#i have different designs for their game selves lol
Text
i almost forgor to post these guys LKJFDSLKJF,,, ill be making more for side characters sometime :3!!
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
#krbay#kirby right back at ya#kirby#tiff#tuff#lady like#sir ebram#meta knight#escargoon#dedede#king dedede#the meta and dedede designs are anime specific btw#i have different designs for their game selves lol#my art#arts and the craft (au)
416 notes
·
View notes
Note
hi im really interested in your hot takes on the classpects. as i was reading through that post about how homestuck is about breaking or following the narrative my first thought was about how this probably leads to a very different interpretation of the classpects than ive usually seen, but im not sure if im familiar enough to think it all out myself - and then i saw you mention offhand you have Hot Takes about it so. color me curious?
YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT IN THAT ASSESSMENT!
ok here's my take: it's literally Not That Deep. sburb is an incomplete RPG, not a deity or a greater consciousness. it doesn't actually know what is good for the players personal development. it is entirely skin-deep.
this is reflected in the performatively hollow echeladder mechanic, and in the sprites- who, lest we forget, are NPCs. that's why they're so 'mysterious.' they exist only to keep players on track, and 'the following quest objectives are HIGHLY PERSONALIZED to help you reach your full potential! great answers await you!' is a line written to serve that purpose. jaspersprite drops the facade a little bit and reveals he has no idea what he's talking about, the game is just making him say it
in keeping with this, classpects are not determined by people deep interior selves. they are determined by surface-level observations and by party optimization. the game generates a handful of possible classpects based on traits like 'bookish,' 'pirate' and 'cheerful,' then cross-references that with balanced team builds. the alpha session, being less complete, lacks the party optimization algorithm
Roxy is a do-good hacker (criminal) who uses an appearifier, she's a rogue who makes stuff appear out of nothing. Dirk carries on about being a leader and being toxic, he's a prince who destroys souls. Jake is weak/insecure and ignores reality, he's the 'untapped potential' class with the power to imagine things into existence. Jane is the only one who seems a little less literal, and I suspect that has to do with the Condesce, since she was the one who released the sburb alpha. Condy is a life player, therefore Jane is a life player (plus, she has that penchant for foiling assassination attempts, avoiding death) and she's a maid because Condy wants a handmaid
Aradia robs graves, Dave collects dead things, Caliborn is into murder, time is the death aspect. Callie, Jade, and Kanaya are all artists, space is the creation aspect. Karkat fantasizes about being a member of the royal army and he's obsessed with his blood, he's a knight of blood. I could go on but you get the point lol. classpects are superficial and depend heavily on what balances well, not your personal truth
likewise, I think your average '[closest object to you] + [current weather condition] = your sburb planet' type meme is pretty much exactly how the sburb planets actually work. they're not 'designed to challenge people' beyond the literal quest challenges
i think this reading immediately clears up a lot of apparent inconsistencies in the comic, like how Dave's planet is his own personal hell while Vriska's planet is her own personal heaven. the game doesn't actually know how they feel about these things or what would help them grow
34 notes
·
View notes
Text
telekinetic!spidey!fem! reader
note: my spidersona + my own headcanons of her <3
first of she’s from earth 1213 where superhero’s and supervillans don’t exist & if they somehow ‘miraculously’ do exist they are shunned by the world—that’s why there isn’t superheroes anywhere to be seen because they are most likely hiding their true selves.
she had already had telekinetic powers every since she was very young!! she was raised and born to a mexican mother and an african american father!! her first language was spanish then later on as she gotten older she’d learned english
currently a college student in her 20s!! the timeline takes present day 2023–she studies computer science at a prestigious university & works as a barista at her university’s coffee shop <3
she was bitten by a radioactive spider when she got out the shower 😭 & she didn’t know she was bitten after she saw a red lump on her knee but she brushed it off until her spider abilities on top of telekinetic ones manifested
her hero name is starlight spider & her suit consists of golden outlines and pink stars ✨ that glitter her suit—she got it tailored and had her artist friend design it for her (they’re the only ones who know her true identity)
her parents are long gone so she only has herself and she’s trying her best to juggle her college and hero life—it’s hard at times but with the help of her roommate she’s able to persevere 😣
now her telepathic abilities are a strong one—she’s able to levitate (float but can’t fly for long distances) short distance teleportation, can manipulate and control objects with just her mind, very good with creating strong energy fields & a telepathic <3 but for her spider abilities she uses webshooters, has increased speed and agility, increased strength, spider senses (don’t rly need em when you’re a telekinetic) can do pretty much what a spider can do <3
extremely flexible…she does gymnastics 🤸🏽♀️ and does yoga 🧘🏽♀️ to help center herself and it’s kind of an escape from her reality
miguel had an eye on her because he was curious and surprise to stumble upon a spider person with telekinesis—he eventually comes to her earth and scouts her…she’s very stubborn and snarky at first but agrees to join
i’d like to think that she would challenge him and be reluctant to follow him and in a way it’s a game of push and pull between them; she keeps him on his toes while he simply puts up with her because it’s something he looks forward to everyday
at first they wouldn’t get along pretty well just because they both think differently and are polar opposites 😭
when they do start to get along they form a rare bond it’s just an unspoken thing between them and many of the spider people don’t get how 2 diff people have a thing for each other but they make it work
miguel would be cautious of her but NEVER underestimates her just because she’s a rare gem and has such cool powers & a lot of the spider people admire her for that—she’d be close to spider people who have unique abilities like her tbh !!
she’s super close to the spidey gang and probably has a soft spot for miles, margo, & gwen LOL + hobie & pav would treat her as a sibiling more so :p
———
a/n: please let me know if you want a pt. 2 & elaborate more with the relationship between her and miguel <3 also these are mine headcanons so if you seen a similar one out there i didn’t take inspo from that!!
tags 🏷️: @kairiscorner
#spiderman atsv#spider man: across the spider verse#miguel o'hara#miguel o’hara x reader#atsv x reader#miguel spiderman#spider person#miguel o’hara x y/n#spidersona#ao3 works#telekenisis#telepathic#telekinetic!spidey!fem!reader#my headcanons#🌱 lin writes
49 notes
·
View notes
Note
For the ask game-- 9 for Gueulemer, 5 for Babet, 23 for Claquesous (should you have one!), and 6 for Montparnasse!
Hello, dear friend, thank you for the asks!! :)
9. Could you be roommates with this character? (Gueulemer)
Well, setting aside Gueulemer's illegal 'occupation', I reckon I'd get along just fine with him! He has a brilliant, absurd sense of humour (I still giggle everytime I read his answer to Thénardier's "Why have you taken off your mask?") and seems relaxed enough to be agreeable. Although, with his general laziness, I would probably spend a lot of my time cleaning up after him...(!)
5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them? (Babet)
I realise that this is niche, but, the Main Title from The Shining initially comes to mind. I cannot fully explain why, but I suppose it stems from the fact that I find Babet so incredibly chilling (out of the entire Patron-Minette, Babet definitely makes me the most uncomfortable!)... the empty theatrics to his character, and his mysterious, eerie past unsettle me almost as much as that song does!
23. Favorite picture of this character? (Claquesous)
This one! Aka, one of the rare illustrations that actually bothers to feature Claquesous with his mask, and I really enjoy the distinct design of it here. The inclusion of the deerstalker cap is also a nice touch... in my opinion, it does a skilful job at hinting to the dual occupations of this character.
6. What's something you have in common with this character? (Montparnasse)
I am happy to report that I don't share many traits with Montparnasse (no red flags here!). The only common ground we have is a bit of difficulty being open about our true selves. That is NOT to say I construct and hide behind a false façade in a desperate attempt to fit in with a different societal class (lol)— I just mean I'm not great at openly discussing myself!
[Ask Game]
9 notes
·
View notes
Text
Random stuff:
Jin has a tattoo on the back of their shoulders ( I don't know what the exact term is called). It's a pair of wings. I feel they got this in their late teen- early 20's as a final act in their angst phase until they realize " hey maybe I should chill". They don't regret it, it's a really good tattoo.
Speaking of tattoos, I'm changing Wayne's a bit. I feel it would fit his character to have something much smaller than his entire arm. I still think it would be one of a Serperior, but maybe around his forearm? I still need to think about it but yeah.
Jin accidentally called Kohaku and Wally their wife and husband respectively once. They didn't propose yet, but was planning to. They're too embarrassed to try now, especially since Kohaku will never let it go.
Most people are shocked too see Kiran being much more fit that they were before being yanked into the past. Unfortunately for Kiran, this means getting dragged into Danica's and Barry's work out routine against his will. He can't complain to much though. It's probably the least akward time they have together and it's where Danica and Barry act like their old selves. Still. Kiran just wanna study.
