but it was already too late

nam soon is so aloof most of the time that it's funny. She's adjusting to korea from a "foreigner's perspective" there's this décalage between her and the rest of the population and it creates a lot of hilarious situations (ex: her walking off while singing a tune)

she's just so straightforward and unpredictable sometimes and that's why i like her

i really like that they're giving all women in the family their own story and how each one is infamous for something totally different.

Go grandma go!! you show them how strong you are

the slomo in the fight scene = thank you for that

how she slapped him and he went k.o i just full on laughed

the do bong soon x ahn min hyuk scene was a little treat for everyone :)

the nam in scenes don't sit right with me. A lot of fatphobia and making fun of him for eating too much. It's a pity because the show could've used his eating disorder in another way. Talking about it seriously and seeing his journey on weight loss or feeling good in his body and mind. Instead they chose to make fun of him for eating a lot. I'm disappointed

oh so the drug made by doogo caused damage on both ms park gwang ja and the passenger on the plane. The plot thickens.

You can see hwang geum ju has a lot of empathy for others because she believes if she has empathy, people will be kind to nam soon. So it's not natural empathy for others, it's more of a strategy to reach her goal of finding her daughter alive.

In general, her statement is true because if you're kind to others they'll be more likely to be kind to other people as well. But, as shown in the drama, she has an ulterior motive for her empathy/kindness. When she'll find nam soon, i wonder if that empathy will still be in her or not.

Kang hee sik kept his promise. Nam soon was lucky that the first person she meets when landing in korea is a police officer. That way he could get help from his colleagues to find nam soon's mom.

Seeing hwang geum ju cry and release all the worry and fear she had for 20 years, you can see how her reaction is not the same as the one she had with hwa ja. She's very emotional when it comes to her daughter and that's a normal reaction.

Very interesting how the mother corrected herself when calling the dad (from nam in's dad to nam soon's dad). She's held this resentment towards him for so long, but now that nam soon is back, she shares this info with the father and she acknowledges he is indeed her father. It's like nam soon brought them back together.

Geum ju and nam soon finally found each other but they're leaving us on a cliffhanger. That's not fair!

Overall a great episode. I admit i was impatient to see the mother-daughter reunion but I'm glad they developed the villains' arcs a little. Things are progressing and that's all i could ask for.

I'll rate this a 8.5/10

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Clerks 3

There's something sort of romantic about a director returning to the franchise that brought forth their career. Returning to their roots and never forgetting who they were in the process. Making a sequel almost 10 years later to an original isn't unheard of, but making a sequel almost 30 years later is something that has started to become more of a common ground. When its done with the same love and reverence it is magical, but when it is done just to get the band back together, it feels so cheap and soulless. This film is very far from the latter and I felt the same amount of joy and fun I had watching the original the film. It may have taken a long time to get to this hilariously meta story in theaters, but the wait was definitely worth it. I loved that the film mirrored the life of the director, but also played with the themes of mortality, making amends with one's past and valuing the time you have with the people you love. Sure this film features the alot of stoner humor, but its well balanced.

Brian O'Halloran was fantastic and hasn't skipped a beat as Dante. The evolution of the character over the years has been strong and this was the most defining chapter of the characters' arc. He was even more surprised by the antics of his regulars and always delivering great moments of emotional weight. Jeff Anderson was once again amazing as Randal and I liked that even in his later age, he still has that quick wit. He takes his character to another level as the story mostly focuses on his new life choice after facing a life altering experience. He finally has a direction in life and there is a moment where he truly sees the damage he has caused to others. The chemistry between Brian and Jeff has never been stronger and more contentious. Rosario Dawson returns as Becky and she was even more lovable and charming this time around. The chemistry between her and Dante was really the emotional bond and introspective view the film featured through them. Trevor Fehrman was great and kooky as Elias as he goes through a wardrobe of emotions and looks that keep you guessing on what he's gonna do next. Amy Sedaris as Doctor Ladenheim was great and I loved her comedic timing as she mixes so many pop culture references. Justin Long steals the screen in such a small time as the Orderly. Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith of course return as the iconic dynamic stoner duo Jay and Silent Bob. They were on point and hilarious in the right scenes and at the right time. I never get tired of seeing those 2.  

The score by James L. Venable, where it was used, was beautiful and drives the emotional moments home. The soundtrack in the film was fun and had some great songs that I've already found myself humming. The only problems I had were somewhat in the middle where some of the comedy didn't land and some moments could've held for a few more seconds. Overall, this was a fun and heartfelt conclusion to a trilogy 30 years in the making and I'm glad that writer and director Kevin Smith got to see it through to the emotional end it deserved. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!  

