#also it makes sense for dark gaia lol
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i guess you can say… that’s the way the cookie crumbles
#its bc chip is based on 'chocolate chip'#so chocolate crumble#also it makes sense for dark gaia lol#crumble the dark gaia#ask#not art
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When I first read this my first thought was, "Nooooooooo Chip you don't have to you can stay with Sonado- I mean Sonic and Shadow-" But then I stopped to think about things and honestly? This is probably one of Chip's smartest decisions yet.
Chip, as of right now, hasn't really provided too much to his new group of friends other than being like a little angel on their shoulders to encourage them. Chip doesn't see his efforts as very beneficial to Sonic and Shadow, and their growing bond is accidentally tearing him apart from the two. He's slowly but surely losing his sense of meaning, losing his determination and hope.
TL;DR, Chip feels left out and doesn't feel like he's providing enough overall.
However, Chip is recognizing that with the others, he feels a lot more happy and a lot more helpful. He has much more determination at the thought of joining Tails and Knuckles on their journey to wherever, (I forgot what they're doing and I don't have time to go back and check) and he knows this. Chip recognizes that he isn't as needed with Sonic and Shadow anymore, and if you combine that with the fact that he just got reprimanded by Shadow for the very first time, well... He would just like to get along with the others for now.
While this is a relatively disappointing revelation for Sonic and Shadow, since we know it was never their intention to hurt Chip and make him feel this way, it's a smart decision overall and we should be happy for Chip for making this choice. It's surprisingly mature for someone who just started his physical existence like a week or two ago.
I do feel really bad or double S though because I can only imagine how guilty they must feel about this situation. Sonic especially! Poor guy's already got enough going on and now his adorable travel buddy is ditching him.
Speaking of Sonic, one thing I noticed is that one panel where it shows the bottom of his new shoes. The long, yellow spikes represent Sonic's current physical and emotional state. Sonic feels ugly, both inside and out, due to his constant Werehog state that he turns into at nighttime. He doesn't feel right, like something is tearing him apart bit by bit until he inevitably suffocates and dies. This feeling is represented in the sharpness and ugliness of the spikes, if it's not just the fact that they are spikes in general. Because spikes, as we know in Sonic games, aren't really insta-kills, but they hurt like hell! In a more realistic setting like this one where taking damage is the equivalent to getting realistically injured, (lol I said realistic twice) spikes obviously hurt way more than they do in-game. This panel shows that Sonic is in pain internally due to the amount of spikes, and this allegory is amplified with the look and feel of them. It doesn't help that they are a part of Sonic now, being attached to his shoes and all. This also represents the way that these spikes, or this undeniable ugliness that Sonic feels, is a part of him now. At least until he takes the shoes off, which will likely be after the whole Dark Gaia situation, in which he may put his normal shoes back on.
TL;DR (again) there is a ton of symbolism in just one panel that shows the bottom of Sonic's shoes and I spend way too much time analyzing it all.
There's so much more I wanna talk about with just this panel alone but this is getting really long and I am in the MIDDLE OF CLASS so I should probably continue this later. Thanks for reading and I really like your comic! (Can you tell)
I THOUGHT I REPLIED TO THIS OH MY GOD
PLEASE KNOW THAT I READ THIS BACK THEN AND I READ IT AGAIN AND IT MAKES ME VERY HAPY AND IM SUPER INTERESTED IN HEARING ALL UR OTHER THEORIES IN THE FUTURE AS WELL
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Obsessed with how people like to theorize that Eggman was genuinely considering changing his ways and becoming good because of his reflection on his grandfather in the SA2 ending, yet the unused lines prove it wasn't the intention at all. Instead he was just thinking about his next evil scheme in true classic Eggman fashion. He's so funny hehe that's my boy!! 🥰
They probably just didn't keep them in because it didn't suit the tone of this great scene and I get it. But with these unused lines, we get to know what he was actually thinking and his real conclusion after this and I fucking LOVE it lol 💜 Nothing gets in the way of Eggman's dreams and his motivation for it. Nothing! He's so passionate about his goal and loves being evil, this wouldn't break his spirit!
Also funny to me when people act like Eggman cares and has empathy for the people on the planet and if they get destroyed too and that it's why he had that reflection and considered that he should change his ways, so he doesn't hurt people like that. But like no lol he killed people and threatened to kill more using the cannon himself in this game and his speech doesn't imply sudden regret or care.
It makes sense that he asked "did he really mean to destroy us" because very literally everyone including himself would've died if it had gone to plan but in reality he only cares about himself. He wasn't really thinking or caring about their lives being lost like his own. And it obviously makes sense for him to be disappointed that his idol and grandfather was really just gonna get him killed like that.
As always, the Advance 2 manual, that released a year after SA2, knows what's up he's without a thought or care for anybody else but himself.
And also since then, he's continued to cause mass destruction on a global scale many times, not caring about how much damage he does to the world or who gets killed as a result of his actions and he often intends for it.
All that matters to him is his own safety and the world he wants to rule still existing so that he can actually rule it. Besides that, he'll cause as much destruction and death as it takes to get what he wants and won't give a single shit about anything or anyone else XD
He's still as destructive and murderous as ever, if not even more over time as this plans only get even bigger, crazier, and more diabolical.
The funniest thing about people thinking that Eggman became better or toned it down after his moment in SA2 is that he later basically did his own equivalent to the Eclipse Cannon in a game in Unleashed, firing his own goddamn super chaos emerald powered laser cannon and literally breaking the planet apart to release Dark Gaia and he fucking loved it!!!
He practically did the exact same thing as Gerald planned to with the Eclipse cannon by having an earth destroying cannon fuck up the planet but just without destroying it entirely so it can actually exist for him to rule! Because no doubt that thousands absolutely died when this happened. The only difference is that he gets to live and the planet still gets to exist for him to rule.
Plus the Sonic Channel story (part 1, part 2) written by Eitaro Toyoda also had Eggman literally taking control of the Eclipse Cannon itself again and trying to fire it at the world to destroy an entire city and kill everyone in it LOL. He's more than happy to do exactly what Gerald wanted to do in killing people with it, only he still wants the world to exist to take over after and get to live of course. They're the only reasons he really helped to stop it when Gerald tried to do it.
So yeah, Sega/Sonic Team don't consider Eggman to have changed or toned down his evil at all, he still wants to cause global destruction and kill people. That was never a factor of his reflection in SA2 and the unused lines alone prove it. The theory that he isn't as evil as the Adventure games because it shifted his perspective and made him consider changing his ways is funny. Especially because he actually isn't less evil at all, y'all just aren't paying attention to him and how his evil plots and actions are still as evil as ever. :P
I love his passion for his interests and his dreams, I love his determination to always keep trying to reach his goals, I love how he'll never give up, I love how confident and certain and set in his ways he is. Those are his greatest strengths and the way he never sways because nothing or nobody could ever kill that spirit is so much better and cooler than him having insecurity or doubt or not enjoying what he does. It gives this evil bastard some admirable charisma 💖
#dr. eggman#eggman#dr eggman#dr robotnik#analysis#my post#sonic adventure 2#sonic forces#sonic unleashed#eggman is evil
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Yugi’s Pokemon Team
So there was a topic of Ash vs Yugi on twitter
And basically it just devolved into if they're playing each other competitive Yugi would win but Ash would win if they physically had to fight
Some also said Ash would win Pokemon and Yugi would win Yugioh/Duel monsters not just for obvious reasons but because Ash is more adaptive and Yugi is more of a planner
It made me think what would Yugi’s Pokemon team be?
As the idea is that Yugi would use some competitive Pokemon and that's why he would win as he would be less restricted in Pokemon and such similar to the actual competitive Pokemon play where they use legendaries, mythical, etc as if it's normal which isn't in the anime
But also Yugi’s deck had a theme (not an archetype) of mostly medieval with magic, knights, and dragons and there are pokemon that can meet that theme even if they aren't the most competitive Pokemon
So this was my attempt at a Yugi team
Meowscarada is literally a dark magician lol and makes sense for a starter,
Braixen would have been the starter before gen 9 as it has the “magic rod” and everything but now it can fit the Dark Magician Girl spot (could be Delphox but thought Braixen for the apprentice aspect more since it's a middle stage)
Aegislash is for all the knight cards Yugi has from Celtic Guardian, Black Luster Soldier, Buster Blader, etc
Escavalier, after the dark magician, it seems Gaia the fierce knight is the most consistent of his stronger cards, as cards like summoned skull didn’t appear often and others aren’t as unique or strong, Gaia and Escavalier use the same weapon
Venonat, Venonat is the closest thing to Kuriboh and Kuriboh is such a big part of Yugi had to include
Rayquaza is the obvious pick for Slifer the Sky Dragon the Egyptian God that was the boss monster for them
So that's the team
Pretty strong, the starters are starters so they have good strength, Aegislash is versatile Escavalier is can be really strong, with Rayquaza as one of the most powerful Pokemon ever, Venonat is the weak point here but could be the equivalent to Ash’s Pikachu if we're concerned about stats
Could this team beat Ash’s?
Depends how strong they make the Rayquaza
As everyone else is possible with his starters, aces, Pokemon like Sirfetch’d are no joke, etc
So could be an even battle until Rayquaza comes then it comes down to is this a Pokemon that if he has Charizard, Greninja, Pikachu etc available can they do a legendary slaying performance or will it be like a Tobias Darkrai or a legendary raid battle where he stands no chance?
I made additional team's for if Yugi and Atem are separated for this
Atem
Kept Meowscarada and Aegislash as in the Yugi vs Atem battle Atem had more of the magician and Knight cards
Atem had the Egyptian gods so he keeps Rayquaza for Slifer
Alakazam just represents more of his magician cards
Druddigon is the most similar to some of his dragons like Timaeus
And Kingambit represent more knight cards maybe specifically the Kings Knight, Queens Knight, Jacks Knight cards
Yugi
Atem had the dark magician girl in their duel but this magician can represent more of the fruit magicians he used in DSOD
Magnezone for his Magnet warriors, they had a crucial part against Atem in their duel and are another staple for their joint deck
Golurk for his Fortress cards like Stronghold, Metamorphortress as he used that combination in nearly all his duels
Klinklang for the gadget cards like red gadget, gold gadget
Gardevoir and Gallade for his Silent Magician and Silent Swordsman they are his equivalent to Atem’s Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl
Different teams, Atem has the same Rayquaza question but little Yugi, has a more technical team he's not going to overpower Ash but he could out-strategize him
Additional Pokemon to full out his reserves/deck
Sirfetch’d -another knight
Chesnaught - technically another knight
Armarouge/Ceruledge - fire knights might fit Joeys flame swordsman more
Corviknight - also another knight
Dragonite -another dragon
Charizard - another “dragon”
Mismagius- a witch for more magicians
Mr. Mime - technically a magician
Lucario and Rabscada - the Egyptian connection
Marowak or Duskull - Summoned Skull
Iron Valiant - “Combined” version of Gardevoir and Gallade if ever news to make just one team slot for them (also Silent Paladin)
Basically any dark, psychic, fairy, ghost, steel, or dragon type Pokemon as they generally cover a lot of the magic, knight, and Dragon, Yugi’s medieval theme has and some of Yugi’s toy/kid theme
I couldn't find a good equivalent for Gandora maybe a Pokemon like Zekrom but nothing I felt confident about picking
Same with Exodia don't know which Pokemon could fit that ionic card(s) maybe Regigigas as the ability slow start can match the need for all five cards to summon/win
Legendaries
Magearna - for the gadget cards
Swords of justice - knights
Hoopa - kind of a magician
Zacian/Zamazenta- knights
Mewtwo - psychic type can be a magician
So who wins?
