#Getting frustrated when a show doesn't perform to your expectations is normal and natural but that's no reason to be a dick about it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

catsvrsdogscatswin · 4 months

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I've had this thought swirling in the back of my head for a while, but it's finally congealed enough that I think I can make a coherent pitch, which is: I think RWBY's problems with the more vitriolic part of its fanbase partially stems from the fact that RWBY is a deconstruction that doesn't advertise it's a deconstruction.

RWBY's status as a deconstruction is pretty textbook. It takes apart standard fantasy, shounen, and anime tropes in order to analyze them and their deeper meaning and then reassembles them in new and interesting ways for the plot/characters/series. Thing is, it never says that outright in promotional material, which can lead to later outrage in fans.

See, unless their way of discovering new shows is to close their eyes and stab their finger at random, most people tend to choose series to watch/read based on expectations. Maybe a friend said they'll like it because it has [insert thing], maybe they read the summary and were intrigued, maybe they thought the poster/cover art was cool, whatever. These small pieces of information are generally enough for people to make a snap-judgment of the style and genre of the series, which they can then gauge against their personal tastes and decide whether or not they want to try.

Most of the time, this works just fine. Well-written deconstructions also generally give the viewers some warning/buildup before they take a hard swerve. See Madoka Magica: the magical girl paradigm is shaded by the possibility of death as soon as we're introduced to it, then there's an onscreen death with blood, and then a few episodes later we eventually realize the Faustian bargain of it all. Even innocent viewers who stumbled into watching it, unaware of the show's reputation, would go "Oh, wait, this is not going in the direction magical girl shows usually go" by a third of the way through.

The thing is, with RWBY, this does not happen unless you're paying a lot of attention and/or looking for it. And neither the cover art nor the summary nor, I believe, the fanbase gives a lot of warning about the swerves ahead.

In fact, RWBY initially bills itself as a pretty standard shounen anime. The main protagonist is hinted to have Special Powers and gets into the Magic Monster-Hunting School in the first episode, and the first two-and-a-half seasons are taken up by her and her friends' superhero-esque slice-of-life shenanigans as they thwart robberies and terrorist attacks and gear up for a tournament arc against the looming background of a larger conspiracy.

Then in the last half of the third season the villains' entire Rube Goldberg machine of a scheme snaps into completion and the plot twists so hard the entire genre takes a hard right. If you're used to character analysis and common anime tropes, this is not completely a surprise -up until this point, RWBY's character arcs and plot have been subtly traveling in non-traditional directions that hint of greater flexibility in genre treatment ahead- but if you're not... well.

Thing is, people watching RWBY up until this point have signed up for pretty standard shounen and they've been getting it, but the third season's ending smashes that all to bits. From then on out in RWBY, it's like they ordered fries and suddenly got a hamburger. It might be delicious; but it's not what they asked for, what they wanted, or what they paid for, and they are, justifiably, displeased.

So when the reasonable people either adjusted their expectations or sighed, shook their heads, and clicked back out (perhaps with a grumble and a scowl), the unreasonable people dug their heels in and began insisting that everybody was Getting The Show/Character Wrong and that CRWBY is ruining it, because the fact that RWBY's method of deconstruction is to put standard tropes in a blender and then arrange what's left in deceptive patterns means that said unreasonable viewers can scan the bare surface and argue that all the stereotypical stuff is clearly still under there, somewhere.

So they're continually trying to drag RWBY back to the tracks of a typical shounen anime series (it's closest relative), which creates a dissonance between the show they're watching and the show they think they're watching. They're trying to turn the hamburger back into fries, basically, except that doesn't work and just frustrates everyone involved, because you're trying to make RWBY into something that it's not. Hence, this attitude probably starting/fueling some of the more contentious statements in the fandom, i.e.:

"Ironwood was right the whole time" (in most action movies and shounen anime, allied military leaders are trustworthy beyond reproach)

"Adam's character was wasted" (we all know how much shounen loves their powerful warrior antiheroes)

"Ruby and the others are in the wrong about [insert thing]/or for doing [insert thing], and this is bad writing!" (shounen protagonists don't usually make more than One Very Big Mistake over the course of their entire careers, which is usually fixed/overcome/redeemed via an appropriately rigorous training arc)

And to be clear, there's nothing wrong with shounen tropes or shounen anime. They're wonderful storytelling devices in their own way and their own time: but if you want standard by-the-book shounen without any new and interesting concoctions, then RWBY is definitely not the show for you. And most people don't find that out until it's too late.

