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shikai-the-storyteller · 4 years

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I changed my mind, and decided I want to share some thoughts and initial impressions while I still have this show fresh on my mind, so here we go:

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Transformers War for Cybertron - Siege

The Good:

The transformation sequences, particularly the first ones we see, are so reminiscent of the stop-motion videos people do of their Transformer toys transforming, and I think that’s rather charming! I wonder if that was intentional or a coincidental side-effect of the animation style they went for.

Character traits aren’t set in stone. Although we, as a fandom, prefer certain portrayals (Starscream being a terrible gremlin, Skyfire/Jetfire being sweet, Bumblebee being a charming young lad, etc.) sometimes it’s nice to see something new! Both Cyberverse and WFC: Siege took a different direction with Jetfire’s character. Although it’s disappointing that we don’t get to see the Jetfire / Starscream friendship most of us expected, I think Jetfire’s growth throughout the season was interesting.

I also like that the colonies (Velocitron and Caminus, anyways) were confirmed to exist in this continuity. It was nice to see Chromia, Moonracer, Elita, and Arcee together in the same show too. That being said, Moonracer’s model looked exactly like Chromia’s so I was a little confused at first. The narrative also didn’t really endear her to me, so despite loving her in the comics, my thoughts were “Oh. That sucks but whatever I guess” when she died, which leads me to my next point:

The Bad:

The writing.

This is particularly evident in the first three episodes; in fact, I almost stopped watching after Episode One. Siege lacks the soul and personality I’ve come to expect from the Transformers series as a whole.

The script, particularly in the first few episodes, felt like it was written by people who aren’t familiar with these characters, so they’re writing Optimus, Elita, and everyone else how they EXPECT them to sound, not writing them as they actually are.

I don’t like to judge fellow writers too harshly because I know that often times, they don’t get a final say in a lot of things, but there were unfortunately a lot of things that could’ve been done better.

As a Transformers fan, I’m already inclined to like the characters, but the show didn’t do much to make me really care about them or their problems* (with one exception, which I’ll circle back to). As much as I’d like to blame the 6 episode time-crunch, there was a lot of wasted dialogue time that could’ve been used to charm the audience.

TLDR: There’s a lot of talking in the show but the dialogue doesn’t actually say a lot. It doesn’t reveal much about the characters, or tell me who they are, or why I should care about them.

* The one area where Siege actually did put in the footwork to make me care was in regards to Impactor and Ratchet (one of the few characters whose personality we really get a sense for despite not having too much screen-time). Immediately, we’re shown how Ratchet earned Impactor’s trust, and we see why Impactor is loyal to him. They built up that relationship, so when Impactor dies protecting Ratchet, we get to feel that payoff and actually feel bad about his death! (Unlike some of the other deaths in the show, which I just shrugged at.). Because of that scene, I’m hopeful that Siege will start focusing on building relationships between their characters more. The series got better as time went on, so I’m inclined to keep giving it the benefit of the doubt despite my initial misgivings.

I try not to compare different series too much because there are a lot of outside forces that determine what a show winds up being, but re: writing with a time crunch, I think it’s important to talk about a show that did use their time well: Transformers Cyberverse.

Cyberverse got me invested in its characters within the first episode. They only had 10 minutes to tell a story, yet they made good use of their time and wove a tight narrative while also giving their characters the opportunity to charm the audience.

Although we can argue Cyberverse had more time to do this since they had more seasons, even one-off characters, such as Media Fire or Wild Wheel, had more of a personality by the end of the episode than some Siege characters did by the end of the season.

The stakes aren’t really clear. Why should we care about one side losing or winning? We’re given some reasons why it would be “bad” if the Autobots lose since Shockwave convinced Megatron to use something that will change their base programming (or whatever, even that was a little bit vague) but ultimately we don’t have clear motivation for Megatron OR Optimus, the two faction leaders! Although they imply that Megatron / the Decepticon’s roots were based in a civil rights revolution (a-la IDW1) even that is inconsistent. As a friend put it, “Megatron and Optimus are both huge idiots, why root for either of them?”

This is a minor thing, but as a writer it really bugged me so I’m making a note of it anyways: it was really annoying when characters kept pausing while talking. (Ex: “I………*long pause* [the rest of their sentence]”). Characters also kept saying things, only to let their sentences trail off. The cadence of their voices felt unnaturally slow and scripted, so it was a little difficult not to zone out while they were speaking. Perhaps this wasn’t a problem for other people, but it really took me out of the moment. That being said, this wasn’t as much of an issue in later episodes, which I greatly appreciated.

