#this episode is laying the groundwork i can already see it

[connabeth]

annabeth teasing percy about him being on the brink of calling her a friend (even though he literally just said he’d turn his back on his dad for her because she's done a lot more for him in days than poseidon his whole life, which goes a lot deeper than maybe friendship) is gold because you KNOW she is never letting that shit slide. down the line in season 2, when she's crying in his arms underwater in a bubble over what the sirens showed her, i hope she wipes her tears real quick and tells him he went through quite the length to save someone he could never be friends with. in season 3, when annabeth is rescued from being kidnapped (after percy sneaks onto a quest he has no business being on yet again because he cares about her too much) and he asks her to dance on olympus during the solstice, i hope she jokingly declines because they could simply never be friends and not friends don’t dance with each other. in season 4, when he’s by default assumed to be a companion on her quest, i hope she goes ‘actually…i only bring my friends on quests with me’. in season 5, when he asks for a kiss for good luck, i hope she puts him in place bc who asks people they’re not even friends with for kisses? when he confesses his feelings for her and is trying to tell her she’s his tether to his mortality and a reason he denied godhood, i hope she goes ‘surely you didn’t think of me. because we could never be friends” before she kisses him. writers do your fucking jobs PLEASE

[ineffably-human]

It honest to God took me a month to rewatch the last two episodes of this season of Shadows, because I'm still so mad about how they handled Guillermo's decision. And I'm probably going to always be mad. I think this season wasted a lot of time that could have been spent laying better groundwork, for both Guillermo's decision and for Nadja and the Guide's subplot.

But something did click into place for me in that very last scene, where Derek's being ushered down by Topher to meet the other zombies. Season Three was unofficially about power and protection. Season Four was officially about change. I thought this season was going to be about secrets. But it's actually about belonging to a community.

The vampires were out in the world a lot more this season. Colin runs for public office (passing among humans as he can), which drags him into the interests of the community of energy vampires. Nadja connects to a community from her homeland, and winds up caring about them more than she ever expected. Laszlo's mostly focused on the experiments, but his natural ease with Sean (and humans in general) is on display a few times - and when the vampires think he's in distress, they throw a whole party to rally him. The Guide, of course, struggles the whole season with feeling like an outsider who can't be part of the group she cares for.

Sean links the vampires to the pride parade, not just celebrating the queer community, but making the vampires the face of queerness, of immigration, of Staten Island itself. (And Guillermo gets his first taste of Pride, and of a community he'd never been able to claim until recently.) At the same time, it's shown that vampires always feel like they're a step away from being found out by humans, of their surrounding community turning on them and forcing them out.

Nandor struggles throughout the season with social awkwardness, communicating, being misunderstood; he fails to connect with strangers without hypnosis guiding the conversation the way he wants it to go. But the other vampires have become his home, in a way that's evolved past their relationship during Season Three. He rallies them successfully during Local News. He and Colin Robinson look out for each other. Keeping Guillermo's secret is just as much about protecting Nandor as it is protecting Guillermo.

(It's still Guillermo he's always calling out for, though. With the certainty of someone who already knows where home is, he just hasn't named it yet.)

And as always, Guillermo is stuck in between two worlds. He can't connect fully with his bio family, but can't truly step away from them. He wants to be a vampire, but his transformation fights him and he can't see humans as prey. He wants to come when Nandor calls, but can't tell him about the biggest thing that's happening to him.

By the finale he feels more isolated from the vampires than ever, to the point that he can't see what's actually happening: by the time they all know his secret, the others have rallied around him, and are seeing him as another member of the family in need of protecting.

And once Nandor realizes that he cares more about losing Guillermo than his own pride, he deliberately brings that community to Guillermo: he introduces Guillermo as the fifth of their household, and throws him a birthday party to bookend the one at the start of the season. He makes Guillermo a ceremony, invites everyone they know, and asks if he's willing to become one of them forever.

And it's not that Guillermo doesn't want to be a vampire. He does, desperately. It's that he can't stop also being a human.

So instead it's Derek (a vampire basically living as a human, and deeply lonely for it) who is ushered into a new community ready to welcome him, something Guillermo has always been hoping for.

("Do you like eating human flesh? Heh, you will!")

Guillermo still doesn't have The Thing he wants, not really. He still has to name exactly what it is. But Nandor helped guide him towards where home is. And Laszlo helped him pick up the pieces. The vampires don't love Guillermo like a fellow vampire, but they love him like Guillermo, and like with Colin last year that doesn't just reset. It can't. The roots are in too deep, it's already bound everyone stronger.

We'll just have to wait to see what it turns into.

[bee-a-lover]

let’s talk about the shadow and bone s2 ✨controversy✨

here’s my two cents. obviously, beware spoilers ahead.

specifically, this is going to be about how they handled the crows. and as a little disclaimer, you obviously don’t have to agree with me.

what i’ve seen people most upset about is how they took events from crooked kingdom (kaz’s revenge on pekka), or created scenes that somewhat resembled those events (kanej bandage scene, etc) and squashed them into the first four episodes of s2 with no build up. and i can agree that when you view it like that, it’s upsetting and underwhelming.

here’s the thing- i don’t view it like that.

the way i see it, the crows content we got in the first half of season 2 were teasers for what’s to come in their spin-off. a preview for the character development they’re about to go through in their spin-off, and laying groundwork for what’s ahead.

for example, the kanej bandage scene we got in the show was not the bathroom scene from the books. their conversation was not the same and didn’t hold nearly the same weight because it was a conversation from early in six of crows before they had relationship development. what differed was the setting and the actions, but even so, kaz attempting to clean inej’s wounds with his gloves on and telling her simply that pekka rollins killed his brother, having the “tells” convo, WAS NOT kaz opening up about his trauma while pushing himself to clean inej’s wounds without gloves and having that intense intimate moment with her. i keep seeing people say that that WAS the bathroom scene, to which i strongly disagree. what i think will happen is that in the future of the show, we will get the bathroom scene, and we’ll have that on-screen full-circle moment to when kaz was cleaning her wounds in s2 and could barely do so.

and i think that goes for all of the ck-resembling content we got from s2. save for the alby confrontation, which was directly from the books. we did get a version of the slat fight— and based on what i’ve seen with the writer’s talking about the spin-off, we’ll get something equal in emotional weight when the time is right for it. perhaps something with even higher stakes than in the books. because let’s face it, pekka rollins is probably going to be back to haunt kaz. he’s already teaming up with matthias. that guy’s gonna be back, and that’s going to mean something. the new content that will generate is almost like getting six of crows 3 and mixing it into the plot of soc and ck.

and i’m excited for that. i’m excited for the new relationship dynamics we have to work with. inej is getting a taste of her dream going with sturmhond, but we know that isn’t the end for her. she hasn’t had her arc yet where she realizes that she needs to hunt slavers for herself. when she comes back for the six of crows story, it’ll be interesting to see how the realization that something is still missing in her journey to reclaim her life will affect her.

and then there’s kaz, who’s going to be dealing with the realization that revenge is not the end, and like was lightly touched upon in the latter half of the show, he needs to figure out what’s next for him.

and sure, jesper’s getting more comfortable with being a durast where the show leaves him, but what happens when he realizes that his gambling debts have doomed his father? what happens when colm comes back into the picture? those questions from the books are still left unanswered in the show.

wylan in particular i think was done so brilliantly in the show. people were mad that they dropped that he couldn’t read early, but i think it’s genius, because it just leads casual viewers who haven’t read the books away from his other secret even more. people like my mom who haven’t read the books but seen the show just assume that he’s illiterate because he was never taught to read, because he’s presented as just some penniless guy in ketterdam with no money for food. when his true story is revealed, it’ll come as even more of a shock, and put the casual viewer in the same boat as the characters— we thought we knew this guy, but turns out we don’t know him at all. and with wylan and jesper already being in a relationship? something tells me jesper isn’t going to take that well— hence the “merchling” teasing will ensue, and the tension. if anything, their established relationship just ups the stakes. jesper thinking his friend and crush is on the ferolind when it blows up in the books is one thing, but jesper thinking his BOYFRIEND is on the ferolind when it blows up in the show? jesus christ, we aren’t ready for kit young.

what i’m trying to say is, it might help your enjoyment of the show to not view the crows scenes as THE scenes from the books, because with all my heart i don’t think that’s what they are. i’m not saying these “teaser” scenes were necessary, but that goes back to the crows’ inclusion in the shadow and bone plot being forced and unnecessary. which is unfortunate, because the crows deserve to get to the good stuff in their story, but at the moment they’re in a holding position because they just don’t have enough time sharing the screen with s&b to do their story justice. which is WHY GETTING THE SPIN-OFF IS SO IMPORTANT. if you want the storylines we love the crows for, if you want the REAL crooked kingdom scenes with their buildup and emotional impact, we gotta help the crows get their own show. even if that means watching them be filler in the s&b show. which is still completely possible to find enjoyment in, at least from my perspective— you just gotta view it less critically and more like foreshadowing for what’s to come, getting to see these characters build relationships early so that they might in fact be stronger when we get to their story in the show.

and when you view it like that it can be exciting! what’s worse than pekka that the crows will have to deal with? what confrontation will inej wiitness kaz have that affects her view of him like witnessing the alby confrontation in the books did, since she missed it in the show? how will seeing the alby confrontation affect jesper and nina’s perception of kaz (we can still get “who the hell is jordie” guys, jesper doesn’t know kaz’s brother’s name). the s&b show expanding on the crows content, even if the storylines are messy and rushed and unnecessary, is also building their relationships and characters. so when we do get the proper soc storyline, we’re ready for them in a different way than when we started the books.

[melfinawins]

I originally posted this in a reblog to @melonatures, but I'ma post it here.

Since you posted this, I haven't been able to forget it. I love it, but it took a little bit to figure out why these two gifs are particularly great.

I love your gifset. Let me explain all the ways:

"No, no, no. Fak's not my best friend."

I love how Carmy's face is turned away from the camera for a moment. And he hesitates and looks towards his front door where Syd just left. But then he agrees that Neil is his best friend. Which is totally fine! But I wonder if he was pressed by say, Nat or Richie he'd say the same thing. Fak is best friends to everyone, but is he Carmy's? I dare say Carmy's best friend is Syd, considering we're shown in the show how they are quietly and steadily laying the groundwork for a long, strong and substantial partnership. A partnership that is also a relationship.

We know that Carmy is working with Syd to reach her goal of a Michelin star, stars he thinks are bullshit. This is her goal but he's more than happy to help her reach it, to the point that he's willing to give her hands-on training on how to perfect a dish. Perfection requires fine tuning and precise decisions. Syd is an amazing chef early in her career, and has the makings of a wunderkind on the food scene if she can harness her natural abilities and training. I think Carmy sees that in her and admires it. I think he's attracted to her love of food and by spending time with her on the menu and just hanging out, it's reminding him that, even if he became a chef to spite Mikey, he actually loves it, he just didn't want to do it alone.