[ot3]

hey i just read through ur ace attorney au comic and i just wanted to make a list of things i love about it:

-the color choice omg!!! the way u use bold colors to create stark contrasts and silhouettes is so inspired and unique

-i would sell my soul to be able to do composition as creatively as you do

-the expressions! im in love

-gregory....h

-the way you're not afraid to make edgeworth unabashedly an ass. i hate seeing him being an ass but it hits HARD. it really drives the emotions of the whole thing home

-the. the panels wi. with the three. the elevators. and then edgeworth on the stairs. i dont know what fucking emotion it makes me feel but it deals psychic damage while also adding 10 years to my lifespan

-ur style reminds me of the opening of the Great Pretender anime. which is one of my fave anime artstyles so

-(not the absolute fave im sorry but mob psycho 100 will always fuck the hardest)

-d. dahlia....the ncklace.....h

-BABY MIA

-literally everything about part 9. i cant. i cant even words about it

-OK I CAN DO ONE WORDS ABOUT IT AND THAT'S. EDGEWORTH'S FACE WHEN HE WAKES UP I CACKLED

-WHY IS THE BLUE BADGER IN THE FUCKING REALM OF THE DEAD???????????

-the 3d glasses that mia and edgeworth wear

-mia isn't dead she's braindead....is this....a surprise tool that will help us later?

-phoenix choosing all the dumb fuckin investigation options that we didn't choose in our playthrough because neither of us can handle secondhand embarassment

-all the little stylistic flourishes! from the dialogue boxes to the silhouettes to the little rays around miles' alarm clock

in conclusion: outstanding work op

THANK YOU SO MUCH i have put by this point literally hundreds of hours into drawing this comic so getting feedback like this means a ton to me... im glad edgeworth being a complete bastard is hitting because tbh i feel like there's a tendency to underplay exactly how awful edgeworth was when he was at his Awfulest but i think the extremely good redemption arc he gets in canon is a lot more meaningful when you remember that he was genuinely a pretty terrible person who ruined a lot of (very likely innocent) lives without it ever really registering as an issue for him.

i have not actually seen great pretender but i've heard of it and so i just went and watched the opening on youtube and this is a very flattering comparison so thank you! this is exactly the kind of art i like. and mob psycho too, definitely one of my favorites of all time - i was literally just watching it in stream with a friend for the millionth time directly before seeing this ask, and we were as always gushing about how much we like both the directing of the anime and the paneling in the manga. definitely some of my biggest artistic inspiration. i originally wanted to go into the animation industry and never really intended to draw comics so pretty much everything my comics do is to try and attempt to capture the really fun transitions and motions of animation within the confines of a static image, so i'm glad it's having some of that impact.

the proto-badger is in the realm of the dead because i think it would be funny for him to be there. that's the whole truth of it.

mia being braindead rather than dead is very much a surprise tool that will help us later - now that i've done all of the Setup things are going to begin diverting more heavily from the original sequence of events in the game. otherwise, pretty much everything would be essentially identical to the way it plays out in canon and there's not really any fun in drawing something like that. so yeah. lots more to do ! hope y'all like the rest of what i've got planned !

[class1akids]

Top ten friendships?

Thanks for the question, this is fun.  I think there are many overlaps with my ship list because what I enjoy romantically, I also enjoy platonically, but there are a couple of them that I don’t enjoy as ships, but definitely love as friendships. 

10. Sero & Roki -  OK, like as a Shouto simp, I’d just fill this list with all of Shouto’s friendships, but I won’t do that. SeroRoki has a very special place in my heart, because it’s an understated little friendship, and I love it because it’s definitely one Shouto got for himself, without Deku, and also mending things with one of the people he really hurt at the Sport Festival. Plus, I think they are really good influence on each other, it always makes me happy when it pops up and I would dearly love to see it explored more. 

9. Top 3 (Hawks & Endeavor + Hawks & BJ) - I am cheating a little here, because it’s not a real three-way friendship (yet), but rather two friendships with Hawks in the center of it. I don’t ship any of these, but I really enjoy them as a friendship. I love Endeavor & Hawks for all the sass and the supportive vibes and how much trust they built. And the last couple of chapters really sold me on Hawks & BJ.   “Hellish catwalks" is now my favourite “BFF” confession.

8. Momo & Jirou - I just love how good and supportive friends they are, and because they are my 2 fave girls in class-A, their friendship always gives me good vibes (i totally ship it too).