#pokemon#pokemon anime#ash ketchum#yugioh#yugi mutou#yami yugi#yugi moto#yugi mutoh#ash vs yugi#duel monsters#dark magician
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Hey y’all! Meet the birdfell siblings!!
Roost (birdfell sans):
He’s a bird monster standing at 5’4 with sandy tan wings resembling an owls! He’s 51 years old and has only one working eye, the other socket has a large crack going through and is unable to open any more.
Roost is loyal, affectionate, caring, flirtatious, teasing, and dumb as a rock. He is the perfect definition of a himbo lol. However he isn’t energetic (most of the time) and instead of golden retriever energy, he’s described as having more lazy Rottweiler energy. Roost is a possessive fellow and is quick to claim what’s “his” whether that’s friends or things, or even dates lol. He has so much confidence it’s mistaken for fearlessness.
For work, he’s a florist! Roost is surprisingly enthusiastic about flowers, the language behind them, and making beautiful arrangements. He has a good eye (singular lol) for matching colors and has a green thumb when it comes to growing his babies. His florist shop is in the land his sister owns.
His hobbies: flowers of course, he also does some gardening, long flights, axe throwing, sparring and wrestling, bird hunting, wine tasting, throwing really large rocks off cliffs to see them roll down, falconry, hooking up/flirting, babysitting (don’t worry he’s actually pretty good with kids)
Loved items: his sister/all the vineyard workers, kids, Mediterranean food, wines and cheeses, flowers of course, specially morning glories, the color green, ducks, football and the World Cup
Special ability: rocky skin: when he feels threatened his bones and feathers harden making a rough cutting surface and protecting him from attacks. It only lasts a few seconds
Magic weapon: he has two hand sized axes! They’re fairly simple but they get the job done.
Harpy (birdfell papyrus):
She’s an exceptionally tall bird monster standing at 6’9 feet. She has large dark golden brown wings resembling an eagles and a thin scar on her cheekbone. She’s a feminine presenting monster with a husky woman’s voice.
Harpy is sharp, serious, and very to the point. She’s an organized lady and very ambitious. She’s extremely protective and loyal to her friends and workers and is passionate about her loves in life. She takes no sh*t in life and is very brave in the face of any trial. Harpy is more of an honest straightforward person and is rarely sneaky about what she does.
For work, she owns a large vineyard in the mountains as well as a big chunk of land where she’s the landlord to some other farmers and businesses. Her wine is considered one of the finest of ebotts and her grapes are fought over by other brewers. She takes her job very seriously and expects a lot out of her employees, but with lots of work comes high reward from her.
Her hobbies: wine tasting, javelin throwing, shoe shopping (she fkn loves heels), collecting travel brochures, floral arrangements, weightlifting, long flights, horror and mystery novels, collecting antique weapons, falconry
Loved items: her brother and her employees, Mediterranean food, potted basil, wines and cheeses, the color purple, heels, antique weaponry, murals, antique books, her pet golden eagle Gaia.
Special ability: look at me. When she needs people’s attention, she can give off this aura that will naturally stop people in their place to look at her. She doesn’t need to utter a single sound
Magic weapon: a gorgeous ornate javelin with vines all up the staff
Extra details:
The birdtale AU was very warlike with small mixed tribes of humans and monsters constantly fighting over the little pieces of farmable land left. It created a large sense of loyalty between families but also made an au of very territorial monsters (and humans who came in the crash with them).
Roost and harpy’s parents were killed in one turf war when harpy was a toddler. Roost raised his little sister himself and according to her did a decent job. However most people think she’s the older sibling with how much she bosses him around lol
The birdfell au is interesting as they actually had five “royals” but none who had taken the oath (the ritual had been lost ages ago). They were unable to decide on two representatives without fighting, and so the birdtale royals stepped and took the birdfell monsters as their own. It was supposed to be temporary, but the fells ended up loving their fair and attentive new rulers.
Birdfell monsters are very scattered around ebott so every community has a little pocket of them somewhere.
Side characters:
Phoenix: birdfell grillby, he has a set of gorgeous flaming wings and a massive wingspan. Phoenix is ebotts top model and adores his fans just a little too much. He is also an old friend of rooks and was harpy’s main babysitter when rook was out
Lewis: a frail 89 year old middle eastern looking man and the grandfather of rook and harpy. (Their mother had been a half breed). Harper is enjoying his retirement on harpy’s vineyard as an “official wine taster” lol. He has a good relationship with his grandkids and is not so secretly glad that there are no more babies in the family lol
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Some Sonadow HC's I think you might like;
Shadow is made to be soft and warm, like a cat, so Maria would like him better. This is also why Sonic likes to cuddle with him more in the winter.
Shadow learned how to play the guitar from Sonic
Sonic post-unleashed has a severe case of the midnight munchies that is virtually incurable. Shadow has learned how to keep this from being a problem by making him a snack to eat at night whenever possible.
Sonic learned how to use in-line skates from Shadow, but has to hold his hand whenever he does it. Many see this and assume that it's for romantic reasons, but there's actually a much more practical one as well. Sonic has a tendency to try to move as fast as possible when on wheels. The first time he mastered being able to move while on the skates, he decided to move at top speed... and crashed into a wall with enough force to leave a permanent imprint of himself on it. Shadow, as you can expect, laughed at Sonic.
Shadow is an amazing baker
Sonic and Shadow's first kiss was "A complete accident". Sonic claims to have just "slipped and kissed Shadow while sparring". It is highly speculated that Sonic is lying, and he planned this. Amy was devastated, Rouge nearly died laughing. Vector owed Tails nearly 40,000 Rings and was driven bankrupt again.
Shadow is somehow both naturally talented with the art of flirting and has the romantic senses of a brick wall at the same time.
I hope you enjoy these HC's, and use them how you wish
Awww these are so cute!! ^_^
shadow catlike traits my beloved... i know it wasn't your point, but, imagine gerald just threw every type of dna into the test tube to create the Ultimate Guy,, also i just love the possibility that shadow purrs more like a cat than a hedgehog? Cause hedgehog purrs are SCARY lol
Especially love the rollerblading one hehe cause oh my god he would and those crashes are painful af. Poor guy was probably scraped up for weeks >_< shadow being like "HA YOU FUCKING DUMBA- oh shit wait that's a lot of blood oh crap-" is hysterical to me
Also love love love anything about sonic having lasting dark gaia effects omg... boyfriends who eat strange things together stay together <3
#also i feel like shadow would be good at flirting UNLESS the other person started it?#like if he's caught off-guard he Stays off-guard haha#ask
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i know i'm like the only person raving on about Hosie/FFXIV AU but like it has been brought to my attention by... well... me, after watching this very immersive and fun retelling of the Eden Story from Shadowbringers (uh, super heavy spoilers for the Final Fantasy 14 story and lore if whoever reads this does play the mmorpg game, so uh, tread carefully?) that Hope and Josie could potentially have a Ryne and Gaia story that you follow in Eden Story
Now. Mind you--I have only made it into Heavensward, which is the second expac in FFXIV, meaning I have a very very long way to go until I meet Ryne (I already know who she is but not who she is if that makes sense). But from that video I watched, I think it would be a very interesting take to see Hope and Josie be Ryne and Gaia.
Though I'm not sure who would be who, like I think the "obvious clear cut" choice would be Josie is Ryne and Hope is Gaia--because Ryne is the Oracle of Light while Gaia is the Oracle of Darkness. Josie has a light that she carries with her and sees the good in people and always goes to bat for the people she cares for. Hope has a trail of death and darkness following her everywhere because of who she is, what she is, and who her family is. So, yeah, the obvious choice in this AU would be Josie is Ryne and Hope is Gaia. Josie does her best to befriend Hope--who wants nothing to do with Josie or anyone else.
But I think another interesting aspect is to switch it to where Hope is Ryne and Josie is Gaia. I say this because even if Hope is always going to have this trauma and darkness following her everywhere, I personally feel like she still sees the hope in things and in people. Whereas Josie I kind of chose because it would fit really well with her stint with Dark Josie. Where Dark Josie is in it for herself, is self-preserving, trying to prove that she's better and can do everything herself without needing anyone there to hold her hand. But like will eventually warm up to people... Probably... (Though probably only if that person is Hope lol)
ALSO, it REMINDS ME A LOT of the whole Dark Josie storyline and Hope never gave up on her in bringing Josie back and then did the head dive into Josie's mind to bring Josie back--like that storyline was what made me think of writing this post bc of what happens with Ryne and Gaia.
ALSO ALSO. Ryne's a ginger, Hope's an auburn. Gaia has black hair (and gothgirl), Josie/Dark Josie is a brunette/dark hair (and gothgirl). Also Hope is short like Ryne and Josie/Dark Josie is tall like Gaia.
THE SIMILARITIES!!!!!
Okay. I may be reaching too much lol. I also had an incredibly full day of going to the drivers place to renew my licence and then doing some shopping and errands and panic when I couldn't find one of my debit cards so this entire post probably is just jargon of incoherent bs but that's okay
as I'm ending this, I realize I have no idea where I was actually going with this post other than "this idea has been cooking in my noggin I Must Speak Upon It". So, here it is. A Hosie FFXIV AU--specifically Eden Story AU--where Hope and Josie play the roles of Ryne and Gaia (the Oracle of Light and Oracle of Darkness) because I, Rika, cannot wait to get to Shadowbringers so I can do the Eden Story raid and finally meet these two cutie girlfriends and continue to connect parallels to Hosie
#hosie#hosie ffxiv au#you can take this au out of my bloody hands#shadowbringers spoilers#eden story spoilers#eprika rambles
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That a cool im kind of confuse about erazor djinn,merlina, time eater and the end representation
Erazor Djinn is obviously based on Djinn or Jinns from arabian mythology, aka genies. Djinn's can be good or evil just like humans, and Shahra herself is also a djinn. Of course Erazor being NAMED Djinn while Shahra is more presented as a classical wish granting Genie is deliberately being done to present the idea of a "djinn" as being inherently malevolent, while a genie is more benevolent. Considering both words are just anglicisations anyway and the original arabic word is جِنّ this is obviously a fine way to interpret it into english. Pre-islam, djinn's were essentially personal spirits that were worshiped in private as opposed to gods which were worshiped in public, although we don't have all that many historical documentation on the specifics of this. After the rise of Islam, djinns were rolled into the Abrahamic hierarchy and are on a lower rank compared to angels, and in modern mythology Djinn are essentially always portrayed as demons or evil trickster spirits (very similar to how pagan holdovers are portrayed in a negative light by christian storytellers).