In working together to make the menu for The Bear, which will also help Syd get the star she covets, they've gotten close (more close than sitting behind the shop and commiserating), even if it's how they each come to their ideas about menus. In Honeydew, Luca tells Marcus that he experiences life and that's a part of what makes him a better chef. Sydney already does this. We see in Sundae how Syd gets inspiration for dishes, as well as her getting ideas in dreams (shortrib and risotto). Carmy is by the book, but I think he likes the way Syd thinks. That man would have never put chips on Nat's omelette! But I think Syd craves his wealth of knowledge and experience and ability to edit himself. We see in an episode where she realizes she's doing too much to a dish with Tina. Carmy helps her by hearing the ingredients and giving advice; I love Tina and everybody else, but only Carmy can provide that for her. They really do compliment each other, and learn about each other through their cooking.

"I fe- sorry, I feel like I should have known that, or, or- something--"

Makes sense that Carmy was mistaken! I think he's gotten to know aspects of Syd over a short period of time and in this scene he's maybe noticing that Syd holds things close to her chest. Omission plays a big role in her psyche. He can't just assume that she's okay or that she's an open book, because she's not.

Like mentioned above, I think Carmy is learning a lot about Syd through their menu creating. He's listening to her stories and anectdotes, laughing at her humor and learning about what she values through the food she creates. They have such symmetry through food, he assumed (incorrectly) that he knew more about her than he did. Because Syd is bringing back his love of food and the two of them really do communicate their desires through food. Syd loves taking care of people. But so does Carmy! They both don't want to use tweezers on food they don't care about. They want to use tweezers to show how much they love people lol

I love his stuttering in this gif because this man lost the plot and thought he could substitute communicating through food with actual communication. Example: Bro really was confused when Syd wasn't happy about the wall being torn down. By his logic, he tore the wall down for her, like he's working on the menu for her, so what's the big deal? (Someone save this man.) He's very action oriented, so it flew right by him that making a menu with Claire for Syd wasn't it, because he thought doing this action was what she wanted--like he said in that particular scene. But Syd wants communication and hands-on training (😏😏😏), because they're doing this together and if he just wants to put a menu together without her, she can just go somewhere else and make bullshit no-love tweezer dishes. They're supposed to be doing this for the love of food, not to just make money.

And even though they talk to each other via food, it doesn't make up for the other way they can and should communicate: straight up talking.

But The Table ™️ scene shows, in my opinion, that he's learning that. "Say more, please."

Anyway! I love this gifset melonatures. Sorry if this broke any Tumblr edicate. I loved your gifset. Thanks for making it! ❤️

[markantonys]

Idk if you saw the Josha Collider interview but he kinda hints we might get some Randlayne in s3? Which I am curious about that cause I didn't think they'd have time. Also that the Randfear relationship will continue where it left off and get even more complicated (which is very much their Shadow Rising dynamic)

i'm gobbling up these randlayne crumbs!!

but he keeps it very vague here and i don't think there's anything too surprising in what he says - the fact that the show took the time to signal randlayne in 2x08 definitely implies to me that they plan to follow up on it in SOME way in season 3, and given that daniel was already talking about having filmed some lanaeve scenes way back in june which according to the block filming schedule would probably mean those scenes are somewhere in the first block (eps 1&2), i think we can pretty safely assume that the tanchico & waste travel groups won't split up right away, and that we'll see rand and elayne interacting early in the season.

now, that doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be making out all over falme or declaring their love for each other already! "a gradual thing which needs to be organic" definitely makes me feel pretty good about my prior randlayne guess, which is that they'll be getting to know each other and building a connection early in s3 and laying that groundwork for romance, but nothing explicitly romantic will happen between them before they split up for their respective journeys. because they wouldn't have included that Moment between them in 2x08 if they didn't intend to build upon it pretty promptly at the start of season 3, so we've got to be seeing SOMETHING more on the randlayne front, but i don't think it will be anything huge. and what josha says here supports both parts of that prediction, i think! his comments on rand's headspace at the start of s3 also make me think it's unlikely rand will be jumping straight into brand-new romance during the first episode block, and since we know tanchico & the waste are both in, i don't think rand would see elayne again until the second half of s3 at the earliest and perhaps not until s4 (in person, anyway; further randlayne development through TAR chats is not outside the realm of possibility!)

and of course, avirand isn't something josha would be hinting at even a tiny bit in interviews since it's way too much of a spoiler, given that the two of them haven't even met yet, so randlayne being the s3 romance he's discussing doesn't mean avirand won't sneak in there and end up happening first! but all this being said, i am always ready for the show to surprise me and prove me totally wrong haha

and he made intriguing comments about randfear too, like you say!

in a couple of today's other interviews he said he wants randfear endgame djkjfg i'd have a shipping war with him about that, but i love how much he's loving digging into this relationship! lanfear positioning herself as ~the only one who understands him~ despite him being surrounded by his friends definitely sets up some toxic shit and i can't wait to see where that goes in s3. i love Mess!!

(..................i'm saying nothing about book!min positioning herself as ~the only one who understands him~. nothing at all!)

wait a moment. literally right here josha says rand is with his friends at the start of season 3, so that pretty much confirms we'll be starting off with the gang all still together!!!!!! (of course, he could mean just that he's with mat & egwene en route to the waste, but given daniel's confirmation of lanaeve scenes, i think at this point we can feel very very confident in seeing the whole gang still together at the start of the season)

[revelisms]

This is probably a reach (and I'll bet someone's already said something about it before), but I think about this every time I hear this song.

So: some over-analysis on 'Our Love' in Arcane.

(long post, spoilers abound)

Like most of the soundtracks in the series, this song serves as a narrative vehicle. It bookends the beginning of the events that act as the catalyst for Episode 3—Powder and Vi's separation, Silco and Vander's reunion, and the foreshadowing of Vander's death—while describing, through two narrators, a type of love that cannot be broken.

At first glance, one would assume the song is serving as a metaphor for Powder and Vi. The scene in the bar opens with this shot of a record displaying two girls/sisters. This hints that the song is a allegory to their relationship, and how nothing can change the bond that they share—no matter the hardships that will come their way.

In the same vein, however, it also serves as our introduction to Vander's connection to Silco. The scene lays the groundwork for the confrontation in the streets that will continue into Episode 3, and transitions into the closing credits right before Silco's monologue.

While the song plays, the visuals cut between Powder, Vander, Vi, and Grayson's entourage—the beginning stages of Vander's arrest, and the interception we know will come from Marcus, Deckard, and Silco. Later on, that scene eventually ends on Silco's reveal to Vander (with the implication that, like Benzo, Vander won't walk away from this alive).

What I find interesting is that while the lyrics provide a dissonant tone to the images we see on screen—a warm, soulful and loving tune, while enforcers comb the streets for a body to blame—they're also eerily predictive of what we see in the series, down the line.

Not only does this feel intentional, perhaps, on the show writers' part ('Dirty Little Animals' both follows and tells of a new Zaun beneath Silco's rule; 'Dynasties and Dystopia' opens with Ekko on a throne, laying out his and their people's climb against a higher order; 'What Could Have Been' matches nearly shot-for-lyric with the season's closing scene)—but it's cleverly juxtaposed: twisted into a cruel irony.

'OL' doesn't feel strictly about sisters and Powder's/Jinx's relationship to Vi—but, rather, as something more nuanced.

I read it as less about romantic or familial devotion, and more about the inherent complexity (and potential for destruction) in unconditional love: that the most intense, genuine, and protective forms of love can also be born out of the most primordial fears of loss, abandonment and betrayal; that love everlasting and bottomless as the ocean can also be instinctive, irrational, and violent.

The main thing here is that we don't see the same visual parallels with Powder and Vi, as the series progresses. Minus the design of the record and the opening shots of the scene, their narratives essentially unravel on their own terms (with 'WCHB' really cementing their final fray, by the end).

But dig into the shots of Silco and Vander throughout the series, and we get several images that the lyrics match almost explicitly to.

Our love is a bubblin' fountain That flows into a sea Deeper than any ocean For eternity

(Where do we see a fountain in the show? Where do we see a tangible ocean?)

(Hmm?)

What's interesting to me is that we see Jinx in some of these—which makes a subtle suggestion that both her and Silco are, in themselves, connected through these experiences, whether covertly or by coincidence—but we never see Vi.

Which leads me to wonder: whose perspective is being shown through the song? The savior ("lover")—or the betrayed?

For Silco, these images are all symbolic of returning to something else—a memory, place, personhood.

In Episode 3's monologue, he's returning to a different lens of that experience—back to the "peace" he felt, the sensation of the water holding him when he was drowning. At the river with Jinx, he is also returning to that place: literally washing himself down, in both a ritualistic and arguably spiritual sense, to re-experience that sensation. And at the fountain, he's returned to Vander's image—again, back to a body of water—and speaks to him.

All of which are connected to his betrayal.

Later on in the song, we get this double-edged lyric:

While the world turns around He holds me down, for sure

There's an implication here that the other person in the song is grounding the narrator: helping to keep them from falling off the earth while it turns—or, more literally, forcing them to stay down.

(And yeah, it's a stretch, shh I know—but where have we also seen that imagery before?)

(And again, with the parallels to Jinx—when her world is tipping, when she's remembering Vi, when she loses her confidence in being able to work on the gemstone, Silco brings her to the water. To the place of his own trauma, where he took a harrowing experience and reframed it. And—in a very twisted, but tender way—he lowers her into the water, and holds her down too, to pass on the same lesson.

These two. *drags hands down face*)

Anyway.

If we keep following the thread of Silco and Vander here, 'OL's chorus serves as a callback to the fountain and the imagery around the water; the point of Silco's death and rebirth—and point of no return—at the hands of someone he trusted, envied, loved.

Later on, the song also makes explicit references to rain, which suggests weathering through a difficult period: a setting that Episode 3 is building up to, right from the beginning.

And after all The rain will fall on us too

Not only does that message of hardship and perseverance feel closely aligned, in Silco's case—but it's also the reason Powder's first meeting with him tips the way it does. Because they both see the hardship in each other; see themselves in each other. Someone who has equally been betrayed.

(And where does that point of connection happen?)

(Singin' in the rain~)

That moment is visceral, and it lends itself to its own devotion. With Vander and Vi gone, these two are left to make an active decision on whether or not they'll choose each other, now.

And they do.

But I'll keep movin' on Proud and strong with you

Later on, Silco verbalizes this commitment—You're my daughter; I'll never forsake you. But it's clear, even from that shot of them before the fire, before Vander's own corpse, that that devotion (and unconditionality, despite both of their faults) was a path he was already turning himself to: something along the lines of, I will not betray you like he betrayed me.

(Ergo: We will not be what they were.)

(We know how that ends, unfortunately.)