7.  Shoji & Tokoyami - One of my favourite parts at the Forest Arc were these two, and they are two of the Class-A students I’d really like to know more about. I love how steadfast their quiet friendship seems. 

6.  UA Big 3 -    I hesitated whether to make it just Mirio and Tamaki, but in the War arc, it felt like Nejire was also a part of it for real. So I’ll go for the three of them. 

5.  Deku & Shouto & Iida -  I think trio friendships is something BNHA does really well, and a lot of times I enjoy them, because I love all the individual dynamics in them, but somehow all together it’s even better. I’ve loved them since the post-Stain fight hospital arc. They are just such good and supportive friends to each other and have contributed to each other’s growth in some really big ways. 

4. Bakugou & Kaminari & Kirishima -  I love Kiri & Bakugo, Baku & Kami is also absolute gold, and the three of them together have great energy.  I also miss them. 

3.  Twice and Toga - the beautiful, genuine heartfelt friendship these two damaged people built is one of the best relationships in this manga. I absolutely loved every moment of it. I’m still bawling my eyes over this. 

2.  Rooftop Trio - I’ve always loved Eraser & Mic, but this friendship really clicked for me in Vigilante, when Shirakumo was put into the dynamic. It’s such a strong friendship and a big part of who Aizawa and Mic are as people. It’s so emotionally resonating, and I loved how this friendship was put in the focus of the War arc. The scenes of Aizawa realizing the truth about Kurogiri and Shirakumo appearing to his friends and the entire emotional fall-out were some of the absolute best scenes this manga has ever produced imho. 

1. Origin Trio - ok, here we go, to nobodies’ suprise, I’m cheating again, because I should rank TDBK, TDDK and BKDK separately, because I love the different three way dynamics inside this equally. Todobaku’s developing from people-who-really-annoy-each-other to not-friends-who-are-totally-friends or the sweet, supportive friends that Tododeku are to each other, not to talk about the star-crossed-fated-rival-friendship that BakuDeku is. And really, in any combination, it’s always my favourite part of the manga when we focus on these dynamics. But I totally adore the three of them together the most (and god, it’s the most underserved tag of AO3) because I feel like they really well complement each other. 

[emberswrites]

As writer who was invested with Kakashi and Sasuke relationship, what do you think of this meta, the second part? It's an interesting meta but as Sasuke fan I am kinda iffy to like it. The meta is so Kakashi-centric since the OP is Kakashi stan, they don't touch about Sasuke's feeling at all, but there are some interesting pro-KakaSasu bits that many fans including me miss like Kakashi second-handedly condemned Naruto too for hospital rooftop incident and Kakashi not discouraging Sasuke's revenge before hospital rooftop incident.

Hi Anon! This is an interesting ask. As always, this is just my opinion and obviously based on my interpretation of the characters and relationships. I do agree with many of the points in the post you referenced and I will explain more below. Also it's been a while since I watched the whole series in detail so forgive me if I miss some minor things. Loooooong post under the cut.

I love Sasuke, I don't think he was entirely wrong to seek revenge in the context of the Naruto world, but I don't see him as an angel who did no wrong either. Neither is Kakashi a perfect person. In fact, none of the characters are, which is good because grey characters are interesting. I will say, I don't think Shikamaru and Sasuke's revenge is exactly comparable, mostly because of the collateral damage Sasuke was risking to himself and others by accepting Orochimaru's deal, there was no factor like that with Shikamaru. For example, if Sasuke ran off just to meet Itachi and kill him somewhere, I have no doubt Kakashi would have followed him too like he did with Team 10. Kakashi did put himself between Itachi and Sasuke the same way he did with Kakazu/Hidan and Team 10, and he only went on that unofficial mission with them because they were undoubtedly going to die if he didn't. It's not as though he sat and planned it with Shikamaru ahead of time, but he knew they were going to go and get themselves badly hurt and most likely killed and their sensei was gone. But Sasuke handed himself over to an enemy that posed a great danger to both himself and the village, an enemy who openly said he wanted to use Sasuke's body as his own and had very obviously bad intentions towards him. (Side note: This is also why I don't agree with the idea Naruto was selfish in his desire to stop Sasuke from leaving, we don't know how Naruto would have reacted if Sasuke was just going to train with a not-evil person who could help him get stronger without taking over his body. I doubt it would have been the exact same reaction though.) Now, I think it would have been better if Kakashi went about supporting Sasuke's goal in a more productive way rather than telling him to forget it, but I don't think his intention was to dismiss Sasuke's feelings in the moments where he does try to steer him away from it. Because they're right, Kakashi doesn't actually tell him to stop pursuing this goal until the curse mark becomes a factor.