Merlina is based on Merlin and also probably Morgan le Fay, as befitting of her role in the story as initially presenting herself as a mentor and guide for Sonic (who is King Arthur) only to reveal herself as the true villain and final boss as Morgan was a reoccurring antagonist of King Arthur. Given the name, Morgan was probably a fae entity of some kind and in some texts is even referred to as a nymph. Faeries in celtic and britanic tradition are a whooooole fucking thing I don't have time to get into lol. But again given christianizations tendency to take pagan traditional beliefs and incorporate it into biblical mythology for the sake of portraying it as a falsehood or evil in some way, it makes sense to take the Morgan le Fay character and portray her as this malevolent fairy creature that wants to trap the world of Camelot in a timeless limbo. That's pretty classical fae shenanigans. Once Sonic sets her straight, she recalls her Father who was Merlin with fondness while holding a flower, and Merlin is a pretty straight forward Druid (again, discounting christianization and Robert de Boron which turns him into a prophet of the holy grail). So she's definitely got a food in both circles, I'd say.
The Time Eater is pretty Lovecraftian I'd say. It reminds me of the Color Out Of Space, especially in the state we see it in before Eggman hijacks it. It is your typical eldritch entity and a being that exists outside of linear time, though I don't know if it can be said to have any specific inspirations beyond that.
The End is a God of Death and looks like the moon because various cultures viewed the moon as a symbol of death. This also puts it in stark contrast to Solaris which was a Sun God. Specifically the cycle of death and rebirth is symbolized by the moon in the way that is has difference phases of visibility throughout the year and the way those phases effect the tides. And death and rebirth is a big theme of Sonic Frontiers, particularly with the Koco and Sage's entire storyline which appropriate ends with her sacrificing herself to defeat The End before being reborn in the post credits scene. It is very similar to Dark Gaia in that it wipes the slate clean, and Tails even directly compares the power of The End to Dark Gaia in the game. Of note that in most mythologies the moon is often (but not always) presented as female, and the sun is usually (but not always) male. The End speaks with both male and female voices at the same time. It is also of course very eldritchian as well, as it only APPEARS as a moon to our mortal comprehension and we are incapable of perceiving it as it actually is, and the form that Sonic and Sage destroy is only an aspect of its true self. It is PROBABLY not inherently malevolent, just inherently destructive, and the way it is in the game is likely just because it was pissy over being imprisoned for countless eons and not perceiving mortality as having any inherent value which again speaks very much to Lovecrafian influence.
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Some more odd thoughts from early DK-BC DM rewatch:
*Player Killer in the Darkness definitely inspired both Haou and Z-ARC. Haou’s castle is basically inspired by Castle of Dark Illusions, and Z-ARC’s design takes a lot of inspiration from PK’s monsters.
*Obviously, the infamous glowing Atem silhouette that appears in the 4K dub’s opening, from the latter part of Impersonator Duel, clearly inspired Yuya’s Berserk design. I didn’t notice this before, because I was too focused on the Haou-style pupilless eyes.
*Ghost Kotsuzuka’s aniki gimmick obviously transferred to Sho, for better and for worse. There isn’t much of a difference between Masumi Suzuki’s Kotsuzuka voice and Sho voice, though, if any.
*Keith’s card vest obviously inspired Misawa’s card vest, and Cronos’ as well.
*Since Battle City episodes were not in syndication in my country, I never got why DMG looked like an Aryan Nation poster. I finally got the explanation, Mana’s DMG design is supposed to be based off Pandora’s girlfriend, Catherine.
*The rainbow background for Gate Guardian’s combination seems to have inspired Neo Space’s design. Makes sense, Neo-Spacians are all about Contact Fusion, and Gate Guardian is basically the first proto-Contact Fusion.
*Kind of hilarious how both proto-Contact Fusions, Gate Guardian and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior, are instead Main Deck Special Summon Monsters in the actual card game and later animé. Granted Gate Guardian might get a Fusion retrain in Maze of Memories, so that leaves only Valkyrion.
*Kajiki vs. Jonouchi definitely inspired the whole “Action Duel” thing in the first season of ARC-V.
*Jonouchi got Fortress Whale but not Fortress Whale’s Oath, lol. I mean, he can still Summon him by other means, but that’s kind of a dumb move. Also, Red-Eyes Fortress Whale when? The thing already has a counterpart and two retrains, this one should be an obvious one. Give us Red-Eyes Parasite Paracide and Insect Queen too.
*Animé adaptation definitely tries to make Mask of Light and Mask of Darkness a gay couple, with all the aibou talk. It works honestly. I don’t think they were this important or competent in the manga though. I wonder if this was a marketing thing (since their cards are the cover cards for Spell of Mask, one of the OCG sets), since they don’t use some of their cards like Nuvia I think, though I think it might have been one of the destroyed Set monsters. At least that’s what the Wikis suggest.
*I already said this before I think, but Rica Matsumoto definitely tries to differentiate between her Bakura, Yami Bakura and Satoshi voices early on, but as series continues they just become different versions of her Satoshi voice. So, she just gives up. Not sure if high pitched Satoshi voice for Yami Bakura is better than her old hag voice in Season 1.
*I didn’t realize how important Gaia the Dragon Champion was for both Haga and Player Killer duels, but obviously it becomes less important later on. At least it explains why Elemental HERO Flame Wingman and Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon are designed the way they are.
Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast isn’t as important for Battle City or fillers, if anything it was more important in GX. Though that makes some sense considering how long it took for it to get printed in the OCG, and later on the TCG.
*Oh and the whole “Boy” gag with Judai in GX is based off Mai’s nickname for Katsuya, “Boy”. And of course, Rio’s eyebands are based off Shizuka’s, even though the contexts for both of them are very different. Yoshida really wanted to milk nostalgia in ZEXAL huh. At least in GX, with Titan and Player Killers for example, you had a proper context.
Edit:
*One more final note I forgot, but in Duelist Kingdom there are fields with multiple effects based on percentages, with opposing sides often having different effects (though there is one case with three effects). This obviously inspired the later ARC-V era rule change of having multiple Field Spells for each Field Zone, which wasn’t a thing until that time. Kind of funny how insane rules of Duelist Kingdom actually inspire more cards and rule changes than the more balanced Battle City, which still has tons of unprinted cards, like Pandora’s Beckon to Darkness, which for some reason seems to have inspired Necroshade’s design.
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I've been watching a lot of Rite of Spring vids on youtube, and since today is the Equinox of Spring, a date I only learned to appreciate after moving to the American Midwest, I decided to make a little selection of performances of the Sacrificial Dance of the Chosen One with my impressions :D
A little context: it is well-known that this ballet, choreographed in 1913 by the legendary Nijinsky, was a tremendous flop at the time. While Stravinsky's musical score continued to be played and studied (it was even used in Walt Disney's Fantasia, in 1940), the choreography was lost and the ballet never performed again... Until 1987, when dance historian Millicent Hodson led a research project with the Joffrey Ballet company to reconstruct Nijinsky's ballet. The fruit of that project was a choreography subsequently performed by many ballet companies around the world. Many of those performances are available on YouTube nowadays, and there are even fan channels dedicated to documenting and uploading as much material as they can.
The last act of this short ballet is a solo dance called "The Sacrificial Dance (of the Chosen One)", where a young girl dances to death. When I watch that part I always think the three main elements are: fear, anger, and devotion.
The solo dance below, with the ballerina Beatriz Rodriguez, is from the first performance of the reconstructed ballet in 1987. In my opinion, out of all the performances I have had access to, this is the one that makes me think of fear the most. She looks terrified. Sometimes she opens her mouth like she's screaming or wailing, which not many other dancers do -- look at 03:58, she's the only one who does that, or her grimace at 03:48. She sells the exhaustion and horror like no other dancer I've seen so far, and she set the tone for all the ballerinas that came after her.
youtube
This performance by Gaia Straccamore, in 2001, is the one that has always seemed like the angriest to me. It's always very interesting to compare and notice the changes: I think maybe it's because she is so tall, and her form so controlled -- notice her movements are sharper than Beatriz's, her arms and legs straighter, look at the way she covers her face and pushes it back at 00:24, or how far down she goes to gather the fist she shakes at the sky. To me, she looks as furious as she is afraid, cursing her fate. It even makes me see a slightly different meaning in certain steps of the dance. This might also be my personal favorite performance to watch.
youtube
Finally, I think there is an air of solemnity and earnestness in this performance by Marie-Claude Pietragalla, given in 1989, that makes me think that this Chosen One, between the terror and rebellion, is genuinely trying. Her gestures and face during the jumps at 02:50 make me think she is not just being overpowered by the religiousness of the rite against her will, like the other ones, but like she's pleading, or praying (for it to end? for her to be able to give herself away?). Being honest, this is not my favorite interpretation, but it was the first version of this dance that made me feel this way, and I think it's striking.
youtube
And a personal favorite as a bonus: Margarita Simonova. I'm putting this one here because I really like the performance, and also because I think the poor quality of the video gives it a very interesting effect lol. She's a sacrifice for the Sun god; there she is, shining blindingly in the darkness as she dances in his honor. I think it looks cool, especially at around 4:30 when the sky turns red and she starts moving so fast she leaves a specter of light behind, accidentally gorgeous. I also really like her sense of rhythm and some stuff she is doing with her body: the way she interprets the step at 03:25 is unique as far as I can tell, and gives it a slightly different meaning, IMO. I think some of her choices, like her upturned face as the punches the ground at 03:08, or how she changes the step at 0:36 so that she is not shaking a fist up at the sky like the others are, make me read 'devotion' or a similar religious feeling.
youtube
Those are some of the performances that strike me the most, but you can see many others, as well as the full ballet and short documentaries, on YouTube for free. I'll leave you with a thematic YouTube playlist, in case you're interested:
For those who made it this far, thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful spring or autumn depending on where in the world you are :)
#long post#rite of spring#le sacre du printemps#ballet#nijinsky#joffrey ballet#guys i'm an amateur so if I said something profoundly stupid please correct me gently ok#spring equinox special
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Witch-Related Books to Grab off Amazon: Masterpost Part 1
First off, I'll be sectioning this into different parts based off of what type of witch you are/want to be/want more info on, or what practices you wanna add to your craft :)
Green Witch/Magick Herbalism (a classic):
The Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock - $9.69 (Hardcover): This book had incredible reviews on amazon, and a lot of the written reviews said that the book wasn't specific to a religion and didn't try to push a religion on you, which is so wonderful because not everyone wants to be religious with their craft.