Kenji skateboards :D
I'm thinking about having Flint and Buck be distant relatives to Alder and Benga.
Marlon is from Alola and is black in this au because fuck his canon design.
Same goes for Flint and Benga too.
Elesa hair is naturally black in this au.
Drayden might be the train twins uncle or grandpa. Still deciding.
Speaking of Drayden, based on his house in the games, unless that's his wife and kids, I like to imagine Drayden just being like " oh hey do need a place to stay? Sure you can live with me. You're my kid now", and there's nothing much people can do about it lol.
Back to ocs, Aiko is a very skilled dancer due to her training under the Kimono Girls, and also knows how to be an excellent hostess. She just chooses not to use those skills lmao.
Danica occasionally does contests, but not the big popular ones that her mother used to do. More of the lower scale, local contests that happen. Angel is who she uses the most when it comes to these.
She probably has ran into Drew ( oc ) a couple of times but probably never actually introduced herself.
Klink where Ingo and Emmets first pokemon, then followed by what they're most known for, such as Chandelure and Galvantula.
Emmet will most definitely drag Alexis to Chargestone Cave to attract Joltik. It's better than constantly breeding them but poor Alexis is now constantly swarmed by little fuzzy spiders.
Eva is occasionally called by Elesa to do some modelling. She's very good at it, and it allows her to try on different styles she usually doesn't wear. Elliot always gets the photographs first, which never fails to make her heart explode( pos).
Trash talk is something so weird to Naomi. She understands why people do it, her friends do it before battle too. But sometimes it gets mean, and she doesn't want to be mean. So she lightly encourages instead, only really trash talking with her friends, slightly, but treats it as light teasing between friends than something to get the crowd hyped up.
Carol loves trash talk by the way, they get to insult people and play it off as a joke professionally. It will come for their ass later, but they love it regardless.
3 notes
·
View notes
Note
It seems so strange to me that IS went the "fun obviuosly non-canon fanservise game" for warriors and did "wow new lore just ropped let's make a mess out of already messy 3H game" for 3nopes. Was Warriors sales so bad they need a differet strategy? They realized that 3H fanbase doesn't care at all about pevious entries in the series? I've seen somebody talking about how 3nopes is the most plitics in FE game, like Jugral who?
I'm not sure about it -
Of course we have devoted people who most likely only played FE16 and have a very surface reading of the previous games, who suddenly start to misinterpret everything and, as you pointed out, start to call FE16 the most political in a franchise with Tellius and Jugdral...
Or very devoted people who played the other games and, in bad faith, are warping their message to fit with their perceived canon of FE16 (dragons bad in Archanea for instance).
And if they made an all stars warrior game (not like the first one, obviously) I don't think those devoted persons would play a game where you can use Siggy to destroy mooks.
IDK what happened with FE16, but there are clues all around that maybe the devs wanted to make more DLC, but it never happened - because of Covid, or because of something else - so all those assets and "unused" or "ready for the DLC" lore were here, waiting to be used. Why not make a warrior game, since the engine was already there?
Add the hype that made people buy Age of Calamity (a "canon" story about Link'n'Zelda'n'Garon!) and 3 Nopes is a safe choice, Fodlan is FE's golden child (much like Fates was at the time of the first FEW?) so it will sell, add to that the promise of a "different story that could be canon if you want to eat watermelons in winter" and "uwu meet the students with new designs!!" and it was supposed to be perfect!
But then player pandering striked hard, the lords cannot be their best selves without Billy, Clout is Clout'd, Supreme Leader becomes Supreme Puppet and Dimitri is still lost about what he wants to do with his life.
People were starved for new lore for Fodlan since the game was unfinished and never released the promised DLCs, so they banked on it to make this and...
Well.
I'll only take 5 sesame seeds on 3 Nopes's burger, but the rest I can safely leave it on my plate.
And idk about the real sales, but on some social networks, the outcry about the leaked plot (and Clout) was so terrible that apparently people refused to buy the game?? Rhea returning in the freezer and Billy never appearing disappointed some people who might have wanted to buy the game for them, and just don't want anymore.
Coupled with Clout and Supreme Puppet - the "plot" of the game, the thing that is supposed to be nigh useless in a Musou Game is so bad that people don't want to buy it anymore.
I won't say it's a good or a bad thing (maybe they were just on the fence) but for sure, I'm sure they could have made more money if they sold it as a "lol fanservice" game like in the first Musou, instead of showering their previous avatar with praise by writing how sad are the uwu students without them (save for Rhea, who thrives when she's not relegated to uwu'ing about Billy).
#anon#replies#3 nopes#3 nopes spoilers#FE16#Billy'n'Barney#tbf the character who suffers the most from player pandering and the uwu hammer might be billy themselves#food for thought I was really tempted by the first FEW#but then the roasted was leaked and I nope'd out#FEH worked better as a crossover game#3 Nopes is going to follow Age of Calamity
5 notes
·
View notes
Note
my knowledge of destiny is condensed to the beta of the first game i played a million years ago and what i see you post, but i think mae seems pretty cool and want to learn more about her so 18, 30, and 38 for the destiny ask meme :)
Hi hi! Thank you :3 💖
(Destiny Questions)
18. Do they remember much of their past life?
She does not. I answered here that she was a farmer in her past life. To note, I did also say that I don't have enough info to elaborate more, and I'm not entirely sure it's important to me. Rambling slightly here, but I like to take being a guardian as a fresh start. It doesn't matter who we were before; we must live in the present and be the person we are now.
Comparing Crow's present self to who he was as Uldren Sov, however, I do think it's a really interesting concept. He's (I think?) the only guardian we've met where we knew them in both their former and current lives. How many guardians are as similar to their former selves? It's a really interesting character study, I think, and there is a pin in it for later.
But back to the question at hand, I'm considering that she often dreams of being a farmer but realises in these dreams that she's a different person. She's clearly living someone else's life. It sounds so silly, but it's really hard for me to understand the concept of vivid dreams. I very rarely dream (technically, I don't remember/realise that I've had them), and I struggle with mentally visualising things. So that's a fun combo when I'm writing!
30. If your Guardian lost their Ghost, what would their reaction be?
Absolutely devastated. Mae tends to lead a pretty solitary life, of her own design. She gets along well with pretty much everyone and has no shortage of people to call friend. Even without that, Lyra is always with her. I would imagine that most guardians struggle after losing their ghosts. Someone is around you 24/7 for your entire life--which could be hundreds of years--and now they're suddenly gone? I couldn't imagine.
I think Mae would be utterly lost after losing Lyra. I worry that she would collapse in on herself and fall into hopelessness unless someone could help. All she's known is front-lines fighting for years now. In time, she could maybe move on, take up a post like Devrim and protecting the people in that way. I'm putting a little earmark on this too... I think this would be something interesting to think about as a "What If?"
38. If you had to guess, what faction would you say they've killed the most of?
Short answer, haha! I'm going to guess Fallen or Cabal, only because of the content I've played. I can confidently say it is *not* Taken, according to my triumphs lol
#I'm making up for that low taken kill count by going to the dreaming city to fawn over petra every day though#thank you for these!!#ask game answers#maezi
1 note
·
View note
Note
omdkgjshdgbmgd the Jin and DJ funkos!! THE XIAOJIN FIGURES?!?!?!? I NEED THEM!! 😭 lovely collection btw
i LUV the jin and dj funkos,,, which i'll def have to get the storm collectibles dj because i want the two big figures to be with their tiny selves it'd be so cute LOL. it makes me wish there was a storm collectibles xiaoyu. her TK3 one is so cute 'cos i luv that design of hers (i feel i'm in the minority here regarding that xD) but i'd like an updated one that's more posable, y'know? with more joints! luckily, the xiao figure can be pretty cheap - usually of the classic TK3 line. i got her for $25... but sometimes you can find her as cheap as $20. the jin fig next to her - hoo boy, expensive. but sadly, storm collectibles always are and it's hard to find them for a cheaper price.
thanks! i have extra money again... but i'm torn - i want the play arts jun. but she's pricier than i'd like... and the tag jun figure is sooo cute! (plus my other fav design of jun!) she's a bit cheaper (tho still pricey)
i'll probs get the play arts - just 'cos she has a better paint job, bigger, and is more poseable. but like - there are some things that turned me off from her - i mean, if it wasn't for her price. i'd buy her in a heartbeat. but i notice in many pics ppl take, her hands always appear to be "discolored" or a different color than her skin - which makes me believe her hands' plastic must discolor FAST. her hair also looks weird in places - especially i noticed it's not rly tucked behind her ears like it is in the games. plus, i believe she'll be taller than my storm jin - which would feel inaccurate. buuut - i suppose she'll be shorter than my tag 12 inch jin - altho, she'll probs be much shorter. tho the tag 2 jun would also be a bit shorter than the storm jin (the same height as the xiao fig, i believe - tho this jun seems to have more joints) so grrr! it can't be perfect, alas!
anyways, now i'm rambling what's on my mind... thank you!