#RWBY #fandom #wonder how much hate I'm going to get for this one #ho-hum #Getting frustrated when a show doesn't perform to your expectations is normal and natural but that's no reason to be a dick about it

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solomonish · 3 years

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Dating Solomon Headcanons

sometimes (all the time) i think about the sorcerer

Also! I'm still working on my characterization of him so I might change all of this if it doesn't feel right. Please tell me what you think so I can improve!

Solomon

Before the two of you started dating, he managed to stick to your side as often as possible. It never seemed like there were ulterior motives - as the two human exchange students, you naturally sought each other out to share your experiences (or, on occasion, you just needed to seek someone out who understood the specific human brand of humor you had).

Even if demons didn’t always share your humor, there was the ever-present trend of a few daring ones spotting the two of you together and cooing something about lovebirds in mockery.

Solomon normally ignored them, but when he wanted to get a rise out of them (or you) he’d sling an arm around your waist and beam. Most demons just let their faces fall as their fun was ruined and walked away.

Once you do start dating, though, he either ignores them or purposely exaggerates his gags.

“Me? Date them? I’m not so desperate, how could you mistake me as such?”

He’ll stop if it starts to bother you, but that doesn’t mean he won’t replace it with something more annoying.

As friends, you’ll act all lovey-dovey, but dating you’ll be (even more) at each other’s throats

Solomon is all tricks and show, so dating him will sometimes feel like a performance art. Not necessarily in a shallow way - just sometimes, you notice the glimmering curtains he puts up for fun and scramble to get in on his act.

One thing Solomon really likes to do is subtly match outfits, especially if you’re out to something nice. Put on a nice dress/dress shirt and he’ll be asking for what color his own shirt (or tie, or something) should be. He won’t tell you that he likes looking like the two of you are a set.

He is neither big on nor against PDA. He’ll go along with anything you initiate and if he feels like he wants a quick kiss he’ll take one, but don’t expect anything hot and heavy in the RAD halls.

(Unless, of course, you let him usher you into an unused classroom. But more salacious instances don’t normally happen without provocation, and he would never actually let anyone actually walk in and see you in such a state.)

However, if you don't wait for him before following the masses of demons to the doors after your classes are over, you can expect him to find his spot beside you and slip his hand in yours before you leave the school grounds.

He does that lot: appear out of nowhere and grab your hand, or elbow you gently so you can hold his arm. Solomon won't say anything, but the more natural it becomes the happier it makes him. Its almost like you mold into each other, like it was meant to be...or so you said one time before he pestered you endlessly about it. You may never know the thought loves rent-free in his head

Doesn't really believe in conventional dates. If there's a place you want to go then he's down for an outing, but wine-and-dining doesn't open the door for romance the way a formal "date" should for him.

How to tell what he considers your excursions together:

"Didn't you want to ___?" = not a date, but he won't refuse any kisses or happy endings you might plan along the way.

"Would you be willing to ___?" = not a date, he needs help with a spell. You can get yourself a reward out of it easily (though he'll bemoan the absence of generosity in your soul and comment on your roommates and their influence over you multiple times)

"Can I show you something?" = probably a date, especially if he starts the conversation like this. You know you've got him pinned if he's standing before you thoughtfully, holding his chin and blushing as he averted his gaze.

Most dates involve magic - he can't hold back the urge to impress you, even if on the outside he'll scoff at the thought.

Has definitely tried to cook for you twice and only twice. The first time was a joke - he wanted to see how far you'd go to spare his feelings and was impressed at just how much you ate of his charred and ruined meal

The other time was a genuine attempt, and that's when he asked you to teach him how to cook

He will invite you over all the time to practice cooking and each time you can see Simeon glancing at the two of you from the corner of his eye

Solomon will definitely cheese it up here, asking if you could "guide his hands" or coming up behind you and resting his chin on your head while you cook

Because let's be real, you end up doing the bulk of the work here anyway

Solomon doesn't say "I love you" easily or often - and he would honestly prefer if you didn't need to hear it that often

He acts casual, acting so well its hard to remember he's lived and loved and lost for countless lifetimes. There are walls he isn't sure how to topple, so he just decides they must stay.

Solomon will definitely make sure you know you're important to him, that you hold a special place in his heart, but he shies at the idea of love

At first it manifests in offerings of peace, hoping to make your life easier: he's got a spell for anything and everything, all you need to do is ask

He'll transition into softening just slightly, a more tender expression on his face or his laughter lighter than it used to be. (Only for you, you notice.)