The abridged version of what I think I'm trying to get at is: the placement of this song is genius.

It sets us up to assume Powder and Vi will never be torn apart (as Vi herself tries to reaffirm to Jinx, by the end), since their love is one that will last evermore—but, in reality, they are torn apart; their love is conditional, and the fallout of it, perhaps, is intentional—a mirror to a story that has yet to be told.

Because at the end of the day, Powder/Jinx and Vi are ultimately a reflection of Silco and Vander's own mistakes, hardships, and heartache—and proof that even after betrayal, even after a vendetta enacted and finished, there is still a longing to have something of what was: still a love there, eternally, despite it all.

[iamafanofcartoons]

Rabbit Debunks Hbomberguy’s “RWBY is Disappointing Video” and explains why the Critics are wrong about RWBY.  Part 1 of 2

Making a thread reacting to the hbomberguy RWBY is Disappointing video.

Mostly as a refresher and also because there’s been a lot of dissension regarding it so why not.

Intro Calls it R (Rue) By lmaoo.

You’re not supposed to pronounce the W So the gist of it, is that he feels like it has great concept that could be interesting, but fails to execute it in any meaningful way???

Like overall it’s bad but there’s few good glimpses-

Of what could be a great show.

I guess for now I guess I can give it the benefit of the doubt and assume good intentions so far.

No words on the History of Monty Oum and RT history.

I mean it pretty much all checks out

Though immediately admitting your bias against the show takes the validity of some of your criticisms away ngl.

So he loves the Red Trailer but brings up the views it gained and then brings up the views of the episodes (Vol 1 ep 1 and 2) as a sort of gotcha like “oh see the trailer is more popular than the episode like look at the 15M to (episode 2) 6.8M ratio!!!”

Like those are two-  Wildly different things my guy

But what’s up with that “Red Like Roses Part 1 is the best composed music Jess has ever done” take?????

That’s wild asF fr.

Like no way you listened to the soundtracks of V1-3 and still have that opinion.

Like it’s amazing but????

“Does she get the scar from the fight or from something else, oooo mysterious”.

Is this a bit????

She so obviously gets the scar from the fight so I hope it’s just a bit lmao.

Also the complaint about Adam is so weird?

“He’s so obviously a bad guy that it doesn’t make sense”

“Since there’s already wolves set up as the baddies in the series”

Like, it’s not word for word what he said but that’s the gist of it?

It’s a bad and very nitpicky complaint since there are many series with more than 1 antagonist and antagonistic force.

I don’t know.

Saying “it’s coming from a well meaning place” but then saying it’s extremely bad, followed up by an intro song saying that RWBY is lame and it sucks all while dedicating it to Monty is…. So disgusting??? And very disingenuous???

Using the ending of Vol 2 as a point in your “they don’t know their story” when Ruby is laying down all the things that they have yet to solve (leading into the new volume and this laying down the groundwork for it)

It’s obviously in your face my dude.

Ah damn, a little out of order, but is there instances where Miles or Kerry  acknowledges good faith criticism? Panels? Deleted tweets? Anything?

Mainly just curious if it’s true that they haven’t and he just didn’t do the research by saying he “has a hard time finding any”

Another thing. Forgot to mention.

Really wish he prefaced his complaints about the voice acting and writing that he understood that the studio itself was amateurish and small with not a lot of budget to work with. (Unless that’s true) not that there isn’t criticism but that- There are TANGIBLE reasons why it’s the way that it is.

Where Do We Even Start?

Uhhh they never dropped the Dust Theft plot line????

Volume 2 was literally the culmination of the dust theft and the reason is because of Cinder’s plans.

Another thing that’s in your face but just, weirdly you gloss over???

“The intro doesn’t set up the story properly… leaves out the fragile peace between the nations…. Leaves out faunus… leaves out semblances…”

Quite literally, the intro talks about things that weren’t even revealed until Vol 4 to 9. The intro is good and sets up what it NEEDS-

Like sure you can say “oh but it’s only added till later when they got the story that they wanted to tell straight”

Mate, a pro tip for a lot of writers renowned/acclaimed have admitted that some of their works or some of their best writing decisions were made by the seat- Of their pants.

You think Naruto, one of the most iconic and popular anime of all time would have spun into how it is just off the intro of the first episode?

What about Bleach?

ATLA?

One Piece???

There are so many instances where the intro just isn’t all encompassing bc- That just isn’t how story writing goes.

You can have the best most rigid outline in the whole world, but at times you’re gonna go off script because there’s something you want to expand upon more or explore.

Ends off this segment by saying that RWBY’s story is interesting and it has neat ideas (backahandedly by adding “to write a wiki about”) but the storytelling only gets worse.

Which, I sort of disagree with???

It’s not stellar by any means, but I chalk that up with them- Not having the sort of resources available.

However from what they managed TO put together it was coherent enough to convey what they were meaning to portray.

Though I do have my gripes with certain aspects of the first two volumes.

But from V3 on? It’s only gotten- Stronger.

Yes I harp on V5 a LOT and it’s still one of the weaker volumes, but the conversations and character dynamics where stronger than they’ve been.

It was mainly the animation in the last few episodes of the giant fight that I just, wasn’t vibing with at all.

Worldbuilding and Conveyance

So next he talks about how aura was explained.

Bringing up both Harry Potter and ATLA and how they tell it as an example.

Following it up by making a rwby edit to make it seem as if it was mundane and boring.

Which isnt the case at all.

If you- Actually take the time to watch the scene.

It's about 1:20 long and while the explanation of what Aura does is being told to the viewer, it shows Ren taking down the King Taijitu with his aura.

It's another valid form of story telling because it's not just two characters talking on screen.

it's also giving us an insight of how it would be put into action.

"No one just happens to have full on speeches prepared in case anyone is to ask"

Uhhh, have you met Weiss?

Even the examples you gave literally is Hermione and Katara.

"Why does Jaune not know about this?

When he came from a long line of hero's and monster Hunters."

Idk, how does Naruto not know about Chakra despite 8 years as a academy student.

He probably just skipped out on it or didn't take it seriously enough.

He never went to- A prep school like Signal either.

His transcripts were faked, so you could easily say he went to Beacon with nothing more than a Dime, A old Rickety sword and a dream lol.

Also Pyrrha is super smart and also a really great battle tactician.

Of course she would be able to- recite what Aura does word for word.

It's not mischaracterization.

You just want to twist that narrative against her.

And not just that, I feel a strong mischaracterization of Jaune.

If Jaune is played off as an idiot for jokes, that's cool. But if he's shown to just not- Understand or doesn't know about the world at large, then that could hint at the fact that Jaune is more than just an idiot.

He's probably born in the sticks/boonies.

A country bumpkin if you will where Hunters aren't all that well known nor pop culture.

It doesn't dumb down the other characters.

Because Weiss is frustrated herself that someone so famous isn't recognizable by anyone and everyone in the world.

Same thing with her and the SDC

For Christ sakes, he only knew Pyrrha from a cereal box be fr

Well he brings up the Jaundice thing and yeah that's fair, a lot of people have gripes with that (i'm not one of them) and brings up how Pyrrha is only really a character for Jaune's development as a fighter and romance option but not much else on her own.

Which... Yeah I kinda- get that too.

Like, I liked Pyrrha too, but I do wish she had more to do in V1 and 2.

But in V3 is where she shines.

Hell there were so many people who did cry and got shocked by the end of Vol 3 even with the amount of screentime she gets.

"Praise RWBY for being feminist and progessive cause most of the mcs are women... But Jaune has 4 episodes dedicated to him, and has the coolest girl in school flirting and helping him become a stronger warrior."

Jaune isn't the main character.

How I've always viewed RWBY and JNPR has always been: RWBY as the protagonist and JNPR as the deuteragonist.

They hold about the same amount of importance because of how close their teams are.

So of course you're going to want to give the deuteragonist development and screentime to.

And yes Jaune had Jaundice.

RWBY still has an ABSURD amount of episodes dedicated to them as well so the balance/ration will always be in RWBY's favor regardless of how you feel about Jaune as a character and Jaune's importance to the story.

Same goes for the rest of NPR

"The writer's dont know what Yang's semblance is.

It goes from her being angry, to it being her taking hits and she transfers that energy back to them by hitting them again, and then temper tantrums, and then re-xeplain it as a redirection of energy stored from hits."-

Uhh, no.

Her semblance has always been about redirection of stored energy from attacks and aiming them back at the opponent.

Every single time we see her use it, it's always after she's taken several hits.

It's probably still possible to use it without taking hits, but its more than- likely less powerful.

He goes on to talk about how semblances are abstract and only gets mentioned 14 episodes later.

Which sure ok, but the gist of them and how they work are still easily within the story.

Could they have expanded upon it more earlier on? Yeah they could.

But to sit there and say, "When Pyrrha used her abilities and Ruby and Weiss look at her like she was weird and surprised and confused she has powers too"

no no no no no, that is grossly misreading the scene.

Pyrrha has kept her semblance a secret from anyone and everyone.

No one knows what it is or if she even had one.

They were just confused by what she did, why her hand glowed black, and why her hand was out.

It had nothing to do with them being confused about why someone else had a semblance, but more so they never knew what Pyrrha's was.

and also, the reading of Semblance = magic is both meh and eh.

Like if you looked at any and every single semblance that exists in RWBY, every single one of them have to do with concepts that has nothing to do with earth, wind, fire, and water.

Whereas Magic in the series- has Maidens throwing storms, lightning bolts, fire, ice, etc. at any enemy they choose.

That's the major difference between magic and semblance.

Magic is divine, naturalistic. Semblances are more man made if that makes sense.

Man he really does not like how semblances are portrayed/exposited.

Like it's been just as long as he harped on for Pyrrha expositing the aura scene.

like the exaggeration that he's going to, to explain this is kinda crazy

It's not a semi complicated concept at all, like he said it was.

It's very easy to follow and very easy to understand. he brings up Emerald and Cinder knowing about it, but doesn't bring up the fact that Pyrrha had to have put it in her application for Beacon or her personal- record that only Beacon has track of.

A record that they broke into with the helps of Watts, but not just that.

But Mercury also figured it out because he's an intelligent fighter just like Pyrrha is.

You can just say that Pyrrha's opponents were all just dumb for not figuring it out.

But no, it's just bad writing I guess.

Brings up WoR as an example of not being able to tell the story completely and labels it as homework.

It's not necessarily out of the norm though.

There are lots of character guides, extra material that expands on characters, worlds-

nd ideas that you can't really put the time in the show to do.

Like let's look at the first 3 volumes and how most episodes where 12-15 minutes long.

And even then they were still trying to get the hang of writing for something so massive as RWBY.

Having extra material so readers can get a better understanding of the world around them isn't bad. because even then, most everyone knows who Faunus are.

How Aura works, what a semblance is. all of these on a surface level.

If you want to dig deep, thats what WoR is for.

