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theanimeview · 3 years

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Hazbin Hotel's Double Plot: Charlie and Angel Dust - Or - Why Charlie and Angel Dust are Both Main Characters (And I love one more than the other)

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @peggyseditorial

Welcome to Storytelling Class, everyone. Now, who remembered to brush up on their Shakespeare? No one? Not to worry, Prof. Peggy (not official... yet) is going to explain it all anyway with a bunch of unnecessary questions she plans to answer for you. Ready?

Here's a question: What is a double plot?

It's a more common occurrence in storytelling than you may think and is sometimes mistaken for subplot though the two are not the same. Shakespeare used double plots in several of his works, though King Lear is the most common example. We generally call a double plot structure that which takes two stories with combined plotlines. The two stories could stand alone but are purposefully combined to depict complex situations mirroring each other, often to comment upon or reinterpret events that transpire in other dramatic situations. "Often this takes the form of relatively minor characters and plotlines doubling events and situations from the 'main' dramatic narrative" (Reinke 1, LINK). The main characters of the "second" plot are often supporting characters in the "main" story and vice-versa, meaning that the main characters in the "main" story may act as supporting characters in the "second" plot.

Subplots have entirely different focuses that ultimately guide the main plot, such as on a hero's quest, the hero's party must split into groups to find different items for a magical spell. Following the group that went away from the party in different chapters is an example of a subplot, as this is a subordinate "plots" that serve the progression of the main one. A good indicator of a double plot instead of a subplot is figuring out whether or not the two plots could stand alone.

John Lithgow, far left, with Clarke Peters in the Shakespeare in the Park production of "King Lear" at the Delacorte Theater. Credit: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Using King Lear as an example, our "main" plot features King Lear as the main character of his tragedy, and the "second" plot features Lord Gloucester in a tragedy mirroring King Lear's story. In both plots, the main characters suffer from their past choices. A more modern example would be that of Netflix's Russian Doll, in which we follow two distinctive main characters suffering from, and traversing, a similar path. We can define them as double plots because splitting the two stories in each work to create separate works with connected characters would still work. (Essentially, the two stories of each work can stand alone--we don't need to know what is happening to Lord Gloucester to get what is going on in King Lear's story. It helps to know that Lord Gloucester's story, but it is not required to understand Lear's story since what will be important to Lear’s plot will be revealed to Lear’s character later on.)

Another example of a double plot structure in a modern work would be that of Hazbin Hotel--let's discuss.

We often define a plot by three things. First, the main character; second, the question that said character needs to answer; and, third, the problem(s) that led them to seek an answer to the asked question. In a double plot, you have to answer the first and third questions twice, which we can easily do with Hazbin Hotel.

Let's start with Question 1. Who is/are the main character(s)? I've stated that it is Charlie and Angel Dust, but why? Two reasons. The first is how each character is introduced, and the second is that they are both asking the same question, though with different reasons behind it.

In the Prologue/Chapter 1 of the Hazbin Hotel comic, the first character we are introduced to is Angel Dust. He is our introduction into this fictional world, and his story follows the hero's journey narrative making him one of the main characters and defining his story as at least one, if not the main, plot in our double plot structure. Charlie is one of the two main characters for the same reasons. She also appears in that first chapter near the end (just like King Lear, who comes in after Lord Gloucester's introduction), and is beginning a hero's journey of her own. Both their stories ask the same question but have different reasons for seeking the answer.

Beginning with Angel Dust, we see that his story starts in a comfort zone--that zone being a criminal lifestyle shown with him trying to make a deal with some demonic mafioso-looking dudes. We soon find out that he's actually acting out despite appearing comfortable in this kind of situation because he what? Wants something, that's right (I knew you were a smart cookie).

When the deal with the mafia-demons doesn't go so well, we see him thrown into a familiar though much worse situation with his abuser and pimp, Valentino. This is our introduction to the main problems in Angel's current life, the issues that are making him want something outside of his comfort zone. To get what he wants, Angel must enter an unfamiliar, perhaps dangerous, territory and adapt to it until he achieves the goal or fails trying, and the person that provides the opportunity for entering the unfamiliar world, the Hazbin Hotel, is Charlie.

With Charlie's introduction at the end of chapter one, we begin seeing her hero's journey unfold. At present (her meeting Angel Dust), she is seen in her comfort zone. She's in a chauffeured limo with her bodyguard girlfriend, comfortably giving money to Angel Dust and acting as a somewhat naive and rather hopeful princess you might find in any fairytale story. She wants something but has yet to enter the unfamiliar situation (at least until episode 1, where Alistar steps in but that's not important right now). This closes the comic, but perfectly sets up the double plot narrative moving forward, thus helping to identify our two main characters.

What fully defines them as the main characters, my second reason for claiming both Angel Dust and Charlie to be one, is that second question we have for defining plot (the question that the main character needs to answer).

Charlie says that the goal, or question she seeks to answer, is whether or not a sinner can be redeemed once they find themselves in Hell; however, I would argue that the real question is whether or not salvation (preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss) is possible for Hell's population. Charlie's "redemption" is instead a method to seek the answer to the question rather than the question itself.

I argue this because that seems to be the end-goal Charlie is seeking for the citizens of Hell--salvation from being slaughtered on an annual basis. It is also the goal of Angel Dust, who seeks to be saved from his current life through his own hands or by someone else (though he doesn't seem to believe that someone else would help him without costing him something in return). For those of you wondering, Angel seems to be seeking an escape from many things, such as needing to trade sexual favors to his landlord because Valentino doesn't pay him well, an escape from hunger, and potentially other physical dangers.

The two are both seeking answers to this question but going about it in somewhat different ways.

In a recent video by Diregentleman, Why Angel Dust Should Be The Protagonist In Hazbin Hotel (it's brilliant, btw--a highly recommended watch if you have the time because most all his points are great), he argues that because Angel's story is more compelling and interesting, he should be the main character and while I agree that Angel's story is more compelling to myself as a viewer (just as I felt Lord Gloucester's story was far better than King Lear's parts), I still think Charlie's story worth the focus it is given in tandem with Angel Dust's.

WITH THAT CONCLUDED, I want to talk about my favorite character, Angel Dust! The lesson is over--let's nerd out.

I have been thinking about this A LOT since Episode 1 came out, and when "Addict" dropped, I was pumped. In October of last year, I uploaded the first draft for the review into the Google file our team shares but had been writing said draft for a long while already, and watching Diregentleman's video pushed me over the edge to scrap the planned post that should have gone up at 7 AM this morning and instead re-write and post this. Because as much as I loath spiders--I LOVE Angel Dust.

Gosh, where do I begin….

Angel has been beaten down to the point that his character is a tad bit all over the place. Is he the villain? Sort of? At least, he comes off as one since he's not working very hard to fulfill his end of the bargain with Charlie and since he is a demon--but he also has qualities that are very much fitting the "redemption" Charlie is aiming for without any prompting. In fact, it's what made him so likable to me before the music video release of "Addict"--which just made me love him more. What do I mean?

Well, in the first episode, we see him just coming back from prostituting himself--a job he appears to be forced to do by Valentino (one of the big-bads of Viziepop's Hell):

Valentino: Did you get my money, Angie Baby?

Angle: I'm wittha John now [sic]. I don't get why this needed to happen so soon after the extermination tho, Boss

Valentino: Just do it. No sass k sugar.

Angle: yes Val

He then buys drugs, which get stolen only to see a large piece of a building fall onto the would-be thief. Is he worried about the thief? No. Angel is only concerned with the drugs. Immediately after that, he joins a turf war with a friend of his, Cherri Bomb, and participates in wrecking what remains of the city from the previous night's purging (when Angels descend upon Hell and kill off a bunch of Hell's populous).

Cherri is his friend, and it is at this moment, we see his first redeeming quality in the animated pilot--a self-sacrificing protective nature for a friend. How? You may ask, well, Angel is shown saving Cherri. It happens when Angel sees a weapon pointed at them, something that Cherri doesn't notice. He pushes her out of the way, unsure of what may happen, thereby allowing himself to be captured (or potentially injured) instead of her.

That's self-sacrificing and is generally considered a "righteous" quality.

It's not like she could be killed--they're already dead and, from what we've learned, the already dead demons of Hell can only be killed by weapons the angels use or that which is made of the material angels use during the culling period that just ended the night before. The egg creature is not using one of these weapons at this moment, meaning that Cherri is not in danger of death, only injury.

Despite knowing that Cherri would ultimately be fine, Angel pushes her out of the way and takes the injury risk. (If he suspected that the weapon might kill her, then even more kudos to him here as that means he threw his life before his friend's.) This moment shows that Angel does value life outside of himself, which doesn't immediately come across when we meet him given the crushed thief moment we had prior.

This act of self-sacrificing, which is generally considered a virtue, shows that he has potential to change.

Expanding from this, we see him empathizing with Charlie and expressing a moment of guilt. The scene happens after Angel, Charlie, and Vaggy return to the hotel. Angel is presented with the opportunity to "change" (offer an apology to Charlie that he actually means), an opportunity he doesn't take, but the fact that he's considering it when he previously felt no guilt for his actions shows that he is capable of it.

Once Alistar comes into play, we see more of Angel's potential to change. For example, Angel is shown holding Vaggy back from attacking Alistar, which could be read in two ways. Either he holds her back because he doesn't want Alistar to leave (unlikely that Alistar would leave over Vaggy's attack), or Angel is preventing Vaggy from running at Alistar and potentially getting hurt, a very strong possibility that we learn through Vaggy's comment about how powerful the Radio Demon is and how he's grappled bigger demons on a larger scale to take over parts of the underworld.

If we're to believe the story elements pictured in the music video of "Addict," then Angel is in a horrible spot. He's being abused and treated like a working slave to Valentino with little hope of escape on his own and few options to reach out to for help (if one can even ask for help openly in Hell given the place and the people).

While Charlie is nice, shown by her giving Angel money and helping him avoid having to sell himself on the street that night for Valentino in the Prologue/Chapter 1 of the comic, she too has expectations for him or does it with an ulterior motive in mind. He's a big name in Hell, and she wants him for her program. While it may not be intentional, Charlie asking him to try the program in exchange for money sends the same message Angel points out during the offer: Nothing is free--even kindness, particularly from the Princess of Hell. No matter how cute and lovable she appears...

Charlie's story is less compelling, and it's not simply because she comes from a place of privilege, as I've heard some say. I mean, I love lots of stories with the rich and powerful, and if the many seasons of Dynasty can stand as an example--so do a lot of over people. Charlie's story is less compelling because we can't relate to her choices given the situation we see her in or the problems she's facing. For example, she has great political power that goes completely unused. She's a princess of hell, obviously not struggling too much since she's chauffeured around and seen atop a tall--safe--tower overlooking the purged city below in Episode 1. She isn't in a bad situation, from what we can tell, not the same way Angel Dust is, at least. Her problems are more like a passion project from what we've seen so far, and we don't know why she is motivated to make this redemption program work outside of wanting to help her people. But if she wants to help people, why the hotel?

She has power as a princess that she could use to help correct injustices in her kingdom, such as attempting to put an end to the turf-wards since it seems that the demons fighting for territory still follow and respect the royals and nobility to some degree. But, instead, she's created a program to change people into what she thinks is Heaven's ideal--a thing that may stop the culling by allowing demons to transition out into what? Angels? Spirits? Who knows. Regardless, it's a small-scale venture that doesn't attempt to use the influence she's been given to make sincere changes in the kingdom. Instead, she uses it to get publicity on a news station, and even that is a weak attempt. I mean, if she was doing this right, that new-caster shouldn't have been able to make a single nasty comment towards her during the whole process. I mean, I doubt the newscast would have said a thing had her parents been up there, which shows that she's walked all over and that she's let it happen.

My point is that Charlie's story doesn't yet make sense. It's harder for us, the audience, to put ourselves in her shoes than it is with Angel Dust, and that's why I love him more than other characters, and certainly more than his double plot counterpart, Charlie.

I look forward to seeing more of this series going forward and hope that Episode 2 comes out soon!

#angel dust #charlie #hazbin hotel #king lear #lord gloucester #shakespeare #double plot #hero journey #hero's journey #hero #protagonist #lit #literature lesson #literature #storytelling #angel #analysis

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bybdolan · 3 years

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HOLY GROUND - A Taylor Swift jukebox musical

“Holy Ground is a jukebox musical featuring the songs of American Singer-Songwriter Taylor Swift. The film’s plot is based on the 1953 classic Roman Holiday, starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, in which a runaway princess falls in love with a journalist over the course of a day spend in Rome.”

OR: A rather rough idea for a Taylor musical, inspired by the anon who asked me if I had more ideas regarding the edit the quote above was written for.

PLAYLIST

The movie starts with the title screen and credits (old-fashioned style), with an orchestral version of State Of Grace. Then, we are introduced to the princess, Mary, our protagonist. She's at a ball, surrounded by many people and the press, she's stressed and she feels lonely (mirrorball). The song is accompanied by a ballroom dance that is sort of mechanical and unnatural and the princess is tossed around by her partners. During the bridge, it almost seems as if they are pushing her around the way playground bullies do and she is lost and alone in the sea of twirling ballgowns.

There's a bit of dialogue where we get some information about Princess Mary (she's on a tour of the European capitals to strengthen the bond between the countries) and when she boards the plane to Rome, she starts to sing Love Story, daydreaming about real love. During the song, we are introduced to the journalist, Stephen, (Dev Patel), who is walking around Rome trying to write a story that is good enought to keep his employer from firing him. (He's struggling.)

We fast forward through a few meetings and press conferences until it's nighttime and Mary has a breakdown in her room because she is overwhelmed by her duties. She is given pills that are supposed to make her fall asleep within the next few hours. Finally alone, she takes a look out the window and sees a party going on in the streets. Intrigued by the laughter and the light and overcome by the wish to finally do something just for herself, she decides to sneak out of the hotel. She manages to get past the guards in a garbage truck.

Outside, she joins the parade (New Romantics). However, the pills start to kick in and Mary, all drowsy and unequipped to deal with the real world, decides to lie down on a bench to sleep. She is discovered by Stephen, who is worried that something will happen to her and takes her home with him. He doesn't recognize her. Due to her delirious state, Mary is a hassle to deal with and some antics ensue (for example: she demands that Stephen helps her undress and doesn't accept that she has to sleep on the couch). They both eventually fall asleep (Stephen takes the couch).

The next morning, Stephen accidentally sleeps in and misses his scheduled interview with Princess Mary. In order to not get fired, he pretends that he actually went to the interview in front of his boss. But he has bad luck: The princess' publicist has send out emails and articles that claim the princess had fallen ill and therefore had to cancel all interviews as a cover up for her disappearance. When his boss angrily shows him a picture of the article announcing the princess' illness, Stephen realizes that the she is the girl sleeping in his bed. He begs his boss not to fire him and tells him that he has an idea for a hit story about the princess. His boss reluctantly agrees to keep him employed, but tells him that he'll be out of a job if he doesn't deliver.

Stephen races back to his apartment where Mary is still sleeping. On the way there, he calls his friend, a photographer, and tells her about his plan to show Mary around Rome and asking her personal questions while his friend – Corinna – takes pictures for the article.

When Mary eventually wakes up and gets over the shock of being in a stranger's home, she asks Stephen if she could take a shower and maybe borrow some clothes, claiming that she needs them because her dress got dirty the night before. She keeps her true identity a secret, saying that her name is Marjorie. When Stephen tells her to choose an outfit, she picks baggy clothing and a baseball hat to hide her hair, in the hope that she won't be recognized. Stephen offers her a tour of the city, with assistance by Corinna, who he claims is the best tour guide he knows. Mary, having never been out and about alone and feeling unsafe without her entourage of bodyguards, agrees. They go to small café and make up little stories for the other customers there while waiting for Corinna to arrive, which is something Mary likes to do at political gatherings in order to combat boredom and loneliness (Begin Again). However, their plan to stroll around Rome and look at all the tourist hotspots gets foiled when Mary recognizes a guy in the streets as one of her guards who is looking for her. She grabs Stephen and steals a motorbike that's parked nearby and they drive away – since Mary doesn't know how to drive a motorbike it's a near death experience for both of them (I Know Places - Instrumental). They end up in a less crowded part of town and hide in a crowd of wedding guests. They stay a bit in order to listen to the band play and dance (Paper Rings – ideally with a celebrity cameo for the wedding band). Mary blames her bike freakout on her fear of big crowds, so Stephen offers her to show her his personal favorite spots of the city instead of the tourist attractions. They reunite with Corinna and spend some time in the small streets surrounding the city center. Mary finds herself developing a crush on Stephen (Hey Stephen/Fearless).