0 notes
Text
S3 ep5
Current emotional status: FEAR
Cthulu Max has been on the rampage for a whole week!?
Ew, the narrator
Oh man, are they sending the airforce after him?
I really like Cthulu Max's design
Momma Bosco 💗
Oh hey, Norrington and Papierwaite are alive.
Superball are you saying you tried to send the Maimtrons up Max's--
Also he's acting president while Max is... deposed of.
Superball is only giving Sam until 6am :(
Featherly!
"Wandering around the moleman tunnels is no fun without Max."
"You got it all wrong, we're trying to help Max." "We will help him... to a generous serving of ass whooping."
"That is one rabbit who will be multiplied... into 2,000 smoldering pieces."
Carol ran off with Blustet
"I only want her to be happy, is all." Aw, Curt
Superball just admitted to having separation anxiety from Max
Ok Momma can't come but Papierwaite and Norringron can.
I like Norrington :)
GASP
Is it?
It is!
SYBIL!!!!
RETURN OF THE QUEEN
Oh, she is very pregnant
She was a wizard at one point?
She's gonna help!
Superball there's no such thing as acceptable losses
Abe has his body back
"Four score and seven tons of raw power"
HE CAN FLY NOW!?
Sybil, I love you, but why did you mod someone else's car???
Grandpa Stinky I love you
Oh, he just handed us the recipe for once.
Asdfff the spore maxes swarming Grandpa
They stole Grandpa's hotdogs
"We must feed the host! Piglets and sphinkters make us stronger!" "We regret nothing!"
Grandpa hasn't slept in three years
Sam just casually taking the last of Grandpa's corndogs
The spores are trying to get it
Lol Sam slapped them
Sal's alive!
He's hiding from Sam :(
Lol we can control Cthulu Max with Corndogs
Ew, the cornstarch got mixed in with the giant puddle 🤢 Looks gross
Love how Sybil completely ignores the Flaming Max head
Also the look of disappointment on the spore's face made me laugh
Fifth trimester???
The way the one Max spore by Grandpa's truck is bobbing in circles with his mouth open is making me laugh.
Sam showing concern for Sybil because she’s preggers 🥺
Her being pregnant with Abe's child implies that statues have working genital in this universe
She put a weiner scented airfreshener in the desoto
At least Sam and a Max spore seem to like that (of course they do)
"Sybil you're the best!" Hell yeah she is!
Sam's mind went to the color bar codes to prevent being traumatized by Sybil's oversharing
We drowned the desoto
Asdfgh Sam just botched slapped one of the spores for trying to say "that's none of your damn buisness."
Ew, Max's spine is pointing out
Oh hey, Satan and Jurgen
Why is Jurgen wearing his old fashioned clothes instead of his emo clothes?
Lol Sam snuck into frame to shout "Go Mets! New York rules!"
"--besides it's just a good and noble thing to do." "You're not familiar with my previous work, are you?"
"Sam, what happened to you to make you so cynical?" Gee, Jurgen, I wonder what could have possibly happened.
Oh so the water tower counts as vegetable oil because Momma did something to it
Pfft we can replace Satan's microphone with a corndog
Omg they jumped off the building to avoid Max
Oh, they're fine, and the oil is in the giant puddle.
I'm thankful to Featherly for giving us an egg but I'd have preferred not to watch him lay it. Granted it was just in a cartoon way but he still made weird noises
Also TRANS FEATHERLY 2021
"I desperately wanted to see that, sir. Ask him if he'll lay another one."
Oh hey, the Flaming Max heads helped heat up the giant desoto corndog
Since I'm playing this in 2021 the Maimtron's song references are super dated, which defeats Superball's efforts
Oooh! A unique opening sequence???
Oh this music is jazzy af
Sam really doesn't like the Max spores
Sam how do you already know what Max's insides look like???
"Even when he's not a collasal monster Max's food comas can last for weeks."
Ok we wake Max up with the coffee beans, right?
Yup!
The gi Max spore is so sad he doesn't get to come 😢
"But I'm a horrible monster!"
"I suppose Max's brain always looks like a living room?" "Well, Max is host to all kinds of weird parasites, and he likes to he a good host!" WHAT
No really, this brings up so many questions about lagomorphs. Are they some kind of Symbiote or something?
And a previous episode confirmed Max is amphibious
Max has tumors!!!
It shocked Sam!
"Eugh! Get away fake Max!" "Do you find my warmth... alarming, Sam?"
"What do nightmares taste like, anyway?" "Pepsi"
Max wants to be author 💗
He also writes fanfiction about Flint 🤣
I'd unironically read his books.
Tina Belcher voice: Friend fiction
Max has an experimental fusion jazz band???
"He just killed a great white shark--"
Max being completely unable to describe a woman is very gay of him. Good for him.
Max's brain teleported everyone to different parts of the body.
Found Sybil in the gym/legs
The brain is broadcasting Sam's thoughts???
Sam couldn't think of a joke for the medicine balls :(
"Wow Max is looking pretty buff. Would it be too weird if I asked him to turn around?"
Sam! Stop thinking bad things about Sybil's pregnancy she can hear you you putz!
She's upset with him now
"Can you believe this guy?" "I find the entire situation to be very contrived and misogynistic." Same spore Max, same.
Sam stop being so mean omg!
"I changed Sybil, I totally get the whole parenthood thing now." "Really now?" "Tax deductions."
In Max's inventory now
Y'know, I never really thought about it as a storage house
Hit The Road reference :3
Baby roach hatched in
"Pa..papa?" "Now I am little champion, now I am!"
Max has a Maximus shrine
Sam turned into a roomba!
Aw, he named it Sam Jr 🥺
We won Sybil back through his love of Sam Jr
Found the conjoined twins
Huh, Max lost as eye. Does that mean he has a glass one, or do lagomorphs have regenerative abilities?
Pfft we have to play twister to control his arma
The brain is messing with things again
Oh, we need a roach to operate the game because of radiation
Well, let's kidnap Sal
Oh, poor Girl Stinky. She's really going through it
Aw, Sal feels bad
Sal?
Honey, are alright?
He's dying???
He's not immune to irradiation!?
Oh no, he's gone
I'm so sad 😞
Gotta pick up Sam Jr. Before I control Max
They mad Max do a magical girl pose
Ugh the narrator is back
Wait, what?
He's Max's brain??? SUPEREGO???
WHAT
"I was always ignored" Yo if my super ego was as pretentious as you I 'd ignore it too 😤
He wants to kill himself and Max???
I know Max had a self loathing complex but holy shit
The super ego is perfectly fine with destroying half the east coast what a jerk
Just noticed Sam's tie is red. Had no idea about this while drawing PI!Sam lol
We have to help Max get his memories back to use the ASTRO projector
Skunkapes has three Sam clones imprisoned
Sam had canon ocd?
Gasp Gordon???
No, it's Sammun Mak
I love him, little child tyrant
Just make him a mobile brain in a jar and let Sam and Max adopt him
Why is Grandpa here?
He isn't talking like Stinky
Too polite
Sam sees it too
He's a space gorilla
They switched brains?
Found the cloning g chamber
Let's go to Momma's first
CONE OF SHAME CONE OF SHAME CONE OF SHAME
Superball is "wracked with guilt"
"Keep it together Superball. Sam will be able to save the day. He always does."
Ok, let's go to the cloning facility
I'm still thinking about poor Sal yo
FLIIIIIINT!
He's punching space apes!
Girl Stinky really playing up the evil Mistress role
The doggleganger has a bomb on him!!!
Wait so Girl really is a mermaid??? I thought that was just her aestetic
God I love Flint
Haha we tricked Skunkape with scooby doo villain tactics
Got the robot
Her water broke... and it was pennies
Max wants to save Sybil! 😭🥺💕
Super Ego is here
Oh now he wants to save Max
The only thing here are those records
Super Ego waved goodbye
Cthulu Max is cute when he cries
Wait What?
His head is on fire!
The maimtron hit him!
He waved goodbye... and teleported away.
He exploaded!!!!
He promised he'd take Sam with him and he didn't!!!!
AAAAAAH
I thought the dead Max thing was popular angst fanon fic thingy!
We're cloning Max?