Unless you just wanna insult the show and embrace ignorance?

Some Positive Examples

Such a nothing complaint really. 

Just Miles and Kerry's writing vs Monty's character acting (in terms of how he conveys the four in a team fight (example being Team RWBY vs Mecha Roman)). 

I mean, I dont know what to really say here.

"The writers are so busy writing drama and wacky skits to explain why they're friends while Monty is putting in the REAL work with the fight scenes and showing how close they are and how far ruby has come at becoming a leader."  

Yeah... Cause that's what writers and animators do

Briefly touches on Ships and how Monty, Kerry, and Miles referenced them in the fight. (also decided to call it creepy since Ruby is 15 and the other girls are 17...

Which isn't that bad??

Like Sophomore and Senior in High School really).

Wasn't Ichigo Kurosaki 15 and Naruto not even 13?

Also says they didn't make a name- for Ruby and Yang because of the certain fans that ship those two together so they avoided that one altogether

.... Which yeah??? Did you want them too lol??

I can't seem to see his point of bringing this up because on one hand it feels like he's admonishing them for it, but  on the other hand he seems... like he's a little upset that they dont have a team attack name?

Maybe just at the inconsistency of it. Which i can understand.

I would have maybe came up with one that isn't fandom made so they can have a cool SISTERS team attack, like Rose Dragon!

Ends off this segment talking about more Miles and Kerry vs Monty (with Shawn being added in).

Another example of writing vs character expositing through animation by using the Pyrrha vs Mercury fight as well as the exposition between Emerald, Cinder, and Mercury.

Lots of talk about animation being weird and how he's seen worse animation but the stories were good enough to overlook it.

I'd be a broken record by stating this again and again.

But just look at what they had to work with. Look at how divided the writing and the animation- really were with Monty coming up with new characters that the team had to shove in last minute.

Look at Poser even and how the engine was something really only Monty and Shane (oops I made a mistake in that other post) could work to the level that they did.

Look at RT and even CRWBY at the time.

And now look where they are now.

You can't tell me that they've gone downhill when most of your gripes that you've complained about are/have been fixed in the later seasons.

Gonna end it here and make it a 2 parter. This thread is-

Long enough and I'm tired extremely lol.

I'll do a QRT tomorrow and start it back up. 

If anyone has more to add or correct me on, feel free to QRT anything you feel i didnt do a good job of explaining or just missed in general.

Any help is appreciated.

https://twitter.com/PhonyMangaka/status/1653898140678856704

[paperstorm]

I always thought TKs heartbreaking line from 313 when he says something like you don't want those pieces (of me) was so sad but very telling. This was when they're back together in their loft but those insecurities and hurt still haunts him and all the love cant fix it. Can't even imagine what he was feeling right after the breakup, must have been thousands times worse 🥺🥺 I'm very excited to read your take on it, feels like you've already done the groundwork with your last fics in the series.

Yeah 😭😭 He really believes that Carlos might not love him anymore if he knew all of his dark past. These damn boys!!!!! They both have such deep scars of insecurity. I have a draft for the fic for that episode where after Cooper leaves and TK is crying Carlos gets him to just like lay it all out. Just like "Tell me the things you did at your lowest moments. What are you the most ashamed of" so that he can then show TK "okay, see, now I know that, and I still love you."

[exhuastedpigeon]

https://www.tumblr.com/exhuastedpigeon/746669319275020289/9-1-1-getting-renewed-before-they-finish-filming

Maybe it was just because I didn’t ever consider us not getting a season 8 but I agree with this because I’ve felt since before season 7 started that if they are doing buddie finally, it would be soft launched through out the season and then season 8 would be the hard launch. I’d love them together already for sure but I just never saw how they could realistically and in a way that didn’t feel rushed, get them fully together in such a short season. Especially with everything else going on like the cruise ship, the Madney wedding, the 100th, the Henren adoption, and the rest of the cast getting the screen time they deserve. There is only so much they can do with ten episodes lol. But laying those seeds? Pushing them closer and closer? Starting their clear “oh” moments through out these ten episodes so come season 8 (which should hopefully be a normal 18 episode season again) we can hit the ground running? That I can definitely believe.

Buddie in season 7 really does feel like a slow build without focusing too much on their dynamic. It just feels like they're really in sync so far (something we know is going to change in the next episode based on the summary).

I've said it to a few non-tumblr friends, but it really feels like the next two episodes are going to be a tipping point for Buck. If he has a sexual awakening moment this season then I fully believe we'll get Buddie in season 8. If Buck doesn't, I don't know how we get to Buddie since like you said, it would feel rushed.

I'm keeping my hopes high but my expectations low, not because I don't trust the writers and the show, but because I know what we want in the Buddie fandom isn't necessarily what the general audience wants.

But yes, season 7 is laying the groundwork for Buddie - season 8 would be when I think we'll start to see it all come together.

[muninnhuginn]

Thought I'd speculate about the Lu Guang possession scenario before next episode discards this all entirely. Looked at the standard dive protocol and how that maps onto what we know of the current situation. See below cut:

Standard procedure for a dive:

First go around takes place. This then lays the groundwork that CXS has to follow.

CXS possesses the person who took the photo (or in case of CCTV is inserted into the scenario as himself)

CXS then has to ensure that the timeline continues as in the original timeline. This isn't as straightforward as "everything has to be done identically" because minor changes can actually take place without breaking continuity. This is best demonstrated in the earthquake arc wherein CXS is able to deliver Chen Xiao's words to his friends/mother without it altering the node. This worked because the main node was the earthquake and so unless Chen Xiao had been able to entirely remove the others from the scenario there was little to be done that could save them. The way that timelines work in Link Click appears to show that timelines do have some give in them. Minor deviations are tolerated so long as the nodes aren't changed. The most important nodes we encounter in the series are death nodes (Emma being the obvious one, though it's unclear if her node always led to her death or if CXS's actions caused her death) though it seems as though they're not limited to that. Doudou's kidnapping, for instance, was also a node, which was why CXS had to let him be kidnapped and let the time pass until the present.

What makes an event a node is unclear, though I speculate that it's simpler than it seems in that it is "any event that would change the past such that the dive in the present would no longer be able to take place". In other words, if a node is changed, a paradox will occur as the initiating event is lost. This would explain the Doudou node and also fit with how Chen Xiao was able to get married and have a child in the new timeline (as implied by the ring he only has after the dive). So long as his mother died and the camera survived, CX would always be given the camera by his father once his father refound it and this was the triggering event for the dive.

(It's very broadstroke, of course, because if the task was to deliver the words and it was successful then Chen Xiao would no longer think he needed to deliver the words and so would no longer ask. You could argue it's a stable loop and CX just blocked out saying the words initially because of the trauma but in that case why the ring and child after the dive and not before? That implies something has changed, and we know it's not the node. So yeah. We're going broadstrokes with this and setting the rule as what makes sense within the series rather than following the implications of the writing through to the end conclusion.)

With all this in mind, if a node can't be changed because it would cause a paradox; if a dive is always CXS following the original path and he can diverge in minor ways but not stray entirely. Well, by that logic, the original path had to have been laid down by Lu Guang.

Others have already pointed out the kettle, but we know that in the first loop, the window was smashed by something else as the kettle is still visible in the room. In CXS's current dive however, he used the kettle to smash the window. And here's the part where I diverge from most people's speculation: I don't think using the kettle to smash the window necessarily alters the timeline. I think the timeline has enough leeway in it that CXS can still muddle his way through if he follows the rest of Lu Guang's path.

(Actually, tbh it's possible we're following CXS on his nth time around because so long as he doesn't have LG's guidance he never knows what was used to smash the window and so could pick a different item each time. We saw how he hesitated over picking an item so depending on the slight alterations of the previous loop he could easily pick a different one each time so long as it doesn't alter the node. The important thing is that LG did the initial loop and this is CXS in a following loop. I don't think the series itself will really care too much about saying this is xy number loop and will just keep it as "this is CXS's dive" because that's what it's done literally every other time).

If there is to be a divergence point, I believe it would be at the boat as at this point CXS wants to save LG and it seems odd with what we know of his characterisation that he would deliberately give Lu Guang up. I do think he will just because what Lu Guang said to Li Tianchen was censored from the viewers and so we'll almost certainly get to hear what he says this time around, but as for his motivation in handing Lu Guang over, I honestly don't know at this stage. It may simply be that he's constrained by not wanting to alter the nodes? Which would be character development for him tbh. CXS did well with altering Chen Bin's past without altering the node of his death, but as Lu Guang is much closer to him it really is a test of his character.

[the-power-of-stuff]

Just sat through the first three NATLA live els and have so many thoughts - the first thing I did was come straight over to your blog because why wouldn’t I?!?

A part of me LOVES Suki’s awkwardness. In fact, none of the gripes I have with Suki and Sokka aren’t about Suki and Sokka and their characterisation themselves, but rather just the execution.

But anyways — the vibe I’m getting is that Season 2 (Book 1? I’m not sure if they’re going by seasons or books) is laying down the groundwork for some of the characters. We know they’re doing that with Azula (and the Fire Lord fam as a whole), but it seems like they’re sort of doing the same with Katara, where they’re starting off with her being a traumatised, almost-shy 14 year old girl who comes into her own as the season progresses.

While I haven’t watched the show in it’s entirety — I probably should have before sending this ask in — I’m assuming this is all leading up to her confrontation with Pakku and role in defending the Northern Water Tribe towards the end of the season. And then that new found confidence in herself and her waterbending carries though to season 2, where we’ll (presumably) find a more fiery, outspoken Katara after I’m guessing a somewhat lengthy time jump?

Anyway — back to Suki. My question to you is, if I’m right in my theory about Katara (and all the others, tbh… I feel like what I said for K can apply to pretty much any of the gaang at this point), do you think the same could be said for Suki and her own development?

We see Suki at the start of ep 2 as a fierce yet slightly socially awkward, sheltered warrior who wants to leave her village and aid in the fight against the Fire Nation and travel the world. As it goes, she does leave her village, and perhaps becomes the confident and sassy (and awful at puns) girl we all know and love, all through her experiences aiding in the war and travelling the world?

Of course, this would mean that her development would largely happen off-screen… but even still, Suki was more familiar towards the end of the episode. She was the one who initiated the kiss, she made her feelings and mostly gratitude known to Sokka by giving him her fan, she told the gaang they had to leave.

It feels like that’s the route Albert Kim is going. He’s made it clear that it’s a re imagination and not a 1:1 adaptation. He clearly wants the show to have its own identity to some extent (e.g. the genocide actually being shown and basically being a mini prologue to the series) and this is his way of doing so through characterisation.

I’ve written way more than I intended, so sorry for this long winded tangent. But what I mean to ask is, do you think in season 2 we’ll see a Suki more similar to the og (while of course still being her own).