The day progresses without any major troubles, until they accidentally run into the guards once again. Mary and Stephen flee from them and hide in a small alleyway between two houses. Mary takes advantage of the fact that they are tightly pressed against one another and kisses Stephen. He reciprocicates. After the kiss, Mary tells him that she is the lost princess and Stephen confesses his plan to write an article about her. He promises to not do that now, but doesn't mention that that decision will cost him his job. They both agree that it is best to get Mary back to her hotel soon in order to keep her safe (Wildest Dreams). However, Mary asks for one more thing: She wants to make a wish at Trevi fountain. Stephen takes her to the fountain and Mary tosses a coin into it. They both think about the time they spent together (The 1 - BIG crowd dance scene that ends with people jumping into the fountain). Afterwards, Stephen takes Mary back to her hotel and watches as she goes inside, back into her gold cage (acapella reprise of the chorus of The 1).

The press conference that was cancelled due to Mary's "illness" is held the next morning and both Stephen and Corinna attend and stand in the first row. When being asked about which city in Europe she liked the most, Mary answers Rome and says that's she'll never forget her stay, all while looking at Stephen. She insists on personally greeting some of the members of the press. When she gets to Corinna and Stephen, Corinna hands her an envelope with the photos she secretly took of her tour of the city, and Stephen and Mary share a final dance in a dream sequence that mirrors the mirrorball scene from the beginning, with the exception that the room is empty except for them (Dorothea). When Mary leaves the press conference room, Stephen stays there for a long time, until everybody else has left (Wildest Dreams - Piano).

Holy Ground plays during the credits.

#amy writes #i guess???#i stayed up way too late for this dhshd #taylor swift #taylor swift cinematic universe #tscu #or the taylor swift dev patel cinematic universe #tsdpcu

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transgamerthoughts · 3 years

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What I Found In The Leaves

Last August, as the lease to my apartment was about to end, the roof began to smolder until the place I lived was full of smoke. When all was settled and done, my apartment had no roof. My room was spared and most of my things were okay—this part of the story being set in late capitalism, I am required to assure you that the things I purchased were okay too—and I decided to leave New York City to return to New England with my family. One of the first things I did when I arrived was look at the sky and imagine I was up there. Falling or sailing or flying. It didn’t really matter. I wanted to touch a cloud, to feel the whipping wind.

I promise… this is leading to something. In the months since, in spite of comfort and proximity to my family… in spite of the arrival of my nephew into this world—a child I would climb a mountain and punch God for if I needed to—and in spite of a happy job… I have spiraled into depression. My solution was work and writing. To throw myself into my job and to, somewhat foolishly, take on the task of novelizing my favorite game: Skies of Arcadia. Because if you’ve read my work long enough, it always comes back to Arcadia. I am proud of that project but it sparked a yearning in me. To truly connect to the world I was writing. It lit a fire. Before we proceed, let me be clear that by depression I don’t mean the woes of pandemic living or some disaffection with the reality of entering my 30s. I mean a deep and painful darkness with all the implications therein. Regardless to say, my efforts to combat it drained me. To the point that I burnt myself out and with some prodding from my boss, took a vacation. Which I am currently on. This is not the first time this series of events has played out. I made a promise to myself when I started vacation: no writing. I am breaking it because I have found, yet again, a moment where I must desperately drain the wonder in my heart and attempt to explain to you that I think there are magical things in the world, and that I believe there is some type of magic in art—in that strange alchemic or shamanistic way—that transfers to us. This will be my second attempt to explain it, and to explain what it has to do with video games. (Forgive the indulgence of this introduction by the way; an editor would surely have cut it all but I need you to understand two things: I am in pain and there's a part of that pain which I think points to something important.) This is a story of ritual and tea. Of how my senses and imagination came together to send me on a journey around a fictional world, in search of heroes who both do and do not exist. As part of my love for Skies of Arcadia, I’ve become something of a paraphernalia collector. I bought an old light novel from ebay, I used my rudimentary Japanese skills to set up a warehouse dropbox so that two fan magazines could be sent there and then subsequently shipped to America, and I have drank tea based off the game. At the time, I wanted to collect the little tins the tea came in; they seemed excellent collector’s items. What I found with my first round of tea was art unto itself; balances of flavor and spice and blends that symbolized characters and connected me to them. These were crafted by a dedicated fan and fellow writer. I don’t have the time to sit and research all the ways in which tea is used in ritual. Because I am tired and older and depressed and writing a blog post that perhaps thirty people will read. Regardless, to my delight I found that the tea-maker had created blends based off the various moons that dot Arcadia’s skies. For those who do not know the game, which I assume is many of you: each nation of the world rests under a magical moon. There are six, with one—a Black Moon—theorized to have gone missing. Here was my opportunity for a journey.

I bought teas based on each moon, and one based on the world itself. I will post a separate collection of all my individual tastings and reviews later. The important thing is this: I had been given an amazing gift. With these teas, I had something of that digital world which was actual. When we play games, we hear them and see them. Perhaps with certain haptics we can feel them. But we do not smell them or taste them or literally consume them. Eight teas, eight chances to smell and taste that wonderful world. To touch the clouds. Quem quaeritis? This is a famous question asked by an angel to the three Marys visiting Christ's tomb: his mother the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, who is the sister of Lazarus—the man Christ brought back to life after his death. It means: “whom to do you seek?” I was journeying, one tea cup at a time, around Arcadia. From continent to continent, I tasted their spices and experienced hints of their values, their cultures as expressed through the tea. The question played in my mind: Quem quaeritis? Whom was I seeking? The answer is complicated. First, I was seeking something of myself. The part of me that understood magic and wonder. The part of me that believes in the soul and believes that art, in allowing the complex interaction of creators and characters with players, performs some type of soul-magic. It impresses upon us, real and actual changes. I was seeking that piece of me; that part of me that understood that each cup was a ritual that brought about a communion with a distant world. I was searching for the younger part of me that believed in wonderful things.

I drank the teas in the order our heroes travel the world, and in doing so I was performing a sort of perseveration of their journey. I communed with some place distant and followed in their footsteps. Which answers another half of the question. Whom did I seek? I sought my heroes. I sought the adventurous Vyse and his dogged determinism, I sought the firecracker Aika and her swift rushes to action, and I sought Fina. The woman I wish I could be: feminine, slight, beautiful, kind, brave. Quem quaeritis? All of this sounds like nonsense and when I try to explain the nonsense, I feel a deep embarrassment. To care in the 21th century, particularly in America, is to be weak. To be publicly vulnerable is to make yourself a target. You must be hard and solid as a rock. You cannot believe in magic or else you are doomed. But here I was, chasing myself and my heroes one cup at a time. And I need you to know that it hurt to do that.

I went to the corner store today to buy some energy drinks. When I got back home, my father asked: “did you find what you were looking for?” I told him “That’s a very complicated question.”

Let me explain. Let me do the thing that I feel I cannot do well anymore; let me do some game criticism. In the world of games, the entities we control exist as two things. They are actors; manipulatable bodies, guided by code and controller inputs, that we guide around as we see fit. In this way, players have extraordinary power. In some ways, it is a… fraught power. We can, as Soulja Boy did, leave Braid’s protagonist in a perpetual flux state: jumping and rewinding. Back and forth, forth and back. Eternal puppets for our amusement, avatars for our power fantasies. Sometimes, as in the case of a game like Skyrim, our controllable actors are little more than flesh suits But actors are, more than anything, just… avatars. Video game actors are also characters. Within their worlds, which are fictional, they have motivations and wants and desires and dreams. They want to live and grow and succeed. Cloud Strife wants to defeat Sephiroth and uncover the truth about himself, Joel wants to protect Ellie and survive in a cruel world. Arthur Morgan wants to find a calmer life and redemption for his sins. They are, as characters, people. But since they are also actors, we can deny them their hopes and dreams whenever we want. We can have Cloud while away his days gambling at the Gold Saucer and, if we want, we can force Arthur Morgan to murder to population of an entire town. The core truth of a player's relationship to the character is this: we decide if their dreams are fulfilled. I find that troubling and I will try to explain why. But first let’s be clear: I do not think the character in games are sentient entities. I outlined this relationship of players and characters in a GDC talk a few years ago, using highly rhetorical terms and my reward was the ridicule of countless gamers who questioned my sanity. Some made videos about my presentation. It was hell. To be a woman, perhaps especially a progressively minded trans-woman, in games is to know a very real hell. To this day, I cannot go a week without some type of horrid experience on the internet. Some judgment of my worth, some assumption about my competency, or in the worst cases some proclamation about my right to live. No doubt this is part of why I needed my vacation. But here is why I find the player/character/actor relationship troubling. It is not merely the abstract notion, the thought experiment that elicits fun but meaningless philosophical natter. The reason I find that relationship troubling or at least complicated is because for all of their fiction, the characters in games can give us real things. They can, through some type of power—a deep power found in the act of story-telling itself—impart aspects of themselves on us. For instance, they can teach us lessons which we then carry into the rest of our lives. My father, for reasons I can’t recall, once told me: “the meaning of life is to serve others.” Though he does not know it, that truism has been etched into my soul. It is a “thing” that my father has given me. But my father is not the only person who has etched something into my soul. Vyse, that dashing pirate, has etched many things into my soul. For instance: “impossible is just a word people use to make themselves feel better when they quit.” That is etched on my soul too. Just as much as anything my father has taught. So we come to the heart of it: what does it mean that Vyse can so alter my being and values, and that he can do it with the same strength and “realness” of my father? What does it mean for a character, who is also often an actor that I guide, to give me such a powerful gift? Because let us be clear: values are “real” things. When I tried to explain that I believe that certain things are actually true, for instance that looking at landscapes does mean that we are looking at something real…. I spent an afternoon with former Jeopardy! contestant Arthur Chu and a cohort of Twitteristas attacking my philosophical surety. So, again, fuck the internet… I digress.. Let’s explore: I believe in the realness of things because of the depth of the emotions those things make me feel, and I refuse to believe that life is just endorphins, hormones, and instinct. That music or games or anything else can make us weep for joy is proof-positive to me of the existence of a soul; of an ineffable thing that is “us.” Not necessarily all enduring but certainly extant. And if this thing exists, it can be acted upon. I know this because my father, with his truism, changed my soul. Changed the core of me. I know this because Vyse and the others did so as well.

I’ve written that games criticism is a kindness; that it seeks the good in art and attacks the banal explicitly because art is beautiful. I write today to suggest this: art is magical. It alters us, not metaphorically, but in the ways it can affect our souls. Which brings us back to character and actors. I control Vyse since he is an actor and I am a player; but he is a character with dreams and hopes and personality. And values. Wonderful values which he shared with me. So what does it mean now that I can send actors to their doom? What does it mean that I can control them utterly when I know for a fact that they can affect and change me? I do not have clean answers for this. Perhaps there are none. Perhaps all I have written is silliness, even as I beg you to please understand. Please.

Understand the power of stories, understand it in the way that Tolkein did when he said: “Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else … may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds.” Understand that I am telling you that the locked thing is your heart and soul, and that just as a lover or parent or mentor can open that thing… so can the people we meet in our fictional journeys. Vyse is not just the captain of a ship. He is my captain. That means something. Art is ritual and play is ritual. In creation, we place something of ourselves in another thing. In play, we allow ourselves to be transmuted and changed. This is magic, of a sort. I am left wanting however. I followed the path of my heroes in as literal a way as I could, pulling on new senses to understand the world they live in and touch their skies for a fleeting moment. But I cannot reach them; I am Tantalus in the mire. Ever reaching, ever chasing. For that moment I can be the person that my heroes trusted me to become. Note by musical note, word for written word, tea cup by tea cup, I am chasing my captain. When I went back to my apartment the day after the fire, I looked up at the spot where the roof used to be. All I could see was blue sky and I thought I might fall into it. Perhaps in superficial ways I have shared something with my heroes; I have tasted something they have, even though the tea is not actually from Arcadia. It was merely a conduit to my imagination, to the transformed parts of my souls. Yet, I did not find him and I could not find myself. Which is why it hurts, in spite of how wonderful it was. Quem quaeritis? He is not here. So I will keep sailing after him.

#skies of arcadia #games criticism #tea #dreams

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shazos · 5 years

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Undertale/Deltarune Theory: The Two Angels of The Prophecy

Since I’ve been playing Deltarune as of late, I thought I would share some very compelling details I’ve noticed in game that have been rolling around in my mind lately...

This is a theory pertaining both Undertale AND Deltarune, because I found connections between both of them interestingly enough. To start my theory off: I will begin with the very prominent theme in Deltarune of religion. There appears to be a strange emphasis on how religious the home town of Deltarune is, with everyone worshipping some deity called “The Angel.”

It seems to be done in such a manner, that it is building up that the town is worshipping some false God of sorts. The town itself feels very…off. A very ominous vibe to it, especially with the very creepy bunker to the south of town as well.

The question is.. who is this Angel..? To answer this question, we will have to dig deeper. Another notable theme in Deltarune, is that many items found in the Light World—represent places and people in the Dark World. It mirrors it, essentially.

In the light world school closet, the cards on the floor represent the card suite inhabitants/card castle. The plush doll represents Seam, etc. Additionally, the red horns in Kris’s house could symbolically represent Ralsei’s presence, with his little red horns.

However... even more interesting enough, is that in the town hospital can be found two angel dolls. One— that was made by Kris and Asriel, where they “wasted the whole time making big wings for it.”

And the other, which was made by Noelle and her friend—looked like a typical angel doll, only “it’s lack of facial features was unsettling.”

This appears to be clear symbolism for two different characters/angels... but whom? The first one, I believe matches the description of Asriel’s final form in Undertale perfectly: it has a rather disproportionate body, with huge over-sized, magnificent wings.

Additionally, Asriel’s final form matches up with the Deltarune of Gerson’s prophecy, with each part of his angel body aligning with the runes. Gerson also mentions an Angel in his prophecy, saying that it will free everyone from the underground—which Asriel does at the end of Undertale, with the power of the seven souls.

Then... who is the second angel, who is symbolically represented in the hospital? An angel we haven’t seen yet, but likely will at the end of Deltarune. Based off the evidence/implications given, I believe it is Gaster.

To begin, the second angel doll is described with a lack of features that makes it unsettling—which is very reminiscent of Gaster.

To build upon this, the angel of Undertale—Asriel— plays a focal point in Undertale’s story. He is not shown until the very end of the game, with the true ending, and is very mysterious at first. On top of this, many.. many songs in Undertale have the leitmotifs of Asriel’s theme: HIS theme.

Meanwhile, Deltarunes soundtrack is heavily focused around Lietmotifs of Gasters theme, with the intro song being called ANOTHER HIM... Another angel, if you will. This implies that he is going to play a heavy role in the story, which is very much seen on the surface level of Deltarune—with the involvement of the “strange knight” as well as the subtext with Jevils backstory, having met a man that made his vision of the world grow “Darker, yet darker” and made him go insane, as told by the tale Seam the shopkeeper tells the protagonist.

Additionally, the very first castle we see in the game--(not card castle, mind you) has wings on it... much akin to an angel’s, and is spewing a dark fountain forth from it.

At the end of the chapter of Deltarune, Susie shows clear concern that they did not get rid of the right fountain. One fountain—the original, brought the dark world its life. The other, an unnatural source of darkness to upset the balance. And Ralsei, strangely enough, eagerly directed Kris to get rid of the Card Castle fountain—not the one coming from the Angel’s castle. The Angel’s Castle is also an empty kingdom, with no subjects.. except Ralsei.

But who is the king? Nobody knows… And a very foreboding music plays in the castle town, adding to the mystery of it. Ralsei, who is quite suspicious enough as it is, (might go into this further in another theory later) will not let Kris inside the castle, stating that Kris must save the world/complete the prophecy first... and then they can come back. Ralsei acts very nervous and distraught when Kris keeps trying to enter the castle, and blocks him from going in. He then shuts Kris out of the kingdom gates, barring him off from going back inside--sinisterly enough.