It didn't work 😭😭😭😭😭
Superball ran off crying
Oh God the credits are just Sam walking sadly what the hell
He's not even stopping to fight any crime 😢
💔💔💔
God the way he's clinging to himself
What?
The elevator???
MAAAAX
he's back???
Past Max???
He blew his Sam up???
Wait hold on I'm glad they're together again but this doesn't fix anything
There's so much trauma from this season
All the horrible things that happened during 301-304 happened in like 3 days tops, then Sam had to deal with Max being a monster for a week before watching him die!
And the new (?) Max had BLOW HIS SAM UP!!!
And they left the franchise like that for a decade????
What the hell?
I want to be happy but this shit is going to consume my brain for the next week at least what the hell
Aaaaaaah!
Like maybe they really do just brush it off but it feels unlikely
I know Max has a connection with his other selves so it'll be easier for him to adjust but certainly Sam is going to notice the discrepancies since he doesn't get the same deal
Someone told me there were multiple endings hold on
Aw, they walked off into the sunrise together
But still
AAAAAAAAH
#sam and max#freelance husbands#sam and max freelance police#sam & max#sam & max freelance police#freelance police#lee plays sam and max#305#what the hell#flint paper#agent superball#momma bosco#sybil pandemik#sal s&m#general skun ka'pe#girl stinky#sammun mak#don't @ me I'm crying
87 notes
·
View notes
Text
G1+Hakyona Angel/Demon @firiare & @bmarvels
Humans have always thought themselves above other creatures even though they were merely just another species like the rest in nature. In the beginning, those with power or abilities fought against humans, but eventually gave up. They realized it was a pointless endeavor, so for the last 200,000 years, they used their magic to fade into human societies, and the ancient myths became nothing more than fairytales. Contrary to what the human societies had conjured up about ‘mythical’ creatures, the truth behind many of the stories were just that, story’s. Tales designed around them to serve a human’s purpose. A scary demon to frighten peasant subjects into submission or an angelic fairy to soothe away the fears in their hearts and offer salvation.
Life wasn’t always easy for any creature on Earth. One must learn to adapt and change, fit in and move forward. But it could be doubly difficult for a mythic creature trying to blend amongst the humans. Over time, most had developed societies within the human civilizations to watch out for their own, or gathering places where they could be their true selves. Forged bonds were also common between creatures and humans who’s loyalty were not in question. It was all meant to protect both sides, for wherever there is room for fear or misunderstanding, problems are unavoidable. Could one imagine a human being brought up to believe a demon is evil, not freaking out if suddenly they’re bf/gf said surprise, I have horns— probably wouldn’t go over well.
Hak new this well enough, he was a half demon after all. Mother was a demon and father a human who’d served in the military. But if this existence didn’t already come with struggle, his mother died during childbirth, and father during an overseas war when Hak was 4 years old. Luckily for him, a close family friend adopted him knowing full well the family’s genealogy. It was an older gentleman with no children of his own. Mundock, or grandpa Mundock raised him to blend into society. Hak turned into a very smart, athletic, capable young man who after college made a modest living working at a shipping company owned by another demon. It was a comfortable, albeit lonely life, because Hak shied away from romantic relationships.
Not that the ‘tall, dark, and handsome,’ stereotypical male couldn’t get a date if wanted to. Instead, he was afraid of falling in love only to have his heart broken if they couldn’t accept what he truly was. But his best friend Jaeha, a dragon in human form, was the opposite of Hak in many ways. Where he was quiet and naively sarcastic, Jaeha was extroverted and flirty. The man constantly tried to set him up with women. Come on, the man would admonish, let’s do a double and have some fun!
“No! No! What part of no, don’t you understand?!” Hak growled at his friend. “I’m not interested.”
“Pfft, boring grumpy ass...” Jaeha walked away from the couch where Hak was lounging with a video game. The conniving man then noticed Hak’s phone sitting on the kitchen island. Fine, he grinned to himself. ‘Time to take matters into my own hands.’
Jaeha opened the phone easily since he knew his friends password, and downloaded a popular dating app. While Hak was too engrossed in his game, he set about creating the perfect profile to lure in the women. Frankly, it wasn’t very hard. One hot profile picture, check. Bio info, stays in shape, works at a shipping company, hobbies include soccer and martial arts. Looking for, monogamous relationship with a sweet, friendly girl who is open minded. Click, send. Within minutes, the app’s inbox was receiving hits. Jaeha happily screened through them, looking for the right girl he was sure Hak would find difficult to say no to. Because despite his friend’s, ‘I don’t wanna date,’ attitude, he knew what Hak’s type was and that he was lonely.
He scrolled through profile after profile of the women messaging Hak looking at their bio’s. They ran the gamut of types, and not just in looks but demeanor from shy to scandalous. Many were obviously just interested in Hak’s appearance, and after close to 50 profiles, even Jaeha was starting to wonder if this was worth the effort.
That’s when he saw her... A pretty, fiery red head with purple eyes who’s effervescent skin and soft, innocent eyes just pulled you in. Her appearance may have caught Jaeha’s attention, but it was really her bio that solidified it. College educated, works as a primary school teacher, with a love of fantasy arts and stories. Oh, she is perfect!
Jaeha checks to make sure Hak is still focused on his game, then sends off a message to the woman.
‘Nice to meet you Yona. I noticed you’re into fantasy stuff, that’s pretty cool.’
‘Hello, nice to meet you too, Hak. Yeah, I find mythical creatures to be fascinating, so I’m always watching out for nice art or good fiction books about them.’
Jaeha grinned at the message. So far, so good. ‘It’s nice to meet someone who appreciates such things. I’ve done a little research on dragons and demons too.’
‘Really? Why demons?’
‘I think they get a bad rap in the old stories.’
‘Lol. You might be right... I don’t think angels are saints either.’
“Wow...” Jaeha mumbled out loud.
“Wow, what?” Hak looked up, questioning his friend.
Shit! “Oh, nothing. I just noticed you killed that opponent is all.”
“Oh,” Hak’s brow raised in suspicion, but he opted to go back to his game.
Jaeha breathed a sigh of relief. He would have to tell his friend the truth, but not yet. Time to go in for the kill.
‘Yona, would you do me the honor and go out on a date with me? I’d really love to get to know you more. How about this Saturday for dinner, restaurant of your choice, my treat.’
Several minutes pass by, but finally she responded. ‘Okay. Merrimans restaurant on Kilauea avenue at 6pm. Make sure to call in a reservation.’
‘Will do. See you then. Have a great rest of your day, Yona.’
‘Nice meeting you too, Hak.’
Jaeha grinned wide and walked over standing in front of his friend. “Hak, buddy, I gotta tell ya something, so turn that stupid game off!”
“No! So move your ass outta my way!”
“I got you a date.” Jaeha held the phone at arms length with the picture of Yona on the screen for Hak to see it. “Saturday, 6pm.”
“You did what?!” Hak stood up and grabbed his phone from the man’s hand, his blue eyes turning red in anger. “I told you, I’m not going out on a date!”
“Fine.” Jaeha crossed his arms over his chest, but a smug, unperturbed look still on his face. “Then you can be the bad guy and turn her down. Go ahead Hak, be the mean guy who breaks her heart.”
“You son-of-a!”
“Just look at her Hak. She’s pretty, she’s smart, and— she’s into creatures! She’s perfect for you! I’m tired of watching you moping around our apartment, you need a damn girlfriend.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“No, I’m your awesome wingman.” Jaeha winked and started to walk away. “Don’t forget to make the reservations. Details in the chat.”
“Fucking prick!” Hak groaned and plopped back onto the couch with a thud. His friend got him good this time, because he knew Hak didn’t have it in him to be mean to a girl. So, begrudgingly he started reading the woman’s profile.
Yona. ‘She’s tiny...’ okay, so, she is very attractive... and her comments about angels and demons catches his attention. No wonder Jaeha liked this one. But Hak wasn’t getting his hopes up, because finding them fascinating is still not the same as how someone would react if one were standing right in front of them. ‘Merrimans,’ at least she had good taste. He calls and sets up the reservation. “Ugh, this better turn out okay,” Hak yelled out loud enough for his roommate to hear it. “Or I’m kicking your ass dragon!”
It was four days until the fateful dinner date and he’d be fooling himself to say he wasn’t nervous, anxious to see if this girl could really be different from all the others, yet realistic that it may not turn out that way. Hak went about his work days like normal, never showing his co-workers or delivery customers anything beyond a mask of invincibility. He prided himself on never losing his cool, a behavior he’d maybe inherited from his military father. Even though inside he was a mess. Ugh! This is exactly why he avoided this area of the heart! Because in that way he was more like his mother according to gramps. His mom was a tough demon with a heart of gold who hated the idea of hurting anyone. Hak too didn’t like to let anyone down, and his respect for women came from stories about her.