When I think about Kakashi trying to discourage Sasuke from revenge, the two points we see him do this most explicitly are 1. After the rooftop fight and 2. Kage Summit Arc.

In 1, Sasuke is still actively fighting the curse mark, which seems to feed on this kind of negative, angry emotion to influence Sasuke in a way that obviously is harmful to him and others around him. When the curse mark recedes, we see him behave quite differently in those early days when he can't really control it. He seems regretful, shocked, and scared even, of what he's done under it's influence. So when Kakashi says to forget about revenge, I don't think he means forever and that he should never seek justice, but in a more immediate sense it's actually harming him physically at that point and becoming very dangerous. He has to say something to get through to Sasuke. It's an incredibly delicate time not just for his safety but the village at large and I think this is part of Kakashi's motivation to steer him away from it at that point. Sasuke is in danger and he can't protect Sasuke from something Sasuke won't protect himself from. Now, was the conversation he had with Sasuke on that tree the perfect way to get Sasuke to understand where he's coming from without downplaying Sasuke's emotions? Probably not, but Kakashi is flawed and he's not always going to have the right things to say. It's fine to criticize his approach here, but I personally don't believe in the argument he dismissed Sasuke's trauma or was trying to one-up him, he was simply stating the fact that he has some idea of what Sasuke is feeling, not exactly but on some level. He's trying to relate to him. He's suffered a lot. I don't like to compare pain, but they both went through a lot of pain. Was it a little clumsy and imperfect? Sure, but Kakashi isn't a therapist and he's doing his best, I feel. Don't forget he was pulled out of ANBU at a low point in his life to become a teacher for these two kids that pretty much no one else could handle. He has a whole chest of his own issues and probably PTSD. He just saw his two students almost kill each other, it had to be shocking and worrying for him, too, because he does care for them. He sees this boy, whom he knows cares for Naruto immensely, nearly kill him. Something isn't right. He also doesn't want to seem forceful, it seems like he knows that will only push Sasuke away, so in the end he gives Sasuke a choice, he lets him think on it himself. It's not like he can keep him trapped forever so he won't leave, so he wants Sasuke to choose to go about it in a different way. He gives him space. Now this backfired because he got sent away on a mission and then the Sound 4 come in, but his intentions I think were in the right direction. This post actually gave me a lot of food for thought about Kakashi's approach to Sasuke and how he gives Sasuke space and free will and choice while still trying to guide him in the way he thinks is best for him, I really encourage you to read the second part of it as it contained things I never thought about. I think Kakashi trusted Jiraiya to talk to Naruto (which I can't recall if that happened), while he handled Sasuke. He can't do everything on his own after all. We also need to remember that at this point, he's ALSO just woken up from a coma Itachi put him in, and is (despite that) still among the strongest shinobi in the village already being sent out on missions, he is stretched thin as hell. If he wasn't, maybe he would have been able to handle it with more attention to Sasuke, maybe the Sound 4 wouldn't have had that opening and maybe they would have been able to talk more.

In 2 at the Kage summit, Sasuke's focus for revenge is not just Itachi but all of Konoha. Now, I don't think there's any way Kakashi could have encouraged it obviously. So how does he deter him? He's not sure Madara/Tobi's revelation is true. I mean, it makes sense not to trust that guy at this point. He sees Sasuke about to kill Sakura and he has to do/say something. I will say Naruto saying he doesn't blame Sasuke for feeling what he feels and doing what he did was the better way to go, for sure. But again, Kakashi is not a perfect character and he did not react perfectly to this confrontation. But why do we expect him to react perfectly to everything? Is he not also a human who's led an incredibly hard life? He tried to communicate with the lens he was looking from and his own experience. What I do see here in Kakashi's words and thoughts are how much he cares about Sasuke still. He says he still adores him. His precious student. He never calls Sasuke evil or a bad seed, never blames his Uchiha blood or whatever, he says simply he is a product of the times, of the circumstance, is being manipulated. He defends against him to protect his other students, yes, but before this he was the one guy supporting Naruto to still try and get through to him, to try and appeal to the Raikage to spare him. Not even Sakura and their peers or literally anyone else supported Naruto at that point. Again he's stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to protect all his students.