Another minor detail: this show felt like a barren wasteland of comedy. There were one or two moments I chuckled at (and one I really laughed at---Shockwave and Soundwave’s reaction to Megatron telling Starscream “You’ve proven your worth to the Decepticon cause”) but for the most part, I would’ve appreciated a little bit more humor. I mean, I know this series is aimed at an older audience, but it’s a show about robots that can transform into cars. The entire premise is goofy if you think too hard about it, so a joke here or there isn’t going to ruin your vibe.

The Ugly

Decepticons and Autobots are two different races.

Even within the first few episodes, we know the foundation of the war started because of issues of oppression and slavery. This isn’t subtle---Megatron clearly spells this out for us on several occasions. This topic isn’t new, we’ve seen most other Transformers continuities parrot the same thing. So why is it different here? It’s a bit of a complex issue, but as a gal of color, it really rubbed me the wrong way, and I feel like it’s important to talk about.

The show implies many times that Autobots and Decepticons are inherently different. It’s not a matter of your allegiance or your beliefs---it’s what you’re born as. (Functionism, anyone?)

Functionism itself was a very interesting Transformers-specific way to discuss prejudice and oppression, but to suddenly make it race-based feels a little...Hmm. More than a little uncomfortable.

It felt a little bit like they were saying: "Yes, we're tackling the topic of oppression! Yes, we're saying these two groups are inherently different, and therefore that excuses prejudice and supremacy arguments both the good guys AND the bad guys are making!"

Big Yikes

The subject of genocide and eugenics-adjacent arguments came up several times, and while we saw aspects of that in IDW’s run, making it race-based puts it in a different light. An ugly light.

One final thing on that note: the entire thing with Prowl. "Prisoners outnumbered law enforcement so the council created core override implants as a deterrent. [...] It means we can remotely trigger brain detonation."

I’m sorry, what?

The entire concept of “Core override” was INCREDIBLE fricked up. Yes, they had the decency to make Prowl sound ashamed of it, and the rest of the Autobots sounded appalled, but the fact that they proceed to install it on Jetfire despite their initial repulsion was frankly disturbing, especially because Optimus (Optimus PRIME) agreed to it. It felt incredibly out of character for him, and it went against the Autobot code as a whole. Everything about that, and the race-division, made me really uncomfortable, and I’m not sure how well Siege is going to handle this moving forward.

As a whole, I feel like War for Cybertron: Siege has a lot of work to do. Although the last few episodes were definitely an improvement, there’s still significant room to grow and they need to work harder to create a compelling narrative with lovable characters.

In the meantime, what were your thoughts on the series? I’d love to know how other people reacted, particularly regarding the last bit.

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sergeant-donny-donowitz · 4 years

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The Sky in Your Eyes (Inglourious BasterdsxReader)

Requested by @svonschroeder

@owba-chan @inglourious-imagines @war-obsessed

Let me know if you wanna be tagged in these! :)

"Y/n! Y/N LOOK OUT!"

The only times you ever heard Hugo Stiglitz was grumbling under his breath, or muttering a forced 'thank you' if you treated him for a wound, or handed him some food.

You never heard him shout like that before.

It shocked you for a moment.

Then you realized what he was yelling about.

A nazi seemed to rise from the dead, covered in his own blood, a bullet through his eye, as he hit you on the back of the head with a rock.

You were stunned, a dull pain shocked you as the world around you began to gray, and blood trickled down your neck. You stumbled.

You heard gunfire around you seem to be echoing from miles away. The basterds' and nazis' voices seemed to be a battle field away. You fell.

"Y/N!? Y/N?!" You looked up, and saw nothing.

Nothing.

"Y/N SAY SOMETHING!"

You couldn't see, but you knew that voice. You heard that sense of urgency and anxiety every time something went wrong on a mission.

"Smitty?!" You blinked, desparately hoping you'd see him again... He was your best friend, after all...

You felt someone hold on to you. His hands were shaking. They were covered in something dark and vengeful.

Blood...

His or yours or a nazi's, you didn't know.

But he held onto you.

"Smitty, I-I'm fucking blind..."

"No, no, no, don't say that, it's ok, you just...you got blood in your eyes, that-" You felt his hand against your face. He was wiping blood that had trickled into your eyes, but it didn't change a thing.

"Smitty, no...I..I can't see..."

You realized the gunfire was beginning to stop. You could hear a final distant thud from a bloody baseball bat.

Your heart raced, you started panicking, "SMITTY. I CAN'T- I CAN'T FUCKING-"

"Sh, sh, it's...It's gonna be ok, relax, sh...." You felt his arms wrap around you...

You let tears slip onto his shoulder.

No one, not a single nazi, or basterd had ever seen you cry, and it was disconcerting to the basterds in the distance.

Frightening, even.

To the point where they all knew something had indeed gone horribly wrong, it wasn't just Utivich being dramatic.

You heard muffled crunching leaves behind you under a boot. Someone rested a hand on your back awkwardly, for a few seconds, giving tentative taps. You heard a low voice, "Ja....It's ok..."