I’d love to know what you think! x

Ahh, this makes me so happy!! Thank you so much for enjoying this blog, and for sharing your thoughts and sending this ask! <3 (And absolutely no need to apologize for writing so much, either! Goodness knows I could go on forever about this stuff.)

I think you make a really good point about characterization in the LA, and the potential for certain traits (like Katara's fieriness) to develop more over time. And I've been thinking about it in terms of what we already know about LA Suki that could get built upon in later seasons.

I definitely think it would make sense for us to see Suki come out of her shell a bit more in season 2, although there are some things in the LA that make it hard for me to imagine Suki being quite as sassy as her animated counterpart, just because of the sort of foundation it gives us for her personality.

For one, there's Suki's interactions with her mother. If anyone were going to be on the receiving end of a teenage daughter's sass, even if that sass is buried too deep in shyness to come out around said daughter's crush, it would be her mother. And while we kinda sorta see Suki get a little petulant with Yukari (her delivery of "I'm not too young, I just haven't seen the world" is kind of a swipe? but is really very heartfelt), she overall seems like a well-behaved, obedient daughter. This isn't a King Triton/Ariel situation where you get the impression they've had this conversation a million times before and Yukari is exasperated by Suki always questioning her authority. In fact, it feels like the first time Yukari's even considered that Suki might want something more, and she seems pretty amenable to it, if the fact that she didn't storm into the dojo to break up Sokka and Suki's near-makeout session is any indication. So, even in these private moments where you'd assume Suki is more herself, there isn't much sass to be seen.

(Somewhat related to this, I had a funny sort of "Huh!" reaction to Yukari's, "Such a fierce warrior. And yet such a kind heart." Not that I don't think Suki is kind! It's just not one of the first words I would use to describe her. And not that I would've expected Yukari to say, "Such a fierce warrior. And yet also kind of a pill because you're always giving me lip." But that bit of dialogue is there for the audience's benefit; it was a choice the writers made to tell us what they think is important for us to know about Suki's character. So I had a moment of, "Oh, that's the takeaway we're supposed to have? Interesting...")

And then there's Suki's later interactions with Sokka. On the one hand, when they're training together, the romantic tension is through the roof; it's all very new and interesting for them and it makes sense that they'd still be a little shy about it. On the other hand, Suki gets comfortable enough around Sokka at this point to 1) remove her makeup, 2) have a deep conversation with him, and 3) touch him on the chest. We don't see her show the same awkwardness from earlier in the episode, but she also continues to be very serious. When Sokka pins her, and then she flips them over while he's mid-celebration, she follows up with a useful tip about fighting, and it's delivered completely straight (if a little breathless). No little jokes or jabs. No "Don't get cocky" or knowing smirks.

However, we are not completely without sass! There are a couple moments in particular that I feel have some of that familiar Suki flair.

First...

Lookit her smirky little "come at me, bro" face! That face 100% says, "C'mon then, let's see it, if you're so tough." There's a playfulness here, too, which we know is very much a part of her relationship with Sokka in the animated show. (This Suki up here? I could easily see this Suki saying, "😠I'm an elite warrior who's trained for many years in the art of stealth... I think I could get you backstage!��")

And then...

The thing I love about this is that she's all, "Nuh uh, I don't think so" (her little head wiggle!), but a fraction of a second ago she was staring blatantly at that boy's mouth. Nice try, sweetheart, but you ain't foolin' anybody. (This Suki is the Suki who smacks her forehead when her boyfriend tells terrible puns to actor-Sokka but who later gazes at him adoringly when he absolutely loses his shit because actor-Sokka actually said "rocky relationship" on stage.)

So...I guess the tl;dr answer to your question is, kind of? I can't see LA Suki getting to "Sorry, Warden, you're my prisoner now" levels of sass, but that's not really the tone the LA is going for anyway. I think we'll see her being very bold (a la taking the initiative to kiss Sokka) and very compassionate (saving Appa—I hope!!), and it makes total sense that, next time we see her, she'll be way more confident than the girl who could barely say a single word to Sokka before attempting to strangle him by way of flirtation. I also hope we'll get to see more of her playfulness! Maybe even some successful flirting? Probably not as forward as "Look at you, sleeveless guy...been workin' out?" but I'd settle for a sly head tilt and a cheeky little grin. And based on what we know of her so far, I don't think that's too much to ask. ;)

[themagnusbane]

GAP The Series Episode 5 Thoughts

Whew! Thought for a second there that they were going to deprive us of jealous Sam. Kinda like the way they deprived us of the kiss at the end of episode 3, and then started episode 4 without picking up from where they left off in the pool. But it looks like we are starting this episode with a face full of jealous Sam and I am HERE FOR IT!!!

2. Tee's little head tilt is like "oooooh. She angry, Angry". Yes Tee. Y'all's little stunt worked too well and now she's pissed. But because I know sapphic jealousy usually leads to sapphic confessions and hopefully some kissing, I'll say please take the jealous rants like a champ, and thank you for doing us all a solid!

3. Sam's like "Prawns are for my beloved. You touch them. You lose your hand." And as someone who loves prawns and hates having to share them... Thank you Sam. You make me feel seen. Now pass me some prawns. I'm hungry!!!

4. Also, I'm sure I read somewhere that shellfish are an aphrodisiac, in which case... Sam. I see what you did there!

5. Tee's really pushing Sam's buttons. See? This right here is why we say butch lesbians are the backbone of our community! Look at Tee putting in all that work to force Sam into confessing her feelings. We stan an icon!!!

6. Awww Sam. Look at you upset at their gentle teasing. Nobody's laughing at you. Tee's just laying the groundwork for you to confess to your girl that you're jealous, and then you both can get to kissing (LIKE WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE LAST 4 EPISODES!!!!).

7. I swear Sam. With how green you've turned, you owe Tee an apologies and gifts. This here is a PSA to treat your local butch lesbian with all the love and care cuz they are amazing, and I REPEAT, are the backbone of our community!!! Go Tee!!!!

8. Sam, honey. Sure Mon is learning to speak Sam, but she's still learning. You are going to have to use your words. Also, my girl still needs to grill you for ignoring all her messages while you were out, getting yapped at by Kirk the snitch! Don't think either of us have forgotten that!

9. Sam, requests for hot coffee; gets hot coffee, and then complains that coffee is hot. Also Sam, acts all jealous and snippy, doesn't give Mon a chance to say a word the previous night, and now is huffy that Mon hasn't texted her. Me, watching the hot ass mess that is Khun Sam:

10. Mon sweetheart. I know you love her ass. I do too. But you have to at least finagle an apology from ya girl. She stood you up on your date, ignored your messages, threw a jealous tantrum and gave you the cold shoulder. Sure she's cute and will look adorable as a little river prawn, but nevertheless, ASK FOR AN APOLOGY!!!!

11. Oooooh. Love the casual "well you already had prawns with Kirk so I'm sure you don't want to have prawns with me" that Mon tossed into their text exchange. You go girl. Finagle yourself that apology. Let Khun Sam know that she doesn't have the monopoly on being jealous!

12. I swear Sam. You're lucky you're pretty. All this bourgeois way of looking down on us poor folks, has me feeling pretty irritated. But then I look up, see your face, and all is forgiven. Urgh!

13. Sam, you can't leave her pinky finger hanging like that. Come on. Look at that little lonely thing. It needs another pinky finger to feel connected. Smoosh your pinky finger with hers! The way you know you want to smoosh your lips to hers! Come on Sam!

14. OMG. She doesn't know what the pinky promise is? Or that that's a finger heart? I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Poor Khun Sam. Urgh!!!

15. She's not taking the pictures because she's addicted to social media Khun Sam. She's taking them to remember her second date with you! And just like last time you both would probably start taking couple selfies at some point.

16. There is no way Mon doesn't know what she's doing. Talking about Chin sending her stickers on LINE and him flirting. She totally noticed that Sam's been green since the previous night, and is rubbing it in. In which case...

17. OMG!!!! Sam's little puffed up cheeks! DEAD y'all. I'm DEAD!!!!

18. Awwww that little moment of Sam, thinking she is alone, and letting herself swing back and forth on the swing, only to return to perfect stillness when Mon comes back, breaks me. This is all the fault of the witch that is her grandmother! I just know it! Wouldn’t let the poor girl be a child and play like one. Urgh!!

19. I get what they're trying to do with the negatives actually imply a positive because of the way Sam grew up and how she's been forced into things she doesn't like, by her grandmother (for example. Kirk is a good example of this. Although she likes him as a friend, she doesn't like him romantically; not like her grandmother would even care). But still, at some point, I wil need Sam to ACTUALLY SAY THE WORDS!! No double negatives. No indirectly telling her. I need her to actually say "I like you". Not for Mon to decipher it in the things she isn't saying.

20. The way I LOVE how this show is just employing the use of all the tropes!!!! Now we have the messy eater trope, and I AM SCREAMING!!!! I swear, if they don't kiss this very instant!!! Your fingers are already on her lips Sam. KISS HER RIGHT NOW GODDAMNIT!!!

21. OMG! It's happening. It's happening. "Bite my nose and I'll bite your lips". OMG!!!! We are getting a kiss!! WE ARE GETTING A KISS!!!!

22. What do you mean by friends don't do this. Girl! SHUT UP AND LET HER KISS YOU! Do you know how long we've been waiting for this??? URGH!!!

23. Oh God! Not fucking Nop with his fucking heterosexual ways, interrupting our kiss. NOP. She is gay, and in love with her boss. SHE IS NOT INTERESTED IN YOU. Let it go! Let her go! It's a nope from all of us Nop. Leave the sapphics alone! Urgh!

24. The way Sam is licking her lips while staring at Mon. Gods. She wants to kiss her so bad!!! THE LONGING y'all!!! THE LONGING!!!!! Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

25. Oh god! NOT FUCKING NOP AGAIN! I need someone to carry this boy and throw him in a trash can. Pussy-blocking piece of shit!

26. Same Sam. Same. I totally want to kick his ass too. The audacity to try and collect the prawns. Boy, was she talking to you??? Rude, entitled asswipe!

27. Jealous Sam is speaking FACTS!!! You go my queen! TELL THAT BOY THE TRUTH!! We all see past his "nice-boy" act! Eviscerate him in every way that counts. Speak those unpleasant truths that Mon can't say. See? This right here is why Sam is queen!!!!

28. Mon is like "nope. Not having this conversation. You both are not allowed to play a tug-of-war over who 'owns' me," and you know what? Valid. Absolutely valid.

29. Whatever she was "doing" with Sam, is NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS Nop! Urgh! I really really can't stand his ass. The audacity he has to ask her these questions. She doesn't need to answer you. She DOES NOT ANSWER TO YOU!

30. "This is so harsh" my ass. You keep pushing and prodding, and now that she's put you in your place, you're acting all hurt. Get the fuck out of here!