Plant Witchery by Juliet Diaz - $25.19 (Hardcover) $18.99 (Paperback): Again, stunning reviews, just a less popular book. This book isn't about general stuff, but instead it's more focused on mother nature and the useage of plants (non-herbal as well, so your houseplants might be mentioned too), which is great if you wanna center your practice around Gaia and the healing energies of the earth.
Herb Magick: An Introduction to Magickal Herbalism and Spells by Patti Wigington - $14.99 (Paperback): here's a review from a verified person- it explained this book WAY better than I ever could:
The focus of this book is on the folkloric and magical uses of herbs, rather than medicinal applications. It provides a few traditional uses of herbs, but the overall theme is knowledge of the plants and their associations, and incorporating them in your spiritual workings. This is an Introductory to Magical Herbalism.
The author's spiritual practice is rooted in traditional American and European Folk Magic. She is a licensed Pagan Clergy and is the founder of Clan Of The Stone Circle, a Celtic Pagan Tradition. (Funny, anything Celtic has been pulling my attention feelers lately, no wonder why I loved this book.) Her spells are derived/based upon the traditional folk magic practices of Western Europe and the British Isles, and the author's own experiences. They are positive spells for magical intentions of healing, love, prosperity, and protection. Baneful or negative workings with herbs are NOT used in this book.
The aesthetic of this book has my little, beginner herbalist heart gushing! The blue, green, and yellow earthy tones and hues used were perfect for the topic of herbs! The cover is GORGEOUS! It's so pretty and flowery, the illustrated pictures of the herbs were extremely helpful because I had never seen some of the plants before. This will make future identification much easier for me!
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham - $16.43 (Paperback): A couple reviews describe it as being in a cookbook format, and overall an amazing book, like most of Scott Cunningham's other works. Apparently the Amazon shipping was literal trash for a bunch of people and they essentially left the book loose inside the box to bang around and get all sorts of messed up :((
The Witch's Herbal Apothecary by Marysia Miernowska - $18.69 (Paperback): Described by reviewers as the PERFECT book for recipes and rituals, even one of Marysia's personal students spoke very highly of her, saying that she's the real deal. Other reviews state the book as being very beginner friendly, and beautifully written and illustrated :))
Blackthorn's Botanical Magic: The Green Witch's Guide to Essential Oils for Spellcraft, Ritual, and Healing by Amy Blackthorn - $15.79 (Paperback): again, phenomenal reviews, just a lesser-known book. Again, here's a review from someone who explained the book a bit better than I could:
This book is way more than I thought it would be. I thought it would be like a dictionary - you look up the essential oil and get the definition. It is that but it's also got a few introductory chapters about oils and products and rituals to give you a nice and concise overview of a lot of things you might need to know as a novice. I also like the way you can reference different oils in alpha order but also look up your purpose and find the oil you need.
From the looks of it, this book is specifically about Essential Oils. Is that still Green Witchery?? Lol I'm not sure, but i felt like it should go in this category.
Kitchen Witch (another classic):
Blackthorn's Botanical Brews by Amy Blackthorn - $14.49 (Hardcover): this is mainly a book of recipes for drinks and cocktails and stuff. There was one review complaining about how it didn't have correspondences, meanwhile the book is literally described as being a recipe book? It's an AMAZING book if you enjoy/want to start making homemade elixirs and cocktails :))
The Natural Witch's Cookbook: 100 Magickal, Healing Recipes, and Herbal Remedies to Nourish Body, Mind, and Spirit by Lisanna Wallace - $20.69 (hardcover): This is again just a book of recipes, and the reviews are really good. Here's one of them:
I wanted to write the review as soon as I got the book. I was not expecting this book to be so fantastic. The recipes are very nutritious and the names are very inventive, but I could see that before I tried the recipes. I held off on writing the review until I tasted a few of the recipes. Even my kids were very happy with the flavors of these recipes. They are mostly easy to make and they are very delicious. Be aware though that the food can only be as great as the quality of the ingredients that you get. These are not recipes that call for complicated or fancy ingredients, or even a lot of ingredients. As a result, you have to use the best that you can find/afford to get the best results you can. I did not use expensive ingredients, but everything I used was very fresh and it does make a difference on the outcome. Overall, the book have some great recipes, easy to follow and the end result does look like the ones on the picture.
The Book of Kitchen Witchery by Cerridwen Greenleaf - $12.89 (Paperback):
I am so pleased with this book. It’s so magical and warm. Sometimes the new age genre can be a little too technical or focus too much on religion or putting down particular religions... this was not like that. There are so many lovely tips and easy spells and recipes that are kept fairly light so you can make them your own. The book just makes me happy, it has an energy to it that goes right along with it’s artsy illustrations and at-a-glance format. This will be a great reference. Very grateful to everyone who made this book possible.
A former editor said that there were a few editing mistakes, but nothing too crazy. If that's one of your pet peeves, just beware when buying this book lol (btw the editor still have a 4 star review because they said the book is still very good)
Potions, Elixirs & Brews by Anaïs Alexandre - $12.79 (Hardcover): I just had to include both of these amazing reviews, since both said what the other review did not.
This book is so gorgeous and everything I have been looking for in regards to potions. I love her writing style and the way the book looks. Highly informative and I can feel her good intentions behind the book. She is very intelligent. I respect her and I am inspired by her! I found her by chance looking up books for potions, she also has Instagram! Very grateful, amazing book thank you:-) so happy to be the first comment:p excited to see what else amazing things come from Anais!
And
I adore this book. The art and setup is simplistic and beautiful. There is a system that tells you exactly how difficult each potion will be to make, whether or not it’s alcoholic, and what is the ideal season to make it in. The instructions are clear, the preliminary information is well done, and there’s even a section for brewing large batches which I LOVE. The weight of the book is nice and it feels of good quality. The papers are glossy and, I haven’t yet, but I feel like it won’t be a disaster If you get some of your creation on it. The book is separated into types of potions depending on your intent. This is a perfect book for anyone new to making potions or is interested in a magickal recipe book!
The Witches Feast: A Kitchen Grimoire by Melissa Madara - $35 (Hardcover): This book actually isn't out yet, but it'll be released on October 26th of this year (2021). It looks promising, which is why I put it on the list, and for that much money, it better be good lol
Lunar/Moon/Astrology Witch:
The Complete Guide to Astrology by Louise Edington - $9.49 (Paperback) $22.99 (Hardcover): There's amazing reviews on this book, and one of them said that she's been researching astrology for 23 years!! Here's the review in it's entirety:
I've been a student of Astrology for the past 23 years now, and have read most of the books on this subject that are considered foundational. Many guides to astrology that I page through in a bookstore are fine, but covering information I already know. What I so appreciated about Edington's new book is that she brings a new angle to even the basics of Astrology. Her book feels like a fresh update, more appropriate to our current time in terms of language and sensibility. There are no "evil" aspects or transits in Edington's view, no dark warnings of disaster; her evolutionary perspective encourages us to see the opportunity in even the most challenging times, what can be learned, what can be accomplished. As she says in her book, she doesn't look at the natal chart as something fixed, unchanging, rather a "blueprint rich in meaning and possibility."
I also admired Edington's extensive knowledge of the stories behind the names and symbology used in Astrology: sharing her interpretations of them, how they are useful, how they can be limiting. Concepts I thought I already understood have been unpacked in greater depth by the author, so that I see deeper layers.
This text is beautifully written, well-organized, offering a fresh update, as well as a deeper dive than many astrology texts. This book is an invaluable resource I'll be returning to, and consulting, with appreciation.
Moon Spells: How to Use the Phases of the Moon to Get What You Want by Diane Ahlquist - $11.35 (Paperback): This book is a bit older fashioned in the sense that it's VERY heteronormative, we're talking about love magick SPECIFICALLY for men and all about being a father, and a section of love magick SPECIFICALLY for women and being a mother. So if this gets on your nerves, then i wouldn't recommend this book. Other than that, the reviews are very good and they describe the book as being a must-have for lunar witches.
The Complete Book of Moon Spells by Michael Herkes - $13.49 (Paperback): Yes, this book was written by a man. If that's something that might make you not want to purchase, please look at this and also keep in mind that SO MANY of the most highly esteemed witches of the world ARE MEN. So if you wanna be closed off and refuse their help and their knowledge, go ahead sis, I'm not stopping you.
He's most definitely not just "some guy". Aside from that, this book has very good reviews. Some people called it "fluffy" and a bit less serious then they anticipated, but it's very good for beginner witches who are finally wanting to start doing spells. Here's a review.
In this book you explore ways to conjure the mysterious power of the moon to manifest your intentions to achieve abundance and balance in your life! Each chapter is devoted to one of the eight phases of the moon and includes various spells, tarot spreads, crystal grids and potions that reflect that phase of the moon!
This is an overall amazing book if you want to build a foundation of learning about the history of the moon, astrology, cycles & phases, ritual tools, crystals, herbs, and essential oils- as well as the moon spells and rituals.
This is one of my new favorite books! I feel so connected to the moon and this book is a great reference for learning the best rituals and spells to use for the different moon phases and energies surrounding them! It’s easy to follow and the lunar rituals, mystical spells and magical drinks are so vibrant, creative and helpful in my spiritual journey. I’d recommend this book to anyone that loves the moon like I do.
Moon Magic: A Handbooks of Lunar Cycles, Lore, and Mystical Energies by Aurora Kane - $19.99 (Hardcover, although there's only three left when I'm looking at it) $9.99 (Kindle):
One review said that the book much surpassed their expectations, and another review said this:
I absolutely adore this book.
If you're just a beginner and want to understand the different moon phases, this is the book to get.
The information inside was extremely helpful without being overly complicated.
Well worth the money spent.
Astrology: Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life by DK - $14.59 (Hardcover):
I saw this in store and was immediately drawn to it's beautiful and shiny cover! But when I open it, the inside is just as beautiful! I love looking through the pages. I would say it is a very good basic astrology book, but I have another one that gives much more detail. I like this one for more of a quick reference kind of book. It's more of a bullet point style book, where it gives little tidbits instead of paragraphs going in depth. (Though some pages do have paragraphs) BUT, it covers just about everything including all the houses, moon signs, and ascending signs. It covers everything, but it just covers he tip of the iceberg. (In my opinion) I still absolutely recommend it!
Apparently this book is also available in Barnes and Noble, so if you have access to one, you might wanna look there for the book before purchasing off of Amazon :)
Misc Books (General):
The Spell Book for New Witches: Essential Spells to Change Your Life by Ambrosia Hawthorn - $10.19 (Paperback) $20.69 (Hardcover):
This book... It's a very good spell book, and is true in the spells it contains, but MY biggest problem with it is that it's V E R Y Wiccan, and seems almost preachy about the "Threefold Law" and what they like to call "karma". Choosing not to do dark magick is PERFECTLY FINE and being Wiccan is totally okay! But don't be like Christianity and rub it in people's faces, dude. The book talks about how you can ONLY practice "love and light". Other than that, this book is AMAZING and rated literally 5 stars with over 11K reviews. If you lean more Wiccan, by ALL means, buy this spellbook. It's the one for you.