Hugo pulled his hand away as if you were a piping hot stove, unsure how to react at all.

He’d already done what he was trained to do: Killed the nazi that almost killed you....but even to Hugo Stiglitz, that wasn’t enough.

You heard someone running close. "ALDO WANTS TO...Wh..What's going on?!" Hirschberg came to a halt a few meters away, confused at the sight.

For the past two years, the basterds had an ongoing secret bet about whether you'd end up with Donny, or Aldo. They'd had brawls over you...not that you knew of, because if you did, you would literally kill them.

And there you were, in Smithson Utivich's arms...What confused Hirschberg even more was the fact that Hugo was touching you...no, comforting you (in his own way, of course...)

Then he realized it.

You were hurt...

The next few hours were a daze, lost to the winds.

You woke up in a bed, assuming the basterds had brought you back to the inn you were currently all hiding out in.

The instant you stirred, you felt a hand on your shoulder.

Wicki's voice was soft, almost lamentful, "Stay. You need to rest..."

"W-Wicki...is it ever gonna come back?"

Wicki, Donny, and Aldo turned to each other. They had hoped you'd gotten your eyesight back when you woke up.

"...Just rest for now, mausebar." Wicki, along with Hirschberg, Smitty, and Andy were in the camp betting you would end up with Donny. Wicki tended to call you mausebar, something Hugo (who was betting on Aldo) once begrudgingly explained to you: A german term of endearment. It meant mouse-bear. Clearly, Wicki alluded to the differences between you and the Bear Jew...a bit 'in the face' but Aldo and Donny never caught on.

Just as well.

The bet was a bit heated, at times causing factions amongst the basterds, not that you noticed.

God.

If you'd noticed, they'd all be done for, and they knew it.

They all cared about you...

Even Hugo.

While you were still asleep, Wicki was bandaging the gash on the back of your head, and Donny and Aldo managed to call a truce.

For your sake.

You felt a hand slip into yours, and give a tight, reassuring squeeze. The hand was rough from calluses, years of blistering winters and endless fighting. Wicki reassured you, "I'll be outside if you need anything. Donny and Aldo are here, ok?"

You nodded, and felt Wicki's hand slip away from yours, "Don't kill them, mausebar."

You smiled a little, which calmed everyone in the room down a little, including yourself.

You heard Aldo ask, "How do you feel, little lady?"

"How long's it been?" They could have said twenty years, and you would have believed it.

"You feel ok? We can get you a d-"

"How long's it been?" Your tone came off more forceful than you intended, but you couldn't help it. You felt trapped...

"Just a day, darlin'. Don't worry, everything's gon' be alright, darlin'."

Donny let it slide the first time Aldo called you 'darlin' But twice?

What happend to the truce?

Donny sat by you.

Aldo shot him a glare.

You tried to stay calm. You may have been blind, but you weren't oblivious. You could tell there was some tension around you.

You tried to change the subject, "What's the day like?"

Aldo sat on your left, opposite of Donny, and held your hand...

Normally, Donny would have been infuriated...But he didn't want to hurt you.

He wanted to make you feel better, even if Aldo was part of it.

"Sky's about as perty as it's ever been. Spring's rollin' in. Got plenty of clouds here and there, bright blue sky, just like the 'un in the Smoky Mountains."

Donny rolled his eyes, there he went again with the goddamn Smoky Mountains.

Donny smirked, "Kinda cold...bit like Boston this time of year. Not freezing, just enough to wanna stay in."

Aldo glanced away to hide his scowl...

When he turned back, he found your head was resting in Donny's lap as he ran his hands through your hair.

That would have infuriated Aldo, but he knew it calmed you down, and if there was anything you needed, it was to stay calm.

Both the sergeant and lieutenant were relieved to see a soft smile on your face as you heard about the day.

You got a melancholic feeling when they talked about the rest of the boys' nazi hunting.

They looked at each other... stories and summaries weren't enough. You were upset, and lonely, and they knew it.

You broke the silence with a question they didn't have an answer to themselves, "What's gonna happen?"

They both stalled for a second, then Donny asserted, "You're gonna get better, that's what, kid."

You grimaced...that was far from what you thought was going to happen.

Aldo nodded, though you couldnt' see, you felt his grip get a little tighter around your hand, "You're a basterd. You have to."

"I'm blind."

Aldo smirked.

You could hear the smirk in his voice, "You're the goddamn reason this team hasn't fallen apart."

You spoofed...he wasn't wrong....And that was what worried you. "Yeah...and what happens when the OSS discharges me?"

They were quiet again.

They hadn't quite thought of that yet.

Donny then said the first thing that came to his mind, "You get to go home, you'd be safe."