31. Rejected. Wet. And pitiful. It's what you deserve Nop. It's what you deserve.

32. At this rate, Mon might just accidentally blurt out the truth of her and Sam's relationship, without anyone asking her. Hehehehehe.

33. Poor Chin. This is what you get for making Sam jealous with your stickers.

34. The desperate need to have your crush follow you back on social media. I feel you on that Sam. I feel you!!

35. Sam, I love you and your fake scamming account profile. Please never change. ROFL!!!!

36. Sam. Girl. Are you trying to break the World Guinness record for number of stickers sent in a minute??? Hehehehe. I swear, Sam's jealousy at Chin's sticker game is SENDING ME!!!

37. Oh damn! I've never seen a sexier nose bite! Wow. Just wow! But also GJHGJHGHJGHJGJHG. DOES THIS MEAN THE KISS IS HAPPENING??? OMG! OMG! OMGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

38. Oh God. The sound I just made. That lip bite. Jesus fucking Christ. That lip bite. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. And the eye-fucking that followed. But with no kiss following it? I am ruined!!! They haven't kissed yet and I am already ruined. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

39. Hehehehe. Sam being all slick like "come to my house. You can sit. You can lie down. You can use my free wifi. And the air-con will have you nice and cool. You can finish up on work" and all I'm hearing is the silent but very loud "AND WE CAN MAKE OUT. OH GODS CAN WE MAKE OUT. YOU AND ME. SCISSORING TILL THE SUN RISES". Rofl. I love her your honour. I love her so much!!!

40. Oooooh. I love the nod to Sam getting Mon her own pajamas, in her favourite colour. It's a nice contrast to the first night Mon spent at her house and had to go to sleep in Sam's own colour and clothes. *Squeal*!!!

41. Her fake yawning and sighs are sooo cute. Mon, have mercy. Sam wants you in her bed and under her. Let's get to some sexy times. Please. Gods. We have been waiting for this for like forever!!!

42. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. That was a perfect first kiss. Why am I crying so much. That was beautiful. The laughing. Sam cupping Mon's cheek. Sam's lips pressed to Mon's lower lips. The finger sliding across Mon's lips, then back to cheek. The eye contact. Sliding back in to kiss her some more. Hands cupping her jaw. I am a PUDDLE!!!

43. Mon, you have released a monster. Sam will be wanting to taste those lips every other minute. Brace yourself.

44. Hold the fuck up! Did this bitch just pop open a pen with her mouth, whilst eye-fucking us???? Sam. WHAT THE FUCK?!!! You are NOT allowed to do that! Spare us! Spare some mercy please. WHAT THE FUCK??? Also, did anyone else think of bullet vibrators when she did that? The small ones? Cuz the way she has that in her mouth has me feeling things. And thinking things. And fuuuuuuuuck.

45. That wink! Sam! Who are you? Mon you've unleashed the kraken. And on behalf of ALL of us, we say thank you!!

46. The SCOY reference. YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!

47. Sam running her fingers through her hair. Oh God. Everything she does at this point is going to make me incredibly horny isn't it?

48. I really appreciate the fact that everyone who made this show know that sapphics spend an inordinate amount of time, looking at women's fingers (the girls that get it, get it), and the way the camera keeps panning to Sam's fingers, and the way they slide and glide and move their way around Mon's body... Lord, have mercy. Or rather I should say... Sam, have mercy.

49. I swear Martha/Jim is my favourite. Rofl! Yes please. Let's put her grandmother in a box. Then have a procession and bury her in the ground. Put garlic around it as well of course. Just in case she really turns out to be a vampire and decides she wants to pop out of her grave.

50. Girls. Is that the end of the call? But y'all didn't agree on ANYTHING. Rofl.

51. Sam is so funny. Girl, EVERY worker has a strong urge to spend money after they get paid. We console ourselves on having survived a full month of working, with some retail therapy. It's called a coping mechanism.

52. I love that Yuki's now part of their friend group as well. I knew I caught sapphic vibes from her when she was playacting with Mon, as Sam before Mon's first day. You go Yuki. Let Tee treat you like the Queen you are!!

53. Sam's friends are the absolute best!!! This birthday party's cute AF!!!

54. Awwwwww. Mon is so sad that she couldn't get her a birthday present on the scale of her friends.. My sweet baby. Just having you in her life is enough of a present. But I totally understand why you're so sad though.

55. I saw what you did there Sam. That lip balm is a present for you both. Cuz now when you kiss, she'll taste like strawberries. Khun Sam is so smart!!

Aaaaaand next episode's preview looks like things will stay spicy. I love it!!!

@ellaspore here are my thoughts for episode 5. It's long AF, but so many things happened and GAH!!! I AM STILL SQUEALING!!!!

[killian-whump]

Identity

Okay, so all jokes and fun aside... Let’s talk about it!

What do you guys think? What did you like? Not like? Do you think it should’ve been picked up? Or do you agree with it being passed on? Let me know!

In the meantime, I’m gonna tell you all what I think, because I love to hear myself talk talking seriously about Colin’s work :)

First off, I want to remind everyone that this is old work. It’s from 2011, 12 years ago, so we can’t really compare it to his more recent projects, because Colin’s always growing and improving as an actor. I think he did a great job here, but I feel like he would do even better in a role like this today. I feel like Colin has a lot more confidence now, and also allows more of his own natural charm to shine through - things I think would make John Bloom jump off the screen.

That said, John Bloom is a great character and I can definitely see why Colin was attracted to the role. They lined him up to be a brilliant good guy and bad guy - all at once. And you have the suspicious co-worker and the trusting co-worker... and the nuances and hints and secrets being revealed throughout the episode. Great stuff!

Unfortunately, I think the problem with the show itself is that they buried too much of that stuff in a completely unremarkable police procedural. The intro to John’s character, the expensive watch, the badge, the getting ready for work bit... It all lays a solid groundwork, but then they mire that down with a not-too-exciting identity theft case until the last few minutes of the show. Then they one-two slam you with a cryptic clue said by the Perp of the Hour and a reveal of what the whole deal is with John Bloom (and, additionally, what they were actually showing us in the beginning of the episode).

Now that whole cryptic clue in the beginning, slow burn subtlety, and abrupt cliffhanger-esque reveal at the end can work in some cases - but I don’t think a TV pilot is necessarily one of them. Or, at least, I don’t think this TV pilot was one of them. Gods know we don’t need yet another police procedural on TV, and we definitely didn’t need more of them in 2011. There has to be a really good hook to a procedural for it to get picked up and see success. And John Bloom’s nefarious double life would’ve been that selling point. Yet that opening sequence and the hints and comments made throughout the show did little to really sell that point. They point out that John used to work undercover, that he helped bring down an Irish Mafia ring or whatever, and that there’s suspicions and hints that he might not have left everything behind.

THAT’S NOT WHAT THEY HAD THERE. Bro did not have some baggage and residual issues left behind from his undercover days. He had a whole fucking airport operating out of his backyard without anyone noticing or filing a noise complaint. Dude was straight up living two opposite lives with different wardrobes, occupations, and accents (yay!) and that shit would’ve been fucking interesting as hell to watch.

They shouldn’t have even tried to sell this as a police procedural with an enigmatic former undercover agent. This should’ve been “John Bloom is fucking wilding out here and he might solve a crime or two each week if you’re lucky.”

Instead, they basically spent 40 minutes trying to sell us on a used bicycle only to go “Actually... it’s a brand new car!” at the last second. Only problem is... when you’re a network TV pilot, your audience has already gone, “But I don’t need a used bicycle” and changed the channel before they even get to the big reveal. Which is why I think the pilot didn’t get picked up by anyone.

So yes... my final conclusion is, as almost always, “Needs more Colin.”

Except, to be honest, it didn’t really need more Colin. He was in the show a lot, and they used him quite well and he did wonderfully at the role. They just needed to show us more of John Bloom’s other side in the pilot, rather than saving it for the last minute shocker reveal. Don’t bury your most interesting part of your show under an entire episode of run-of-the-mill case-of-the-week nonsense! Let that beautiful Irish Mafia Bastard shine!!!

Addendum #1: I have to admit that I have never met a “___ actor playing an American pretending to be ____” scenario that I didn’t like. This one included. I would’ve watched the fuck out of Colin playing an American pretending to be an Irishman 😂

Addendum #2: I would bet my entire life that John Bloom's undercover persona was originally in the Italian mob, but Colin showed up like, “Maybe he could be Irish? Maybe? Irish? Think about it? Yes?”

Addendum #3: I know he wouldn’t and doesn’t, but I will forever picture Colin showing up at directors’ houses at 3am, popping up unannounced in their kitchen windows, coming in their pet doors, etc, etc, just being like, “Maybe he could be Irish??” “Irish?” “Did you consider the Irish thing?” “Iriiiiiiiish?”

[andmineisyellow]

Every BAU member in the first 4 episodes has had some time dedicated to how their life has changed. Except for Luke. Rossi's grieving his wife. Garcia's going to therapy and has gained more self-worth. Tara's in a new relationship. Emily gets a promotion. JJ's dealing with her kids growing up and her marriage. Not all of these plots have had an equal amount of weight, but they all have something tangible that we can point to in terms of character development.

But what has Luke been doing? How has he changed? And if he hasn’t changed while everyone else has been moving forward or backward, why is that?  All we’ve been told is that he’s not dating Garcia and he’s still working at the BAU. I get that it’s difficult when there’s a large cast to balance out the story, and Luke’s personal life was kind of non-existent on the show by the end. Phil dies and Lisa is out of the picture. But there’s still trauma there that largely went unaddressed.  And there are other avenues the show could explore too, even if it’s just briefly. Tell us more about his relationship with his family or what he does in his free time. Give us an update on Roxxy for crying out loud! 

I love Garvez, I do. Even if they never end up together, I will continue to enjoy their scenes, and I will continue to root for them (screw canon). At the same time, Luke’s character development shouldn’t only revolve around Garcia. Let them be two individuals who meet in the middle. And I adore how supportive Luke is of Garcia. It's one of my favorite things about him. I don’t want that to stop, but we’ve had 4 wonderful seasons' worth of moments with Luke being her champion. I want the same for him in return. I want to see Luke going through something.  Let Garcia show up for him. Keep the teasing and the banter. But allow her to demonstrate how much she cares about him underneath all of that. 

Maybe that will still happen. I’m hopeful it will. It’s just disappointing that they haven’t started to lay the groundwork for it yet when we’re already more than a third of the way through the season and every other member of the cast seems to have at least a little something going on for them outside of the main plot.

[stormyoceans]

Ok ok ok random observations i had while watching ep 1 of LT, which was amazing wonderful heartsopping showstopping breathtaking etc etc. (In all seriousness, it really exceeded my expectations)

- .... is it just me or did we get a flirty vibe, they might kiss vibe from august and day? No? Just me?

- i am so glad sea can play badminton bec they sold the intensity of the scene so well!