Additionally, the plot of Deltarune is based off the prophecy, to “banish the Angels heaven”. This makes the Angel seem like a very malicious figure...but why? What are the Angels motives, and what is the “Angels heaven..?” Well, if you talk to Gerson in Undertale, he says an interesting bit of dialogue that could be interpreted a bit differently with my context/point of view. One could argue that he is talking about “the angel of hyper death”, Asriel, when he says the Angel of death, but I believe it not to be the case.

Gerson states the following:

“Lately, the people have been taking a bleaker outlook…callin that winged circle the “Angel of Death”.

A harbringer of destruction, and waitin to “free” us from this mortal realm…”

This seems like a much more sinister view of the Angel, and not like Asriel. Even though Asriel is very threatening, he is still pure of heart, and ends up saving all of Monsterkind in the end. The second angel however? Wants to “free” every one, and brings destruction in his wake. In Deltarune, we see much destruction and chaos being brought about by a strange “knight”, who appeared one day to take over the card kingdom and beyond, using the Chaos King to help him assert control.

Seam also mentions that he hasn’t seen this much chaos, since the incident that occurred with Jevil—which implies that the stranger and the strange mysterious knight are one and the same. So, what then is the meaning of “free us from this mortal realm…?”, from Gerson’s prophecy of the second angel? Well, interestingly enough: in Deltarune Jevil mentions this line of dialogue in his boss fight, which lines up perfectly with Gerson’s dark prophecy:

“I AM INNOCENT, INNOCENT. I JUST WANTED TO PLAY A GAME, GAME. BUT THE BORING KINGS FOUND SUCH FUN TO BE A TROUBLE. AS PUNISHMENT, THEY CRAVED TO IMPRISION MY BODY. THEY LOST THE CHASE, AND LOCKED UP THEIR ENTIRE RACE, BUILDING A PRISON AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD. NOW I’M THE ONLY FREE ONE”.

This is extremely significant, because Jevil was made aware by the Knight that the world is only a game, and that he can become “free” by ignoring the rules of the game, if you will—to become sentient of the game itself. This matches up perfectly with Gaster: who after being shattered across time and space by falling into his creation, became aware that the world was all just a game.

So why usurp the Dark World? Presumably, to make everyone aware that it is all just a game: to save them, from being stuck forever without choice. To make them free…done in a very twisted way of course, taking over the kingdom, locking up the rulers and all.

So why do this? After all he was a former scientist of Asgore’s in Undertale. This is where the symbolism comes in, that I noticed. Gaster seems to be a “fallen angel” of sorts. He was driven into madness after “falling” into his creation— after messing with the balance of things. What that is exactly, is unknown at this time. But it is implied that he discovered the presence of timelines, and tried to figure out how to manipulate them.

This in a sense, was an act against nature/trying to defy god by trying to figure out the interworking’s of the world’s universe.

Additionally, in Deltarune there is a repeated theme of a “shining light” that guides you—where you save your Soul at. In the bible, the fallen angel Lucifer, who defied God, is likewise represented with a “shining light”. In the files, Gaster is also associated with the number 666—which aligns with the prophecy of him being a dark, fallen angel.

One could even argue his font/name Wingdings is symbolic, from the wing in the name. It isn’t a stretch to say that Toby got some inspiration from the Bible--he has gotten many inspirations from Undertale from various sources, including Asriel’s symbolism from a Hebrew god/demon named Azrael.

To add unto this theory that links both Asriel and Gaster together as being both angels, is that both were striken by tragedy. Asriel was killed at a very young age, and is forever stuck in an endless purgatory in the body of a flower. Meanwhile, Gaster was forgotten by everyone, including the ones he held closest, and was shattered across time and space. Both characters are implied to have been driven to madness because of this, but with Asriel having a bit more heart/sympathy to him in the very end, (due to having the power of the human Souls to feel compassion again) and freeing all of monsterkind out of a deep care for Frisk.

Gaster on the other hand…? Seems to be a lot more unforgiving, and much more threatening, seen by his heavily implied actions in Deltarune, taking over kingdoms without mercy, and establishing his power in the Dark World.

Another notable feature between the two characters, is that they both have black markings on their faces, stretching down from their eyes—(Asriel’s markings are seen during his final boss fight.) What are these? Well…one datamined detail (sourced from the Deltarune reddit) from Deltarune might be the answer to this question.

Both Asriel and Gaster have gone through incredible suffering, so this “pain” could have essentially manifested into the black markings, similar to tears. In the beginning of Deltarune, with the player’s encounter with the narrator/ Gaster, (or at the very least heavily implied...he speaks in the exact same manner) he asks the player what their favorite food is. Two answers, that immediately stand out as strange and bizarre—are pain, and cold—which at first glance is just an off the wall comment/dialogue option, but upon second glance gives us a window into what he has gone through—painful suffering, much like Asriel did, on a plane of existence where they could do nothing. Both characters also have committed horrible actions, due to their fall into madness, (Asriel as Flowey, being stuck in a soulless vessel for ages,) and Gaster, due to existential madness from realizing the entire world is just a game, presumably overthrew an entire kingdom to “free” everyone.

(Almost forgot--) Additionally, another piece of dialogue which links together the Knight and the Angel being one and the same—is a dialogue seen from the Chaos King/Spade King himself. During the battle with him—he mentions multiple times how he obeys the word of the Knight, and with him he shall make a “new world out of Holy Shadows”, which backs up my theory even more, that the folks of the Light world are worshiping a false idol, a dark angel to destroy them all.

Sound familiar...?

I believe this is made all the more likely with Undertale being a mirror to Deltarune and vice versa—it would make all the more sense that each game would have an Angel character, considering each deals with a prophecy containing the Deltarune. One Angel of Light, and one of Dark.

EDIT: Here are some additional findings that make this come all together even more.

*In Undertale, every zone’s monsters reflect the boss monster of the area. (The monsters in Alphys zone are all anime related. The ones in Undyne’s zone are all muscular/into piano like her, etc...) the only area in the game that doesn’t make sense is Mettaton’s zone in the Core. The mobs don’t suit him at all: except when you realize that he wasn’t meant to be the true boss of the Core in the first place, since Alphys made him. If Gaster hadn’t died/become shattered across time and space, he would have been the likely boss monster of that area. What is notable, is that all of the enemies of the Core are primarily knights, mad, some of them use crosses as attacks, have wings, one of them uses a “Morningstar” as a weapon, (possible reference to Lucifer Morningstar) and you have to defeat some of the monsters by “praying”. Not symbolizing Mettaton at all—but rather Gaster, showing that the foreshadowing seen in Deltarune is indeed likely correct.

*The egg in Deltarune is a possible reference to the tale of Adam and Eve, as it aligns very well. A mysterious figure tempts someone behind a tree with a “fruit of knowledge”. Kris is offered the egg by “him”, presumably Gaster. Taking the egg to the Light-World doesn’t change it like all the other items in the game—it still exists in the Light-World—showing the forbidden knowledge that the world is all just a game. Even though it is a secret/not accessed by usual means, the egg is additionally a key item—that might prove more important by the end of the game.

#deltarune #undertale #undertale theory #deltarune theory #asriel #asriel dreemurr #gaster #theories #theory #game theory #heree we go again #my incoherent rambles #but at least with more evidence this time!#warning long post

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taleslations · 5 years

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ToX2 behind-the-scenes info

People have been wondering about the decisions behind Xillia 2’s creation, so I have compiled information found in guides and interviews. No straight-up translation because that’s too tedious, just an info dump.

X1&2 Spoilers below.

From the Complete Guide interviews

Producer & Director – Baba & Anabuki

[Note: Anabuki worked on S, A and V’s development. He was the main planner for V 360 and did some directing for the PS3 ver. He was part of the battle system team in X1, and became the director for X2.]

Reasons for making a sequel

· Fans had often said they wanted sequels in past questionnaires

· Xillia was the 15th anniversary and they’d created a very detailed setting they wanted to re-explore

· Wanted to expand on Elympios with an Elympion main character

· Felt it was a waste to use the characters in only one game

· Feels it kind of started when people said it would be fun to play as Gaius and Muzét

On what changed and what didn’t

· They wanted to keep the old characters

· Since the setting was more or less the same (tho with more focus on Elympios), they decided to build the game’s identity on its mechanics (see below)

· Game mechanics changed a lot, with the introduction of the debt system, fixed parties, chromatus ability and choices

· Setting is more modern

How the debt system came to be

· Because ppl Ludger’s age worry about money

· They wanted to have Ludger burdened by something

· 20,000,000 gald bc that’s the kind of sum that modern day salarymen could borrow. It’s a huge sum but not impossible to pay back if you work hard

The choice system

· Because part of being an adult is making choices

· Sometimes there are choices you don’t want to make but you have to (exemplified by having to destroy fractured dimensions)

Okumura as main character designer

· Because since this wasn’t a game with two protagonists, they couldn’t ask both Fujishima and Inomata like last time

· Since Ludger’s kind of a player self-insert, his design would be tricky, so it’d be easier with someone from within the studio

· Okumura’s been working on Tales designs since Eternia (mainly for minor character) and his talent shone when he designed the Chimeriad, so they weren’t worried

Why the heroine is 8

· They wanted her to be someone you’d strongly want to protect (working toward the last choice)

· It wouldn’t work if it was a strong heroine who fought alongside you like in past titles

· Yamamoto wanted her to be a girl because “I’d want to protect a little girl more than a little boy”

· If she can’t participate in battles, it’s easier to remove her from the party for plot reasons (can’t have a fighting heroine kidnapped by the last boss for gameplay reasons)

· (When she’s out of the party) Wanted to make players feel her absence in anticipation to the last choice

On Ludger’s various fighting styles

· Baba wanted a sort of style shift like in Graces

· Since he was a new protagonist, they wanted to introduce something that wasn’t in the original Xillia

· Chromatus was Anabuki’s idea, because he likes transformations

· People who played the first game probably have attachment to the old characters, but since Ludger’s the protag here, they wanted to make him stand out more

· Staff got angry at Baba because that meant they basically had to program three characters in one XD

On Ludger’s silence

· They wanted him to be a self-insert to the player

· Plus it makes the one scene where he speaks more meaningful

· They added the voiced lines option as NG+ bonus for those who like voices

· Reason they didn’t make that option available on first playthrough was they wanted to get their message across/wanted players to see what they were aiming for, which wouldn’t be possible if players could skip the voiceless aspect from the start

About Gaius and Muzét

· It was hard to include Gaius because he’s supposed to be super strong

· Also because he’s the type to handle things himself before the protag has a chance to. But since this was Ludger’s story, they had to sideline him

· They wanted to give him an ability like Vesperia’s fatal strikes, but that would make him too strong, so they had to tone it down

· Muzét’s a good middle-range character. She’s weak if you get past her guard, so she has the ability to move out of range quickly

About the endings

· The first scenario they came up with was the one where Ludger disappears, but since they implemented the choice system they wanted the game to have an important choice at the end, hence the creation of other endings

Discarded ideas

· Fractured Milla with short hair (discarded because they didn’t want ppl to realize immediately from promotion images that she was a different Milla, and also bc they didn’t think Milla was the type to cut her hair short since she doesn’t care much about her appearance)

· Otoh, something they hadn’t planned on: character models. They were originally just a way for the motion team to test things, but since it was fun they decided to include it in the game

Any chance for another sequel or anime adaptation?

· Nope on sequel, as they think that world’s story is over

· They’d like an anime or other media adaptations, but there’s no plans for it

Battle team – Fukuie, Yamase & Takizawa

[Fukuie was responsible for battle planning, various mechanics and linked artes; Yamase was the battle programmer (worked on Ludger’s artes and on mystic artes in particular); and Takizawa was battle program support (enemy artes and mystic artes, effects etc)]

What was kept from the original and what’s new

· Linked artes were an essential part of the original so it was kept. They thought of modifying it but since it was popular they decided not to and simply make it easier to use

· They gave spellcasters some more melee artes

Anabuki’s influence

· Anabuki wanted more event battles so they added a lot

· He’s also responsible for having them end the final fight with a mystic arte & cut-in

Ludger

· They made bosses stronger because Ludger is really powerful

· Elite monsters weak spots were inspired by Vesperia’s secret missions system

· Implementing Ludger’s three fighting styles was apparently tricky with the tight schedule they had, so they asked for something else, but they went back to the first idea eventually

· Example of other idea: giving him the fighting styles of the old characters. But that would cause problems if they simply copied the motions (they cited Elize’s posture, which would look weird on Ludger)

· The scenario team asked that Ludger use both hands for each weapon style

Chromatus

· The transformation part came mainly from the scenario team – someone said they wanted the image of a dark hero and someone else replied “then they should have a transformation.” The battle team was like “but he already has three fighting styles!”

· At first the transformed state was less useful than fighting normally, so they removed staggering when transformed but added a time limit

Other characters

· Anabuki wanted Gaius to be strong since he was the previous game’s last boss, but simply making him stronger than the rest would break the balance

· There was a lot of arguing about his special ability

· They also had a lot of ideas about Muzét but settled for emergency wrap because she can fly around freely

· They increased the speed at which Rowen threw knives to make him less defenseless

Trivia

They picked Cless and Stahn as cameo because they were cameo costumes in the first game; then they added Mint and Rutee

They like the cameo ending, they feel it’s like a 4koma

At the beginning, the animation team made an animation of Ludger prostrating himself, but it wasn’t used. There’s always a number of gestures that don’t make it into the final product

Takizawa cleared everything on Unknown

Scenario team – Yamamoto, Hasegawa & Hori

[Note: Yamamoto was the main scenario writer of X2 (as well as H, Z and B); in X1 he worked on sub events]

Settings

· They picked the story of Maxwell and Kresnik from the first game and developed it further as a base for X2

· They were careful not to make it look like the previous game’s story wasn’t complete or to make it sound like the previous game’s conflict was lighter than the sequel’s

· There was a request from the planning team to make up a different system, so that’s how they came up with the choice system and having the protag be a player self-insert

· However, leaving him without expression or personality would be too un-Tales-like, so that’s how he ended up like he is in the game

· It was decided from the start to change the protag because Jude and Milla’s story was over

· Since the first game was heavily focused on Rieze Maxia, they made this game from the pov of Elympios

On separating main story and character episodes

· Part of the new system idea

· You get to know the characters more in their chara eps and that can influence the main story a bit

· They’d planned on adding bonus scenes from the start; they added more than expected

Fractured dimensions

· Represent the power of choice (as they show how history would be if different choices had been made)

· Also as a way to catch X1 players’ interest

· Yamamoto’s favorite FD is Victor’s dimension because it’s full of suspense; in chara eps it’s the one with Nachtigal. Hori’s were the ones with the Chimeriad because he had wanted them to survive so that was a way to see them again. Hasegawa’s were the ones in Leia’s and Alvin’s chara eps.