So while I agree his words/actions were not always ideal or the most effective, I do think his priorities were always in the right place and that he cared about Sasuke immensely and never saw him as some evil person. Sasuke may have felt unheard and unsupported in moments for sure but I don't think that was intentional on Kakashi's part. I also never thought he favoured Sasuke, seeing as how he only really focused on him during chunin exam training (which made sense given the threat with Orochimaru), and he was certainly equally disappointed in both Naruto and Sasuke's actions almost hurting each other. He is indeed one of the few adults/authority figures in Sasuke's life that does not try to manipulate him for personal gain and tried to balance his needs with the other responsibilities he has. At the end of the day, he's the one that secures Sasuke's freedom and ability to move away from the village and do as he pleases as Hokage, it's one of the first things he does. He demonstrates trust in him.

I hope this long winded post answered your question, anon!

[motherwasapapafucker]

You've obviously spoke about the Ghost as a Superman figure within the larger context of Doctor Who but do you think the opposite is possible? A Doctor-like figure within a larger superhero setting?

There's been a couple of attempts, never quite as....jarring as the Ghost but that’s pretty much down to mad scientists and time travel being far more commonplace in superhero settings than overtly super-heroic figures are in Who. To the point the handful of times Who has played with that (Conundrum, Starfall, The Return of Doctor Mysterio) all draw at least some of their story out of the jarring presence of a superhero figure within the narrative. There’s a really nice sequence in Conundrum where the Doctor “explains” the presence of the superpowered figures in a way that reads like he’s as much kidding himself because he would like to think it’s possible as genuinely trying to explain how these people have gained their abilities. Which really feels like a deliberate building on “I wish...I wish I believed in wishing wells” given how Conundrum plays out. There’s obviously the conflation of Captain Britain’s Merlin and Who’s Merlin a couple of times, but that’s really overstated even if only in terms of Britain’s Merlin functionally different beast to the point any doctor connection is largely a minor detail as any attempt at creating a Doctor-like figure. I think then, when it comes to your Doctor-like figure the big thing that would distinguish them from other standard mad scientists and science heroes is the face changing, and basically none of your overtly doctor-influenced characters actually do anything with? Your big one in a standard setting is Professor Gamble in Power Man and Iron Fist #79, who really stands out in terms of being the only doctor-lite comic figure overtly building on Classic Who rather than Cultural Juggernaut David Tennant Doctor Who. Some overlap with Dr. Mysterio’s use of the Ghost in the conflation of the real and fictional but in very different directions; Gamble writing a fictitious account of his own life, dreadlox a fictitious account of the Incinerators. Gamble’s personal Dalek-stand in born of rogue temporal cleaning devices that have decided destroying space and time is the only way to clean everything. Where the overlap falls apart is the fact that Power Man and Iron Fist is arguably a far more flexible book at that point in its history than Who is by the point of Doctor Mysterio. So #79 is less of an out of genre moment so much as just more weird shit happening to Danny and Luke. As far as I know Gamble has popped up here and there since then, and is one of a fairly sizable amount of Who references across Marvel/Marvel UK (Yeah yeah we all know about Death’s Head, W.H.O. and aw that pish) The other big, very very direct and direct to Cultural Juggernaut David Teannant Doctor Who is...weirdly…Qubit in Irredeemable. Which is barely relevant to this question because it’s really not a standard superhero setting beyond the superficial, but bares some comment given it’s arguably the most prominent of recent takes and really hard to ignore how much he’s just David Tennant with a James from Twin Peaks forehead and LEGION hair. Also worth commenting on how fucking strange his entire role in the arse end of Irredeeamble is given the final 20 or so issues largely devolve into “The Tenth Doctor fights Evil Superman.” Given how little that aspect is remarked upon, and how incongruous it is with the broader attempt at presenting an Evil Superman story that gradually pairs back to show that the character’s never really been evil superman because for him to have that “turn” you basically have to have it be the tip of an iceberg that sketches back decades and ultimate reveals the character was never really Superman in any way beyond the iconographic. So the fact that happens while he’s fighting David Tennant is really strange, though I do like so much of that spilling out of the Plutonian forcing Quibit into one of those big, painful NuWho moral decisions, but I really struggle to care about Irredeemable beyond thinking Incorruptible was generally the stronger book towards the end. You’ve also got things like the Allred/Slott Silver Surfer that overtly drew influence from contemporary