You'll realize the extent of his love not when he's melted into a puddle at your feet, but when he holds you as an equal in every regard

No longer will he coddle you: he'll offer to teach you anything you may want or need to know to face the troubles the Devildom has to throw at you

Perhaps most notable is the fact that he stops seeing you as a vessel for his entertainment: you still amuse him, sure, and he is intrigued by you every day, but those start to take shape as pros of knowing you rather than the purpose you serve him

Its a subtle shift, sure but when you realize that all of a sudden his words and caresses feel like they mean more, it makes you ridiculously giddy.

When he finally does say "I love you," he's breathless - he probably just barely got you both out of dire situations his latest magical excursion brought, escaping some rabid mythical beast with a quick spell after what felt like hours of running.

He looks over to you, just as breathless as you run your hands through your hair. Your eyes are wide and wild, and when you look at him he can still practically see exhilaration swirling in your bloodstream

He doesn't mean to say it but he doesn't mean not to - it just slips out because an adventure like this would normally leave him frustrated and sore, but all he sees with you in the picture is fun.

Solomon doesn't miss the way your eyes soften and your grin grows, and that alone hits him so hard he realizes he'd say it a million times over just to keep you this happy.

He doesn't do that, though - but every now and then you can feel the ghost of his breath on your ear and his warmth radiate to you the whisper of those three words forcing your face to blush

Sometimes he does this without actually saying "I love you," and it always makes you flustered. When he pulls away from you, though, his eyes are so happy you're fine to leave them unspoken

This time.

#solomon #swd solomon #obey me swd #obey me shall we date #obey me imagines #obey me #om solomon #solomon fluff #solomon hcs #my fics #solomon writing #satan writing #mine

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mwolf0epsilon · 4 years

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Silly prompt Idea for if you feel like it: BATIM but the monsters are chill to humans but are still unnerving; Sammy doesn't care about sacrificing people and is instead constantly trying to commit theophagy, Alice just covers the ruined half of her face with a mask instead of seeking perfection but sings songs about dismembering people anyway, the projectionist is tame and comes when you 'Pspspspspsps' at him but he also plays with corpses. etc.

Summary: Sometimes Joey liked to shake things up a bit to keep Henry on his toes, but this particular loop was probably the weirdest of them all...

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[[MORE]]

Joey Drew was a creature of positively maddening habit. He'd demonstrated this since he was but a little child, eager to run from the church service and get grass stains on his Sunday best, ready to go on imaginary adventures with his one best friend in the whole wide world. Indeed, a day could not go by where Joey and Henry didn't play pretend in the latter's backyard.

Now as an old and bitter man in a wheelchair, the same still proved to be unfortunately true, although the setting was much different. He'd drag himself out of bed every day, completed his routine, then off he went to put his "toys" and supposed best friend through the same nightmare over and over again.

Surely doing the same old charade had to grow stale even for him, right? Well... That's why once in a blue moon, Joey tried to get a little... Creative.

Henry found that he hated those times more than being a prisoner to a never-ending loop, because the unpredictable nature of Joey's creativity was truly something out of his nightmares. Such was his dilemma now.

The first sign that all was not as it should be was the fact the pedestals that allowed the Ink Machine to be turned on, were already prepared and ready to go. Items placed in their rightful positions awaiting the flick of a switch. The second sign was the apprehensive behaviour of the demon, upon Henry triggering its first appearence in this loop. It didn't jump out at him, instead merely pulled itself out of the ink with something akin to frustration.

"You too uh?" Henry felt for the wretched creature, knowing that it was as unwilling a participant in this show as he was. He also knew that it disliked when Joey shook up the plot a bit because it often ended with it finding a more painful demise.

The Ink Demon said nothing in return, but motioned for him to go with it's uneven limbs. Different or not, the path was a linear one and Henry had to go about everything as if it were a normal run... Except it was anything but. The Music Department was proof enough of that.

He fell through the floor, had the usual visions, acquired a fire axe, and was ready to find the music director creeping about as usual. Instead, the old veteran came face to face with a religious service in full swing.

Searchers and Lost Ones, gurgling and reciting along to whatever "words of god" Sammy Lawrence was currently preaching, were sitting in makeshift booths.

Several alters set up for the Ink Demon were brimming with offerings of dolls, trinkets and cans of bacon soup. So many, many, cans of bacon soup. Brought in by the members in attendance.