· They redid Leia’s episode entirely, giving a bigger role to her boss as a result

· The target audience for X2 is a bit older than X1, so that’s why they show stuff like relationships between boss and employee, it adds a touch of realism and can make adult players empathize

Ludger and Elle

· Elle is at the center of the story. She is both a trouble bringer and a source of strength for the main character

· They wanted the last choice to be heavy, choosing between Elle and Ludger/the player themselves

· No choice is more correct than the other. While Jude etc were heroes who saved the worlds in the first game, they didn’t need for Ludger to be a hero at all cost – that’s for the player to decide with the choices

· The Julius ending was Hori’s idea. He wanted people to feel that it was a valid choice

· Choosing means eliminating the other possibility. Nothing changes if you don’t choose, you can’t go forward. That’s why they didn’t include the option to save both

· If it had been a shonen manga, everyone would be happy at the end, but they wanted an older target audience for this game, which meant burdening Ludger with difficult choices

· The two joke endings were added for more Tales-like fun. The cameo ending was requested by the planning team

· It’s just for fun though so they don’t consider the cameo “happy end” valid because it glosses over the main story’s drama

New characters

· It was hard to find balance on Gaius because he tends to solve things himself if you let him, but here he needed to have a support role

· They liked showing a more casual side to him, as well as his relationship with the Chimeriad

· Muzét didn’t really have evil intent (in the first game), it was more that she went out of control. Bc she had a hard time in X1 and since X2 had a heavy story, they decided to focus on light-hearted scenes with her

· Fractured Milla was created to show the player what fractured dimensions were in a straightforward manner

· They also wanted to surprise the players by giving her a completely different personality

· At first, she was just created as a step to bring prime Milla back, but they decided to give her a bigger role because they grew attached to her

· At first, they came up with half a dozen personalities for her before settling on one (tsundere)

· They picked a cat for a mascot because there were cat lovers among the staff

· It’s hard to have an animal move around during events, to they made him a fat cat so he wouldn’t move too much

· Ludger’s hair is silver like his father’s, and the black part is dyed

· Nova’s meche is because she saw Auj Oule women (it’s a cultural thing there) and she wanted to imitate Rieze Maxia’s fashion

Discarded ideas

· Julius’ was supposed to be Ludger’s mother at first, but they thought an older brother character would be more popular. His overprotectiveness is remnants of his motherly role

· Yamamoto wanted Bisley to use a gun and have a scene where Ludger transformed and avoided the bullets, so Bisley would go “that slow thing is useless” and discard the gun before transforming himself and punch faster than the gun fired bullets

· He also wanted a scene where Bisley showed up to the last dungeon in a car saying “Sorry for the wait”

· Anyway Bisley is really Yamamoto’s favorite XD

· Nova and Vera had a very small role originally but Nova grew as a character who cheers Ludger up when he worries about his debt

· She was originally just there to provide information; in the original idea, she was also originally in love with Ludger, not Julius, and would be irritated at Julius for causing Ludger trouble

· They didn’t expect her to even show up at the hot spring

From staff comments in the World Guidance book

· At first the debt was supposed to come from Ludger having to take responsibility for the Oscore incident

· Anabuki drew the wanted posters

· They call Kanbalar Edo lmao

· They’d originally planned to have an ending where Ludger gives up in ch.14

· The imagery of butterflies is associated to the Key of Kresnik (Elle’s hat design, Bisley’s wings in his chromatus form…)

· Jude was introduced early to cover for Ludger’s lack of lines

· They considered having him oppose Ludger at first (abt destroying the dimensions) and eventually join the party

· They decided to keep the old cast’s personalities as they were in the first game’s epilogue, but made an exception for Elize, who matured a bit in between

· They originally wanted to show Muzét regret her actions of the first game, but her chara eps took another direction

· Fractured Milla was originally simply a gimmick to show the cruelty of fractured dimensions, but her role got bigger

· They had templates for her

· A hidden thema of the extra episode is to restore Ivar’s honor

· Ideas for Rollo: Julius’ disguise, Chronos’ true form. But he ended up as a regular cat in the end

· The dungeon in ch.10 was meant as a homage to past titles

· Since the game is aimed at adults, “immorality” and “irrationality” were key themes of the first ideas

· Some character design rough sketches are dated as far back as March 2011 (the first game came out in September 2011)

Past translations:

Unused ideas for plot, fractured dimensions, Ludger & Julius episode, and fractured Milla personalities.

Staff comments about the fractured dimensions featuring the Chimeriad.

Interview with Daigo Okumura.

Interview with Takashi Kondo.

#tales of xillia 2 #tales interviews

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minecraft-askbox · 5 years

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what other games do you play?

Well, I’ve played a lot of the games in the Danganronpa series. It’s got some very fucked up aspects about it though so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

I also played all the of the games in the Metro Series.(Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light, Metro Exodus) and I recommend them.….Violent tho.I’ve also played some older rpgmaker games like OFF and Yume Nikki. Hmm.. They’re both pretty dark.

Yume Nikki is a lot darker if you read between the lines.Really not recommended for anyone who isn’t up for that sort of thing. Yume Nikki is also very hard to beat in a reasonable amount of time without reading a guide.

OFF is excellent generally, though I recommend newcomers play the older version of it, 2.0. Because it’s the version that was around when it gained its huge English fanbase and interpretation of the characters (the game is originally in French, so if you’re practicing or fluent in it, give it a go.) Though this version doesn’t allow the player to choose what pronouns they’re referred to as.(it uses “he” for default) OFF also has a fair number of amazing fangames. HOME being the most well known and arguably most fleshed out one. also also.. I’ve been meaning to play Ib and Hylics sometime… maybe i’ll get around to that SOMEtime…. before i perish hopefully

Night In The WoodsThis game is a lot less edgy than the other games in this list.It means a lot to me. It’s a very story-driven game. It is very emotional.Might hit close to home for a lot of people. I would say more but I don’t want to spoil anything about it.

OwlboyThis game is great and has a mute protagonist. (like, actually mute, by design.)It’s a shooter… It’s got gorgeous pixelart. The bosses are fun and there are a fair number of secrets… Really wish there was an official sequel to this one.

ORI and the Blind Forest : Definitive Edition.This game slaps and is fucking amazing visually. Its fun. its a 2d platformer. playing it the first time through literally makes you feel like you’ve been suffocating for your whole life and this game is your first breath of fresh air. or at least that was how it was with me.

Oldschool Runescape (emphasis on Oldschool)I’ve played this game for ages. (I have a quest cape!) but I don’t like the community of the game so much. A lot of homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism… general sexism, and toxicity. you name it.. Though it’s less prevalent nowadays than it used to be. It’s also a game that’s hard but fun to figure out on your own. VERY grindy. Seriously. This game is a hugeee grind. I definitely recommend you play this with a trusted friend. Even better if you both are new to it. Use the Runelite client by the way. It’s just better than the official one.Hmmm.. Well this list is getting a little long and I don’t feel like typing more so I’m just gonna namedrop a whole lot of other games i’ve enjoyed or just heard about and recommend you at least check out…

be wary the genres are going all over the place here but i’ve listed them from “most violent” to least kinda..Rise of the Tomb Raider (the fact that this game is so inherently violent and is on the top of this list surprises me tbh)Dying LightQuantum BreakSuperhot + Superhot Mind Control Delete (not ‘realistic’ but still violent)Killer is DeadNier / Nier: AutomataAssassin’s Creed (the whole series) Metal Gear Solid V : The Phantom Pain (potential to be VERY nonviolent)Hyper Light DrifterMirrors Edge 1 & 2Cave StoryCupheadINSIDE (and LIMBO)ABZUBraidSlime RancherOneshotA Story About My Uncle-Hall of Shame but i still recc ppl play it: Firewatch

#long post #Anonymous

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roidespd-blog · 5 years

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Chapter Eight : YEP, I’M GAY

Four words that changed lives forever.

THIS ELLEN OF MINE

Ellen DeGeneres was born January 26, 1958. With a stand-up career that began in the early 80s, she forged a solid reputation as a comedian, notably through appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (possibly the biggest talk show and host of all-time). Shortly, she ventured into roles on TV and movies, to mixed results.

Her big break through came with an offer from ABC to create and star in her own sitcom, Ellen. Based on her career as a stand-up comedian. Referred at the time as a “female Seinfeld”, the show’s humor was quite close to what DeGeneres had offered previously on stage. Launched on March 29th, 1994, Ellen (called These Friends of Mine in its inaugural season before changing to simply its protagonist’s name to avoid confusion with a new show called Friends) got solid ratings for its first four seasons due to its actress’ popularity. Between you and I, ‘decent’ would be the first adjective that would come to mind remembering the sitcom. It was no Mary Tyler Moore Show and it did the work.

HIT THE FAN

Shit hit the fan in 1997. Speculations about Ellen’s sexuality weren’t a novelty but the media attention on the actress and her show (which made less and less subtle reference to a possible change of sexual orientation of its protagonist) became somewhat overbearing to all. Well, anyway let’s back up. By the end of the third season, producers were becoming frustrated by the fact that Ellen (Morgan in the show) were not dating anyone on the show. Disney (who owns ABC) suggested that since the character showed no inclination toward dating, she should get a puppy — you’ll see why it’s important. It was summer 1996. DeGeneres and her writers began negotiations with the network to have Morgan come out during season Four. Word of the secret negotiations leaked in September of that year, but without any clues if the character, the actress, or both would come out. Between that time and the announcement of the coming out episode in march of 1997, GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) even launched a campaign called “Let Ellen Out!”. With the official announcement of the episode, backlash followed. The studio received a least one bomb threat. DeGeneres was followed by car to the studio by a “suspicious man”. thousands of hate letters were send to the actress, ABC and Oprah Winfrey (who guest starred in the episode as Ellen’s shrink).

Prior to the broadcasting of the episode, Ellen made the cover of Time magazine on April 14 with the words “YEP, I’M GAY”, ending speculations about her real-life sexuality.

On April 30th, The Puppy Episode (see, it was important) became the highest-rated episode of Ellen with 42 million viewers. On the media and professional side, the episode received universal acclaim. It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, a Peabody Award and DeGeneres received a GLAAD Media Award the following year. It was described as “the most hyped, anticipated possibly influential gay moment on television”, paving the way for more LGBT-oriented programs such as Will & Grace (1998), The L Word (2004) or Ugly Betty (2006). The episode was itself ranked #35 on TV Guide’s list of “100 greatest episodes of all-time”.

Following the rating success of the episode, Ellen received full support from the network and the show was renewed for a fifth season.

Well, sort of.

BE GAY BUT NOT TOO GAY

Season five came on the air with a parental advisory warning at the beginning of of every episode. To that, DeGeneres said “It was like this voice like you’re entering some kind of radiation center. It was very offensive, and you don’t think that’s going to affect ratings ?”. Furthermore, the exploration of this new world by the character (learning more about the community, finding a partner) was strongly criticized by viewers, even queer celebrities like Chaz Bono. Ratings severely declined and ABC canceled it the end of the 1997–1998 season.

DeGeneres returned to stand-up and tried a TV comeback in 2001 with the short-lived sitcom The Ellen Show, in which her character is openly gay from the start. The show was cancelled after 13 episodes, with 5 left unaired.

Backlash followed the three women that took part of The Puppy Episode. While DeGeneres ended up without a sitcom within a year, Laura Dern (who played Morgan’s love interest) stated that she did not work for over a year because of her appearance on the show. We’re talking about a Oscar-nominated actress, second-generation Hollywood royalty. Still, Dern described her experience as extraordinary and was thrilled at the opportunity to take part of the episode. Oprah Winfrey received over 900 calls and letters from viewers the day following the Puppy Episode, calling her every racist term there is. It also restarted the rumor that she was involved in a gay relationship with best friend Gayle King (for those who don’t know who Gayle King is, just watch her R. Kelly interview of this year. She’s da boss).

Today, Winfrey is still the biggest medial mogul there is. Dern is still working actively, received an Emmy for Big Little Lies and was nominated for a second Oscar in 2014.

DeGeneres launched (on ABC) her own day-time talk show in 2003. To this day, the show has been on the air for 16 years and produced over 3000 episodes. It is officially renewed until 2022 and DeGeneres has won 30 Emmy Awards (mostly for the talk show).

LES-GAY-CY

You need to remember that in 1997, no one was talking publicly about his or her sexuality. It was something to keep to yourself and certainly not make a whole fuss about it. In this context, the fact that Ellen DeGeneres got approval to make her character the first openly gay protagonist on network television AND made the cover of Time Magazine with the greatest coming-out announcement of all-time is pretty incredible. She said “I had a lot of death threats, a lot. And there was a bomb scare when we shot. It was tough,” she said. “That’s why most people don’t come out, because you think you’re going to lose your career and so people choose a career over being truthful and I decided to feel that being truthful was more important than a career." She paved the way for so many celebrities to free themselves from heteronormative appearances in order to get jobs. Also, media representation is important. Where would we be today if she didn’t had the courage of be so open ? Would we have marriage and (some sort of) equality ? I think not. She helped accelerating the process by years and years. She was crucified for it and even if she’s now doing very, very, very well (77 million dollars in 2018) for herself, she could have ruined her career for good. Ellen DeGeneres did this for us. Also, a bit for herself as a coming out is normally not about anybody but you. But mostly for us. For that, I am thankful.

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kasunex · 5 years

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“I Choose this Fate of My Own Free Will” - What Persona 3 Means to Me

As a forward, I decided to write this post after finishing my fifth replay of Persona 3. I didn't want to go too in-depth, but rather to focus on what particularly stood out to me as the most important elements: gameplay, design, and story synchronization, and the characters of Makoto, Aigis, Junpei, Chidori, Takaya, and Shinjiro. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!!

Persona 3 is a game unlike any other that I have ever played. When I began it for the first time on December 25th, 2012, I was in a pit of confusion and fear, struggling with abuse, isolation, depression, and anxiety. By the time I finished the game, on January 2nd, 2013, I was overwhelmed with emotions that would bring about the biggest change in the way I see the world any work of fiction has ever led me to. Even six years later, when so much media is unable to elicit response from me, it’s Persona 3 that drives me to tears again and again.

At first glace, Persona 3 wouldn’t seem much more than an edgy escapist experience for nihilistic teenagers. The emo design of the protagonist, the often rude and even callous dialogue options, the coffins, and most notably, the mock suicide used by the characters to fight. Yet, this initial impression hides behind it a genuinely heartfelt and anti-nihilistic message, hinted at from the start. The first screen of the game gives us this cryptic statement. “Time never waits, it delivers all to the same end. You who wishes to safeguard the future, however limited it may be, you will be given one year. Go fourth and do not falter, with you heart as your guide.” This is presented without ever receiving much explanation, but it sets the tone for what is to come. All throughout Persona 3, the shadow of death is present. The obvious places to point are Pharos’ visits to remind the player the end of the world is near, or the evokers and their aforementioned suicidal imagery. But it also does so in more subtle ways as well.

The theme “Mystic” plays at the beginning, when the player agrees to Pharos that he will “take responsibility for his actions”, and is reminded that “nobody can escape time.” From then on, Mystic plays in the background of the Tartarus themes. The theme of the first block is subtle, mysterious, and eerie. As the player climbs, the omniscient atmosphere grows. By the time of the final block, the music has taken on an intensive and foreboding feel, the shift building towards a gradual climax. Pharos’ statement that one can’t “close their ears or cover their eyes” is one the player is reminded of time and time again, and it can be felt that things in Persona 3 are building towards Makoto’s doom from the very start. While I can understand the oft repeated criticism of Tartarus as grind-heavy and somewhat generic randomly generated dungeon, it being a tower is the perfect way to metaphor for this inescapable fate. Each step up the stairs of Tartarus bring the player one step closer to their ultimate fate, one that, fittingly, can only be death. After all, what else does life amount to but one step forwards to death with each moment we all live? The game over screen serves as yet another reminder of this: “Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey. One is always aware that it lies in wait. Though life is merely a journey to the grave, it is not one to be undertaken without hope.” Tartarus is the ultimate symbolism of this concept, even more so with the appearance of the Reaper. If one stays on a floor of Tartarus too long, they are reminded to keep moving forward, lest death take them before they have accomplished their mission.

Makoto Yuki is a unique protagonist. A mix of Japanese and Western RPG tropes, he is both his own character, and yet also an extension of the player. In many ways, Makoto has an individual personality that is portrayed subtly throughout the game. This can be seen in his design, in his unchosen reactions, in the range of options provided to the player, his turbulent but close friendship with Junpei, and in his bond with Aigis. Yet, the game also goes out of its way to reinforce the player’s identification with Makoto. In another oft criticized choice, the player is unable to directly control any character but him, even in battle. This forces the player to identify themselves as Makoto in particular, rather than as the puppet-master of the entire party. As mentioned before, his dialogue and certain actions are often controlled by the player as well. In this space the player is given to input themselves on to Makoto, the game ensures that we remain in his shoes, while also ensuring that the narrative purposes ultimately override player choices. In this implementation, the game is given unique control over its audience for narrative purposes.

From the start, the player is encouraged to expressing an uncaring worldview onto Makoto. When Pharos first states that the end of the world will soon come, one of the options is “I don’t care”. Indeed, why would the player care? Regardless of their thoughts on such a thing happening in reality, there seems little reason to feel invested in the fate of a fictional one. What more is the player there but to fantasize about being a hero, right? It’s natural to look at SEES and romanticize their struggle. In some ways, Persona 3 would seem to encourage this viewpoint, but it also questions it. Much of the game is focused on the motivation of the characters, on their varying opinions on the Dark Hour and on their lives in general. The player is given many views at which to approach the situation and of course, many options to express their own stance. Yet, the player can’t deny that their role is in that sort of escapism. The most on-the-nose comment is given by Junpei, trying to understand why he is angry at the thought of the Dark Hour vanishing, despite it putting a decent amount of people in a coma. “I talk a big game about fighting, but hell...it’s all I’m good for. If it weren’t for that...I’d be worthless.” Junpei cuts through the audience’s defenses with this statement. Despite their proposed hatred of the Dark Hour, many of the characters do feel a sense of purpose in their powers that is missing from their daily life. But can the players say much else for themselves? Even if it’s just a simulation, a game, why would one play it if not to fulfill something missing in their real lives? Would we really react much differently in their shoes?