What if this Yona woman liked him back but couldn’t accept his true identity? He’d break both their hearts. Maybe it would be best to let her down gently right from the beginning? This and more Hak pondered during those four days, his mind constantly calculating the options and odds. So that by Saturday morning his decision was made, right or wrong. He’ll go through with the date, but make it clear he’s not interested. Yes! That’s what he’ll do. Shield them both from future misery. Yona’s a beautiful woman, she’ll find someone better.
“Hi,” Hak stood before the hostess stand. “I have a 6pm reservation under...”
“Hak?”
A tiny female voice behind him sent a shiver right up his spine. Hak whipped around at his name, a surging sense of power titillating the nerve cells of his skin. “Yona?” The woman exuded something he’d never encountered before.
“Hello,” the woman smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Y-Yeah,” cheeks heating up, “it’s nice to meet you too. Um,” he turned back to the hostess still flustered and mind racing, “Hak, reservation for two.”
“Welcome to Merriman’s,” the hostess responded. “Please, right this way,” she gestured for the pair to follow.
Hak stepped aside and motioned for Yona to go first, then followed behind. Clearly this woman was not human, but what she was, he wasn’t sure of. Her energy was bright, soothing, and so inviting that it almost overruled his own thoughts. Was she a succubus?! What little he knew of them came from the stories, how they lured men in with their beguiling natures. Hak shook his head of those thoughts before they could be seated. Yona only came up to his chest she was so tiny, so that the idea of her being a strong demon was hard to grasp. Well, whatever she was, this date wasn’t going to be as easy to get through as he’d hoped.
The air between them was expectedly nervous. Hak couldn’t tell if Yona had figured out his nature yet, and she sure wasn’t behaving like it. To anyone around them, they simply appeared as a couple on a quiet dinner date. He did his best to stay engaged, though she initiated most of the conversations. They talked about things Hak assumed any pair would when trying to get to know each other. Family, friends, interests, but nothing overly reaching and he definitely didn’t want to just bluntly ask about creatures, not in a restaurant where they were surrounded by humans.
She was everything her dating profile had made her appear to be and more, and he felt himself being pulled in. It created a growing dilemma as the night wore on, and Hak found it more and more difficult to stick to his original plan. By the dessert round, he knew he needed to make a decision, so screw it, he’ll ask the question that could get him immediate answers.
As soon as they exit the restaurant, where no one was around, Hak launched into his question. “I’m gonna be straight with you Yona. It was actually my roommate who set this all up, not me because he thinks I need a girlfriend. A-And I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice, but there’s things about me that—”
Yona placed a finger on his lips to hush him. “Not here. Someone might hear us.” She then took his hand, “there’s somewhere safer we can talk.”
“O-Okay...” Hak blushed both from her commandingly gentle reaction and her hand in his!! He followed quietly as she led them just a few storefronts away to another business, giving up total control like a putty in her hands. If Jaeha saw them, Hak wouldn’t hear the end of it. How the mighty demon Hak was subdued by a tiny woman...
The business itself was nothing special, just a bar from the outside. But then Yona continued inside towards the back, stopping in front of a wall. Hak watched in awe as she muttered a few words in another language and suddenly a door appeared. They went through it and that’s when Hak realized they were still in the bar, just a section reserved for creatures!
After moving them to the side, Yona turned around and giggled. “Let me see the real you, Hak,” she spoke as she dropped her own glamor and white feathery wings suddenly appeared from her back along with a yellow effervescent glow on her skin.
His eyes flashed wide in shock, but he complied with her request. Hak turned off his glamor to reveal two short, pointed black horns on his head, a long black leathery tail, and talons on his fingers.
“You’re a demon” She verified.
“And you’re an angel,” Hak breathed out. “Now I understand that comment from the chat.”
She nodded. “But I have a confession as well,” Yona confided. “I already knew you’re a demon because your friend Jaeha contacted me a couple of days ago suspicious of my remark.” She chuckled, “he really looks out for you, I hope you know he cares.”
“He’s a pain in the ass,” Hak grumbled, “but yeah, that’s why he’s also my best friend.”
“Well?” Yona placed a hand on her hip in a cocky pose. “What do you think? I know I like what I see, but what about you?”
Hak snorted a laugh. An angel... who’s not a saint, huh? This woman was intriguing for sure. “Alright, angel. You’ve got my attention.”
The sound of clapping, and a slap on his back, caused Hak to spin around, swinging at the offender. But what he found instead was his green-scaled dragon roommate.
“Whoa!” Jaeha caught Hak’s fist. “I’m just here to congratulate you buddy.”
“Damn it, slanty eyes!” Hak counter punched the man in his chest. “But... thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Jaeha laughed, “now come on!” He gathered the couple one of each side of him, and pulled them towards the dance floor. “Time to celebrate my buddy’s finally got a girlfriend!”
“I swear to hell I’m gonna kill you Dragon!”
#hakyona#hakyona AU#hak son#son hak#Yona#akatsuki no yona#hak x yona#hakyona fan fic#hakyona fan fiction#angel/demon au
39 notes
·
View notes
Note
I saw your AU idea on reala-is-bea's blog. I got to tell you, it sounds so cool! Everything you did with the characters and ending! If it's ok to ask, is there more you can tell us?
Oh, well there's not so much extra for plot, I can talk about mechanics and stuff! Like I said, its like reciting a dream since its sort of old and based off of vague ideas, but I have some small details worth sharing!
First off, NiGHTS doesn't have their own voice! They're mute and speak through ASL. Elliot and Claris both 'hear' NiGHTS, but its their own voice. It starts off a little incomprehensible because neither actually know ASL, but they gradually learn it via 2 factors: observation of/interactions with NiGHTS, and a piece of plot that would be revealed later which is that as the dream world manifests, certain aspects of collective consciousness starts to become more general.
The explanation for that is that as the dream world manifests, it becomes less personal to account for the rest of the people who will be interacting with the dreams more and more over time. Dreams are also a lot more lucid, so it's easier to learn. Elliot and Claris are both learning from dreams, but are also just absorbing other people's knowledge without realising it.
While in NiGHTS' body, they can speak, but it still comes out as the kid's voice. NiGHTS also has slightly alternate designs for their default state and when the kids are piloting their body. It isn't a more gendered design 😭 it's just slightly different fashion and colors. Theoretically they'd also play differently, but I'm not sure how just yet.
They also have updated designs to both reference Will and Helen as well as embracing more of their own personal selves. Elliot is more sporty and a bit of a nerd about it, he isnt afraid to embrace his idols, so he wears a lot of merchandise lol. Claris is very artsy and bright as well as a bit athletic, she's in track and lacrosse. She doesn't really wear merch like Elliot does, but she customized a lot of her clothes and likes to buy CDs. She has a mobile CD player that clips to her belt loop and a large pair of headphones. Both have a little bit of edge to them to represent the red ideya's courage, but are moreso soft and kind looking, especially since they are children. I live in michigan, so I like to sort of headcanon TwinSeed to be a little equivalent to like a mix between Detroit and Ann Arbor, so Elliot is black+asian and Claris is hispanic
The waking world is essential a hub and marketplace, it has a lot of minigames too. You can earn real money as well as a currency for the dream world. You get real money at the start of the game as that week's allowance, but can earn more through chores and competition. Dream world currency is based on feelings of fulfillment, if you spend time with someone, succeed in a competition, finish a craft, etc, you gain more of it and can redeem them in nightopia.
Real world items can effect/enter the dream world, but not the other way around. Some boss items might have to be bought or gambled for, though I'll admit that I dont like the idea of actual gambling in a kid's game. What the gambling would be is actually just something with a casino look, but its based on intuition instead of chance.
Nightopia also has a hub world instead of the 'enter dreams' screen. It would be a lot larger than what Journey of Dreams had to offer 😭 lolol. Owl might be there, but under a different name and design, more of an homage to his character if anything. The main levels are the ones with the bosses, but there would be extra one that are optional, as well as challenges and minigames to complete. As the game progresses, more nightopians and mepians will inhabit it.
There would be post game! The plot would progress passed Wizeman! Its centered around reestablishing nightopia after Wizeman essentially wrecked the place. It would be cool to have new extra bosses, but at that point I think there may as well be a sequel. If there is a sequel, it would take place directly after the first game and the bosses would reference the JoD bosses, save for the ones like Donbalon who was just a Puffy reference, the ones that are just homage bosses would be scrapped and replaced by full originals.