Doctor Who, but it’s building on an already distinctive character so it can never really function as a direct one for one. I know, vaguely, that Ben 10 had a Doctor Who figure. But having never watched the show I’m not sure how he appears within the show and tbh I don’t care enough to look into it. I suppose the thing is that Doctor-lite easily slides into a superhero setting without losing too much and without drawing too much attention to the homage while someone like the Ghost is, by basic nature, designed to be at least somewhat strange within the larger normality of the show’s present day. The closest point of comparison I can think of is something like Silver Sentry in TMNT; There’s really nothing in TMNT or Doctor WHo that precludes the existence of “proper” superheroes, nether show is exactly the height of realism but the sudden introduction of basically superman presents a fundamental shift in their respective idiosyncrasies. I imagine people would be tempted to draw a comparison between the Milligan Shade the Changing Man revamp under Vertigo and Who, and given it’s MIlligan I’m sure there was some influence their even if only in terms of an English-coded otherworldly figure who undergoes startling changes across the run, but tbh it’s basically a passing resemblance and kinda overlooks the fact that Shade kinda hilariously preempts a lot of where Who as a franchise goes during the 90s and 2000s. It’s presentation of Shade’s changes as far-more psychologically damaging than classic who’s regeneration compared to some overlap with how NuWho treats the event particularly, but also in terms of the EDAs there’s a fairly notable arc where Shade gives up his heart to cope with a torrent of emotional loss and devastated worlds. Make of that what you will. I still haven’t answered the fucking question have I, right since you’ve asked me you’re going to get my shite, because here’s how I’d do it. There’s only one way really, one word Metalek Because the fucking rule don’t they? Morrison’s first, best Dalek-homage. The Xenoformers from Galaxy X, sentient construction vehicles serving masters that no longer exist. Terraforming the Galaxy one world at a time. Bow before Metalek. So yeah, those guys exist and they’re fucking great. I have...more thoughts than I’d like to admit about the “Metalek Empire” that’s really just self-indulgent pish. But that’s DC comics. So they exist, and they present what’s probably the best approach to a Doctor-alike in a superhero setting. In the same way the Ghost might as well be Superman in a setting where he isn’t the soul focus, you’re Doctor Who figure might as well just be Doctor Who in a setting where, building on the fact the key elements aren’t that notable, they really don’t stand out that much, so what then? Well he’s the mad scientist, but a good mad scientist. Counterpart to all the lunatics and madmen with their metal monsters, who is he? Who’s the grant morrison character fighting the dreaded metalek menace when they aren’t intruding on Superman’s narrative? Who spent decades trapped on earth, leading a reformed STAR Labs into a strange, wonderful new world? It’s Leo Quantum isn’t it. Basically, Leo’s one of those characters like Lan-Shin in Smashes the Klan or John Henry Irons who click perfectly into place with the larger idea of Superman’s social network. And given I’m an egotist, I’m going to do what I like with him building out of that admittedly bullshit old idea he’s future lex back to repent. If the Ghost is a version of Superman who’s world exists in the shadow of the Doctor, Leo would be a version of the Doctor that exists in the Shadow of Superman. He’s not literally Lex, he’s your Kristin Wells/Legion/DC One Million figure, possibly a future Luthor, possibly the first child of the Luthor/Kent families coming together in the far off 42nd century. A temporal adventurer who’s early experiments caused all his potential futures to crash down on top of him, transforming him into a hypertime singularity. His technicolor dreamcoat crafted from fifth world

wondertech, regulating his body to ensure each hypertime strand gets its time in sun while keeping the darker fringes in line….most of the time. Or at least, that’s what I’d do, feel free to discard this as mental bastard bullshit.

[juleswritesthis]

Roswell NM 3x11 Thoughts (I have a lot of thoughts!!!)

Contrary to popular opinion I really liked this episode. Yes, the science was so made up it was funny, yes certain character choices are hilariously silly, yes there was a lot of scenes filled with exposition dump, yes characters disappearing for episodes not to be mentioned as if they don’t exist is jarring & annoying, and omg yes, the Wyatt arc (if you can call it that) fell flat and was a complete waste of valuable screen time. So yes, I agree with most everyone’s assessment. That said still a very enjoyable and entertaining episode setting up the final concluding 2 hours of the season. Let’s get into it.

Jones is highly entertaining, overly good looking, and sometimes hilarious villain. Nathan shines bringing charm and depth to the role. Its important to note that Jones hasn’t caused any lasting damage to the group. Sure, he has tried to kill various members, he’s responsible for putting Maria in a coma & has kidnapped half the cast basically, kept our heroes busy all season. But when it comes to killing or destruction it’s really been focused on the dregs or racist folks of the town, the poor scientist in Santa Fe (I think it was Santa Fe) & the lady at the university last week. No one of any real consequence to our heroes. Now I have no idea if Maria’s vision arc has concluded because it hasn’t been mentioned in forever, but I’m assuming that there will be a major death by season end. Noah killed Rosa and the 2 other girls, abused Isobel for 10 years and destroyed the lives of all the mains. For Jones to be a real big bad there’s got to be some long-lasting consequences to one or more of our mains. Though I’m going into the final 2 episodes with excitement there is some concern. I don’t think any of the mains will perish but I do worry about Sanders and even Heath. (I’m really worried about Sanders y’all especially after that promo!!!)