It’s not until October that the game truly begins to turn this sentiment on its head. After a boss fight, Shinjiro is shot and killed. Killing a party member so soon after their active addition is an uncommon choice, in part because it essentially leaves any effort that the player puts into leveling them null. The most notable example is certainly Aerith from Final Fantasy VII, one that has become infamous for the reaction it invokes in fans of the game. Killing off Shinjiro makes clear that the game is willing to kill off major characters, and it breaks through preconceptions about plot armor, all the more prevalent in games, to remind the player that there is true danger in this situation. Shinjiro’s death also highlights the disconnect between those who have lost loved ones and those to for whom death is just a statistic or a news story. The other students are apathetic at best and disrespectful at worst. They don’t act unrealistically, or even too unsympathetically, but they clearly don’t grasp that Shinjiro was more than a punk. He was someone with friends, dreams, and a future. And can any of us really say we would think any differently? When we hear that some number of people died on the news, do we really see these people as individuals? I can attest that I at least would reasonably see such things in a very abstract way. The other students are not vilified, their comments are nothing that seems unlike what we ourselves might say. The fear of their own mortality leads them to distance themselves emotionally from Shinjiro, writing him off as a delinquent so as to paint him as "the other". But we knew Shinjiro, and so we see their comments in a different light. Makoto is given the option to tell the students badmouthing Shinjiro to shut-up, with Junpei joining him. It’s here that Persona 3 demonstrates a remarkable ability to shift itself away from the nihilistic view of the world that it once seemed to foster, while still demonstrating a balanced understanding of that view. This is reinforced again later in the game, when Junpei, the person who clung to the Dark Hour for his sense of purpose, loses Chidori to its violence.

Then there is Takaya, the man directly responsible for Shinjiro’s, and later Chidori’s deaths. Takaya is someone who has fully embraced the Dark Hour as his purpose in life. He is unable to let it go, and he doesn’t care who has to die to protect it. Takaya’s views are extreme, but hardly unrealistic. Much like a drug addict unwilling to accept the damage of their addiction, Takaya downplays and even justifies the Dark Hour as being benign. To him, that feeling of abstraction towards the death of others has become prevalent enough that he only seeks to protect what he believes makes his own special. When he discovers the world is soon to end, he is enthused. This sentiment is echoed by Ikutsuki, many NPCs, and is implied to have been a driving force behind those that created the Dark Hour. Predicting and even anticipating the apocalypse has been in vogue for generations now, and even my own Father once spoke of this to me: “When I was a teenager, people talked about nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union. There was a part of me that found the thought exciting. The world ends for someone every day, but what a way to die in the absolute end of humanity.” My memory of this statement has allowed me to understand Takaya’s sentiment. When someone becomes disconnected from the world around them, from the mortality of themselves and others, they don't care about the consequences of their actions. Suddenly, the end of the world seems exciting rather than horrifying. Just before the final boss, Takaya forces the party once again to face the reality that their views were originally not so different from his. There is truth in this, as even Aigis admits, yet, they have realized then that they took their lives for granted.

January 31st is the first time that the player is given a choice of their own. Ryoji reveals that the end will soon come with the return of Nyx, the result of so many wishing for an end to the pain of life. He gives Makoto the option to killy him, erase his friends’ memories, and let live them in ignorance of their coming deaths. To refuse this offer is to face Nyx without any hope of success. It’s clear through the party’s gradually unanimous support for fighting Nyx where the game’s writers sided. However, Ryoji once again shows their ability to portray the opposing view in a sympathetic light. Ryoji genuinely cares for his friends and wholeheartedly believes that erasing their memories will save them from unnecessary suffering. In any case, there are many ways to interpret this question. The first time I played the game, I saw it as similar to my own thoughts on whether or not to give up on life and commit suicide. Did I want to struggle against my social, mental, and familial problems that seemed insurmountable, or did I want to give up, and go for one last hurrah before the end of my life? Death awaited either way. The only change was the what my life would amount to. The choice was mine - just as the game had said at the beginning. Whichever outcome resulted in the game, as in real life, was my responsibility to make. At the start of the game, I picked "who cares" as my response to Pharos. Truthfully, at the time, I may well have said the same thing in real life. And, in a decision I would have considered unthinkable when I began the game, I decided to let Ryoji live.

The heavy atmosphere of the game’s final month serves as a constant reminder of the decision made. It is during this time that my favorite Social Link unlocks - Aigis. Her Link focuses on in-depth exploration of what her arc had touched on throughout the previous months. As she had found greater emotional fulfillment in her life in the ability to make choices for herself, she had awoken to the fear of death, and of loss. To find the meaning and purpose she longed for in life was to also be aware of her limitations. Aigis is tormented by her inability to protect her friends, and her feelings of inadequacy as a lover to Makoto. Aigis’ struggle shows that to live with purpose is to live with awareness of how fragile and fleeting life is. To enjoy life, to love, is to open oneself up to the fear and pain of loss. Yet, is to live without enjoyment and purpose any life at all? This dilemma was faced earlier by Chidori, who had lived with apathy and detachment similar to Aigis’ before meeting Junpei. And just as Chidori was forced to confront a fear of death in her newfound love for Junpei, so to is Aigis in her love for Makoto. Ultimately, Chidori pushes Junpei away in an attempt to protect herself from these fears, as Aigis is similarly indecisive for how to approach them. Yet, in Junpei’s near-death, Chidori decides to sacrifice herself to protect him, ultimately deciding to accept and face her pain in order to live.

When the party reaches the height of Tartarus, they face Nyx Avatar. Here, the dialogue explicitly targets the audience. Mitsuru calls Nyx “what awaits all living things from the minute they are born.” Indeed, Nyx Avatar proclaims in the final stage of the battle: “it matters not who you are. Death awaits you.” There is no escaping that this applies as much to the player as to anyone else. When the fight against Nyx Avatar concludes, Makoto ascends alone to fight the true Nyx. With a remix of Mystic playing, he rises through darkness towards a bright light. This scene is reminiscent of the concept of one’s soul rising to heaven, as well as the description that to die is to see “a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.” Finally, Makoto is face to face with the true Nyx, a ball of glowing light with outreaching skeletal arms. The symbolism makes it clear: the protagonist is facing the very incarnation of death itself. This is what every step up Tartarus, every second of the story has been building up to. Makoto stands alone against his doom. And yet, his friends’ cries of support reach him and give him the power to resist. Eventually, the protagonist gives up his HP to seal away Nyx. The metaphor is heavy, and yet, it is effective.

The ending of the game is, fittingly, where the message is truly brought home. In many ways, it seems almost euphorically happy. The characters regain their lost memories, and Mitsuru jumps off stage in slow motion as upbeat and cheerful music plays. The foreshadowing is there, however. The music that begins when we cut to Makoto with his head in Aigis’ lap is somber, and sorrowful. This scene gives us Aigis’ final resolution. She accepts her fears of losing Makoto, and promises to protect him and stay by his side. Just as nearly losing Junpei had done for Chidori, nearly losing Makoto allowed Aigis to realize the depth of her feelings for him. Aigis has firmly embraced that life is precious and worth living, rejecting her earlier fears that it may have been better to live without emotion. Of course, unbeknownst to her, this realization has come to late. Makoto succumbs to his exhaustion and falls asleep in her lap, never to wake up again. The ending song, Memories of You, expresses Aigis’ resolve to remember and love Makoto for the rest of her life.

Killing a silent protagonist is a rare choice. I have only personally played three other games that do so, though I’ve heard that a small handful of others exist. The belief that the main character of a story should be all but unkillable is a popular idea even outside of gaming. But when the character is meant to have an element of player insert, to kill them off is normally seen as too intense, and too on-the-nose. In Persona 3′s case, it is exactly what is needed to drive home the point. Much like the main character of fiction, it is easy to feel that we have something special about us keeping us alive. Indeed, we are the main character of our own tale, and for as long as it lasts, so do we. But someday our luck will run out and our journey will end, just as Makoto’s did. Makoto’s death reminds the player that nobody is immune to death, and our time will come as well. Nonetheless, Makoto is enough of his own character that we are also able to see his death from a more traditional viewer’s perspective. And in that, the joy of the party, the seeming upbeat nature of the ending, and Aigis’ promise to protect and stay by Makoto makes the loss all the more effective. The ones we love could be gone at any moment, and making it come for the party when they seem so close to a almost cheesy happy ending reminds us of this somber fact.

As Aigis expresses, the ultimate message of Persona 3 is that one can’t find meaning in life as long as they live in denial of the mortality of themselves and their loved ones. Doing so puts people on a path to self-destructive behavior. It is only by accepting the inevitability of death that one can realize just how precious and meaningful life truly is, and only by this realization can that we find true happiness. We see this truth firsthand in our own simulated experience. This is what makes Persona 3 so brilliant - it brings the player into the story in such a way that only a video game can. Say what you will about books, movies, television: for all the advantages these mediums have over video games, only a video game can show a player a fate that is of their own choosing. Yet, no matter how much pain the ending may cause them, it remains undeniable that the player has, in a sense, contributed to the very sentiment it seeks to deconstruct. It’s what drew them to the game in the first place.

Persona 3 develops from a story that uses suicidal and edgy imagery for the adrenaline rush into one that heavily deconstructs and averts these very concepts. By doing so, it encourages the player to re-evaluate these ideas. At the very start, Mitsuru gives a speech telling the students of the schools to dig deeply and re-evaluate their convictions. During my first playthrough, I did just that. In the days, weeks, and months following, my suicidal thoughts dropped drastically and gradually trickled down to nothing. January 2nd now serves as a constant reminder of how I make the choice, of my own free will, to live. So many still see Persona 3 as a depressing and bitter story, like the emotionally disturbed younger brother to Persona 4′s unabashed positivism. It is anything but. Rather, Persona 3 is the most candidly and genuinely optimistic game I have ever played, and it is thanks to it that I was able to find the courage and the hope to move forward from the darkest time of my life.

#Persona 3 #Kasu.txt

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livesoffcoco · 6 years

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The “Big” Question

Ah yes, it is my turn to dip into the “how will BSD end?” meta well.

I’ll start off first that I’m in agreement with pretty much everyone. In some sort of capacity, someone is dying. There is no getting around that. BSD first and foremost is about death; whether that be killing, dying, suicide, the death of a loved one, etc. That’s why I definitely agree someone is dying by the end of it.

Though to what extent and who is the question? I don’t think its going to be something like SNK. Asagiri has never shown any inclination to just kill EVERYONE in such a fashion. Plus BSD just doesn’t have that really dark and pessimistic tone.

However death in a shocking manner has not been avoided. Odasaku is obviously the most shocking death of the series. Him and his kids. A bunch of kids; that is including 23 YEAR OLD Odasaku. Odasaku was a kid. Technically (if this were the real world) he probably would not have even been able to adopt all those kids, if even one of them, legally.

He was, and pretty much still is (aside from Atsushi) the closest character to Dazai; Dazai who is the co-protagonist of the series (though I would say he is the main protagonist and Atsushi is a “false protagonist” but that's for another time). So that is killing off a pivotal part of a main character.

The question that has been on everyone’s mind is who is going to die at the end of the series. There has to be some clarification though. Characters can die; but then CHARACTERS can DIE.

A death of a side character like Chuuya or Mori (sorry but like, they are side characters) is not going to be series ending worthy. I see their deaths, if that were to happen, to be more like Obito’s death in Naruto for example (of another shounen manga). Obito was able to aide the main characters in a way that helped them beat the final boss; but it was not something to spend a whole volume over or even end the series over. A side character passing on the power/knowledge they have to the main characters is not worth ending the series over.

So that can honestly eliminate pretty much all of the Port Mafia and the Guild. I say pretty much because I would not eliminate Akutagawa from the “death list”. Though, I personally don’t think he would die simply because Dazai set up Shin-Soukoku (as much as I dislike the trope/concept, the next generation is “there” in place).

Now I’m going to focus on parallels, and why i plays such a huge role in BSD and probably why its going to play such a huge role in the ending.

The most obvious and well known parallel is the “Soukokus”. There is Fukuzawa and Mori, Dazai and Chuuya, and now Akutagawa and Atsushi. They are always two sides of the same coin. One is from the “bad guys” and one is the “good guy” (Mori, Chuuya, and Akutagawa are the “bad guys” while Fukuzawa, Dazai, and Atsushi are the “good guys”). Both the main characters in a form of Soukoku.

And then the other big parallel is Dazai and Odasaku + Dazai and Atsushi.

These two frames are striking in their similarity. The guiding light and the lost youth? Of course there are slight differences, and I will talk about those later, but no one can deny the similarity between the two shots. Odasaku guided Dazai to the light, he saved Dazai’s life; and in the process lost his own.

Dazai saved Atsushi’s life (in a roundabout way by the river). He has been guiding Atsushi in the right direction; pushing Atsushi to start saving people as well, to start doing good more and more.

Asagiri is a good ass writer and they love their parallels. Even if the 15 light novel, there are parallels between Chuuya’s older mentor and Dazai with Odasaku. Asagiri never puts something in willy-nilly.

The similarities between the relationship of Odasaku and Dazai +Dazai and Atsushi are on purpose. I don’t think Dazai is going to die in a way that would “waste” Odasaku’s life. Dying by saving (and having already saved Atsushi) people would make Odasaku proud. Of course he would want Dazai to keep living, but sometimes life is cruel and it takes and it takes and takes.

Though there is one thing, about the differences in the two frames provided. The first thing is obviously their eyes are shown. The most notable thing is the direction Atsushi is looking. He is looking back at Dazai. He is watching Dazai’s back. While Dazai is teaching Atsushi about life and how to be a good person, Atsushi is teaching Dazai just as much.

So all in all, I think Dazai is more than likely going to be the person that dies at the end of the series. But in no way will I think it will be a waste. I bet you it will be him sacrificing his life in some form or fashion; him being a “good man”.

#bsd meta #bsd theory #bungou stray dogs meta #Dazai osamu #atsushi nakajima #oda sakunosuke

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hq-cuties-pls · 6 years

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Admin Emma’s Smut Guide or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Word ‘Cock.’

Hi there! Admin Emma here! Sorry I haven’t been posting a lot lately; life has been a little crazy and I’ve been working on this super long project that I am tantalizingly close to finishing and I don’t want to lose momentum, so I’ve been hyperfocused on it. It’s not Haikyuu, but I will still probably post a link here so anyone interested can still read it.

Anyway, I am sort of aware that smut is sort of my forte… it’s weird to have that legacy, but I do know that it’s tricky for a lot of writers. And you know what? That’s ok! So today, at the request of a few of my writer friends, I am going to pass along some knowledge!

Full disclosure: I have had sex before. I have a tiny human sleeping in the other room as proof that I have had sex before. But this is not entirely necessary to writing good smut, even though it helps. Knowing your own body and reactions is a good way to bring authenticity to a scene, but it’s not required. Also, please keep in mind that I will mostly be talking about penises and vaginas together today, considering that is the majority that I write.

So, to start, here are my Rules for Smut Writing:

1. Don’t just think about the What, but the Who, Where, How and Why

- One of the biggest mistakes that writers new to smut make is thinking that the act of sex will speak for itself and just… write sex. The ‘he put his penis into her vagina and it felt good’ stuff. This is a good start, but it can sort of read like an Ikea manual--insert part a into slot 2 to achieve orgasm. Character and relationship development is a big part of good smut. Why should I, the reader, care that these two people are having sex? What does it mean to feel good? Who are they to each other?

2. Language Matters

- I tend to find words like ‘penis’ and ‘vagina’ in smut writing to be a bit… clinical. It’s not absolutely wrong to use them, per se, but a big part of writing smut is setting a mood, and they can rip you out of the mood very easily. I tend to stick to the ‘Just Use ‘Cock’’ rule when it comes to describing genitalia, and it works wonders, but sometimes it’s not right for your scene. ‘Cock’ is a little abrasive for softer sex scenes, so you might have to find something else that fits the mood. Just remember that your word choices will affect the mood. “He grabbed her tits” vs “He touched her breasts” have totally different moods and belong in totally different scenes. (See below)

3. Take Your Time

- Most writers are so excited to get to the actual intercourse they tend to sacrifice the pacing of the scene in an effort to get penises into vaginas as quickly as possible. And that’s just… not good. The pacing and timing of the scene is so important. Unless your goal is to drop your reader right into the middle of the actual sex--which can be effective--you have to build it up a little bit. I have found myself thinking ‘dear fucking lord, this smut scene is quickly becoming a smut novel’ but when have you, as a reader, ever been reading a piece thinking ‘this is great, but I wish there was LESS of it.’ Fucking never, is my guess. Let your scene build; let those long, lingering touches be long and lingering; let them make-out for three straight paragraphs. If it gets flabby, you can cut some in the editing process but during the writing process, the more time between the the first smooches and The Big O, the better.