Practical Magic for Beginners by Maggie Haseman - $13.49 (Paperback)
This book is fantastic for the witch who wants to learn more about her craft but doesn't know where to start. Each subject is broken down into easy to absorb bits of wisdom without being overwhelming. A great jumping off place to decide where to dive in deep next.
This book is very comprehensive, and is a great reference guide for beginner witches, or witches looking to add another book to their collection.
Candle Magic For Beginners by Mystic Dylan - $10.86 (Paperback) $21.99 (Spiral bound)
This book is a must have for anyone looking to deepen their connection with the magical element of fire, ritual, and spell work through candle magic! Dylan not only teaches you how to use candle magic for things such as protection, abundance, love, healing, and more, but takes you through the fascinating history of the power of fire & how to properly charge, cleanse, and consecrate your candles to begin manifesting your deepest desires!!! Overall, the book is beautifully written with gorgeous illustration and will hook you from the start!!!!!!!
This book is perfect for beginners to candle magick, or beginners to the craft in general. I personally LOVE candle magic because I've always been attracted to fire. I could void out and just stare at a flame for hours on end lol
Crystals for Beginners by Karen Frazier - $8.99 (Paperback) $20.95 (Spiral bound)
Absolutely love this book!! It’s so informative! I am a beginner and this book explains a lot. Everything a beginner would need to know about crystals is in this book. I am so pleased with it. Best purchase of the week! Definitely worth it. The author explains crystals, chakras and energy so enthusiastically and in a way that is easy to understand. At the end of the book, is a “resources” page with all the websites, books and apps that the Author recommends.
Again, very beginner friendly, but this time it's not spells, it's crystals and such. I've personally been wanting this book for AGES
The Crystal Bible Series by Judy Hall - $38.99 (Volume 1-3 shrink-wrapped set, paperback):
This is my first purchase of the three-part series by Judy Hall. Volume 1 covers over 200 crystals! I can already tell you I'll be purchasing volumes 2 and 3 (each of which cover 200+ MORE crystals/stones, not included in volume 1) I love how each crystal description includes photos to further help in identification. I also appreciate that rarity and sources were included. Information about the spiritual and physical impacts of crystals on the body is in there as well! This book is loaded with a lot of great information and is the perfect quick reference. It's also small and fits easily in my hand. I highly recommend it for beginners.
This is a review from just the first book, and it's from a verified hauler/buyer :)) these aren't exactly newbie friendly, and some people say they're a bit harder to understand.
#witch books#witch books masterpost#witch masterpost#witchy things#witch things#witchy books#witchcraft#chaoswitch#eclectic witch#witch#witchy#witchy stuff#magick#green witch#herbalist witch#magical herbs#magical herbalism#green witch books#astrology#astrology books#kitchen witch#kitchen witch books#spellbooks#spellbook#spell books#spell book#super long post#long witch post
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I did my homework and i did my chores, time to tackle on the third book of this series, Son of Ogre
Chapter 1
Okay but the fuck is Baki planning to do if he stops fighting? That's literally all he has, he's not smart
WOOH THATS A BIT REALISTIC
PREHISTORIC ELEPHANT?!
King just went to have a snack. Also FUCK does that meat look tasty FUCKKK
This baby so cute 🥺
I'm so glad Yuji is doing stupid hilarious shit again it had been a while
Congrats on Baki for that mantis
Chapter 2
Who tf is this kid?
Poor kid lmao, i assume he will meet Baki
Look at my boyyy
HSTSRFAYDF DON'T CALL HIM A MANLET
Imagine Baki actually kills this kid HSJDYSSHCBT
Third comment with a ton of likes is "we do not condone child violence. We do, however, find it hilarious"
Chapter 3
AH SHUT UPPP KIDDO
But i like Baki memeing a round a lil
Chapter 4
🥺🥺 that's so sweet...
HELLOOOO STRYDUM MY GOD YOUR TITS GOT FATTER SIR 😳😳
Yujiro is such a fucking threat to society lmao
I love seeing Baki with his eyes open, he's looking more like his old self
Oh, shadow boxing incoming, alright
Chapter 5
Yuri? 🥺 /j
THE RETURN OF IRON MICHAEL?!
Chapter 6
I love how there's our silly little mains after every cover LUV em <33
Baki just dissociating his ass out and using it on his favor, the king
Why is Baki eating sour prunes aren't those meant to be sweet?
We all salivating
Chapter 7
Love to see there are even more swears there now
I can put my face next to my foot too tho
FAGDRJSEHARD YUJIRO CAN BEAT THE CANCER HOW ICONIC 😍
Also i would LOVE to see Yuji fight an Orca
WHAT?!
I love how everyone in the comments is calling out Rumina for not seeing issue going down to a dark hidden basement with a shirtless man older than him
Chapter 8
"piggy back me" USHSYFLFUDSY
This fight is going to be good
Chapter 9
Imagine Baki dies right here right know against an imaginary mantis lmao
Okay Baki getting damaged makes sense but the WALL?
Baki's dead (GOD IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I HAVE SAID THAT)
Ffs it's true Baki COULD create himself a stand 😰
Chapter 10
OH FUCK IT'S TRUE
Chapter 11
This fight is so boring i had to take a 6 hour break
Baki just can't win against nature eh
This reminds me of Garland pulling a suplex on that Anaconda
Chapter 12
I can't wait for the main cast to ACTUALLY appear, instead of just, you know, them in the covers
This fight is slow but cool but slow
To fight a mantis you must think like a mantis 😎
Though it's true in this manga you will most likely win if you steal your opponent techniques so
Chapter 13
I MISS IGARI FUCKKK
This is so dumb i luv it
That mantis be swearing lmao
Love it when Baki goes full Yujiro
Chapter 14
TOBA...
Holy fuck do mantis fly?
Secret Chapter?
Is this how Yujiro got born?
Idk girl i would have killed him if i was you
WHAT.
I KNOW THOSE FROGS THEY ARE FROM PUERTO RICO I THINK
I might just be sleepy but this is so confusing
AKSHSKGSKSGSJSG JUST KILL THE BABY IT AINT THAT HARD
Chapter 15
GAIA...
Why is he like this?
Is "he" with us right now?
...gotta admit that IS true...
I love Strydum sksgwhwg
Yujiro really went XD
I don't think my man Arun in the comments is aware how gay what he said is, though maybe I'm wrong
Chapter 16
GOD THESE FUCKING COVERS MAKING ME SO NOSTALGIC, LOOK AT SPEC!
ANIME KENNEDY?!
I can't believe Bush is dead
AN ASIAN BOY HAS JUST KIDNAPPED THE PRESIDENT...
8 of January? My god he's a Capricorn
I'm sorry, what?
LAHQIGWKQFWKSFWIWG 😭😭
I love Baki so much, THIS IS THE KID THAT I MISSED SO MUCH
This explains why Baki was in prison clothes in the anime teaser
Chapter 17
BIG NUMBER
That one mf like 😐
Glad Baki is 18 now at least 😌
Love to see Oliva back
Chapter 18
This page not even bothering to charge the pages anymore
I'm sure there were better ways to go to jail, well, actually, no, but still
Toba used to just chew that off
Baki did that mantis hit you in the head too hard?
I. I watched way too many prison movies and shows. I don't like seeing someone as young and pretty as Baki in such a place. I rlly don't.
Chapter 19
Yanagi baby i miss you...
IRON MICHAEL?!
Mfkhsjsys 😳🥴
Eh got my hopes too high
CHE BAKI PIBE... LA PUTA MADRE NI ACA ME ESCAPO DE MIS COMPATRIOTAS
I hope he swears too i want to see a boludo o pelotudo PLEASE
I mean para pelotudos lo veo a Yujiro todo el tiempo pero igual JSGWKEGWG me pone bien argento ver al Che carajo
Chapter 20
HE SAID BOLUDO SUAHWKWGAKSGSKSGSKGD
I can't take this omfg new fav I'm sorry Doppo but he just said boludo 😭
Pendejo is more used as pibe here but i will let it pass bc idk the lingo in Cuba and he spent some time there so
Why don't i speak like this too ffs? All i do is say eh and call it a day
He's cocky enough to call anybody any age pibe so I'll let that pass too
Por favor no lo hagas che sksgwj
Chapter 21
Che, pibe, it's a good day to die...
Chapter 22
GSHAGSTSG he should have said "no boludo"
I'm falling in love with this boludo myself
That's talented and brutal
OH RIGHT YOU LOSE YOUR BALANCE WHEN YOU DONT HAVE THAT
Chapter 23
Hm that's, cringe
YESSS HE SAID PELOTUDO
OAHWLGWKQFSKSGSJS SIII ROMPELO TODO CHE, ROMPELO TODO POR DECIRTE YANKEE KSGSSJGS
Honestly i too get pissed off when called American or European, though i won't throw shit to Baki, he's some random 18 yo japanese boy, no way he would recognize latinoamerican lingo lmao
King shit Baki boy
Chapter 24
Oh that's why he's called Jun Guevara, that's fair
I like how they are mixing a bit of truth and a bit of lie it's fun at least
Chapter 25
I like how they are drawing nipples now, occasionally
I can't wait for Viêt to complain about propaganda in the comments
OH SHIT
😳 :Y
He's sooo nice 😍
Chapter 26
Only three? You mean the third is... 👁️👁️
HAHA YEAH YUJI-CHAN <3
I can't believe he works for the USA I'm crying and shaking rn
What a progressive manga, the three strongest and most dangerous men and none of them are white 😍
GET HIS ASS BAKI
Chapter 27
Why is this guy sweating sm?
LDYDYSUGFUDT BAKI PLS
I like how the only time Baki was willing to kill a person was when he thought Sikorsky had hurt his girl
Chapter 28
I feel like Ian will die
Man i love how Baki is drawn in this book
Ffs i called it, i have watched way too many prison things to know how shit goes down
I have seen these three before in fanart but I'm curious to see what they can do
Chapter 29
Their faces remind me of Doyle
OH I CANT WAIT TO SEE EM IN THE ANIME
ASSHOLE DON'T CALL ME STUPID 😢💔
I'm gonna struggle to tell em apart but i think I'll manage
Okay I'm not the only one who thinks they look like Doyle, fair
Chapter 30
The mouth vs Yujiro when?
Someone mentioned the have the same vibe as the dudes that worked with Gaia and like 👁️👁️
Chapter 31
Lmao someone in the comments recommended the same thing
These three must be great at sex (sorry)
KSHALDHDKD NEW FAV COMMENT: "go to Japan and look for the word "defeat". That way you won't feel cocky anymore"
Chapter 32
Hehe hello Junnn~
KSHAKDHKWGS
La luna
Chapter 33
LOS TRES...
Okay that's funny, hocico instead of mouth (hocico is used for animal mouths)
I'm so glad i know Spanish
The two things that drive me insane and make me ramble are Doppo's beauty and this stupid argentinian
OSHSKWGSKSG
Chapter 34
Imagine he's doing that illusion thing Dorian did
With his own blood, that's so cool...