In the post game, the bosses and other nightmaren will be outside as well, interacting with the inhabitants. Depending on who's being played, either Elliot or Claris will also be there, which could spin to mean that multiplayer is unlocked, but that's not something I think should be an unlockable if it's going to be in a game.
Reala is not friendly, at least not nice. If they show up in post game nightopia, they have a big attitude and dont really like NiGHTS, but they are still going through reform. If I decide against Reala facing reform, they'd be the final boss to the potential sequel story
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
ALICE IN BORDERLAND || a honeybeeadventures review
FULL DISCLOSURE: This review may be a little bit biased and that's gonna have to be okay this time because boy, do I LOVE this show.
If you're a fan of foreign tv shows and you haven't heard of Alice in Wonderland by now, then you may be living under a rock. This show, which premiered during the holiday season of the treacherous year known as 2020, is Netflix's most popular live-action adaptation to date. Yes, that's right, adaptation. That is because Alice in Borderland is based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Haro Aso.
This time, I will try to hold back all of my spoilers since this show is full of twists and turns and honestly, deserves a blank first impression going into it. I want to make sure that everyone who watches this show because of my review gets to experience it fully without my recapping the events haha. I will try to summarize without ruining anything, though.
Alice In Borderland is a Netflix Japan Original Adaptation of the manga that bears its namesake by Haro Aso which originally ran from April 2011 to April 2016. The show premiered on Netflix on December 10, 2020, and just 14 days later, a second season was confirmed by Netflix.
The show follows Arisu Ryohei and his friends after they witness fireworks in the middle of the day and are dropped into another world where most of the people in Shibuya are gone and the only way to survive is to risk their lives playing games that extend their visas and their right to live in that world. Every game is treacherous and usually ends with a loss of life, though some games do have finite solutions that can save players and preserve their well-being. Along the way, Arisu ( a name which is the Japanese way of pronouncing Alice, by the way ) meets a cast of characters that will seem fairly familiar to you if you've ever seen, read, or really have ever even heard of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol or any of its adaptations.
I typically talk about diversity when I review shows, however, as this is a Japanese show, it's not really fair or easy to judge them on that metric because of course, everyone in the show is Japanese ( as they should be since the manga is set in Tokyo ). However, I will say that in the show, there is a character who says that everyone is free to sleep with whoever they want, no matter what gender and there is also a character that is a part of the Alphabet Mafia ( LGBTQIA+ ... I should make a glossary for this blog lol ). While only one ( confirmed ) members of the Alphabet Mafia isn't a lot, it is based on a manga, and considering the manga is written/illustrated by a Japanese man who was in his 30s at the time, I'm gonna chalk that up as the progressiveness of Haro Aso while still wanting to keep his audience.
Now, down to what you really came here for. I'll list the scores below before we get into why I gave them these scores.
Originality of Content: 8/10
Production Quality: 9/10
Resolution: 6/10
Acting/Cast Members: 10/10
Ability to Keep Interest: 10/10
Provocation: 8/10
Obviously, this show did really well by my standards, and here's the breakdown so you can see why.
Originality of Content: 8/10
If we're being honest here, Alice in Borderland definitely isn't the first manga/anime based on the premise of playing a game to survive or get somewhere in the world ( see: Kakegurui, No Game: No Life, .hack//, Gamble Fish, etc. or Rengoku Dead Role which is actually...very similar to AIB ). However, despite this, it still feels like there's some strong originality brought to this concept. Combining the Japanese love for games and a classical western story gives Alice In Borderland just what it needs to easily become a fan favorite. As someone who really favors game-based anime and manga ( because I really favor game design ), I think that the way that Alice In Borderland is a refreshing nod to the genre.
There's a couple of reasons for this but I'll boil it down to just two. The first is that it's not predictable. The issue with a lot of the game-based animes that I'm familiar with is that they are fairly predictable since most games work the same way, but with Alice In Borderland that is different. The rules to each game that is played seem so simple that they seem deceptive but they also seem complex in the way that a riddle is simple yet complex. Every answer that first comes to your mind is probably going to be wrong and you need to think about it more deeply than that. Sometimes, when the rules of the game were being explained, I found myself wanting to pause to see if I could figure out the solution of the game, too, as I watched Arisu think of it, as well.
The second reason is that Alice In Borderland keeps things fresh with its cast of characters. Rather than some characters being evil because that's 'just the way they are', Alice In Borderland really speaks to the effect of the pressure that is put on young people to succeed and how that can end up in them being more mentally lost than they were, to begin with. It also highlights struggles with gender identity, self-worth, complex family relationships, and living up to one's potential. It does this in such a way that even when a character is downright evil, such as Niragi ( IYKYK), there is almost a feeling of pity for them. This isn't because you sympathize with their actions but more so because it isn't difficult to see how the pressure of life turned them into this monster that you are now watching there. I also enjoyed the fact that there wasn't as much dramatic irony in this show as in many others. While dramatic irony is never a necessarily bad thing, it was nice to genuinely be surprised when a character did something instead of knowing that someone was plotting behind someone else's back.
Production Quality: 9/10
This is a statistic that comes with an asterisk of context and that context is that before this, I had been watching Uchu Sentai Kyuranger and if you know what the production quality of that is like then you understand how it may have influenced this show's score a bit. Even without the comparison fallacy of the two, though, AIB scores high in production quality for one reason more than any other to me. For a show with a lot of blood and death, I wasn't unwilling to believe that these people had actually died. Yes, I'm sure that no actors were harmed in the making of this series, however, if I was a little more naive, I might've doubted that a bit. After all, Live Action adaptations are definitely not known for their believability. I will give AIB the benefit of the doubt in saying that this concept wasn't that difficult to pull off since most of the injuries were similar to what you'd expect on your typical action movie set ( compared to...you know...something involving sci-fi or fantasy) but even in the scenes where people get their necks blown off by explosive collars, it looked like they were nearly decapitated...the way that you would expect if someone's neck was blown off by an explosive collar. All in all, if you want to believe it, you will. It's definitely not a hard stretch.
Resolution: 6/10
Okay, okay, so if you've read the manga or have even glanced at the r/AliceInBorderlandLive subreddit then you know this is kind of an unfair score since...well, they're not done. There's more to the story and the eight episodes that we've seen thus far are only about a third of what AIB has to offer since the manga has two sequels, one of which will be finished on Feb. 18 of this year. However, I will see that statement and raise it with "What if it hadn't been such a great success?" I'm all for ending on cliffhangers to force the network or in this case, Netflix to continue your show but since the first season of AIB covers so much of the storyline, it almost feels wrong to end it short the way that it did. I did like how they had the big reveal of the villain at the end and the way they showed what was coming next but it did feel a little anti-climactic when I realized I was on the last episode since it seemed more like a mid-season break type end instead of a season finale. Since there is a sequel to AIB, I wasn't feeling too discouraged but it's definitely something to think about when watching. If you don't plan on reading the manga, you might be left content starving and questioning until sometime near the end of 2021.
Acting/Cast Members: 10/10
If I was just scoring this show on acting, then it would've gotten an all-kill because each and every single actor in this show from the side characters like Nijiro Murakami and Dori Sakurada to Kento Yamazaki who plays Arisu himself is beyond talented and amazing. It is important to remember that all of the characters in this show had a life before they were transported to the Borderland and in this twisted world, something about the changes that make them different than before so in a way, these actors are responsible for not only playing the characters but also the characters past selves before this growth period in which they change into something either completely opposite or completely different than who they were before.
Somehow, this cast manages to take characters that are already so established ( in the manga ) and become them to the point that looking at them within the role and looking at them outside of the role, it almost seems as if they are really two completely different people. As I said before, some of the characters in Alice In Borderland have a correlation to characters from Alice in Wonderland and have their own unique backgrounds on top of that. This gives to the depth of the characters and makes them dynamic but on top of that, it makes them complex, and yet, these actors seem to have the act of embodying these characters down so well that it astonishes me to see them in other roles and know that it's the same person.
I'll be breaking down my three favorite performances to give you a bit of insight on the reason why this show's cast is well-worth looking into.
Dori Sakurada as Niragi Suguru
So let's be honest here, as much as we all like to pretend that we're immune to someone being attractive just because they also prove to be an awful person, but if we're being honest with ourselves, we're not and I am most certainly no exception to that rule. Dori Sakurada is a handsome man whose good looks are only matched in quality by his amazing acting skills. If you're familiar with his work then you know exactly what I'm talking about and if you're not, then I'd recommend watching 3B no Koibito ( Available with English subs on Youtube ) or Scum's Wish ( Available on Rakuten Viki ) to get an idea of how varied this man's acting skills are. In AIB, he plays a character that is somewhat villainous and can almost be classified as your stereotypical movie sociopath. Yet, still, there's something intriguing beyond just his good looks. Dori Sakurada's performance breaths new air into the lungs of the character of Niragi by not only becoming the villain but also, by picking up the mannerisms and master gestures associated with the character that make him such a memorable part of the story. I haven't seen Dori's full Filmography but the character I have seen outside of AIB are a complete left turn from this character which makes me think that the casting director at Netflix Japan needs a raise for having chosen someone who looks so sweet to be such a villain.