4. Write What You’re Into

- Smut writing is about honesty and vulnerability. Not just between characters, but for the writer as well. A person’s writing is a little window in how their mind works, what they find funny, what they like in partners and friends, and yes, what they find sexy. I run a request blog, sure, but my smut writing is still pretty catered to what I am into, and in my opinion, that is a huge part of what makes it enjoyable for others. You have to be honest when you’re writing smut, because your readers will absolutely sense if you aren’t into what you’re writing. If you’re trying to sell something as sexy, then you have to think it’s sexy first. I’ve read a few romance novels in my time, and I can always tell when the writer is very clearly not into what is happening on the page. Conversely, I can always tell when a writer is into something just by their writing alone. So if you’re not into bondage, a/b/o dynamics, or razor-wire suspension, then don’t write about it.

These are absolutely not hard and fast rules, and they may or may not work for you, but most of the really good smut I’ve read in my time have followed these rules.

Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten when it comes to writing smut is to remember your Five Senses. Not only does it keep things from getting too repetitive (because let’s be real, there are only so many descriptors that sound sexy) but it really helps put the reader into the moment. Here, an example for you (featuring Daichi, because I’m trash):

Daichi ran his hand over your leg, pressing your thighs apart with his. He growled, tasting your wetness with his fingers, before he rolled his cock into you, bottoming out in a single thrust. He took it slow at first, letting you get acclimated, before he picked up his pace. He fell forward, moulding his body to yours, before he pounded into you.

I mean… that’s ok. Not great, but ok. A good start. However:

Daichi brushed his fingertips down your leg, sending shivers down your spine. In his deep voice, his hum of approval sounded more like a growl; the primal sound made heat boil in your core. His thick thighs pressed yours apart, exposing you to the cool air. His rough fingers gathered your wetness, and the slick pop of him tasting you was explosively loud in the quiet room. The hands that pried you apart shivered, like he was as affected by all this as you were. You wanted his cock; you needed that unbearable heat. The smell of his sweat and sex overwhelmed you, and when you looked over your shoulder at him, he stared at you like you were the only person in the entire world. Affection bloomed in your chest when his lips turned into a wobbly smile, and his eyes filled with such warmth and love that ease settled into your chest.

That’s better. And the sex hasn’t even happened yet. But even if you, personally, have never had that happen to you before, you can really feel it, right? That’s because I’m evoking your five senses. Even if you’ve never had sex, you can relate with a lot of the language because the sounds, the smells, and the sensations are familiar and relatable. Also as a side note, even though the POV is limited, by giving hints that the partner--in this case, Daichi--is into it can often add to the scene. It also implies an intimacy and familiarity that adds to the emotion of the scene.

So… about that sexy language…

I stick to one hard and fast rule: just use ‘cock.’ Granted, there is a time and place when cock isn’t appropriate--like softer scenes or the character is a little shyer. I find words like “length” and, sometimes, “hardness” can be effective, but for the most part? Just use cock. Dick can also work, and it’s somewhere between “cock” and “penis” on the sexy scale, but words I find never work are things like “member” (it makes it sound like a period drama) “rod” or “shaft” (are we fellating auto parts?) or anything ridiculous like “noodle” or “staff.” (You laugh but I swear to Christ I have seen both of these before). {Admin Alyx’s addition: Shaft can work but usually only if you’re referring to a specific part of the penis and not as a euphemism for penis. Staff is only acceptable if both characters are mages and they’re making terrible puns.}

Vaginas get a little trickier. I really like ‘cunt’ because it’s just sexy to me. I prefer it to pussy. But some people don’t like either of those things. Sometimes it can help if you compartmentalize parts: clit, labia, vagina etc. Words like “opening” and “entrance” can work. “Wetness” is good for softer scenes (I tend to avoid using “wetness” and “hardness” excessively, though, as too many euphemisms and you start to sound very squicked out by sex itself and I refer you to Rule 4)

And those are Admin Emma’s Rules and Guidelines for Writing Smut! Once again, these are not hard and fast rules. Just what I’ve picked up from reading good smut and lots and lots of practice. I do recommend reading good stuff--not just fanfic. Published stuff too. Here are some recomendations:

The Boss series (a not-shitty take on the 50SoG concept of BDSM+Billionaire but, you know, not abusive garbage), as well as Penny and Ian’s stories (side story from the same universe as The Boss) by Abigail Barnette (also follow @jennytrout on here, I crib so many notes from her, she is my hero and my inspiration)

Fit by Rebekah Witherspoon (POC and chubby protagonist, which I am very very into)

Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai (Hysterical and very sexy take on the Persephone myth)

Asking For It/Begging for It by Lilah Pace (This is a great series, but full disclosure: it does deal with rape in a big way. The protagonist and the main love interest engage in (consensual) rape fantasy and it can get a little bit vivid, so if you’re triggered by that/can’t handle it at all, I don’t recommend this one. But if you can handle it, I think it’s great and the mains have great chemistry, and nothing nonconsensual actually happens on the page)

Sadly, these are all fairly heteronormative (The Boss series deals with both characters’ bisexuality in a big way, but the main couple is still a cis man and a cis woman) as I haven’t read a lot of great queer published erotica.

I’ll leave you with a list of For Your Information TMI Factoids:

The penis is not a magic missile that finds Prostates and G-Spots alike.

Most people with vaginas have trouble achieving orgasm through penetration alone; some can’t at all. Foreplay is key to pussy satisfaction!!

Remember the clitoris, people. The clitoris is your friend, but she’s sensitive, so treat her gently.

Penises don’t drip pre like a goddamn fountain. Some penises produce more than others, but it’s not going to gush all over the place

Lube and condoms are great. Consent is sexy. Never worry about ruining the mood with safety. Trust me--there is nothing sexier than a confident man asking me if he can kiss me.

Vajay doesn’t taste sweet… just trust me on this one. It does not taste sweet.

When in doubt remember the BDSM Creed: Safe, Sane, and Consensual

#admin talks #admin emma #writing tips #this is my legacy people #lol

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mushairaandchill · 6 years

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hiii im interested in getting into bollywood and indian films, could you rec some of your faves and anywhere they might be with english subtitles? thank you

Hey there :D

Honestly, I lean more on the 'artsy' / parallel cinema side of things lol, but I'll try my best to make a balanced list. This is sort of semi-divided by theme/tone, director and genre but not rly organized. I'm providing the best links I can find, otherwise Netflix and Amazon might have these available to stream too.

Raavanan (a modern adaptation of the Ramayana that sort of reverses who is the protagonist and antagonist, but you don't really need to know that story for this to make sense. The wife of a cop is kidnapped by an anti-government tribal leader, and although she at first hates and fears him and his community, she begins to realize that her own husband and the police force he works for have done far worse.)

Vishal Bhardwaj's entire Shakespeare Trilogy:

Maqbool (adaptation of Macbeth, moves the story to Mumbai's criminal underworld)

Omkara (adaptation of Othello, moves the story to gangland Uttar Pradesh)

Haider (adaptation of Hamlet, moves the story to Kashmir during a period of extreme turmoil and violence under Indian occupation)

Kaminey (estranged twin brothers, each with a different speech impediment, live markedly different lives in Mumbai. One is a thug who dreams of running his own betting establishment, one is a college student and social worker who tries to live honestly but has gotten himself into trouble after impregnating a gangster's sister. Fate fucks with them so hard that their stories converge again)

7 Khoon Maaf (a woman marries, and then murders, seven men. They all deserved it)

Gangs of Wasseypur Part I and II (a rather graphic and relentlessly violent multi-generational saga of gangsters and politicians who are indistinguishable from another. In the 1940s, bandit and hired thug Shahid Khan starts a feud with the Qureshis and Ramadhir Singh that far outlasts him.)

Black Friday (a film that deals directly with real life events. After bomb blasts throughout Bombay kill hundreds of people, police begin a manhunt for those responsible. What they find is a rabbithole, full of gangster involvement, communal violence, religious extremism, and the greatest depths of human despair. It's a film that honestly emotionally disturbs me, so even tho I'm recommending it lol I'd say be careful if you watch it)

Ishqiya and Dedh Ishqiya (Two conmen/criminals, who happen to be uncle and nephew, steal money from their boss and go on the run. Along the way they run into rather dangerous women, fall in love, get in further trouble. The female characters in these movies are fuckin amazing)

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (an Indian man helps a little Pakistani girl find her way back to her country. It's a moving and incredibly heartwarming film omg)

3 Idiots (two college friends go on a roadtrip to find another college friend who mysteriously left during graduation and never contacted them again. Throughout it, they reminisce over college-era hijinks while getting into hijinks in the present day too)

Main Hoon Na (a profoundly campy film that nevertheless is one of the best films I've seen in my life. A soldier goes undercover as a student at his estranged half-brother's college to protect an army general's daughter. Along the way, he tries to connect with his brother and stepmother, without letting them know who he really is. He falls in love with a teacher who's actually his age so it's fine lmao There's a India-Pakistan plot going on, a rogue former army general is planning havoc, a million Hindi cinema tropes are lovingly lampooned as well as played straight. It's great)

Jab We Met (a straight laced, joyless man, depressed after being rejected by the girl he loved, boards a train intending to throw himself off it. A bubbly, extremely talkative woman saves him from doing so. They end up stranded after the train leaves without them. They go on a journey that changes them both. I LOVE this movie lol)

Mughal-e-Azam (the first sweeping epic of Hindi cinema, it's passed into legend in the decades since it first played in theatres. During the reign of Emperor Akbar, a dancing girl named Anarkali and the emperor's son, prince Salim, fall in love but their relationship is opposed by the Emperor, which leads to tensions and violence between father and son, threatening the very foundation of the Mughal Empire.)

Meera (a young woman faces great obstacles and scorn because of her deep spiritual love for and devotion to Lord Krishna. The story explores the various restrictions, responsibilities and burdens society places on a woman in the framework of spirituality and religious devotion.)

Baahubali Part I and II (AMAZING fantasy/action films set in ancient India about a young man who discovers that he's actually the heir to a kingdom that his uncle acquired through cheating, and who then sets out to reclaim it and avenge the wrong done to his family. Completely shattered box office records in India when it came out)

Jodhaa-Akbar (another film that takes place during Emperor Akbar's reign, but this time focuses on Akbar's relationship with Jodhaa Bai (irl Maryam-uz-Zamaani), Salim's mother and a Hindu Rajput princess. Their marriage is arranged for political reasons, but they eventually take a liking to each other. Unfortunately, many obstacles stand in their way to happiness)

Bajirao Mastani (a Maratha general and a Muslim princess fall in love, even though the general is already married. She's hated and discriminated against because of her religion by his household, but she pursues the relationship anyway. It's an indescribably beautiful movie - visually. But plot-wise there's a lot left to be desired lmao)

Devdas (from the same director as BM but with a slightly better script lmao. A man devolves into alcoholism after his childhood love is married off to someone else. A courtesan falls for him, but he can't forget his first love. It's one of the most visually stunning films ever made.)

Here's some older movies that I really love but idk if them being old would be off-putting:

Pyaasa (Honestly one of the best films ever made, and that's really a widely held opinion among both critics and viewers. A poet struggles in a world that devalues his work and his humanity. The only person who understands him and appreciates his poetry is a prostitute, herself an outcast in society. The film examines the world through the lens of an idealist whose worldview crumbles with every blow he's dealt. I'm terrible at describing it lmao it really needs to be watched to be understood)

Kaagaz Ke Phool (a sort of spiritual successor to Pyaasa, this film is about a director who falls from grace as his personal life disintegrates. It also sort of defies easy description ;v;)

Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (a country boy newly arrived to the city begins an unlikely friendship with the sad, neglected wife of a land-owning aristocrat and has to watch as she is slowly to lost to her despair and alcoholism)

Guide (a tour guide falls in love with a married dancer and throws himself into building her career, but gradually becomes hedonistic, self-absorbed and jealous as she becomes a star.)

Shree 420 (an honest and idealistic young man is lured into a world of gambling, conning and exploitation after he comes to the city and finds it difficult to get by on his values and education. This movie is socialist propaganda and I love it)

Mandi (centers on the inhabitants of a brothel as they're caught up in puritanical political outbursts against their profession and an effort by the state to evict them from their home. Sounds dramatic but is actually mad satirical and a dark comedy)

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (two hapless photographers get caught up in a tangled web of real estate corruption and politics after they accidentally photograph a murder)

Aandhi (a politician runs into her ex-husband and it opens a floodgate of memories for them both. A really good depiction of a woman's struggle to reconcile her career with all the expectations and responsibilities foisted on her as a wife and mother.)

Rajnigandha (a young woman is torn between her fiancee and her college boyfriend after she reconnects with the latter during a trip to Bombay. Honestly one of the most poignant films I’ve ever seen.)

I’m gonna end this here bc I’ve gone on waaay longer than I intended to lmao ;_; Sorry that this got so longwinded! Anyway, I hope this helped you, I tried to provide concise summaries so you could decide whether the premise appeals to you but I might just have made things more confusing? xD I hope not!

#indian cinema #bollywood #recs #i should really make a masterlist of my fave films w/links sometime #Anonymous

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zonamievents · 6 years

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ZoNami Analysis: The Orange Island Arc and First Impressions!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my new series of posts, where I discuss every Zoro and Nami moment to have ever occurred in the entire series of One Piece. Any scene can merely be friendly, but perhaps we can uncover a hint of something more between them as we go through it all? Let’s find out on this journey together!

Also, I am aware that koukihime has done a similar series on her website, zoroxnami.weebly.com. However, I wanted to perform my own analysis of Zoro and Nami’s relationship, so please bear with me if there are any accidental similarities. Thanks!

Today’s topic is how this ENTIRE arc solidifies Zoro and Nami’s relationship moving forward. First impressions are important, and though Oda-sensei likes to play with how we preceive someone vs how they really impact the story in later arcs, the simplicity of the beginning of the series tells us a lot about how these two are meant to be critical players in the Mugiwara crew, and in each other’s lives.

Picking up from where we left off, Zoro has just stepped in to save Nami’s life from Buggy’s crew! Nami is in great disbelief to find that an infamous pirate hunter like Roronoa Zoro is actually the other half of Luffy’s pirate crew.

As she stands there mistified, Buggy questions if Zoro has suddenly appeared to take his head. Though Zoro tells him that isn’t the case, Buggy instigates a fight and in a matter of seconds, it seems as though the pirate captain was taken down instantaneously. Disappointed and confused, Luffy, Zoro and Nami can’t understand why his crew starts laughing after their boss’ defeat, only for Zoro to learn that not only did he underestimate Buggy, but…

Buggy also has a Devil’s Fruit that allows his body to separate at will.

Luffy, Zoro and Nami know they need to escape, but the situation looks rather grim. However, leave it to Zoro - who now has a stab wound in his left side - to flip an entire canon over and aim it at the Buggy pirates!

After the canon shoots, it is Zoro AGAIN with his inhuman strength lifting the cage that Luffy’s stuck in and trying to carry him down off of a rooftop and onto the ground! Nami is just in awe as she follows them, and though she apparently knows the name ‘Zoro’, it seems she is unaware of just how powerful he truly is.

Nami starts to lose her wonderment when Luffy later picks a fight with ShuShu the dog. But she still brings Luffy the key to the cage so he can get himself free. Defeated for the moment, Zoro sleeps off his injury while Luffy gets himself into even more trouble! Zoro is woken up when Buggy fires another one of his Buggy Balls at the building, and somehow survives the impact so he can join the fight once again!

As the story progresses and the two crews face off - with Nami finally agreeing to ‘cooperate’ with the Straw Hats - Buggy faces off against Luffy, and Cabaji challenges Zoro. At one point in their battle, Cabaji intentionally aims for Zoro’s wound from earlier, and Nami calls him out for such a cheap trick.