Hoho...!
I did that once when i had a terrible nose bleed, didn't go well
Chapter 35
This book is fucking boring NGL
"now that you got no more urine left in you"
AH.
GAHDYR LMAO
Chapter 36
HO THAT TITLE, PLEEEASE I NEED SOMETHING, ANYTHING, TO HAPPEN
HHH he kinda cute...
Oww :(
JDJSJFRGAJ
God piantao is an old word i had never heard it before
AND he took a piss.
LOCO NO SEAS HOMOFÓBICO NINGUNA MINA ACA ES MEJOR QUE ESTE PIBITO TE LO ASEGURO SKSGSKGSJAAGS
Se me cayó un ídolo y yo que le quería dar 😔
ÑSHWQLSGOSGDKW
Let's see if he lied to Baki about just liking eh /j
Chapter 37
I luv Oliva lol
AJSGSKSLAGHS BAKI SNAPPED
I too wonder where the fuck Kozue is
Chapter 38
LSHSLDGSLSGSIEG
He is jealous of what you two have, it's normal, el Che just rejected his love after all ;/
Oliva is a king
OH A HANKERCHIEF I THOUGHT THAT WAS UNDERWEAR SHSGS-
Oh shit Oliva is like 45?! He looked so young
Te fuiste a la mierda, Che, el chabón estaba siendo re bueno con vos
Baki is just dead
Chapter 39
I love how realistic Che's fear is, he's rather smart, though not this time
POOR GUY AJSGSWJW
I didn't realize Che said "what more, it may be a woman!" but to be fair they ARE in jail so
Chapter 40
I'm feeling kinda bad for him ngl
I feel happy for him tho 🥺
Bruh they added one page after the ending of some naked anime girl tf 😐
Chapter 41
These prisoners having fun is kinda sweet
YO INSANE
Bitches be complaining about Maria's looks are just jealous 🥰
Chapter 42
Damn she lorge
He loves fighting naked eh
Only valid person is the one saying Oliva deserves better treatment which tbh true
Chapter 43
Fun fact i wear my jacket like El Che too, unless it's too cold
El che with the hair lose is so cute bro,,,
Something something fingering joke
Sikorski could fold a coin too
I bet the bandana will break
Chapter 44
I would have just fallen on top of him, how is he gonna counter that, eh?
Oh that super fun to know!
Oh the good ol dirty technique, i have seen this one before!
Chapter 45
NOOO MARIA DON'T DO THIS TO HIM
This fight is super cool tho i love these two characters
Chapter 46
They just keep changing the rules i think Itagaki is just flexing at this point
LAAOSFKAGSKAGSKAF???
Baki wants his protagonism back
I'm getting pissed off they keep putting semi naked underaged girls at the end of every chapter 😐
Chapter 47
Bruh just realized, the mouth got so hyped as this new cool villain and they died in their first appearance 😭
His damn bandana...
#luly talks#i hit character limit already waaa :(#but I'm too into this to stop reading lol#btg#this saga is a bit boring but el che is funny :)#baki liveblog
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About that sort of hypothetical rewrite of Trigger from yesterday we discussed in DM… I want to be able to share the link elsewhere. Would you be willing to post it publicly or Nah?
Oh yeah sure since Ive basically posted about this publicly before and had the same discussion in many other dms
Disclaimer: Ok I realized after posting this that Tumblr fucks up the text format after upload and some parts are shown underlined for no reason which didn't happen when I was posting it. Maybe thats whay happens if i copy and paste messages or something? So forgive the underlined texts lol
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godzillalouise: I recall reading you saying that you feel Trigger had a lot of wasted potential, out of curiosity, what do you think you would have done, if you’d been the main director, to make the series not have that wasted potential?
thekaijudude:
First we need to understand that with recent news, it has been revealed that Trigger had 80% of its original content removed due to covid19 which made filming difficult. It originally meant to feature 3 seperate ultras, which makes some scenes it trigger quite abit of sense like the scene where all the forms of trigger were summoned in the past as they were meant to be 3 different ultras.
And because i suppose that said content was removed at the last minute, the missing links throughout the series left gaping holes which werent adequately addressed (see my commentaries for the all the exact details)This lead to really, REALLY weird pacing of the series.In fact i think i said that Trigger had the weirdest pacing of any series iirc. Now with that in mind, I wouldve purely made Trigger as a single feature from the get go(Which was for the best as we can see from the sales, and it looks like Trigger-Decker-New Gen Gaia is about to repeat the Ultraman Franchise's greatest success ever again like with Tiga-Dyna-Gaia)And i based my direction on what the Tiga movie severely lacked. Which was context and personal connection
In general, Trigger's first 9 episodes had a really, REALLY slow pacing, followed by 10 episodes' worth of content being crammed in ep 10 and 11 before it reverted back to the typical New Gen formula. So the first few episodes wouldve been used to show Trigger and Carmilla's relationship. This totally bypasses the whole wonky plotpoint of random spacetime holes spawning outta nowhere at REALLY convenient times and it also sets the tone for the rest of the seriesWhich resolves 2 of the biggest issues of the series as well, that being as said, the weird plot device that is the time travelling and Trigger/Carmilla's relationship, hich we can properly see how their relationship developed. Specifically, iirc i mentioned that there should be a repeat of Tiga's pantheon's lore here
That being a entire subset species of AU DoL ultras had an internal conflict with either another seperate species of ultras, being the dark giants, fanning the flames of civil war or even came amongst them etc.
Then the story progresses to a point to where we saw Trigger's doubt in his actions when he learnt from Yuzare that messing with the Eternity Core would basically destroy the whole universe. And we shall see a great expansion of Trigger's internal conflict that was shown in the series. But this time, with a more romantic touch. Like the 3 dark giants were too arrogant and eager to accept that they would mess up. But Trigger voiced out that the stakes are ridiculously high(Also before this, we can also see how Trigger's relationship with Dargon and Hudram developed as well). Carmilla still insists that Trigger should gain the power first, similar to what we saw. And then he pointed out that he does not want to gain power at the expense of losing his only friends. Especially Carmilla. And at this point i would like to offer a crossroads of how the story progresses. Itll have to come to a point where the Dark giants leave Trigger no choice but to stop the other dark giants
Either Hudram, being power hungry as seen, insists and hypes everyone to ignore him which eventually leads to Trigger having no choice but to stop them, thereby gaining his light form with the eternity core granting powers to him in the form of strength and sky type (in this story, im making the Eternity Core another ultra power source), which then they have no choice but to fight it out
Or, Zabil did the fanning of flames which would be an appropriate reveal for the episode Z movie later as my story progresses. But in my old essay, i chose the former so i just stick with that
So ye, the whole "turning to stone" scene would be explained under my direction as well. Because Trigger did not have the heart to kill his friends and lover, he only wished to stop them
And because ultra power sources are sentient, but in the case of the Eternity Core, being able to extract the power (via yuzare as well) would turn them to stop. So Trigger simply held them off until they all turned to stone like with the series
Fast forward 30 million years later, Trigger awakens by a kaiju attack (similar to in Tiga). Makes sense considering Carmilla was awakened after 30 million years of asteroid bombardment
He then adopts a human form as Kengo. Then the other Dark giants awaken
And they saw Trigger's actions 30 million years ago as betrayal then they go about the usual fighting, but this time, Trigger and Carmilla's dialogue would be wayyyy more interesting and logical given their past relationships. Same with Dargon. But with Hudram still being the most stubborn
With Carmilla slowing breaking her pre conceived views of Trigger betraying them.
With Carmilla slowing breaking her pre conceived views of Trigger betraying them. Up till she awakens Trigger's dark form by force again, thinking that the power of light is "corrupting his thoughts". Which even then, Trigger still maintains and stands by what he thinks. Which he finally explains that he dosent see this conflict as Good vs Evil, and that hes trying to go against them to be the "hero of the day". But hes doing all this to protect his friends and Carmilla. Which has nothing to do with light or darkness
Hudram still fans the flames tho. But carmilla and dargon npw attacks with more doubt.
Yuna still grants trigger Glitter Eternity
Then while resting from the fight, hudram keeps complaining and plotting against Trigger.
Dargon and Carmilla then confronts him, finally figuring out that hes been very insistent and ignoring whatever Trigger said. Then it all ends with Hudram leaving the dark giants. Inwardly plotting to destroy them all and take the power for himself by allying with other aliens (like what we saw). Carmilla then asks Trigger out to meet to resolve their issues, then with Dargon as well
Fast forward, itll come to a point where Hudram attacks the 2 dark giants with a league of allied aliens.
Trigger, being the strongest held most of them off while carmilla lays beaten. Carmilla, feeling what Trigger had felt 30 milliom years ago, the feeling to protect
(And actually whats been happening in the background of all this was that the GUTS Select members also know of this story and Yuna and Carmilla have also been talking to resolve their differences as well)
Yuna's power then responds to Carmilla, recognizing her as another one with the light (since shes the priestess) and thus grants her with the power to cleanse her darkness
(So in this story, the Eternity Core would work more differently but more logically that it can use its powers to cleanse darkness and even imbue an ultra with its own powers, but it can only be done when it recognizes a worthy ultra, similar to most ultra power sources today)
With Carmilla's light form, healing Dargon and GE working together, they are able to push back. Which the aliens then decide to retreat, against Hudram's wishes. So being enraged, he stupidly decides to take on all of them. But they still saw Hudram as their friend and kept trying to get him to see the light. But him, being too power hungry as usual, didnt listen and ended up leaving being badly beaten and swearing revenge
Story progreses up till a point where Hudram manages to kidnap yuna, with the aliens holding off the rest (dargon also gets his light form somewhere in between) enough for them to come and witness him becoming Megalozoa
Story progresses till Trigger awakens Truth and like Tiga, supercharged by the Eternity Core and everyones wishes, defeats Megalozoa.
Story progresses till Trigger awakens Truth and like Tiga, supercharged by the Eternity Core and everyones wishes, defeats Megalozoa. Hudram is sent off by the 3 of them. Leaving behind Trigger, Carmilla and Dargon
Thats more or less iirc. Skipped some details but this would be the general flow of the story. Everyone had high hopes for Trigger and Carmilla's relationship (including me) so i expanded upon that. And personally, i always wished Carmeara survived. Plus in this iteration, Dargon as well. So i incorporated them in my own story
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So ye, feel free to hmu again yo
Thanks for the question!
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You mentioned western localizations messing with Amy. Can you elaborate if you don't mind?
Of course!
I think the first thing to keep in mind throughout all of this is that I was referring to the old notion of “Amy is a psycho girl chasing after someone who isn’t remotely interested in her”. This is the big impression Sonic games (and I guess to some extent Archie Sonic, but I don’t want to get in there) left on fans during the 2000′s, and it comes mostly due to two main reasons:
The differences in western culture versus japanese culture (how we see relationships in general, the actual tropes surrounding Amy, etc.)