Henry paused, completely taken by surprise by this... Arrangement. If anyone noticed his presence, no one seemed bothered about it. If anything, Sammy glanced once at him and merely continued his sermons, giving Henry ample time to accomplish his tasks in the music department.

As he collected the abandoned pressure valve (because Jack had apparently also gone to the "Sunday service"), Henry wondered if the mad maestro would just let him leave peacefully.

When no blow came from behind, he felt pretty satisfied with the outcome. Until he had to pass by the large gathering of ink people again, that is...

The sermons had apparently come to a close, and it was about the time church goers were to perform their theophagy ritual. Henry expected them to just eat the soup as their "body and blood of god", but of course why would any sane man think that these people who followed the ramblings of a mad Prophet, would do so much as dare a glance at an offering to their Lord?

No, Henry should have honestly known better, and he came to a complete stop as he watched the once-respectable composer push a cage full of live rats, and a bowl full of ink, into the center of the room.

"Feast now brothers and sisters, for one day this flesh will allow us to regain our own physical bodies. But let us not forget our Lord's blessings. May drinking his blood infuse us with the courage we need to commit to such ritualistic prayer."

Henry didn't stick around to watch the "feasting", but the shrill screeching of rats and wet crunching of bones followed him all the way to Buddy's safehouse, where the poor cartoon wolf looked just as disgusted and horrified as him. Fur standing on end just as Henry's own skin got goosebumps.

Thoroughly disturbed by what he'd witnessed, the old cartoonist knew to be on guard for whatever came next. While the Ink Demon seemed to just linger and let them pass, Alice Angel was still a supposed threat he needed to contend with. Joey didn't do much with her, as far as petty resentment towards Susie went, so he expected a struggle. He didn't expect a cabaret show.

There, in a room fixed up to look like a stage with Butcher Gang clones working as some sort of bar staff, stood the malicious lady herself, performing with a mask fashioned from an Alice Angel cutout's head.

The left side serving to hide her deformities, while she seductively swung her hips to the beat of a song that was certainly less cartoony and more sensual. A tango of some sort, or perhaps even jazz. Henry had a bit of a tin ear, so he couldn't really tell...

She was pretty content just singing and dancing, although her words were ones that put both he and Buddy on edge.

Sweet words that romanticized death and dismemberment, because nothing spelled angelic mercy like hearing about your innards getting torn out and used in ways he dare not speak of.

At least the whiskey was nice, likely pillaged from a couple of employees's offices.

Wherever Henry went, he found no real danger. This loop was just weird. Of course before moving onto Bendyhell to see what in God's name Joey might have done to subdue Bertrum, Alice did ask him to check up on Norman.

He'd at least hoped the Projectionist was behaving as intended... Except he wasn't. Of course he wasn't. Henry nearly backed off into the lift as soon as he realized the hulking beast was playing with the remains of its dead prey, and then nearly straight up pissed himself when that blazing light fell upon him and his lupine companion.

But then the large beast did something unexpected. It lumbered slowly towards them rather than rushing them, and then gently head-butted Henry's arm, purring like a big twisted cat of some kind.

Buddy shrugged at him when he looked over with a raised brow, before the old cartoonist sighed and gave the object-headed beast a few scratches on the "chin" and left it to its... Morbid activities. Playing with its mangled food like an actual cat...

Bendyhell in contrast, was quite pleasant. Abuzz with the cheers of Lost Ones having fun with the games and rides. Bertrum looked annoyed, but entertained his guests nonetheless. Henry Eve caught sight and waved at the dancing animatronic that ran about checking in on the Lost Ones that were having a blast. Hopefully none belonged to Sammy's church, lest poor Bertrum ended up dealing with upchucked rat remains... Best not think of that.

The encounter with Allison and Tom was postponed to the giant Ink Machine itself. They were in the Ink Demon's throne room, playing card games with it. The absolute look of boredom twisting its grin into a grimace.

"You know what, I don't even care enough to ask..." He threw up his hands in surrender and simply say down with them. "What are we playing?"

"Go fish. At the best of three, then you can end this nightmare..." Allison sighed.

"Amen to that..." He took the hand the Ink Demon shuffled for him, then joined in their game, allowing Buddy to sit down besides him to doodle away in his notebook.

If Joey was going to weird him out with his freaky jokes, at least Henry would get back at him by leaving him waiting in his stuffy old apartment.

#eps writes:#bendy and the ink machine #batim

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