You shook your head. You knew he meant well, but that felt like a nail in your heart. "I don't get to go home, I get to be a fuckin' burden on my mother."

Donny rested his hand on your cheek, "Hey, you ain't a burden to anyone."

Aldo said, "Besides, what's all this talk about goin' home? This may not even be permanent. Doc we got for you said so."

You didn't say a word.

You didn't have to.

They could read you like a book.

Donny tried to make you feel better, "Hey, come on kid. You're a basterd, for cryin' out loud. Krauts gave you a cool nickname, ya know? And-"

"That doesn't mean anything."

Aldo countered, "Means everything, Private L/N. You're one hell of a fighter."

You knew he meant you'd fight through it, but you couldn't help but feel like you'd hit rock bottom. "Not much of a fighter if I can't fucking see what I'm fighting."

"Hey." You heard a slight shift in his tone. The one he gave when he reminded the basterds who the fuck he was. "You still owe me twenty-seven scalps. You're not goin' anywhere. You joined my command, you took on a debit, one you owe me personally, ya remember that?"

You rolled your eyes, "Yeah, I remember. But, you gotta remember I'm now useless to the team."

Donny froze.

He couldn't stand that.

He stopped playing with your hair for a moment. "You're not fucken useless. Beethoven was fucken deaf, and people still listen to that guy's music." He shifted a little, "I'm more into Glenn Miller and all that, but...Anyway, you ever hear of Dr. John Nash? Guy's got schizophrenia, and he's a fucken genius. And for fuck's sake, y/n, the presiden't in a fucking wheelchair."

Aldo raised his eyebrow, "Donny, how do you...."

Donny shrugged off the questioning look. "My sister was born deaf, you know...She's the smartest kid I ever knew. You know what she does, y/n? Works in a navy base, breaking codes. Doc's got you checked out, and we don't know if it's permanent or not, but if it is, it doesn't mean a fucken thing. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you, you're still you, and I-" Donny caught himself...he was a man of his word (most of the time) and remembered the truce. "We...all love you, you're a fucken basterd, y/n, and nothing's ever gonna change that."

Aldo nodded, a bit stunned. Donny wasn't always the most articulate basterd...abd normally Aldo would have chewed him out for the truce, but some things were more important.

You were..

To all of them. Every day, one basterd stayed with you until everyone else came back. Then, Donny and Aldo would set aside their rivalry, sit down. And talk to you. They'd tell you about the mission, the scalps, and what the sky was like.

One day, they didn't.

Their rivalry almost cost them their lives.

And you knew it.

You got the rest of the basterds to talk.

Smitty tried to defend himself with a plate, hoping it would hold some worth between him and your wrath.

The rest of the basterds stood behind him.

He was your best friend...you'd have to get through him before you got to them..

Smitty was laughing nervously, still clinging onto the plate, "But you can see now...isn’t that-isn't that amazing?!"

You scowled, "The only reason I'm not killing any of you right now is because we almost lost Aldo and Donny."

You stormed past them.

You felt stupid for not realizing they had all been keeping it from you.

And even more because you couldn't figure it out on your own before.

You opened the door to the room where Aldo and Donny were resting.

Aldo mumbled, "Y/n? Y/n. You're here?"

You crossed your arms, "Yeah, and?"

Donny knew something was up, "Uh...you...you look like...yourself today..." he could tell you were angry.

Didn't quite connect the dots yet.

Neither of them had.

You walked toward them, "Beautiful day out, boys." You looked at him, "It's a shame you almost never saw another one..."

Aldo and Donny smiled as they looked at each other, then you, "You can see again?"

"Mostly..." It wasn't as good as it was before, but you could manage, and you would be staying with the basterds. After all a basterd's work was never done.

You scowled as you crossed your arms and looked at your sergeant and lieutenant.

It appeared as if your work with those two was never ending.

Especially when Donny and Aldo tried to derail the conversation. Donny said "I...I bet you can't wait to get back out there with us, huh kid?"

You pulled a chair up between their beds.

"Yeah? And speaking of bets, what's this I hear about a bet between you boys?"

Donny and Aldo glanced at each other. For a moment they both were relieved that you were alright.

Then Donny smirked.

Aldo narrowed his eyes.

The truce was off.

It was every man for himself...normally they would have jumped at the nearest opportunity to try to win you over...

But...to Aldo the Apache, and the Bear Jew, you were currently the scariest person in the room. Seeing you smile again was all they wanted... Well... That, and to win the bet, each hoping to be the one to make you smile every day of your life.