And she calls him out on it again, but the third time Cabaji tries to attack his wound, Zoro not only blocks him, he decides to make that particular injury seem a little less interesting…

...by cutting himself! It disturbs even Luffy that he does this, but the tactic works and Cabaji is now focused on the overall fight rather than targeting Zoro’s obvious weakness. Of course, this only makes Nami worry about him more.

Nami leaves the scene shortly after that to go and get the map of the Grand Line that was most likely lost in the explosion. She sneaks off and promises to join up with Luffy and Zoro again if they manage to survive. However, the fight ends up being so engaging that she watches it from the distance before achieving her goal!

After avoiding an enraged Buggy when she steals his treasure - and after Luffy’s inevitable victory against Buggy - Nami groups up with Luffy and the sleeping Zoro and as he wakes up, Zoro says he doesn’t think he can walk. To which Nami replies…

And that’s the major highlight, or theme, of this arc: Luffy and Zoro are meant to show off how powerful they are together, and just how otherworldly their strength can be. Even though this is a Zoro and Nami-centric post, I just want to point out that everything mentioned above happens in order and nothing plot-centric is skipped over. A great deal of Nami’s impression of this crew revolves around her reactions to Zoro’s heroism and just how brutal he can.

But what does this mean for ZoNa?

Why summarize this entire arc and say that it’s worthy of more love from the ZoNa community?

What does the Orange Town story really highlight for us ZoNa fans!?

It shows us that this is where Nami realizes how integral Zoro is to not only the crew, but her survival too. It isn’t meant to impress us as the reader because we’ve already met Zoro - this entire meeting is meant to wow Nami into feeling safe with them.

Before she became a Straw Hat, Nami traveled the seas alone. Why bother getting any sort of outsider involved in her village’s problems? Her willingness to join the crew wasn’t simply because of her dream, but it was because she knew that she needed them to stay alive if it meant she ever encountered someone like Buggy again. Remember, Nami explicitly states in this arc that she thought Devil’s Fruits were nothing more than a myth that pirates tell themselves. For her to see both Buggy and Luffy in action in the East Blue - which she knows is statistically the weakest of all four - means that Nami needs some strong partners in crime if she plans to finish her mission of saving Cocoyashi.

Given her methodical nature, it’s only logical to tag along with such irrefutably strong men to guarantee success. And that’s the perfect way to highlight yet another ‘opposites attract’ aspect of the ZoNa relationship!

The Left Brain vs The Right Brain.

It’s a concept most of us are familiar with: each half of your brain specializes in a specific area of your personality. If you’re more instinctive than strategic, you’re Right Brain is probably your dominate half. If you prefer to plan out your day rather than letting events unfold as they will, than you’re a Left Brain thinker. At first glance, some would call Nami emotional and spastic, but us fans of the character can agree that she is one of the most intelligent and well thought out members of the Straw Hat crew.

Zoro, on the other hand, is a reactionary character. Where Nami would try to concoct a solution, Zoro would prefer to make his own based off of what he feels is best. Though a stone-cold type of character, even his choices in battle come from training that taught him how to hone his instincts in order to guide his body to dodge attacks and execute strikes successfully.

Now, why does this matter?

Because neither one of them is solidly using only one side of their brain.

Together, Zoro and Nami create a proper middle ground - known as the Wise Mind in the example image above - that create a viability for each other. Where one lacks, the other exceeds expectations. Both are impressive characters, but what we get from this arc is the root of Zoro and Nami that truly show the significance they bring out in one another based off of their mere functionality.

In the very first post of this series, I talked about how Nami was the navigator and Zoro works as a protector; this first introduction they have clearly provides the foundation for Nami’s perception of Zoro as the person she ends up relying on the most from here on out. Essentially, their relationship works itself into a very popular theme: the Beauty and the Beast.

If you look at Belle from the Disney version of the tale, she is smart, well-read and cunning. She knows when it’s time to run away and when she needs to step up to the plate, to risk her life for either her father or for the Beast himself. She yearns to have more than the life she leads and it causes her to seek adventures beyond herself. Though her wits can get her into trouble sometimes - and even put her at odds with the Beast - she manages to to prove herself as a worthy partner to stand next to the Beast.

On the other hand, we can look at the Beast himself. He’s very stern, off-putting at times, despite the kind-hearted individual inside. Though others may comment on his brash personality, the Beast stays true to himself but starts to warm up to the idea of having Belle around. The Beast even saves Belle more than once and her respect for him grows when she sees how selfless he can truly be. He isn’t the easiest characters to love in his own story, despite being a clear protagonist. He always has his own goal in the back of his mind and thinks about how it involves the lives of those around him. He’s also the first to tell you he isn’t ‘a fool’.

There is a fantastic, oldie but goodie fanfic written by SF Kitty called “Beauty and the Beast: One Piece Style” from 2006 that shows how fans of ZoNa have picked up on the notion that there are evident ties to this Disney couple, and for good reason! It’s a popular concept that has worked out for many other fictional couples, because each couple acts as the other half to their partner - like the Left Brain meeting the Right Brain to make a Wise Minded couple! And though this arc is summarized simply in this post, I believe that the intention of this story allowed for Zoro to show off his beastly attributes to a rather shell-shocked Nami, just like the Beast does when he saves Belle from the wolves in the Disney adaption of the tale.

Mind you, Nami isn’t as smooth as Belle when she comes back to help Zoro and Luffy, but the similarity exists and that’s good enough for me!

#zonami analysis #zona #zonami #swordgust #beauty and the beast #maiden here

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langwrites · 6 years

Note

ABC questions for each character of the letter their name starts with

So this is a long one.

A: Aptitude

Grand Duke Arno Lambert, who has basically reinvented himself to be Lumina’s Duke Consort, really.

1. what are your oc’s natural abilities, things they’ve been doing since young?

Arno is a born healer. As a Trugiln, he’s always been a decent tracker, guide, and hunter when necessary, but his preference is always to care for the people and animals who stumble their way to his home. He’s also pretty good at math.

2. what activities have they participated in?

Arno, back when he was under a different name, used to be a champ at drunken arm wrestling because he was chronically sober.

3. what abilities do they have that they’ve worked for?

Herbalism, rather than healing, was something he had to learn. He also practiced with throwing axes and hammers as melee weapons back in the day, to mixed success.

4. what things are they bad at?

I never said he was any good at throwing weapon. Only that he tried to use them.

5. what is their most impressive talent?

Arno can heal with enough skill—and a touch of divine providence—to revive the recently-dead.

B: Basics

Here we have Brigid Rime, a villain!

1. what is their hair color?

Her hair is white, which she dyes different colors when the mood strikes her. It’s been a very lovely nigh-prismatic purple before.

2. what is their eye color?

Deep brown. There’s something a bit odd about the way her eyes appear in bright light, though… (Her pupils are actually square.)

3. how tall are they?

About 5’4”.

4. how old are they?

Somewhere between 25 and 32.

5. how much do they weigh?

137 lbs.

C: Comfort

Cirrus, Gabilan’s master-at-arms.

1. how do they sit in a chair?

He prefers to sit in a chair the way chairs are meant to be sat in, and gets a little annoyed with everyone else deciding that “furniture” is the same as “climbing wall.”

2. in what position do they sleep?

Cirrus sleeps on his side or back, occasionally rolling from one to the other and landing squarely on the floor.

3. what is their ideal comfort day?

Cirrus would definitely prefer to spend the day in three major sections: sparring with everyone in Gabilan, then visiting a steam house to relax after a workout, and finally reading a good book late into the night.

4. what is their major comfort food? Why?

Jellied eel, because his mother used to make it. It doesn’t actually taste appealing.

5. who is the best at comforting them when down?

Cirrus prefers to visit the stables and check in with the horses, because he feels more relaxed around them than around his brothers sometimes. Of said horses, his favorite is named Silverstream.

D: Decoration

Dazma Kiltaea, master sorceress. Probably not human.

1. how would they decorate a house if they had one under their name?

Dazma has the correct total lack of taste to appreciate white marble columns in home decorating, in some 40-room manor that was impressive enough before cultural grave-robbing kicked in.

2. how would they decorate their child’s room?

Not her problem. She doesn’t have one of those anymore.

3. how do they decorate their own room?

Gold. So much gold. She wants to be a dragon of yore. She would also like an arcane workshop within easy reach to help with the obtaining of more things her real self missed out on. Also, she’s rather fond of floor-to-ceiling mirrors.

Light hitting the room is like as not to blind visitors.

4. what type of clothes and accessories do they wear?

Picture a woman-shaped swathe of white, blue, and black fabric. Anything past that point is a mystery.

5. do they like makeup/nail/beauty trends?

Trends are for people who care what other people think. Her nails are sharp enough to cut, exactly as she likes them.

E: External Personality

Evander of Oltose, not exactly Mr. Personality.

1. does the way they do things portray their internal personality?

No.

2. do they do things that conform to the norm?

He certainly seems like a model soldier. Obeys orders, never asks questions…

3. do they follow trends or do their own thing?

He kinda tends to go along with the crowd, whatever that might entail.

4. are they up-to-date on the internet fads?

The internet doesn’t exist.

5. do they portray their personality intentionally or let people figure it out on their own?

The latter. Less effort that way.

Interestingly, every thing said by or about him is almost guaranteed to be a lie. Evander’s original personality and identity was entirely overwritten by a creature from the Dreamscape years ago, whose central personality tenet is “Deceit.”

F: Fun

Fiamma of Kingsroad, the Red Shirt of the Royal Kaltekas Army, Magical Operations.

1. what do they do for fun?

Fiamma prefers to organize large parties with friends if at all possible. If not, she used to be the one who kept track of betting pools, card counters, and weighted dice.

2. what is their ideal party?

50+ attendees with free-flowing alcohol, games, and at least one fantastic musical performance. She wants to have a concert.

3. who would they have the most fun with?

She prefers hanging out with people like Zahara, rather than the party poopers of the world like Lumina.

4. can they have fun while conforming to rules?

Yes!

5. do they go out a lot?

Under better circumstances, yes!

G: Gorgeous

The Gumiho, also known as one of the walking, talking Dreamscape dangers.

1. what is their most attractive external feature?

Silky black hair seems to appeal!

2. what is the most attractive part of their personality?

The Gumiho can make any part of its personality attractive, from sense of humor to ambition to the urge to devour human flesh. It’s in its nature as a predatory trickster to adapt to anything that might convince prey to relax. Then come the teeth.

3. what benefits come with being their friend?

Not getting eaten.

4. what parts of them do they like and dislike?

Nothing of note.

5. what parts of others do they envy?

Nothing of note.

H: Heat

Hokide, Dreamscape born-and-raised. Which causes problems.

1. do they rather a hot or cold room?

Cold. Hot rooms have a bad relationship with Hokide’s lack of thermoregulation. His species has a much easier time in the wintry parts of the world.

2. do they prefer summer or winter?

Winter. So much.

3. do they like the snow?

Sort of?

4. do they have a favorite summer activity?

Does “not dying” count?

5. do they have a favorite winter activity?

Exploring glaciers to make maps and sketch landscapes. It’s fascinating!

I: In-the-closet

Ismene Nikos, Oceanus’s mother and healer extraordinaire for the Royal Kaltekas Army.

1. what is their sexuality?

Heteroflexible, I think.

2. have they ever questioned their sexuality?

Not especially. Ismene didn’t really think her early life gave her many opportunities to experiment much with her sexuality, and life in the army came to a pretty spectacularly horrible end. After the fallout, she decided none of it was worth the trouble.

3. have they ever questioned their gender?

After speaking with Fithrain and accidentally getting introduced to the concept, yes. After some thinking, Ismene shrugged and came to the conclusion she was a cis woman.

4. would/was their family be okay with them being LGBT?

She doesn’t think they would have been.

5. how long would/did it take for them to come out?

Closest she ever got was explaining to her son that he didn’t have be ashamed of being attracted to some of the village boys instead of just girls. Oceanus, being about seven at the time, never made the connection between his mother’s acceptance in that moment and anything past that.

K: Kill

Keyah, the head of scouting in Gabilan!

1. have they ever thought about suicide?

Yes.

2. have they ever thought about homicide?

Definitely. It’s a part of her job description as a former Army scout, though not exactly a recognized aspect of being a courier.

3. if they could kill anyone without punishment, would they? Who?

Probably people who threaten Gabilan, because she’s done it before.

4. who would miss them if they died?

Her friends in Gabilan, her extended family, and her boss.

5. who would be happy they died, anyone?

No one?

L: Lemons

Lucretia Araceli, would-be knight!

1. what is their favorite fruit?

Cherries.

2. what is their least favorite fruit?

Peaches.

3. are there any foods they hate?

Jellied eels.

4. do they have any food intolerances?

She can’t stand beans, but isn’t intolerant or allergic.

5. what is their favorite food?

Oltosian wheat bread.

M: Maternal

Mitra bint Naviyd ibn Copernicus al-Fulan, one of the people least suited for this.

1. would they want a daughter or a son?

If forced to address the question of children, she’d say one of both. Or neither.

2. how many children do they want?

None, generally speaking.

3. would they be a good parent?

Yes.

4. what would they name a son? what would they name a daughter?

“Omair” and “Fatimah.”

5. would they adopt?

Probably not.

N: Never Have I Ever

Nimbus, schoolmaster of Gabilan.

1. what would they never do?

Get married.

2. what have they never done that they want to do?

Climb to the tallest peak in the Spine and plant a flag there.

3. is there anything they absolutely can’t believe people do?

Read anything written by “S. Burat.”

4. what is the most embarrassing thing they’ve done?

Fell asleep on his desk, directly onto a still-wet document. Woke up with writing all over his face.

5. have they done anything they thought they’d never do?

Yeah: Live to see forty.

O: Optimism

Oceanus of Seabridge, one of our main protagonists.

1. are they optimistic or pessimistic?

Oceanus is deeply pessimistic.

2. are they openly optimistic, throwing it on others?

Nope. And nope.

3. are they good at giving advice?

Absolutely horrible. Most of his advice is phrased in a way that comes off as sarcastic or just blunt even when he’s trying to help.

4. is there anyone in their life that throws optimism on them?

Khalil and Alena both do, but Khalil is the more insistent one by far. Alena is a quieter presence.

5. were they always optimistic?

Fuck. No. And never have been.

P: Personality

Pyrrhos Razen, low-level tyrant.

1. what is their best personality trait?

He would say his business sense and pragmatism are the most useful to him and everyone around him. He’s proud of every moment he gets one over on someone else, and celebrates.

2. what is their worst personality trait?

Complete and utter disregard for human rights. The guy’s a mid-level crime lord, and what scruples he has don’t apply to anyone but himself and Brigid Rime, his partner in crime.

3. what of their personality do others love?

Brigid is most fond of his confidence. Others like the fact that when bought, he stays bought like a good mercenary. Or at least he honors deals made with him personally.

4. what of their personality do others envy?

Confidence, generally.

5. do they hate anything about their personality/about other’s personalities?

Pyrrhos despises indecisiveness and doesn’t understand the point of altruism. Which on its own means he doesn’t understand altruism in general.

Q: Questions

Quillyn, proprietor of the Evening Primrose in the Oltose town of Lysand.

1. do they ask for help?

Not really.

2. do they ask questions in class?

What’s “class?”

3. do they answer questions that make them a little uncomfortable?

Sure, though it’s hard to really put a brothel madam off her game.

4. do they ask weird questions?

Mostly, she’s asked weird questions.

5. are they curious?

Not especially. It’s not a survival trait in her world.

R: Rules

Radovan of Stalmo, Alena’s long-missing biological father.

1. do they follow rules?

Pretty much. He’s a mercenary, so in many ways his life is a series of changing rulesets to go along with employers.

2. would they be a strict or laid-back parent?

As evidenced by his other actual children later on? He’s a laid-back dad insofar as he doesn’t do punishments.

3. have they ever been consequenced for breaking a rule?

No.

4. have they broken any rules they now regret breaking?

“Don’t sleep with the boss.”

5. do they find any rules they/others follow absolutely ridiculous?

He doesn’t understand why anyone would make rules against looting. Don’t they know that’s how bonuses happen?

S: Streets

Sinrajin of Skytear.

1. are they street-smart?

Not especially. One gets the impression he was raised by wolves—in fact, he was raised by spirits. As such, he sees the world entirely differently than the Kaltekans do.

2. would they give money to someone on the streets?