Nijiro Murakami as Chishiya Shuntaro
When it comes to characters that become scene-stealers, Chishiya Shuntaro is definitely one of them. This character is so powerful that I, even, named my cat after him. That is a fact of which I am not ashamed. From the second episode of the show, when we are first introduced to him, he becomes an integral part of the framework of the game he is involved in and it is obvious that we will see him again. That being said, there is no way to word Murakami's performance besides 'integral' as my friend put it, "I literally could not imagine anyone else playing this character." As Chishiya, Murakami takes on such a life and ease in the character that it's almost difficult to believe that the sly facial expressions paired with his nonchalant air are not in his nature and are, in fact, something that he donned for the role. I look forward to seeing not only more of Murakami as this character but exploring more of his filmography in general.
Aya Asahina as Hikari Kuina
Kuina as a character is someone that the protagonist does not meet until a few episodes into the show but when it comes to backstories and characters with rich personalities, she shines compared to a lot of other characters I have seen like her. I won't spoil her backstory for you since she's definitely someone who represents something that's a little bit rarer in stories from more reserved cultures but she definitely deserved a mention in this category due to her amazing acting skills and her flawless stunt scenes.
Ability to Keep Interest: 10/10 || Provocation: 8/10
While the rest of my stats got their own individual evaluation, these are going to be combined and the reason for this is because they have the same reasons for their scores. As I mentioned before, Alice In Borderland takes a new spin on the 'play games to live' genre that is so common amongst anime and manga and for that reason, it was able to keep my interest so much so I finished watching it over the course of two days. It was also a deeply thought-provoking situation because the nature of the games and the backgrounds of the characters forced me to think up my own games and my own ideas of where the characters whose backstories are not explained could've come from. That being said, a lot of the thoughts that the show provoked did end up becoming depressing, especially after reading the manga because I discovered that some games could not have had a better outcome due to their simple rules and that made me very sad because even if I am not attached to or fond of a character, I still do not enjoy their downfall.
Overall: 8.5 = DING! DING! DING! WE HAVE A KEEPER!
Overall, I enjoyed Alice In Borderland enough to have rewatched it one and a half times since I first watched it a few weeks ago. As someone who rarely goes back to shows that involve plot twists and suspense because I already know what's going to happen, that really says a lot for not just the storyline but also the acting and amazing intricacies that are in the show. I still feel like each time I watch it, I glean some new detail or fact that I hadn't thought of before and I come to understand the games a bit more with each passing scene or episode. I also feel that the more I rewatch the show, the more I sympathize with even the villains and come to value and understand their motivations and roles. 8.5 out of 10. I WOULD RECCOMMEND.
Thanks for reading!!
#alice in borderland#aib review#alice in borderland review#tv show review#netflix review#alice in borderland netflix#nijiro murakami#dori sakurada#niragi suguru#chishiya#chisiya shuntaro#kuina hikari#aya asahina#kento yamazaki#kakegurui
22 notes
·
View notes
Text
1278
Social Media Survey
[joybucket]
What is your favorite social media site?
Either Twitter or YouTube, though I never use YouTube as a social media site per se so I guess this round goes to Twitter.
Do you use...
facebook?
myspace?
twitter?
snapchat?
instagram?
youtube?
pinterest?
bzoink?
another site with message boards?
tumblr?
deviantart?
xanga?
Facebook
Do you get on Facebook every day?
Yeah pretty much all throughout the day. I used to never use it, like never ever; but back in college all announcements were coursed through Facebook so I was technically required to be on it regularly, and it was from there that I began to see memes and start to be more active. I’m a shitposter more than anything though and I rarely ever post stuff of my own.
How many FB friends do you have?
I have 679 at the moment but I want to get rid of like 500 of them; it’s just such a long list to go through so I never get to proceed with my unfriending spree lol.
Have you ever been on a deleting spree?
HAHA I just mentioned that. I’ve always wanted to, but like I said 679 is already such an exhaustive list for me, and that’s considering I only started touching my Facebook in like 2019. I can’t imagine people who started Facebook in like 2009 and have 4000 friends aka most people I know.
Have you blocked a lot of haters?
I don’t have haters; at least I’m not aware of any that I have. Not that it’s something I care about at this point.
Do you get bullied online a lot?
No, but that’s also because I don’t really open the channels for people to send in hate. I don’t have Q&A handles like Curious Cat and I never pick out that option in Instagram where people can send in questions.
What's your favorite Facebook app?
Oh I never use Facebook for their apps. Are those still even a thing...? Anyway, I mainly go there to be on the hunt for stupid memes I can reshare or to watch videos that are either funny or informative.
Are you a fan of selfies?
I don’t mind if other people do it, but I think I’m honestly bad at selfies so I almost never take them. I’ve never figured out my angles or what filters look ok on me.
Has anyone ever called the police on you because they didn't like your status?
No but I have had my posts reported because they were deemed ‘offensive.’ Which is weird because my posts that have been taken down are those that speak out against disgusting men, which says a lot about Facebook runs their shit more than anything else.
Are you in any facebook groups?
I’m in nearly a hundred groups, both private i.e. for school purposes, and public.
Are you the admin of any groups?
Nah. Too much time and effort needed out of me.
Do you report abuse to group admins whenever you see it?
Yes. I report the post then leave the group.
What could make Facebook better?
They could put more effort into detecting and banning troll farms.
What year did you start using Facebook?
I made an account in 2012 because of a high school class that required us to upload this specific video-format homework onto Facebook (which in hindsight is such an insensitive homework considering that was nearly a decade ago when the Philippines was still severely behind in internet connection speeds?? Ugh). But I didn’t start actively using my account until around two years ago.
What is your current profile picture of?
Myself, posing in front of the sunflowers in school during the recent graduation season.
Did you like the old Myspace better than Facebook?
I was never a regular user of Myspace, so...
Pinterest
What are some of your favorite boards?
I’ve never had a clue what the purpose of Pinterest was. I mean I have an account...but I’ve also never gotten the hang of it?? so I never touch it hahaha.
Have you ever done a craft you saw on Pinterest?
Well no, because I’m terrible at arts and crafts anyway.
Do you have a Dream Wedding board? If so, what's on it?
No.
If you have a Dream House board, what does your dream house look like?
Ok fine this one I did start hahahah but I don’t even remember what I added on there anymore. I’m sure it was filled with modern-style houses with minimalist interior design.
Do you wish they'd bring the "like" button back?
I’m not even aware of this option.
Do you have a Bucket List board?
Not aware of this either.
Which do you like better: Just Girly Things or And That's Who I Am?
The second one sounds less childish. < Same, and it sounds like it covers more.
Do you have a board for tattoos you like? If so, what are some of your faves?
No. The only one I ever made was the house one, then Pinterest quickly became boring from there when I realized there wasn’t much else I could do besides making mood boards.
Do you have a "Random" or "Miscellaneous" board?
No.
Have you ever reached the maximum number of boards?
No.
Do you have any secret boards?
No.
Have you ever had a Pin deleted because of copyright laws?
No.
Do you have a Color board?
No.
Do you have an About Me board? If so, what's on it?
No.
YouTube
Do you have a YouTube channel? If so, what is it?
Technically I do but I only have it so I can tailor video suggestions to my interests and so that I can like videos and subscribe to channels I like.
What kind of things do you post on YouTube?
I’ve never posted any video on there, not even private ones. I’m also not the type to comment.
What do you like to watch on YouTube?
These days YouTube serves as a stress reliever for me, which is to say I would typically go for humorous BTS-related compilations because there are sooooo many hilarious channels that make these great videos haha. Occasionally I’d go back to channels or series that I used to frequent, like Good Mythical Morning, Buzzfeed’s Worth It and Unsolved, Try Guys, Watcher, etc.
Are you subscribed to any channels?
To so many.
Do you watch any vlogs? If so, what ones are your favorite?
Hm probably Jiwoo’s, though her channel is called Mejiwoo. I find her content calming and conversational and basically fun to binge-watch when I’m not looking for anything super super particular to watch.
If you have a channel, how many subscribers do you have?
0. I’m just a lurker.
Will you subscribe to my channel? (msg me if you want a link!)
Only if it’s really fit to my interests, I guess.