How the actual localization process was handled for each game, like the way Amy acts toward Sonic and other characters, how the games play said acts (cute vs annoying) and the way Sonic reacts to her presence.
It’s no secret that localization works during that era were spotty at best (that’s why you hear Ryan’s Sonic yelling “teriaaaa!” in SA2, or the general weirdness surrounding SA1), and while I personally don’t blame the people that worked on localizing the games (after all, the overall quality of videogame storytelling was pretty shaky back in the early 2000′s), I can’t ignore just how damaging those works ended up being for the canon. For example, cutegirlmayra talked about the differences between japanese and western Sonic for years now, take this quote from her post, a quote that I believe nails this whole thing on the head:
America treats Sonamy much like they do their franchise, a meme or joke to be poked fun of. Whereas, with a much more refined atmosphere, Japan treats Sonamy as an endearing and lovely couple. Though both resign to say they can’t really see Sonic ever ‘settling down’ or really being focused on romance. And,… that makes since to me. Knowing who Sonic is. But even that doesn’t mean he can’t have a crush XD (The heart wants what the heart wants, lol!)
More recently, stuff like “Unfortunately, I’m not inconvenient for my girlfriend” came to light, and that’s one of many examples where japanese Sonic was way ahead of its western self. This particular quote is from Sonic Battle and in the english version you don’t get anything remotely similar to that, instead Amy is left to look like she’s a crazy stalker, or that Sonic doesn’t accept her advances to a degree (that’s one major problem, how western Sonic tends to feel like he’s actually rejecting Amy while she keeps on trying.) It’s not coincidence that Sonic Battle is regarded as one of the worst portrayals of Amy in a Sonic game.
If you start digging on what the creators actually intended for Amy, you'll find lots of good intentions toward her and the framing of her dynamic with Sonic (which isn’t the only aspect of Amy, mind you, but my claims about western localization originally came from a SonAmy post so I naturally focused on that, sorry haha.)
For example, last year I looked into how Sonic Unleashed handled SonAmy, and while my initial research was pretty sweet (the english version of Unleashed!Amy is really good if you spend time talking to her), the real kicker came as soon as we (me and cutegirlmayra) started looking into interviews with ex-Sonic Team writer Shiro Maekawa and cross-referencing information regarding the actual writers that were involved during that 2000′s era. The result? There was an entire council at SEGA of Japan dedicated to approve the way Sonic characters were presented in all official media, and they approved all of the key SonAmy moments back then, even more that western audiences didn’t get to see (more on that below.) Most if not all the japanese Sonic writers involved in that era (Maekawa was both a writer and part of said council) left around the end of the decade, after Sonic Unleashed (2008) and Sonic and the Black Knight (2009), and ever since that most of the problems shifted from “this is how SEGA of America is localizing Sonic games” to “this is the very poor state of Sonic writing in general”, so, dead end for now.
Then you have situations like with Sonic X, a show handled by Sonic Team and the official Sonic writers of that era working in some of the most iconic episodes... just to see their work censored by 4kids in America and the subsequent dubs that used that version as a basis (from what I’ve heard not all dubs are censored, though.) That’s why you’ll see fans imploring you to watch Sonic X in japanese instead of the english dub, since the series was a lot more involved with the pairing and the general simbolism of some of its touching moments (they used actual love songs for them, for crying out loud), which led to some funny facts, like how the Latin American Spanish and the French dub both ignored the mandate about muting Sonic’s words to Amy in Episode 52, leading to moments like Sonic promising Amy he won’t leave her again (LatAm) or just straight up telling he loves her (the french were on fire with that one.) Sonic X was the one true vision of Sonic Team, and the way it was butchered for western audiences is still baffling to this day.
So, what’s the deal with Amy then? In theory she’s a cheerful, happy-go-lucky girl with a very strong sense of justice, super-determined to help anyone in need (even enemies like Metal Sonic) and, depending on the situation, pretty impulsive. She’s particularly loyal to her friends, and she acts like the emotional support of the group. You’ll see her filling that role regardless of how good or bad the localization is (SA2 Amy helped Shadow realize his true purpose, Heroes Amy is the beating heart of her whole team, Unleashed Amy is the only one who doesn’t lose hope on Sonic when Perfect Dark Gaia rises); yet the ways by which these traits were shown in the games varied a lot, and that’s how we reached a point where a good chunk of the fandom thinks Amy is a stalker. Japan portrayed her acts as cute, as very respectable traits of a great female character; the west portrayed her mostly as a nuisance the gang had to carry around, even to the point of misinterpreting some of her quotes that aren’t actually bad (for example: “If I had to choose between the world and Sonic, I would choose Sonic!“ in Sonic ‘06.) And while this is no longer the case, nowadays there’s a whole different discussion surrounding making Amy better by making her “more mature” (which is also another topic raised here in the west, like, this whole discussion never ends! haha)
I feel like I got lost and came back several times while writing this reply. At the end of the day, it’s a long topic to tackle and I think the best I can do right now is forward you some more information. My friend beev did some great work translating my own Spanish articles tackling the Japan vs Western differences (it’s pretty much most of this reply.) And then there’s @skull001, he’s very vocal about the ways Amy’s character was messed with (including stuff like Amy being missing from the back of Advance 1′s box, the Sonic X english dub or the fact SEGA is still reluctant to count her as part of Team Sonic), and if there’s someone I’d listen when it comes to knowing pretty much everything about Amy, it’s gotta be him... and cutegirlmayra, of course. I hope this helped, though!
#ask latin dr robotnik#sonic the hedgehog#amy rose#sonamy#sega#hannahcbrown#i'm sorry this took way too long to write haha
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I know you've said before that you think Caine and Drake are pretty one-dimensional (and I agree completely). I was wondering if there were any other villains that you wish had been explored more instead of giving those two more page time in later books. Or if there were any characters that you thought could have had villainous potential that were unexplored??
wow, interesting question! i think my main problem with caine and drake is that they’re just kind of blandly evil, one-dimensional like you said. i think, ideally, villains should feel like real people.
funnily enough, i think zil probably comes closest to embodying that in this series. he’s mean-spirited from the beginning, but it’s only under lance’s influence (from what i remember) that he becomes a real threat due to his gaining confidence. i think it would have been nice to see more of him in the series—he’s insecure in his role as leader of the human crew, which makes him fallible. he’s also kind of unnerved by lance’s neo-nazism. he’s arguably the most intelligent out of the crew aside from lance. he’s not sympathetic, per se, but he is compelling.
i would’ve liked to see him interact more directly with the protagonists—especially astrid, because i think she should get a chance to one-up him in some way after he was thinking creepy thoughts about her in hunger. also, i think astrid, being the smartie she is, would probably be most likely to try to persuade him to turn over a new leaf—she’s a normal, and a white, aryan-looking (gag) normal at that, which would probably satisfy lance, and she still has distinct power in the fayz. though zil could probably poke a hole in her argument by pointing out that she only really has that power because she’s sam’s girlfriend, which is true. anyway, they could have words about it.
i think zil is compelling because he has the potential to be redeemed. it’s a slight potential, because he’s already done some pretty evil things, but he’s not totally evil—he has to justify the violence he commits in order to accept it, which is more than caine or drake does. we never forget that, at the end of the day, he’s still an insecure, blustering twelve-year-old. he’s an anti-moof bigot, but he could change. i think lance, more than zil, represents total irredeemable evil. he represents what zil could descend into being. he’s the devil on his shoulder (astrid could potentially be the angel if she maybe switched tactics from lawful punishment to direct emotional manipulation).
i’m a sucker for human villains and natural disasters being the principal antagonists, which i think is why the first four books work so well? i think fear and light suffer from the gaiaphage taking control of the narrative, villain-wise, when i think it worked best when used sparingly. gaia is pure evil, nothing more. she’s fun to read about in her own way because she’s so villainously campy, but that’s kind of it. she’s not really interesting, imo.
i think the reason why i harp so much on the insufficient “humanity” of antagonists like caine and drake is because that’s the principal strength of books (lord of the flies, battle royale) in the “kids trapped in place and forced to survive” genre: what do the actions of the characters say about human nature? about society? about morality? in lord of the flies, the message conveyed is ultimately a bleak one: the kids all descend into savagery in one way or another, with the purest one of them all, simon (the jesus figure) being driven insane, and the intellectual (piggy) being murdered. the story is all about “the darkness in the human heart,” to paraphrase the last line of the book.
in battle royale, on the contrary, the message is ultimately one of hope. despite the characters living in a dystopian fascist society that sacrifices one class of students to a killing game, the main character shuya clings to the idea that he and his classmates can figure out an alternate way to survive the titular battle royale aside from murdering each other. his compassionate view of humanity is validated by the pov vignettes given to all his classmates. all of them are given distinct personalities; some are kind, like shuya and his allies noriko and shogo, and some are drake-esque sadists, while the majority fall somewhere in between (my personal favorite characters are the girls that team up with one another in order to protect themselves from possible sexual violence from the boys. they hole up in a lighthouse!). but all are tragic in the sense that they’re children thrust into an unfair and cruel situation. even then, though, the nobility of certain characters shines through.
for instance, there are two girls at the beginning of the game who are best friends and don’t want to kill anyone. they (foolishly or bravely) use a megaphone to call out to the other kids in hiding, asking if they can all band together. shuya and several other characters are tempted, but sadly the girls are both fatally shot soon after their announcement. they die in each other’s arms after affirming their friendship, tears in their eyes. shuya and several other kids are devastated by the girls’ deaths. while some more callous characters deride them as being stupid and naïve, the reader is ultimately meant to mourn their deaths and the lost potential of a class-wide alliance. they know that their enemy isn’t their classmates, but rather the fascist government that makes them kill each other in the first place.
anyway—tangent aside—i think those two aforementioned novels are really solid examples of the genre gone is in. gone has more of superhero vibe to it, given the focus on powers and mutations and paper-thin evil villains, but i almost think the way that’s executed almost detracts against the aforementioned “kids surviving, etc.” genre? like, that’s all about the messiness of morality and human nature and whatnot, and while superhero comics can weave that into their narratives (watchmen, the brat pack) those are usually deconstructions of the genre than straightforward examples of it. the superhero genre is usually morally black-and-white and really action-focused. this is why i think we get the strange tonal mixture of kids reacting realistically to the trauma of starving versus reacting fairly unrealistically when faced with brutal superpowered violence, such as when brianna decapitates drake like it’s nbd. or anything brianna does, really.
there’s a shift from the realistic to the unrealistic that’s fun, but tonally dissonant from each other. so there’s this sort of disconnect, at least for me. i sympathize greatly for astrid when she’s slapped by drake and forced to call little pete a slur, for instance, but how many times does drake or caine murder a kid in cold blood? at some point it gets...idk, old? as the violence gets more cartoony the less it interests me aside from morbid fascination, and there’s just so much of it. it gets desensitizing after a while. i think that’s why, even though i think it’s handled fairly believably in gone, i had a lot more trouble with the monster trilogy’s blend of absurdism (the animorphs-style mutations like dekka turning into a cat woman with medusa hair and another character turning into a praying mantis with super speed, etc.) vs. grimdark realism (ICE forcibly deports a character’s father, terrorist violence is a common theme, the san francisco bridge is destroyed, a baby boy is mutated into a giant fuzzy caterpillar and then gets blown up by the military—like this is budding dystopia-level dark and the narrative doesn’t seem to realize it). it just feels too heavy and too light at the same time. the contrast of tones does a disservice to both of them. idk what i’m saying let’s get back to your actual question lol
as for characters with villainous potential...hmmm. tbh i think astrid has villainous potential? i mean, i like the idea of her moral righteousness escalating in a way that makes her more morally gray. she’d have to probably latch onto more powerful kids in order to have any leverage over sam and the gang, given her powerlessness. maybe she could manipulate orc into being her bodyguard while she plots to usurp sam or something asgjsjk. i think she could be a powerful threat if she wanted to be! it’s fun to ponder. i heard of an au where she joins the human crew that i thought was sort of interesting!
what do you think, @goneseriesanalysis? any villains you wish had been dived into more, and/or characters with villainous potential you think would have been cool to explore?