Jones negotiation with Liz was bizarre. Why negotiate at all? Wouldn’t he just threaten to kill or maim people…what the heck is Liz’s bargaining chip against an all-powerful, evil dictator? If she doesn’t do what he wants he can just start killing folks she loves. It really is that easy. I get the whole creativity inspiration thing but fear for those you love is a great motivator. I was so amused that after hours of discussion Liz pulls out the big guns… free the sheriff. Was that her wild card? Really Liz? She may be a kick-ass scientist with a boatload of courage and sass, but I wouldn’t have her negotiating any of my needs anytime soon.

Isobel and Rosa scenes continue to delight. I think it’s clear Rosa won’t be in Season 4 much. As much as I will miss her, I’m glad that she will find some peace and joy at art school, she deserves it. Unlike Wyatt who does not deserve any tranquility because his redemption (if you can call it that) was not earned. Instead, his memories were wiped along with it any true feelings of guilt and remorse. How can we believe he has truly changed? What happens if his memories return? So silly and completely wasteful screen time (no offense to the actor who is quite good and likable).

The Dallas and Max scenes were wonderful. Don’t get me wrong I prefer the show not tell method. And Dallas conveniently having the entire Oasis history in a memory from his father then regurgitating those memories to Max (and the audience) was not the best way to convey the story. However, the actor who plays Dallas is ridiculously charismatic and I could listen to him recite the phone book (do those still exist?) and be entertained. Plus, for one moment I truly believe that Dallas had gotten through to the constantly self-sacrificing, martyr that is Max Evans. But as the promo for finale proves with Max asking Michael (why Michael?) to kill him, the words didn’t stick. Oh Max…

Speaking of, I truly feel so bad for Max. He’s had it rough. In a span of couple weeks, he’s been told he is a clone of an evil dictator, he isn’t the Savior but in fact a weapon to bring down the real Savior who also isn’t really a savior but a genocidal maniac (Michael’s words not mine) who slaughtered half his planet. Not to mention the “there has to be 3” doesn’t include him, as he isn’t part of the triad. And that because he is a clone, he doesn’t actually have biological parents or siblings or anything, well Michael, by DNA sort of, maybe? Oh, and he is the only thing tethering the evil, psycho dictator to life. I mean…

My hope for Season 4 is that Max gets to process everything he has learned about his existence. He hasn’t expressed how he feels the entire season and he deserves to. I hope the writers don’t have him get over it by season’s end with one scene or worse just sweep it under the rug. Like being a clone of an evil psycho, to be used as a weapon, without any real connection to Isobel and Michael? That’s got to have some lasting effects…please writers let me see it on my screen.

Speaking of show not telling, Michael’s new powers. I not a fan of Michael telling us a story of how he used his mind control powers accidently when he was 18. Can we please see these scenes so we can feel the true emotional impact?

As for these powers, strap in, this is a doozy (and might be controversial). I, like Michael, feel that taking someone’s free will, no matter who they are is not a good power to have; it’s not fun, it’s not cool. Michael is right that’s some dark shit and a power that needs to be used very sparingly and with a ton of responsibility.

I loved the scene between Sanders and Michael, but I have a couple issues with some of the dialogue. Sanders is the only living person (other than Jones) that knew and loved Nora. Thus, he can speak about her with authority. He is also the only person who is any kind of real parent figure in Michael’s. Thus, him saying Michael has no darkness can be believed. He knows Michael and he knows Nora. However, Sanders doesn’t know what its like to have powers, especially an immense power such as mind control. Though I appreciate Sanders’ perspective (and agree with him about the purity of Michael’s soul) I wasn’t a big fan of him brushing away Michael’s fears about having mind control powers and not wanting to use them. Yes, it’s important for Michael to recognize just because he has Jones’ power doesn’t mean he is or will ever become Jones. It’s not the powers that make a person. But the line about Nora not fearing her powers was not helpful. Nora’s powers were telekinesis, engineering (if genius is a power) and possibly miraculous crop growth. None of these powers take away a person’s ability to control their actions (well telekinesis to a certain point but in nowhere near actual mind control). So of course, Nora didn’t fear her powers.