- not mork betting against day's team, which is his own country's lmao. Also not to be my overthinking self, but mork going from rooting against day to rooting for him, his wellbeing, happiness etc etc later on

- that transition between the match and the fight where both of their lives will forever change.... peak cinema

- day calling out for his mum (i might have teared up)

- the dread falling on mork's face when he kept asking porjai about his sister and THE DESPERATION IN HIS VOICE (i might have teared up x2)

- YAAAAS give me that lakorn intro-- this is when you know shit is good

- something something commentary about how the stigma of going to prison never leaving ex-convicts because society refuses to accept their reintegration into society something something

- porjai is so good, i love her already!

- Rung nooooooooo. The way mork's character is already fleshed out so perfectly in just 30 mins.... cinema. "The one who should feel guilty is her" omg

- the way day's internalized pain seeps into every word he says, every cynical comment. If people are going to treat him like he's invisible just because he lost his sight, he's going to force them to "see" him through his shocking words and attitude

- the interview scene was GOLD. I love how it's already telling us their dynamic and laying down the groundwork for their personalities together and how they'll constantly challenge each other

- The bandaid.... mork in rung's car remembering her with tears in his eyes (i teared up x3)

- Something something about how night's shirt is light blue (like the day) and day's is dark blue (light the night) with strips of light... i am thinking thoughts, not sure exactly what it is yet but i have them!

- ok but I LOVE how mork is just observing day and noticing how day is way more independent than his family makes him seem to be. I just really love how he didn't interfere and was /watching/ him, trying to figure him out

- Damn day harbors a lot of resentment towards night... this brings me back to the two photos we see of them in the very beginning and the contrast between them.... again, i am having thoughts...

- Day getting overwhelmed with the sounds of the cars and honks... mork saving day... mork giving day agency and asking where to take him.... CINEMA

- LIterally the first thing that came to mind when i saw the little prince was when your genius self said this:

- "I'll see you." When both of them are falsly perceived by those around them. CINEMA

That was a FANTASTIC first episode. I can't wait to see how day and mork are gonna from this to this

and this

AND THIS

One thing i am also so intrigued by is all the relationships they've hinted at so far: Night and Day as well as their relationship with their mom. Mork and Porjai. Day and August (and Gee). I cannot wait for all of this to be explored in the upcoming episodes!

I also have a feeling day's mom is not gonna be on board of this arrangement? but we'll see. FRIDAY WHEN?

I AM INCREDIBLY LATE AS USUAL WITH THIS REPLY BUT I HOPE YOU KNOW I WAS SO HAPPY TO GET ALL YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE FIRST EPISODE IT REALLY WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED AND EVEN MORE AND IM SO CURIOUS AND EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS I WISH I HAD THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT 24/7

as it is, please accept some of my very messy thoughts!!!!

- .... is it just me or did we get a flirty vibe, they might kiss vibe from august and day? No? Just me? <<< IT’S VERY MUCH NOT JUST YOU BECAUSE I HAD THE SAME FEELING. i actually got a message about august and day that i still didn’t get around to answer (because im terrible ;;;;;) and i wanted to go more in depth about their relationship there, but yeah, even if it was a very brief scene, i love how they already established their dynamic: you can tell that they both have very strong personalities and that as friends and as badminton partners they snark at each other but also deeply care, and the fact that this immediately makes you wonder if there ever was something more between them is incredibly effective because it will help the viewers understand how mork feels watching them from the outside and ask himself the exact same thing. sea and ohm also have a very nice chemistry, which isn’t only nice to see in itself but actually serves the narrative as well in this particular case

- i am so glad sea can play badminton bec they sold the intensity of the scene so well! <<< THAT'S OUR PROFESSIONAL BADMINTON PLAYER SEA TAWINAN ANUKOOLPRASERT AND NO ONE SHOULD FORGET ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!

- not mork betting against day's team, which is his own country's lmao. Also not to be my overthinking self, but mork going from rooting against day to rooting for him, his wellbeing, happiness etc etc later on <<< BRITNEY_YEAH.GIF I FEEL SO INCREDIBLY NORMAL ABOUT THIS IT’S HONESTLY INSANE HOW NORMAL AND HINGED AND SANE AND FINE I FEEL ABOUT THIS

- that transition between the match and the fight where both of their lives will forever change.... peak cinema <<< FIRST TEN MINUTES OF THE SHOW ARE REALLY GIVING VICE VERSA EPISODE 11 PART 1 LEVELS OF CINEMA LIKE THE TRANSITIONS THE PARALLELS THE TENSION THE IMPLICATIONS THE ALREADY PALPABLE LIFE ALTERING CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM THE IMPENDING SENSE OF TRAGEDY THE WATER MOTIF BEING DELIVERED BY THE PLAY OF LIGHTS I FEEL SO DEEPLY MENTALLY UNWELL ABOUT IT ALL [GETS DRAGGED INTO A PADDED ROOM]

- day calling out for his mum (i might have teared up) // - the dread falling on mork's face when he kept asking porjai about his sister and THE DESPERATION IN HIS VOICE (i might have teared up x2) <<< jimmysea showed up on that set and said we are ACTORS who ACT and then proceeded to indeed OUTACT OUTPERFORM OUTSELL OUTSERVE OUTSLAY the majority of the artists in the industry I SAID WHAT I SAID AND I WILL SHUT UP ONLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE GONNA STOP SLEEPING ON THEM. these two moments alone are already giving performance of all time!!!!!

- something something commentary about how the stigma of going to prison never leaving ex-convicts because society refuses to accept their reintegration into society something something <<< SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!!!!!! wish i had the time, energy and intelligence to write about the way both mork and day are being stigmatized (defined as the co-occurrence of labeling, stereotyping, separation, status loss, and discrimination) and how the label of ‘deviant’ (defined as departing from usual or accepted standards dictated by society) is altering their own perception of self BUT ALAS. SOMETHING SOMETHING INDEED

- porjai is so good, i love her already! <<< SAME!!!!! IM SO IN LOVE WITH HER AND HER FRIENDSHIP WITH MORK i love exes who realized that their love for each other has always been platonic and are now the most supportive friends to each other!!!!! unfortunately there's this theory im pretty much sure of that her current boyfriend is an asshole so IM READY TO FIGHT EVERYONE FOR HER

- the interview scene was GOLD. I love how it's already telling us their dynamic and laying down the groundwork for their personalities together and how they'll constantly challenge each other <<< NGL THIS GENUINELY MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE FIRST MEETING IN THE HISTORY OF FIRST MEETINGS. JUST THE CHEMISTRY THE TENSION THE SPARK THE ELECTRICITY THE MAGNETISM THE CHALLENGE THE SNARK THE SEEING THE PERCEIVING THE PULL TOWARDS EACH OTHER THE CHIN GRAB. i know im just screaming without adding anything of importance but GOD. i love to see two actual strangers with no previous attachment to each other meet and develop an interest in each other born from their actions and words and personalities. THEY HARDLY MAKE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE NOWADAYS

- The bandaid.... mork in rung's car remembering her with tears in his eyes (i teared up x3) <<< THE GUILT THE GRIEF THE HURT THE FEELING OF BEING ABANDONED. BUT ALSO THE CARE THE LOVE THE DEVOTION THE KNOWLEDGE OF BEING LOOKED AFTER. ALL OF THIS PERFECTLY REPRESENTED BY A BANDAID AND A CAR. CAPITAL LETTERS CINEMA!!!!!!!!

- Something something about how night's shirt is light blue (like the day) and day's is dark blue (light the night) with strips of light... i am thinking thoughts, not sure exactly what it is yet but i have them! <<< YOU AND ME BOTH FRIEND LIKE. im already having so many thoughts about the lighting in the show going from dark and blue/gray to light and yellow/orange as mork and day get closer and start to change each other's lives, but now it also seems like their clothes are also gonna go from muted and more neutral colors to brighter and warmer ones, and then there are night and day as well and the way they both wore stripes in this episode but night's were vertical and day's horizontal AND I KNOW IT MEANS SOMETHING AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR SMARTER PEOPLE TO WRITE ABOUT IT AS I SCREAM WAIL HOWL SCREECH YELL IN THE DISTANCE

- ok but I LOVE how mork is just observing day and noticing how day is way more independent than his family makes him seem to be. I just really love how he didn't interfere and was /watching/ him, trying to figure him out <<< the aforementioned smarter people have already talked about this way better than i ever could, but i really do love how, in a world that wants them both to be invisible, mork and day are the only ones seeing each other. like you said before, part of the reason day is acting the way he is is because he doesn't want to become a ghost haunting other people's lives, the monster locked in the attic (if we want to use a literary reference), he wants to live and to be seen too, and i think it was so important to include a scene where mork is just WATCHING him, because being perceived may have become a meme, but that's what can eventually lead to curiosity and interest and understanding and love. you can't care about something you don't (want to) see, but fortunately, mork does

- Damn day harbors a lot of resentment towards night... this brings me back to the two photos we see of them in the very beginning and the contrast between them.... again, i am having thoughts... <<< not sure if you've seen it, but the current theory is night being somewhat responsible for day's accident, which i got the chance to talk about here if you want to check it out and then let me know what you think!!!!!

- LIterally the first thing that came to mind when i saw the little prince was when your genius self said this <<< NOT YOU REMEMBERING THINGS I SAID THAT I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER SAYING MYSELF PLEASE THAT'S JUST SO INCREDIBLY SWEET IM SO TOUCHED RIGHT NOW 😭😭😭 AND NOT TO TOOT MY OWN HORN BUT ONCE AGAIN I WANT TO POINT OUT JUST HOW MUCH I LOVE TO WIN WINNING AND BEING A WINNER. EVEN WHEN I FORGOT ABOUT THE VISION, THE VISION DIDN'T FORGET ABOUT ME HASHTAG WINNERY

IN CONCLUSION: LITERALLY US WATCHING EVERY SINGLE SCENE FROM THE EPISODE

[construingseacats]

Umireread - Legend of the Golden Witch: Wake

The following contains spoilers for the entirety of Umineko. Please do not read if you are yet to finish it.

And now for my secret epilogue.

If my heart was not as full as it was, this would be a Post-Mortem. This would be a dissection of Episode 1, a mechanical look at the themes and thoughts developed throughout.

But this is not a heartless check of a cadaver. It is not without respect to the dead. I’m not here to talk scientifically, nor am I here to mourn; we are here to celebrate the life of the story we have just consumed. Henceforth, this is not a Post-Mortem - it is a Wake.

One of the issues with structuring Umireread as a reactionary play-by-play is that it’s difficult to say anything significantly meaningful about the story - while the opportunity has arisen from time to time, we’ll be doing the proper deep dive into the themes here.