As for yourself, you were annoyed. You crossed your arms and started walking out. You had a bone to pick with your entire team...and they knew it. "Y/n, wait." You sighed, "Sir?" Aldo was a bit taken back hearing you call him sir again. "What's the sky like?" You sighed again, and looked back at them. They both looked at you with wide eyes, waiting for answers, hoping to spend each day by your side. You knew things would settle between them at some point. For fuck's sake, it had to, or someone was really going to die some day... Everything would fall into place eventually...and you knew your place was there, with them. You did your best to tell them about the day, and get them to see the world through your eyes, and settle them down. But when they looked through your eyes, they remembered what they were fighting for. They remembered they were brothers in arms. And they remembered you came before their egos. Donny broke the silence, just as he drifted to sleep, his hand over his stomach, resting over the bandages covering his bullet wound, "You're....you're not mad, are you kid?" Aldo looked to you tentatively, waiting for an answer, waiting for some relief.

You sighed, and smiled softly, "No...No, everything's gonna be ok." That was all they could really hope for, until they found a way to end the war, until they could learn to see the world through your eyes, and learn to set aside their rivalry. That hope was all they had when they looked into your smiling eyes.

#Inglourious Basterds #inglourious basterds imagine #Quentin Tarantino #Donny Donowitz #the bear jew #aldo raine #aldo the apache #Wilhelm Wicki #hugo stiglitz #gerold hirschberg #smithson utivich

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padawanlost · 5 years

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Hey, I wanted to say you are one of my favorite Tumblrs and you are awesome! Do you think Anakin, if he had left the Order with Ahsoka, and Ahsoka would create their own school of teaching the ways of the Force with Luke and Leia as their first students?

Hey!! Thankyou so much!!

No, I don’t.I think they would try to guide any force-sensitive they cross paths with – Lukeand Leia included – but I don’t see them ever going as far as branching out.Here are some reasons why I don’t think they would create a new Order:

Indoctrination

They wereboth taught that the Order’s way was the only way. The better way. And thatanything that goes against the Council’s will is a risk not worth taking. Theywere not raised to question authority and that makes it nearly impossible forthem to realize the Order was faulty and, more importantly, that they wereallowed to do try something different. Remember, they were taught to believethat those who strayed from the known Jedi path were walking a dark anddangerous path. By the time Ahsoka left the Order they were only beginning torealize there was something wrong with how the Council operated. They knew theOrder wasn’t for them but they were invested in branching out. They werenowhere near the point where they were ready (or interested) in creating a new,separate Order.

Interest

They had nointerest in starting a new Order. Both Ahsoka and Anakin were burned by theJedi Order. They left because they weren’t getting what they wanted/needed fromthe Jedi. they were also more interested in helping people than being a jedi(following the code). Both Anakin and Ahsoka were prone to disobeying orders todo what *they* believed was right. in the end, their driving force were muchmore personal than the detached Jedi compassion. Add that to their indoctrinationand you’ll have two individuals who would have no reason to start a new JediOrder right after leaving one. In their minds, there was only one way to bepart of the Jedi Order, and they left because they couldn’t live like that.they left for personal reasons, not exactly ideological ones. It wasn’t thatthey believed the Order was wrong, but that they didn’t agree with that theOrder said was right.

Wisdom

Lukecreated a new Jedi Order because he had no choice. He was the last one standingand had little information to work with. That’s why he created a new, differentOrder from the previous one. That was not result of schism. Luke didn’t studied the old Order, realizedits failings and decided to something different. His was order was new becausehe had no idea how to continue with the old one.

Ahsoka andAnakin would not be in that same position. For them to create a new order, theywould have to ponder on what was wrong with the Order, why it was wrong, and afterrealizing internal change wouldn’t happen, leave and start something different.This is what happened with Altis and Dooku. They spend YEARS thinking about theOrder and its many mistakes, years trying to change things and after theyrealized their efforts were falling into deaf ears they left to seek somethingdifferent. Dooku joined the Sith and Altis created a new faction within theOrder.

That’ssomething Ahsoka and Anakin never had. They didn’t have the years andexperience to realize exactly what the problem was, develop a new ideology andbe proactive about it. They knew something was wrong, but they didn’t spendyears studying the Order and its ideals to the point they could start somethingon their own. Anakin and Ahsoka had personal problems with the Order, they didn’tagree with everything the Council said or did but there’s a difference betweendisagreeing with the Council’s authority and setting a schism in motion. BeforeROTS, they both still believed in the Order even after everything thathappened.

Personalities

Though bothAhsoka and Anakin were great leaders, creating a school wasn’t really theirstyle. Especially after what they experienced with the Council and the clonewars. They were the sort of people who believed they could do the most good onthe frontlines, not from a desk. As Jedi, they constantly clashed with theirsuperiors because they weren’t doing enough. That’s why I don’t see themputting all that aside – their hopes to save the galaxy – to build a schoolfrom scratch. There’s a moment in the comics that perfectly encapsulates this: afterleaving Zygerria, Ahsoka and Anakain promise to fight slavery together once thewar is over. They know the Republic (and the Order) is failing to tackle theslavery problem but instead of thinking about creating a different organizationto tackle the issue, they both prefer to take matters into their own hands.