Yes, he would. Spirits don’t have much of a concept of money, really.

3. have they ever gotten in a fight on the streets?

Not once! It turns out that looking like a Trugiln bloodseeker is good street cred, because people assume he’d remove their faces with his teeth if angry enough.

4. has anything happened to them on the streets?

Nothing notable.

5. are they cautious when out?

Not a bit! Someone made the mistake of pointing out that Sinrajin was unlikely to be robbed by anyone unwilling to face the reality that he could probably break them in half, and he runs with that assumption.

T: Truth

Tirane of Queen’s Crossing, the token uninvolved human who is suddenly in the midst of shit.

1. are they honest?

Sort of. She does tend to qualify her statements by admitting she’s not really telling the whole truth, ever, but she does try to do people a good turn.

2. can they tell if someone is lying?

Absolutely. It’s a part of her magic skillset.

3. is it obvious when they’re lying?

She’s not especially good at it, so yes.

4. have they lied about anything they regret lying about?

Nope.

5. have they told truths that have been spread against their will?

Probably.

Y: You

1. how old were you when you created them?

It varies. A lot of these characters have been around since I was eleven or so, and some have been around for less than a month. Such is author life.

2. what inspired you to create them?

I really, really wanted to tell a story.

3. were they different when they were first created?

Oh boy, yeah. Some of them have had total personality flips. Others have been molded to suit their roles. Others stayed mostly the same, or at least their one-word summary did.

4. do you enjoy writing them more than other characters?

Some of them?

5. what’s your favorite thing about them?

They’re all great in different ways. Or despicable. But at least they’re running around in a created world and doing what characters do.

Z: Zebra

Zinnia Veritos

1. what’s their favorite animal?

Songbirds, especially small ones with bright colors.

2. do they like animals?

Yes.

3. cats or dogs?

Cats.

4. what’s their dream pet?

A housecat that won’t eat her bird friends.

5. do they have any pets at the moment?

Nope.

#terramir gang #Oceanus #Alena #Mitra #Lucretia #Zinnia #Fiamma #Tirane #Radovan #Pyrrhos #Brigid #Quillyn #Ismene #Naviyd #Sinrajin #Fithrain #Keyah #Nimbus #Cirrus #Hokide #Arno

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colleydogstar · 6 years

Text

Digimon: Crisis Gate

Hey remember that Digimon series concept I tossed out a few days ago? MY BRAIN WOULDN’T LET IT GO AND I WOUND UP WRITING UP AN ENTIRE THING ABOUT IT. Characters, first episode outline, full series outline, the widgets and how they work. Yeah... this is a thing now. Probably about 20-21 episodes worth of a thing.

READ ON

Kana - book smart type. Hyper observant ala Shawn from Psych. Big heart, lousy in confrontation. Excellent at baking, wants to run a pastry shop. Good with planning. Glasses that turn into Protag Goggles in Digiworld.

Reba - Came to Japan to stay with only surviving relatives after parents killed in US. Said loss causes a major drive to protect those she cares for. Good in a fight. Wants to work in some form of rescue service when older. Cowboy hat.

Big Bad is trying to break through the reality barriers separating Real/Digital Worlds. Believes the inventors and tech of Real World can aid in overtaking the Digital. Uses henchmen/henchmon to cause distortions and corrupt the data of the digital world, eventually causing long term gaps and access between the two. The gaps, eventually referred to in series as Crisis Gates, allow the evil forces to crossover and do what they need to do for their plans.

Kana and Reba fall through one gate, wind up in Digiworld. Henchmon tries to take them for possible experimentation. SORT OF rescued by 3 Digimon, only to see the 3 obliterated right in front of them as the fight drags on. Kana injured by the attack as well.

As the pixels of their allies fall around them, Reba steps up to try and protect Kana. Henchmon grabs her, begins using corruption power on her. Pixelation, distortion, not a good outlook.

Kana wishing beyond hope that there was someway she could help, while at same time Reba inner monologuing that she MUST PROTECT HER FRIEND. Both find themselves in an inner space, different for each.

-Kana hears voices of 2 of the 3 destroyed Digimon saying they'll help her. Reaches out and pulls back a Digivice and 2 series widgets.

-Reba hears the voice of the 3rd Digimon. Again a promise to help, and that it will give Reba what she needs to protect her friend. Reba reaches out and takes the Digimon’s hand.

EXPLOSION OF LIGHT

Henchmon knocked back by the light. Tamers-style sequence for Reba as she turns into the 3rd Digimon (or color variant of), while Kana gains her Protagonist Digidestined outfit.

After initial confusion, Kana helps Reba fight using the series power-up widgets with her Digivice, and they defeat the Henchmon, managing to destroy it, its data becoming a new widget for use.

The Adventure Begins

THINGS

Crisis Gate - Corrupted areas of reality, breaching the barrier of the Real and Digital worlds, overlaying properties of one onto the other. More noticeable in the Real world. Similar to the distorted areas present in the Digimon Cybersleuth series. Borders of the affected area are identifiable by ripples in the air, and color variances from how something should appear. Crossing the threshold of a gate instantly puts Reba and Kana into their Digital World designs.

Digivice - Rectangular-ish, with open area on top right and bottom right. Open areas can have series widgets plugged in to empower Reba with Power/Abilities/Traits of loaded Digimon. Top manipulates upper body, bottom for lower body. Flip out port at top for Digivolutions.

Aesthetically looks incomplete without the widgets plugged in.

Digimodule - series widgets, grant access to new abilities and attacks. New widgets found by defeating baddie Digimon, or granted by digimon allies upon deletion. Specialty modules grant digivolution to higher forms. Mega Module covers all 3 ports on Digivice. Perfect opportunity to promote previous Digimon in a way without making them stars of the series. Think something akin to how the modern Ultraman series work in references to previous Ultras in their powers.

Digimon form - Renamon or Renamon-like type. Nicknamed “Rebamon” by Kana, to Reba’s annoyance. Swift, agile, durable. Sports Reba’s hat, which comes off for ZOMG SERIOUS TIME. Reba can sometimes hear the voice of the Digimon that gave her the power, guiding her actions in certain situations.

-Digivolution has an odd effect on Reba, leaving her temporarily with aesthetic traits of her Digimon form in the Real world.

Champion - minor, easy to hide changes, short time before fading away. (pointed ears, fangs, change in hair color)

Ultimate - major, harder to cover changes, much longer time before reversion (visible fur, proper digimon form ears, tail, ect.)

Mega - Through the course of events, Reba is informed that by going Mega, she might not ever be able to return to normal. An ongoing arc for her would be “What would you sacrifice to protect those you care about?”

Notable Plot Digimon

Greymon - Leader of a Digimon resistance to the Big Bad. Battle scarred, missing an eye, and losing faith in saving the Digital World. Encouraged by the will of Reba and Kana, he goes all in one last time, sacrificing himself to save the resistance. He gifts his power to the girls, letting Reba obtain Champion form.

Paildramon - Flunky of The Big Bad. Loyal but overtimes begins questioning the cause. Face turns, but is ultimately destroyed, leaving his power behind so Reba can go Ultimate.

Magnadramon - holy digimon, guardian, but unable to interfere in the story. Her curiosity in Reba stems from Reba being able to do what she does. Deduces it might be possible only because of how Reba was being distorted/corrupted at the time of the change. The Digital World registers her as a Digimon, and the lingering appearance in the Real World might be it trying to “fix” her. Eventually the one who informs Reba and Kana that if Reba ever achieves a Mega form, she may never be able to return to being human, possibly not even return to her world.

Series Events and Key Story Beats

First few episodes introduce the setting, leads, them dealing with the fallout of the first encounter. Meet the Digital World resistance,and try to help them. Gain extra Digimodules early on, show off how they work.

Greymon, spirit revitalized by seeing Reba and Kana fighting alongside them, sacrifices himself in a fierce battle, giving Reba and Kana his power so that Reba can digivolve to Champion.

Next few episodes focus on the discovery of the side-effects to using the Champion digivolution.

Magnadramon first contacts Reba, stopping her from returning home. First hints at what might await Reba if she continues down this path.

Paildramon begins to doubt his own loyalty to the cause, questioning the motives of The Big Bad. Has his face turn cut down just before being fully realized, as he is destroyed by former allies. His power goes to Reba to allow for Ultimate digivolution.

Side-effects are lasting longer, and getting harder to hide. Realization it is only going to progress further from here, and there may be no going back.

Big bad manages to begin a massive invasion of the Real world.

Reba’s guardians finally discover what’s going on when Reba and Kana are forced to go through a Crisis Gate in front of them. All secrets revealed moment.

A second Digidestined is revealed, and they’re in control of The Big Bad, and the actual mastermind. (Unlike Reba, the Big Bad is not a human/digimon fusion and just a very powerful digimon)

Final confrontation for both worlds. After final assurances that things will be fine, and they have to fight to protect those they care about, Reba goes Mega. Kana steps up herself, getting into a physical fight with the evil Digidestined.

Our heroes triumphant! But LOAD BEARING BOSS, and everything is starting to crumble around them as the worlds once more begin to separate. In the last moments, Reba uses the last of her power to shove Kana to safety, and back into the Real world, her own body showing signs of pixelization/breaking down before vanishing with the rest of the Digital inhabitants.

TIME SKIP. Entire last episode is an epilogue showing notable characters and what they are now doing 2+ years later, with Kana as the bridge between scenes. Little to no mention of Reba for most of the episode, mostly cases of “we miss her.” Last scenes have Kana pulling out her Digivice and activating it. Cut to Digital world. Reba, still a Digimon, resting on a grassy hill, hat covering her eyes. Holoscreen blips into existence next to her, Kana happily greeting her. Happy chat about what each of their plans are, and about Kana coming to the Digital world soon to see her. Reba spies SHENANIGANS going on in the distance, and the last shot is of her running off to save the day.

(Dear Self: You’re really just doing the Kuuga Epilogue setup, don’t kid yourself)

#digimon #crisis gate #dcg #fanthing #renamon #reba #kana #writing #ideas #concepts #I might do something with this later

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seyaryminamoto · 6 years

Note

Seeing as you've already given your opinion on who are the most overrated characters of atla, who do you think are the most underrated?

Heh, well…

I wasn’t sure whether to feature Sokka as #1 or #2 but alas, I love him so he gets #1. He’s terribly underrated and it angers me. There was a time when my blog wasn’t an exclusively Sokkla blog with a few things on the side, I used to reblog general Avatar things (yes, that was A LONG time ago xD), and yet every single time I saw “Team Avatar” posts without Sokka I would literally scroll past them as if they didn’t exist. Because ffs, I don’t care if he’s not a bender, if the other four are the perfect symbolization of the four elements in harmony, HE’S PART OF TEAM AVATAR TOO!… so yes. Sokka. The guy who gets simplified, as I recently said, as “he was sexist and now he’s not” by posts of 100K notes, or even shrugged off by some people as “the funny one”, even gets hated by some people with terrible taste who think he’s useless just because he can’t bend. Yep, those who hate him because of this aren’t even worth talking to, in my experience. Clear as day they can’t see the true worth of anything even if it’s right in front of their eyes.Alas, Sokka, the boy who grew up into a man by putting other people’s needs ahead of his own, who stood his moral code even in the worst circumstances (such as shown in Jet), who opened his mind to new experiences and became a remarkable warrior because of this. He’s humble, but his heart is stronger than that of any other character in the franchise. He has seen so much tragedy and such darkness weighs inside him, but he doesn’t allow those tragedies to shape him. His strength is seriously admirable.… And I’d dare say half the fandom, if not more, just think he’s the funny guy. He’s the definition of an underrated character.

Ironically, I think Aang is very underrated. Yes, he’s not my favorite character either, but the strength this boy showed in the face of his many tragedies, and the evolution from fleeing from his problems to being able to face his responsibilities was pretty great. Also, Aang, unlike some other characters, usually faced consequences when he did something wrong.Perhaps the only exception I can think for that is his emo phase during Book 2, which is justified plenty, but the show doesn’t try to make you think he’s being nice. It’s shown that he’s very affected by the loss of his bison, but his treatment of his friends isn’t sweetened. The others show a lot of strength and understanding, knowing Aang can’t be his usual self when this is weighing on him. It was a bad time for everyone, yet I feel it was handled well enough as something that was hurting Aang really badly, one last straw for him after he had undergone so much pain already.Other than that specific part of the show, Aang often was forced to grow and change whenever he made mistakes, and had to face many uncomfortable truths about his past lives and the world he lived in. He showed a lot of integrity and human qualities and never degenerated into a tropey shonen anime protagonist, for instance. So while I’m not a huge Aang fan, I figured the rest of the fandom would appreciate him more. No doubt he has his fans, but a ton of the hate he gets is undeserved and often hypocritical, not to mention it’s mostly done to simplify his character when he was pretty great, as a character and hero, as he was.

Ahahahahaaa… Ozai! Yes, I don’t blame most people for underestimating and despising Ozai: let’s be fair, this man was supposed to be the final boss and he was built from the start to be the kind of villain people hated. He wasn’t meant to be relatable or nice or emotional or anything of the sort, even if a handful of people did grow to like him. But the show clearly wanted him to be a bad guy, THE bad guy, and he played his part well enough.But the thing that bugs me with Ozai is: for one thing, so many people underestimate his bending skills. No lie, we only saw him fighting in Sozin’s Comet, but even so, the kind of mad skills he showed there were off the charts. The legion of people claiming Iroh is stronger than Ozai and that he would’ve handed his ass to him is honestly laughable, considering that IROH HIMSELF SAYS HE DOESN’T KNOW THAT HE CAN GO UP AGAINST HIS BROTHER. Ozai is the strongest firebender in ATLA, PERIOD. He did things no other firebenders were shown doing. He was supposed to be that powerful BECAUSE he’s the final boss. Yes, the fight between him and Aang falls short compared to the Last Agni Kai because the emotional investment and conflict isn’t as strong here as it was over there, but for people to actually claim Ozai was weak at all? That he wasn’t that big a deal? Excuse you, but that’s just spite talking. I love Azula with all my heart, and even I can see she still wasn’t on the same power level scale as her father during the finale. And that’s fact. (I think she has the potential to surpass him, yes, but she hadn��t done it by the time of the finale).And then there’s the other reason why Ozai is underrated: yes, he wasn’t developed, he wasn’t explored, he fell flat many times. But honest to gods, it’s not that hard to draw the parallels between him and Zuko when you consider: 1. Ozai was designed to look like an older version of Zuko 2. Ozai is stated to have traveled looking for the Avatar, just like Zuko 3. Ozai gets passed over by his father and punished beyond proportion for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Seriously, can we not see these parallels, right there? And that’s without getting into the similarity of Zuko and Ozai’s personalities, because both of them seemed to feel entitled to the throne that, originally, wasn’t supposed to be theirs (as a reminder, if we go by what the Wikia says, Zuko is 11 when Lu Ten dies, which means he spent 11 years of his life without being a Crown Prince or expecting to take the throne because, by all logic, it should have been Lu Ten’s... yet he slides into the “that throne will be mine” mentality within a few years). Both of them are brash, hot-headed and impulsive. Both of them have bad tempers, both of them spent years trying to please fathers who could never be pleased at all.Point being? OZAI IS A MIRROR FOR ZUKO. OZAI IS “BAD ENDING ZUKO”. OZAI IS WHAT ZUKO COULD HAVE BEEN IF AANG NEVER SHOWED UP, IF IROH WASN’T AROUND TO GUIDE HIM. And that, my friends, adds a fuckton of complexity to Ozai that the majority of the fandom is happy to overlook. Hate him all you want, he’s supposed to be hated. But this guy is waaaaay more than what meets the eye if you only stop for ten minutes to ponder his character, his possible motivations and his relationships. It’s especially clear that he’s very much complex when you factor in the resemblance with Zuko.

And this time I guess I’ll cut it short at 3 because I can’t think of anyone else who’s underrated or even criticized relentlessly without much basis. While there’s some people who undermine characters like Suki, she also has a fairly big and solid group of fans who are very much devoted to bringing up her character and who will always begrudge Bryke for not revealing anything about her future, so she’s not THAT underrated...?

Welp, I feel the fandom is a little more balanced with the rest of the characters, there’s enough love and hate to go for everyone. So I guess I’ll keep it as a top 3 this time, if you don’t mind, Anon.

#seyary finally answers #anon #I have spent most the day trying to figure this out so yes this is the best I can do

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