Episode 1, while relatively simple on the surface, already establishes quite a lot of the significant themes that Umineko desires to talk about. Of note, we’ve leaned quite heavily into the concepts of truth and fantasy, the dangers of appealing to tradition and the resulting generational trauma, and the ease of dehumanisation towards those you don’t understand. I do not necessarily think that the levels that these are explored in Episode 1 by themselves are of significant note, but rather these explorations lay a phenomenal groundwork for future exploration instead of being complete topics in isolation.

Undoubtedly, the most significant theme explored in Episode 1 is that of truth versus fantasy. This exists in the text not just as a tool towards the mystery - with Battler noting in the Tea Party that he can only trust what he sees, and hence making clear that many of the seemingly unusual elements of the murders are entirely fabricated - but as a way of dealing with truths that offer nothing but suffering. Drawing from a background as a social worker, having been exposed to many terrible incidents and realities of domestic life that the greater public turns a blind eye to, Ryukishi accurately depicts denial as a coping mechanism and paints it with a nuanced brush that does not outright condone it - as evident from the cousins disparaging Maria for pushing her idealised fantasy forcibly onto them - but also ensures that the reader can see the benefits of such a tactic, with many characters being confronted with the truth in a way that is needlessly upsetting. The first twilight makes this evident with Battler being traumatised by witnessing the mangled corpses of his parents, burning the terrible picture into his psyche forever; while George is able to look away from the scene, and avoid having to carry the same weight from witnessing his would-be fiancée in such a state. There is no benefit to their mental health for many characters being privy to the mutilated states of their loved ones, yet the scenes continue to be witnessed by them, bringing naught but avoidable misery.

Being able to turn a blind eye to these truths, while it does not undo them, allows the characters to exist in “fantasy”, letting their mind save them from the horrors they do not need to comprehend. The Tea Party refers to collective fantasy as “magic”, stating that being able to retreat to such a place with others is something special, painting it as a positive thing. While I will not be getting too deep into the specifics, as I am not a theologian, we can see this phenomena in real life in cases such as Religion. Regardless of the truth of what happens to us after we die, humans are aware of the concept of oblivion, and for as long as they have had intelligent minds they have sought to reject it. Religions and other explanations that seek to deny the possibility of oblivion - even if they are not grounded in any known scientific principles or evidence - are an example of this sort of mentality. Religion, and these beliefs as a whole, act as a boon that makes the lives of the people within them better. Similarly, the world is host to significant horrors in all shapes and forms - war and famine are such broad terms that they almost feel sanitised, but the reality of them is devastating, and the fact that so many humans across the world are living in such unimaginable conditions can take a significant mental toll on the human mind. To those living in first world countries, who do not need to worry about where their next meal is coming from, whether today will be their last as explosives rain from the sky, whether continuing to live is even worth the suffering laid before them - being cognizant of these truths is not necessarily a positive thing. It is easy to forget in the information era, with easy access to the affairs of the world at a moment’s notice, but humans have spent the vast majority of their existence completely unaware of the events of far-off places. Even just a hundred years ago, if someone were to ignore the reports of a newspaper, they would be able to live their life centred on the actions and events that were immediately relevant to them. Such a life is not a moral failing; many of those who trek through social media sites, learning of terrible events in far off places, will never make a difference towards them. Their knowledge of these affairs offers no tangible benefit for them; only a further sense of dread towards the state of the world. Even those who deny this notion and insist on being educated on these matters, under some sense that this information makes them a better person, fall prey to the fantasies that have been constructed around them. While the news may lift the veil on atrocities in the middle east, there is a notable lack of reporting to many African countries and the events that are ongoing there. Would being acutely aware of the atrocities taking place over there actually benefit you in any way? Or, for the sake of your mental health, is it better to not concern yourself with negative affairs that may never impact your life in any way? Umineko takes the approach that can be constructed through game theory, stating that if truth makes your life measurably worse, and fantasy makes it measurably better, then you should opt for fantasy; on the understanding that your fantasy may not make the lives of others measurably better, and should be shared with caution and care.

On a lighter note - generational trauma. Umineko also establishes quite early on that the Ushiromiya Family are old money - while Kinzo managed to rebuild the family in the post-war era, meaning there is some separation of tradition and the Neo-Ushiromiya, the family has returned to conservatism and places great value on old fashioned ways. The family is significantly patriarchal, with the dining room arrangements establishing that grandchildren of the family matter more than the married partners of their parents. Women are thoroughly treated as being second-class, if not worse, with the term “borrowed womb” showing up on several occasions - stating that they are nothing to the Ushiromiya but a machine to pump out more children for them. This mentality takes root in Jessica, who as early as Chapter 1, feels defeated over the fact that her sex makes her inferior to men. Kinzo’s lecherous ways are also displayed as a trait that has progressed through the family, with Rudolf being a notorious womaniser and Battler having several moments where he is acting perverted towards all manner of girls in the family. Regarding the aforementioned mentality, Umineko makes sure to portray this in a negative light, by investigating how this stigma affects those who must abide by it. Kinzo is noted as having raised his children quite forcibly, being no stranger to beating them for insolence or perceived misbehaving. This iron-fisted approach to parenting has carried through to the next generation, with most of the cousins admitting to having received beatings, or physically receiving them through the course of the story. This most notably flares up in the portrayal of Rosa and Maria, with Rosa having trouble maintaining control over her life as a single mother to a neurodivergent child, exacerbating the problem by lashing out uncontrollably as she has learned from her father. Rosa’s reaction to being awoken by Genji in Chapter 7 is reminiscent of deep-seated trauma, believing her being stirred is an inherently negative sensation that will be accompanied by heavy reprimanding; potentially of a physical nature. This manifests in her tendency to violently beat Maria, ensuring that the cycle of abuse continues for generations to come, should the Ushiromiya family not be put to a stop before that.

Finally, Umineko makes explicit in the Witches’ Tea Party about the divide between treating characters with love and respect, identifying the human behind them, and seeing them as nothing more than parts of a story. This is reflected even within the story by the nature of dehumanisation, with characters such as Eva removing the humanity from Shannon and seeing her as naught but “some servant girl”. In the same way that someone reading a story with no intent to engage past a surface level understanding would reduce a character to mere tropes - for example, boxing Eva off as a “girl boss” and only engaging with her through the lens of that trope rather than as the complicated character she is - characters who are vibrant with their humanity have it taken away by those who do not care to understand them. As we will come to see, one of the beating hearts of Umineko is that of Yasu wanting someone to understand her; to see her not as a cold-hearted serial killer, nor as an illegitimate child seeking revenge, nor as a trans girl boss who can do no wrong. Anyone reducing her to an aspect of her personality and failing to engage with her beyond that lens has failed to fulfil her wish. She wants to be truly known, appreciated in her entirety by the uncountable aspects that are present in every human being. After all, if you reduce a character to a surface level trope - to but a single purpose in life - then they would be no different to a piece of Furniture.

Umineko will continue to build upon these themes and explore them in the Episodes to come - however, even isolated from that, Episode 1 has done a remarkable job of establishing and exploring these concepts in a way that most readers would fail to comprehend on an initial reading, let alone an immediate follow up should they decide to do so again without progressing further. In the same way that a character in a story must be appreciated in their entirety to be seen as human, so too must Umineko be consumed in full to truly appreciate the work that it sets out to do. After all, you must open your own heart to be able to realise the one that lies before you. Without love, the truth cannot be seen.

Beyond these themes, Umineko Episode 1 is a good piece of literature - by itself, it offers what feels like a relatively realistic depiction of a rich family thrust into a murder mystery situation, where the characters flail and doubt themselves while the clock runs down on what could have been an avoidable tragedy. There is a pervasive sense of dread as more characters are killed off and the survivors struggle with the reality that they do not even know what is killing them. It indulges in horror tropes that we do not really get to see in future episodes, as fantasy is accentuated and tools are provided to help cope with the mystery and avoid drowning in the uncertainties that plague would-be solvers of Episode 1; when a culprit could be identified relatively readily, but cannot be confirmed due to the probatio diabolica inherent to the possibility of a 19th person, or other outcomes such as hidden passages or inexplicable scientific tools that could bypass restrictions placed on apparent closed rooms.

Episode 1 is at its best when it’s really digging into the humanity of the characters - I have listed the first twilight as a specific highlight already, with the visceral reactions feeling incredibly real - perhaps to an extent that I would not be surprised if Ryukishi was drawing upon a specific incident he witnessed during his time as a social worker. However, Umineko is at its worst when the opposite occurs, when humanity is cast aside for the purposes of narrative or exploration. There are several instances when characters will have just gone through unimaginable grief, and within hours are casually chatting about concepts like children who just read something cool on wikipedia. And of course, the story is served a great disservice by opening so heavily with Battler attempting to grope his family members.

Umineko Episode 1 also appears to dwell quite readily in subversion. In many ways, it looks to make the reader lower their guard, before hitting them in a way to ensure that they know they are reading something different to what they are used to. The game opens with a jovial mood and several tracks reminiscent of more generic visual novels, before introducing more complicated musical arrangements and the horror themes further on. The Tea Party in particular directly tricks anyone expecting Umineko to be a rehash of Higurashi, making it clear mere moments later that this will be a very different tale to the time loop mystery that many had read before. Battler’s antics may also be viewed through this lens, with early Battler appearing more like a generic protagonist in a work targeted towards otaku, erring on the side of lechery and having it swept aside as a joke. Whether this was a wise approach, given that early Umineko (and much of the merchandising) is designed to appeal towards otaku while the work itself is a scathing criticism of them, is yet to be seen.

And, if I may finish by indulging myself once more, I just want to quickly reflect on the current state of the reread. I have no doubts that we will be finishing this - while I can’t guarantee that I can handle near-daily updates for the next 20 weeks, this shan’t be a project that will be abandoned halfway. We will progress to the very last lines of Episode 8, by hell or high water.

We are around 32,000 words into this extended analysis. I wasn’t quite sure what form I wanted this to take when we started, beyond a vague idea of the format, but I feel like we’ve already got past the initial hurdles, dealt with some growing pains, and settled into a good approach regarding what should be addressed and omitted for each chapter. Which parts should be acknowledged out of interest, what jokes should be made for levity in our own work, and what demands a more thorough investigation under a microscope. While Episode 1 is actually one of the longer episodes, funnily enough, I still foresee us easily writing more than 200,000 words by the time the pen is placed down after Episode 8. I anticipate Umireread to be longer than even the longest Episode of Umineko.

That being said, thank you to everyone who has engaged with this so far - while this is still a project I would want to undertake even if it was all being projected into the void, the humble amounts of interaction have been good to see. I appreciate that we seem to have a couple of readers coming back for each post, and a few people who have left their own comments and thoughts - which have all been interesting to read. As I said at the very start of this work, to all the people who have joined us already, to all the people joining us now, and to anyone who may join us, no matter how far in the future, thank you for taking part in this journey. I hope that, just as the love evident in every part of Umineko radiates from the page, the love within my own words can be seen by all that they reach.

With that, Episode 1 comes to a close.

Seven more to go.