Priorities

The momentAnakin leaves the Order, he’s free to have the one thing he always wanted: afamily. He no longer has to hide his feelings or marriage. He’s free. He’s ahusband and father of two newborn babies. I don’t see him putting all thataside to go play Jedi again. Anakin is loyal, he would try to help everyone hecould but in the end his family would be his main focus. And Ahsoka would bestill be trying to figure out who she is to even considering building a newOrder.

They wouldhelp Luke and Leia to use and control their powers but, considering how muchcrap the Jedi put them through, I don’t think they would want those kids tobecome Jedi. Anakin associates being a Jedi with missing his mother, beingforced to let her died, forgetting about his promise to free slaves, having tohide his feelings and his marriage. He wouldn’t want that for his children(or any other family).

The legalproblem

There’salso the legal aspect of it. During the prequels, the Jedi order wasn’t areligious group, they were a branch of the government. Two former Jedi whobarely entered adulthood creating a new Jedi Order probably wouldn’t go wellwith the government (or the Jedi Council). The Jedi could recrutit because theyhad legal permission by the Senate. For Ahsoka and Anakin’s new order to evenbe allowed to operate they would need the Republic’s approval and to get thatthey would probably end up in the same situation as Yoda’s order: tied to thesenate will. The Order’s relationship with the Seante is exactly what causedboth Ahsoka and Anakin to lose faith the Council. That’s why I don’t see themputting themselves into that position ever again.

Here is thething: they were both taught that having attachments was incompatible with beinga Jeid and the best way to avoid that was to separate children from theirfamilies. I don’t see Anakin ever supporting something like, not when he hastwo kids of his own and a wife to cherish. And he didn’t have the wisdom or interestedin tyring something new like Altis did. Altis had a lot of time to think abouthow his faction would operate, Anakin and Ahsoka would be too busy figuring outwho they are away from their Jedi identiy and their new attachments to consider creating a new jedi order. Plus, they were both pretty loyal andwould probably see creating a new school as a shady thing to do.

In conclusion,Anakin and Ahsoka wouldn’t create a new Order because they had no interest indoing so. As far as they knew, the only way to be a real jedi was to be a Jedithe Yoda’s way. They were too young and inexperience to realize exactly wherethe Order went wrong and build something new from that. They had differentideas for what it means to save the galaxy, preferring to take a more activerole. And they would have different important priorities, that didn’t involve creating more problems for themselves by going against the Jedi Order and the Republic.

#ask #skyguygeneraltano #jedi order #sw meta #anakin skywalker #ahsoka tano #AU #meta: anakin #meta: ahsoka #anakin & ahsoka #gffa politics #jedi politics

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fullmetalirin · 6 years

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Fullmetal Alchemist OG vs. Brotherhood: Hughes’ Investigation (OG 25, BH 10)

1:1 comparison this time, so Brotherhood comes across a little more favorably.

Fullmetal Alchemist Episode 25: "Words of Farewell"

Deciding to follow Scar to get clues about the philosopher's stone, the brothers take Winry with them when she notices that Rush Valley, a town best known for its automail shops, is en route. As they leave, Hughes investigates the fifth laboratory, discovering a connection between it and the war in Ishbal. He confronts the key suspect in it, Juliet Douglas, but is then attacked by Lust. He escapes the two women and tries to telephone Mustang with his information via telephone booth, only to be attacked by Envy, disguised as Ross before he assumes Gracia's form to deliver the death blow. Hughes is posthumously promoted to the rank of a brigadier general. In a flashback, Mustang and Hughes conspire together to ensure the tragedy in Ishbal never happens again.

We open with a flashback to just after Ishbal. Mustang is a mess. He's planning to resurrect the people he killed. Hughes apparently wasn't there, and scolds Mustang for going to the front lines if he couldn't handle the consequences.

Mustang's gun takes focus in the shot when Hughes says there are easier ways to kill yourself.

Mustang says the only reason he didn't try it was out of fear for his own life.

Bradley notices Hughes is sticking his nose where he shouldn't and pays him a visit to say he already investigated it and it's all handled. His coverup is that Grand was working with Ishbalan radicals, which seems like a pretty dubious story. Given Ed's reaction to Ishbal, possibly the truth of the massacre was kept from the public, so it's not unbelievable Ishbalans would work with Grand.

Hughes has found a list of higher-ups other than Grand who are also connected. The shot focuses on Sloth in the background, calmly writing something.

Bradley encourages Hughes to pursue the matter, I guess to lull him into a false sense of security.