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The 100 7x01: Discussion
My general takeaway from the episode can be summarised like this: Echo is spectacular. (I might’ve said “oh my god look at her!!!!!” and “ugh she is just The Best” too many times to count).
This is long-ish because I really just wanted to consolidate my thoughts in one place. Bitch it’s me i got a lot to say!!!!!
The Good Parts
— The farmhouse setting. While it’s existence is strange and “a sore thumb” and worked to further push Sanctum being the abomination born of clumsily mixing genres and time periods in terms of construction/costuming, making everything appear disconnected and obnoxious, it was still a nice change. It made me feel warmer and more comfortable as a ‘modern’ viewer. It’s a breath of fresh air from the constant dark element: dilapidated post-apoc buildings falling from their foundation, endless woods, and equally cold-feeling labs and skeleton dungeons.
— Echo. This was a damn good episode for Echo and every second reminded me of why she’s my favourite. She’s a badass. I always love to see her falling naturally into leadership of her little ragtag groups who accept it wholeheartedly. From the “testing a theory” moment where she went ‘when Gabriel doesn’t speak >>>’, to right at the end when she killed the solider about to “eliminate” Hope (hesitation is death...oh no he can’t hear us he’s got airpods in oh my god). It was Echo that got them through the whole sequence with the anomaly, Echo who figured shit out, Echo who quickly judged the situations and formed plans to overcome the obstacles. In other words: she did THAT.
Favourite scene: Echo coming face-to-face with the projection of her own insecurities in the form of Roan and Echo 1.0, and physically overcoming them (shooting them down), along with the trauma and pain that they both represent. The perserverence and getting the job done despite the emotional torture felt like a callback to the Psychosis episode of 6x02 when she was clever enough to sedate herself to silence the voices in her head. I also think the dialogue chosen was also foreshadowing that she would become a leader by the finale (commander?) and i love to see it!
— Clarke and Madi’s conversation. Oh Clarke, you just keep reinforcing and validating my perceptions of who you are as a person over and over again lol. In all her self-importance failing to remember that Madi, in fact, had and was raised by her biological parents for half of her life (and the new knowledge that she spent six years telling her little mind tales from the book of her life whilst apparently never taking the time to learn about Madi’s or acknowledge/honour her birth parents in any way) is “yeah that’s about right” to me. Sure you could say she was still reeling from the events of six and her death-almost death-almost death again. But I’ve always had this Thing about the relationship between Clarke and Madi. And i’ve seen some of the lighthearted humourous reception that scene got from fandom, “#where do you think the child CAME from?!” which only served to remind me of my own impression that Clarke views Madi as wholely ‘hers’, as if Madi’s existence was tied to Clarke, but i might elaborate in a seperate post.
This scene was a lovely display of self-awareness I’ve rarely seen on Clarke (never even got it when she electrocuted said child two seasons ago- however that absense of apology and acknowledgement of the sheer wrongness of that action also fits very nicely with my view of her lmao, still though, a weird choice for your ‘heroine’).
— Clarke’s “feels like a different world.” Felt romantically-coded. I think Gaia/Clarke might be the most convinient relationship to transform into romance at this point. However I’m sincerely hoping this road they could go down won’t reduce Gaia to a crutch/accessory for Clarke, and that she doesn’t become merely a love interest. I’ve seen talk already of Gaia being “Clarke’s happiness” etc.. which is already confirming my worst fears. Sigh.
This moment very much felt like found closure and the turning of a page. But i will say it was a very sharp turn from the three seasons of shoehorned-in mentions of Lexa, and last season’s emphasis on Clarke’s very-much intact emotional response to her memory- “it’s why you cry when you think about Lexa”- to her looking at an image of Lexa’s memory of her, reminicing but having no emotional response to it, and brushing it off while sharing a soft look with Gaia (and this is a few days since s6? I don’t know how this timeline is working but Tbh it’s not like these writers ever concerned themselves with ‘realistic time frames’ anyway lol). Yep, Jason’s seasons are individual “movies,” alright.
Other *nodding approvingly* moments
— Raven’s subtle “elevator eyes” on Clarke when she started giving her orders again. I see you, Miss Reyes, and I appreciate you.
— Raven + the foot in her mouth and the cute way she catches herself both times. I just love watching characters fail at existing LOL. She was feeling more human than stereotype or plot device this episode.
— "Mommy and Auntie O” and the implication that Hope is a child inside an aged-up body.
— This quote: “I know what it’s like to lose your family 100 years ago and yesterday at the same time.” It’s so literal but I like it a lot.
— Clarke being ‘leader’ again is, as usual, solely a matter of convinient (and familial/love) circumstances and it felt very true.
The Rest
— The Eligius Situation. So Clarke and her inner circle conquer and live in a nice home, and we’re specifically told Clarke takes the master suite (and the dog), and I was like ‘fair enough’ but then she orders prison labour. She tells them to build her a compound that they won’t actually get to be apart of, and to live in tents while they do so. They aren’t getting anything out of this (before they resist and set their own terms). This is slavery. Also, those aren’t her people to boss around, look down on, and use accordingly for her own gain (in fact they barely know her or why she’s gone from being that one unloyal woman who executed their men and got herself captured like an idiot, then couldn’t make up her mind about which side she wanted to kill- to one in the uppermost position of authority...like...they woke up yesterday) But, then again, that never stopped her.
— Too much and not enough at the same time. The pacing of the episode in general was awful. Too much happening in quick succession, no breathing room, too many factions (no, actually Raven, where is ALIE when you need her? smh). I blink, I miss an entire scene and a character is now beating someone else up. Amazingly, i was still bored 90% of the time.
— The Children of Gabriel calling themselves “The Children of Gabriel.” It was always goofy, even more so when a grown man is saying it.
— Murphy + his self loathing over Abby’s death. Did I miss the part where she was ever good to him? One of their final moments together was of her telling him he deserved to die over Clarke after she spent the entire series treating him like he was inferior and disposable. uhhhhhhhhhh.
— The picnic scene. Jackson’s sudden violent outburst was unearned (it wasn’t even set up???), and also disrespectful. Wrong place, wrong time, bro. He’s grieving? Okay. But when Abby’s daughter is sitting right in front of you, making this about you, ruining a perfectly good toast in her honour with your uncomfortable accusations loses you points you never even had to begin with. And this is a ‘me’ thing but I can’t be bothered to be sympathetic when this is about Abby Griffin.
Also, I have to say it. Eliza’s acting took me out of the scene every time I looked at Clarke. I couldn’t for the life of me work out what those expressions were supposed to be.
— Russell, his manpain, and a fury over the consiquences of his own actions that could rival the grounders (”my brother died in your ring of fire [while he was trying to murder you all]” hmm sounds like a you problem). But the worst part is, I simply couldn’t tell where he stood or what he was feeling. He’s so one-dimensional. He’s an evil man (so much for ”grey morality”).
— Clarke + Jordan. A small point to make but all Clarke has done since Marper made her ‘Godmother’ of their son has blame him for everything bad happening lol. Marper loses a lot of my respect as time goes on for that choice. As much as I dislike Jordan’s presence in the show, still not a great pattern to have noticed.
— Raven seeking approval from Clarke (specifically) for the Prime idea was...weird and very bad. When has Raven ever cared for Clarke’s validation, especially in the last few seasons?
Was also taken aback by how Indra and Miller are both suddenly so protective of Clarke, like i can make sense of the Indra part even though it relies on me making things up that aren’t supported by what’s on screen, but Miller?
— (Bonus moment that was bad for me, but not for the same reason it was for the rest of you: the scene of Hope finding the message in her arm. When she was removing the blood-soaked bandage I freaked out because I thought she was peeling her skin off. You’re welcome for that visual.)
The Mixed/No Feelings
— Clarke’s full-dark-no-stars. How many times have they told me now she’s “the head”? LMAO.
I have no actual formed opinion on it. Only disjointed thoughts. Like i might’ve just gone “good for her” if Clarke wasn’t the person she is, with the history she has.
I appreciate the idea, to have her spend the whole episode declaring she is, in fact, completely fine, to end it having her explode with the repressed pain.
I mean...i realise the cognition behind it, but it’s eye-roll inducing at this point. This- kicking Russell to death (giving him exactly what he wanted and set out to provoke), and burning down a palace she promised to keep intact, once again going against the group to do her own Thing that they all ultimately have the suffer the consiquences of and help clean up- is just a repeat of past patterns, and Monty’s “do better” mantra that she desperately clung to like she owned it last season is nowhere in sight.
(Also, I can’t be the only one who spotted her physically smacking that Sanctum girl as she walked onto the balcony? Not cool. Wasn’t cool when Murphy acted like a dick to one of them either this episode.)
The rushed switch did a number on me, too, like Jackson’s did. Literally five minutes before she was preaching about a peaceful life for Madi that doesn’t take revenge (I think I know what they were going for with that but it just left me feeling confused and frustrated).
Furthermore, I’ve seen talk that this was her “burning down of a symbol of oppression”, something she experienced first hand (not so unlike Blodreina and the bunker she desperately wanted to escape and deliver her people from), but there was no noble, calculated intention there. She burned the palace accidentally in her rage because she was in pain and disorientated. The moral stuff was just an after effect.
The speech was also very ‘Clarke’. Feeling entitled to and making decisions on who lives and dies right after declaring this wasn’t their kill to make. She wasn’t the only person hurt by the Primes (but we’ve also been given no reason to care about any of the other victims- the manipulated, enslaved population have been turned into a joke and a punching bag for the main characters which...isn’t great either). And the castle could’ve been used to shelter some of the “too many people” we had problems with through the episode (or used to harvest resources from). It really comes down to if i think the situation justifies the reaction and if i hold her wholely responsible...and this is the part where i reiterate that i have no intact opinion and don’t actually care to have one either ha.
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