I wish someone had validated Michael’s fears instead of brushing them away with a few words of you have no darkness or in Isobel’s case you aren’t like Jones/Noah. A person does not have to be evil or bad to misuse a power like mind control & for that misuse to have dire consequences. Can you imagine being able to make people do what you want them to do at any time? Even if your intent is to do good, it doesn’t mean it’s something that should be done or won’t have major consequences. Sort of like the ends justify means conversation between Jones and Liz. What is the line, do you recognize it and what’s to stop a person from inches towards the line and what happens if you cross it?

So, my wish for next season is for Michael like Max is given time to process what he has learned about himself and his powers. My wish is for Michael is to continue to struggle with when, how and if he should use the mind control power. That way even when faced with a racist sheriff that is holding a gun to his friends, he is careful, asks for consent and never takes advantage of this tremendous power. In addition, I do think it would be very interesting to continue to explore these powers and how they maybe could change a person? Take Max’s power to give and take away life force. He killed Noah and used that life force (and his own) to bring Rosa to back to life. Seems like a good exchange but ethically and morally having a person decide who lives or dies? And how would this all fit into religion with Dallas being a priest? These could make for some great conversations and strong character development. Fingers crossed we see some of it and not just get told in passing.

The music in the episode was amazing. The beginning with Nothing Else Matters and Jones is a tux… I mean… Also, the ending with the fight sequence, building the suspense, only for the reveal to be that Jones had wanted them all to come so he could trap Liz, Dallas, and Max along with Isobel and Michael (for extra leverage) in his mind. I’m confused about why everyone was sitting but Michael was standing? Is he able to move or is he able to resist his father’s mind control? I’m really looking forward to next week and for Team Human to come to the rescue (maybe).

Favorite lines of the episode:

Sanders to Michael: “You are just a pair of sad puppy dog eyes and a cowboy hat”

Jones to Team Alien & Liz: “Well, everyone seems a little tense” (LOL I love Jones!)

Dallas (or Isobel) writing on the wall to Jones: “KNOCK, KNOCK”

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Retrospective Review: The Lego Batman Movie

When I first saw The Lego Movie, I really wasn't expecting much. I loved Legos as a kid but a movie based on Legos didn't feel like it was targeted at me and was more for younger kids. I went with my friend and his younger brother and I walked out having had a blast, with Lego Batman being one of the scene stealing characters. However, I was still slightly apprehensive on whether an entire movie can be made on what was a fun, but fairly one note, side character. Turns out that I was apprehensive for no reason because The Lego Batman is not only a complete joy to watch, but is also surprisingly emotional.

The film actually does an excellent job of balancing the tone. At its core, this is an action comedy. There is a lot of humor, quite a bit of it at the expense of the previous movie version. The film has some good natured fun with BvS, Justice League, TDK movies etc.... But at no point does it become an outright parody. The film still manages to explore the character of Batman and the damaged and lonely person that he is, even in the context of a fun animated Lego based movie. And it also does an incredible job exploring the Batman and Joker dynamic. You genuinely feel bad for the Joker when Batman refuses to acknowledge him as his arch nemesis. The film very effectively explores how lonely Batman, and his refusal to accept help from Robin, Barbara Gordon, or Alfred. He even refuses to admit that he has a problem. The film has a great character arc for Batman as he goes from being a self centered hero to being humble enough to accept help to even. The plot is actually pretty fun because you get to have Joker team up with non Batman villains like Sauron and Voldemort, among others. The film is around an hour and 45 mins and its incredibly snappy. The film movies at a fast pace and you are never bored, and yet it managed to give enough character moments for the heroes and the villains. The animation is absolutely gorgeous and the action scenes are thrilling.

There is really not much here in terms of negatives. The film could afford to be a little longer, in order to let the characters breathe a bit and allow the characters' emotional journeys to be a little more impactful. The film is very much focused on Batman's character journey so the secondary characters, while all fun, don't exactly get a lot of character development. If you really wanted to nitpick, you could say that the defeating of all the powerful villains was a little too easy and the resolution happened very quickly. But that's really a fairly minor nitpick.

The voice acting is awesome across the board. Will Arnett is really great as Batman. He's having a lot of fun in the role but he also manages to toe the line between serious and humor perfectly. Zack Galifianakis is an awesome Joker. Michael Cera as Dick Grayson is funny as a young Dick Grayson. Ralph Fiennes is hilariously dry as Alfred and Rosario Dawson really good as Barbara Gordon. There are fun supporting roles from Jenny Slate as Harley Quinn, Channing Tatum as Superman, among others.

Chris McKay does a real good job as director. I don't know if he directed anything before this, but I liked The Tomorrow War, that he also directed, so I think he has talent. Hope to see his Nightwing project, if it ever materializes. Overall, this was a real fun time. An 8.5/10.