Bradley says Sloth is the only one who knows Marcoh's safe location. We already know from episode 22 that she's working with the homunculi, so this may actually be intended as misdirection – see, Bradley didn't know, maybe he's still a good guy… Which of course is brilliant, because that's just how plausible deniability works in real life.

Hughes notices Sloth's nametag doesn't match the name Bradley called her by.

Brosh is listening in on the strategy meeting, but Ross says she doesn't want to get involved in any more crazy stuff.

Ed says he's given up on the Philosopher's Stone and wants to find another way to restore their bodies, so they're going to ask Izumi for help. Armstrong realizes this is because he doesn't want to place the others in the way of danger.

Comedy when Winry talks about Rush Valley.

Elicia is sad to see Ed go.

Cartoon skit when they talk about how mad Izumi would be.

Ah, what they actually plan to do is get Scar to tell them the secret of Ishbal's Stone. Since Ishbal didn't have alchemy, they think they might have used an alternate method. Seems like grasping at straws, but they are pretty desperate.

Al says Scar isn't a bad person, but Ed can't forgive him for using alchemy to kill.

PTSD dream with Scar and Kimblee. It's an actual dream, very distorted.

The master tells Scar he's wrong to seek vengeance while outside, an Amestrian gang wrecks their camp.

Scar kills them. Once again, the skulls are not visibly damaged in the character models.

Ah, Hughes is pointing out how odd it is that the homunculi are destroying people who get close to the Stone if they want people to make one.

Sloth calls Hughes to say she'll escort him to Marcoh's location. Hughes figures out that her given name matches that of the soldier who started the Ishbal war. That soldier was not only supposedly dead at the time, but continued to rise through the ranks poshumously.

Hughes confronts her on this. What was his plan here, exactly?

Why does Lust only extend her claws halfway instead of killing him outright?

Hughes notices her tattoo.

I do have to wonder why Envy doesn't shoot Hughes in the back while they're running? It's possible he wants to see what Hughes will do, I suppose.

Hughes calls Mustang only to discover he's already left for Central.

Hughes coldly cuts Envy-Ross’ throat, which is a really strong image that really cements how brutal and effective Hughes can be when he wants to.

When Hughes dies, we finish the flashback from the opening: Mustang tells him his plan to become Fuhrer.

Mustang says he's tempted to use human transmutation to bring back Hughes.

Mustang cries, and pretends it's the rain. The sky is clear.

We end with the Elrics reflecting on everything Hughes has done for them. Dramatic irony!

Ed sees… Hughes' ghost…?

Credits roll at the end, so I guess this is the end of season 1.

FMA Brotherhood Episode 10: "Separate Destinations"

Führer King Bradley appears at the hospital and warns the Elric brothers to be careful around the military, and he then exits through a window to evade his subordinates. Edward and Alphonse decide to go to the town of Dublith to visit their alchemy teacher, Izumi Curtis, to ask her for information about the philosopher's stone. They agree to take Winry with them when she notices that Rush Valley, a town known for creating the best automail in the world, is on the way to Dublith. Meanwhile, Hughes links the problems in Liore, the fifth laboratory, and the Ishval civil war. He discovers a connection, but is then attacked by Lust. He escapes her and tries to contact Mustang with his information at a public telephone booth, only to be pursued and gunned down by Envy, disguised firstly as Ross, and then as his wife Gracia. Hughes is posthumously promoted to the rank of brigadier general while his murder is investigated by Mustang, who concludes via Armstrong that a high ranked member of the military may be responsible for ordering Hughes' death.

We open with a flashback to Ishbal, and we get the full speech. So Mustang was openly talking about treason while in a crowd of soldiers. Okay then. We also get a shot of Mustang's super fireballs, similar to the flashback in OG.

Bradley looks directly at him and gives him a death glare. So Bradley apparently knew about this the whole time and at no point tried to kill Mustang, because…?

We cut to Mustang in the present day instead of Hughes because of course we do. He's about to move to Central.

Cartoon shift when the heroes reflect on their leads apparently deadending.

Same scene with Brosh and Ross.

Bradley pays Ed a visit. He gives the same "You know too much LOL J/K" speech he gave Hughes in OG. Ed and Al remain in cartoon form throughout the scene.

Bradley claims there's an enemy faction infiltrating the government. The Stone researches went missing only days before the Fifth Laboratory's collapse, not years as in OG.

Bradley tells everyone to be cautious, but keep investigating.

Comedy as Bradley's subordinates call for him and he sneaks away.

Cartoon face as the brothers freak out about Izumi.

Skit with Winry wanting to go to Rush Valley is very similar, but we see the map and locations more clearly.

Hughes tells Ed to marry Winry. Stop being creepy, Hughes.

Hughes reiterates that Winry can stay with them whenever she's in Central.

Gracia tells Hughes to come home safe. Ohoho.

The brothers really are intending to visit Izumi, apparently? Similar cartoon skit when they talk about how she'll kill them.

There have been rebellions in the north area as well. Hughes is worried the government will be overthrown. Oh no…?

Less of Sheska, but also less of Hughes abusing her. She's just in the background looking tired.

Hughes' logic is much less clear. He just mutters something about the uprisings and human sacrifices and wonders who ordered everything. He for some reason doesn't think it's the Fuhrer, because he thinks he needs to tell him immediately.

Lust ambushes Hughes in the archive room. How do they even know he knows anything dangerous at this point? If this is all it takes to get you killed, they should be killing all the heroes at this point.

Hughes notices the tattoo, and we get a closeup shot in case you didn't.

Hughes is much more badly injured by Lust's attack, visibly staggers and collapses.

I think this is our first confirmation homunculi can survive lethal attacks?

Hughes talks to the telephone operator, who sees that he's bleeding. I'd say that's shoddy planning on the villains' part, but Hughes proceeds to tell her nothing, so the idiot ball's just getting passed around today. Even if he didn't trust her, he could have had her send a coded message to Mustang or something.

Hughes doesn't want to use an internal line, so he goes to the phone booth.

Hughes has to give a code to connect to Mustang from an outside line. This is where he drops the photo: he needs to open his notebook to get the code.

Envy-Ross pulls a gun on Hughes while he's in the phone booth. Why did he even bother transforming? Given what happens later I guess they were planning to frame Ross, but why does Envy put up an act? That this is so obviously not Ross completely ruins the effect. Envy also does not just shoot him immediately, because…?

And Envy is still talking. Why.

No shot of Envy looking at the photo.

Hughes yells "WHAT ARE YOU?!" when Envy turns into Gracia. I'm sorry, that completely ruins the effect of the scene for me. If he had time to talk he had time to throw the knife. Less is more.

We cut away for the gunshot.

Mustang actually does pick up, and Hughes clutches for the receiver before Envy just hangs up. Why didn't Envy use Hughes' voice to screw with Mustang? That would have been actually clever.

Envy sneers about humans being idiots. Except he's in his default form in a place where anyone could see him, so methinks the pot is calling the kettle black.

Hughes' family photo gets covered over with his blood. It works I guess, but I feel like it's over-the-top.

And Hughes gets last words apologizing to his family for being late. Too much.

We see the scene with Ed before the funeral. I don't like that. I think it has stronger impact at the end, especially since it leads us effectively into the next arc.

Elicia's tone is less even: she starts off pretty calm and ends hysterical. I think that's too much like how an adult would behave, not a child. We do get more focus on Gracia crying, though.

We get a date on the grave. Hughes was born 1885, making him 29.

Mustang says the same line about human transmutation, but he adds that he understands how the Elrics felt when they did it.

Nothing about him wondering why Hughes didn't tell him the Elrics were in trouble.

Riza explicitly points out it's not raining, which I think dilutes the emotion of the moment.

We end with Mustang investigating, which I believe is covered in the next OG episode. Armstrong can't tell him who the suspects are, so he deduces someone higher up must have issued a gag order. He also deduces from Armstrong telling him the Elrics were in Central but didn't find the Stone that it's related to the Stone, which seems like more of a stretch.

Conclusion

Mustang's taking over Brotherhood again. He's the subject of the beginning and ending, rather than Hughes.

I'd say that plotwise, Brotherhood is tighter here, but OG is stronger tonally. As usual, Brotherhood feels rushed to me. Everything proceeds too fast; we don't get a clear sense of just what Hughes was onto, and as a consequence it makes less sense why the villains are targeting him specifically. OG feels more professionally directed; the cinematography and the flow of the action just work better for me. Hughes revealing a specific important detail also makes this worthwhile to the audience; his death was not in vain.

I find it notable how different the flashback is in OG. There it's a moment of vulnerability and human weakness. Much like Mustang's suicide attempt, it truly shows how affected he is by his sins. In Brotherhood it's just a vehicle to deliver exposition.

The addition of the Ishbal camp scene in OG is probably a controversial move. I can understand people who feel it's distracting, but personally I like having multiple plates spinning in an episode.

It's annoying how much time the villains take killing Hughes, though, in both continuities. Why were they giving him so much time to investigate, when they already knew he knew too much? Why didn't they just have Envy walk up to his office in disguise and shoot him? I get the impression Sloth was trying to lure him away from witnesses in OG, but that shouldn't have been necessary in the first place. This whole thing is framed like they really are outside infiltrators and not controlling the entire government; it's subterfuge for the audience's sake, not for the characters'. Knowing Bradley is also in on it, he could have just, I dunno, arrested Hughes and rushed an execution without trial. “On what charge?” “I’m a dictator, there doesn’t have to be one!” Who’s going to stop him? It’s not like he can even be assassinated!

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