Do you watch music videos?
Rarely; not a fan of MVs in particular. I only really ever put an exception for BTS.
Have you ever watched a TV show on youtube?
Well no since their copyright team works hard and works fast lol. I do watch entire video game walkthroughs from time to time.
Have you ever worked out to exercise videos on youtube?
No, I can’t care less about working out tbh.
Have you watched Amanda Todd's famous video?
No. I’m scared that it might be too upsetting or triggering for me.
Have you ever looked up how to do something on YouTube?
Not really, I prefer looking up articles that can teach me step by step in words.
Do you get a lot of hate comments on youtube?
No, I’ve never posted anything on there.
How long have you been a youtuber?
Never been.
Instagram
Do you post on Instagram a lot?
I do 1-3 Instagram stories in a week, I would say. As for posts, I only have 4 in total and I don’t really feel the pressure to add more. I just post when I feel the want to.
Have you ever posted a poll on instagram?
Nah, I’m not too sure if anyone would participate so I’ve never tried.
If you don't have an iPhone, do you wish you could use Instagram?
I’m pretty sure other operating systems can also use Instagram...
Do you have any followers?
Around 50, I think.
Do you like Instagram filters?
I’ll use them sometimes to make my stories appear prettier.
Twitter
Do you think twitter is stupid?
Hehe show me at least one person who doesn’t think so. < Coming from someone who regularly uses Twitter, agree. It is crazy stupid but stupid is what I’m there for. Which is honestly not always such a bad thing to me - I like that people are more themselves, more stripped-down, vulnerable on Twitter. People always seem to want to show off their best selves on Facebook and Instagram, so I’m actually kind of grateful that there is at least one social media out there where people can just be their clumsy, goofy selves.
How often do you tweet?
Probably a maximum of five a day. Nowadays I’m on there mostly to just scroll through my timelines.
Do you get on twitter every day?
Yes, both on my personal and fan account.
Bzoink
Do you make a lot of surveys?
I never make them but I try to take them as often as I can.
Do you take a lot of surveys?
Haha sorry, was one step ahead of you. Yeah, I do.
Do you post in the message boards?
Nah. I dunno if I’m even permitted to check the message boards on Bzoink considering I don’t have an account.
What types of surveys are your favorite?
Categorized surveys like this one or countdown ones can be fun, but at the end of the day I like sticking to the classic random survey.
Do you have friends on here?
Not on Bzoink, but here on Tumblr yes! There’s a number of people here I like keeping up with :)
Do you post all your secrets on here?
Again, not on Bzoink; but yep I share pretty much everything here.
What type of survey do you think I should make next?
Anything but basic/about me-themed ones that will ask for my name and eye color and weight.
Do you read peoples' answers to your surveys?
I’ve never made a survey.
Do you think you are good at making surveys?
Do you try to make unique surveys?
What type of surveys do you want to see more of?
Random
This or That
Scattergories
Have You Ever
Are you like me?
About You
Personal, Deep Questions
Girly
Music shuffle
Would You Rather
Do you have this in your bedroom?
Long
Short
All About Your Crush
Fashion
Make-up
School
Music
Your health
Your friends
Confessions
Girl Confessions - how different is this from just confessions? Hahaha
R-Rated
Controversial topics
Myspace
Did you have a myspace when you were in high school?
I started an account in like 4th grade when Myspace was ~big, but I didn’t find it fun and everyone my age was on Friendster anyway, so I was largely inactive.
Do you use myspace now?
No. Is it still even around? I have no clue.
Do you miss bulletins?
I didn’t get to join in on the fun so there’s nothing to miss.
Did you like customizing your profile with the old myspace?
Not attributed to Myspace but I did have a lot of fun customizing my Multiply and Tumblr accounts back in the day. That was a period where I really got to learn and play around with HTML :)
Did you have music on your profile?
Not on Myspace again but I did on Multiply! I had a cute little playlist that played the songs immediately as soon as you landed on my page hahaha.
Did you learn HTML when you used Myspace?
Tumblr, yeah. I believe the skills are still there but I’ll definitely be a bit rusty.
Did you have a customized cursor?
Oh, no. Wasn’t a fan of those as I found them a bit tacky.
Did you use glitter graphics?
Also found those tacky haha no, I never used those.
Do you remember posting glitter graphics on friends' pages?
Nope.
Did you make "dolls"?
I don’t recall ever making those.
Did you use photo captions?
Not sure what this is referring to so let’s just say no.
Did you have a photo slideshow on your profile?
Hmmm nope, I don’t think so.
Xanga
Did you have a Xanga account back in the day?
No. It wasn’t big here so I had never heard of it until I started taking surveys on here and heard people mentioning Xanga, actually.
Do you have a xanga account now?
No.
Did you post photos and quotes on your xanga page?
I never had any.
Snapchat
Do you use snapchat?
I did; I was superrrrr active on there for a time. It kind of just got old at one point, though, and my feed got more and more dead until I too just left my account dormant altogether.
What is your favorite filter?
There were a lot of cute ones on there that helped me be more confident with taking selfies but my favorites have to be the dog and flower crown ones.
Tumblr
Do you understand Tumblr?
I had a better handle of it when I ran a fan account that required me to be more active; but now that I really just go on here to take surveys I just use the basic functions and nothing more. But yeah, I understand just enough to get by.
Do you use Tumblr?
Yeah. Even on the days I don’t post surveys, I regularly go on here to keep up with friends I like keeping up with like Elisabeth, Lane, Steph, Lina, Julie :)
Other
What forum sites did you use to love that aren't around anymore?
There was one message board I frequented for this girly/tween magazine I used to collect, but I won’t share the name.
Are there any other great social media sites that you recommend?
I think this survey was able to cover all the main ones I use.
Do you use a photo editing site? If so, what?
I use apps instead of sites to edit my photos.
Do you ever use BeFunky.com?
Nope.
Do you use a video editing site? If so, what?
Nah, I rarely have to edit videos in a super intricate, detailed way. Apple’s video editing features suffice for me.
Have you ever downloaded fonts?
Very occasionally since it’s never necessary.
Have you ever used photobucket to upload an image?
No but I remember going on there back in the day to look for images. I never uploaded any, though.
Do you use iTunes?
Not anymore. I have an account on Spotify now.
Do you listen to music on Pandora?
No, never used it.
1 note
·
View note
Note
I wish to know more of your awesome OCs!! So, 19, 22(or maybe as an alternative if they don't, something you mischaracterize on some of them by mistake? Odd, but I sometimes mess up my own ocs XD), 23, 24, 26, and 32 for the OC questions!!
Oh! You beautiful person you! 💖🥺 Of course I shall tell you more about my many, many ocs! Hopefully I can fulfill! 🥰🤗
More undercut because this turned out to be very long ~ 😅
19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why).
Aw, honestly all my OC’s mean so much to me! It is hard to play favorites sometimes lol. Though, if I had to choose, I’m going with two of them!
Samantha, or Sam, is definitely my baby and has definitely developed so much from her original self. Nonetheless, still the same shy, curious girl who has a big role to uphold as chosen Beta to her Alpha. Plus, being a Legendary Wolf Warrior of Light, even more so! Still, despite many the many hardships and obstacles she has faced, she is still hopeful and a total sweetheart. She just wants a settled life and live her with her closest pack mates.
I have definitely put her though the ringer a lot, emotionally and even explored just several internal things with her. I know Danielle is meant to be me in a sense, but personality and emotional wise, I am more like this lovely Angel. Best girl and everyone loves her!
Second is definitely Danielle (my BsD self insert). Personally, because I have started to embrace her and give her more of my personality and who I really am. Still keeping her as her own person with her struggles, in some aspects, but giving her more of me as well. She has definitely allowed me to have some more self love for myself. Even if it is come and go on most days. She has just grown to be more of a gradual part of me in the recent years since I got into Bsd. I truly love her as she gives me a reason to embrace the parts of me I never would have considered so much or even just not like about me.
Self shipping has definitely also helped, I just love Dany very much and hold her close, please she may be stubborn but she is hella fragile ;;;w;;;
22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how?
Hm, I wouldn't say anyone has mischaracterized my characters so much that I know of, maybe my parents whenever there is a moment they see my Oc’s and just make a judgement on them on the spot lol.
I suppose me mischaracterizing my OCs would probably be the Seven Deadly Soul Sins? Maybe ^^, These seven, practically, ghost entities of the Seven Deadly Sins are meant to be perceived as the worst possible people/wolves. Their existence is the reason people do bad things and are the negative contrast to the Legendary Wolf Warriors.
Take an old, unfinished draw of all 7 of them together~
I know what they are, how they behave, what their very existence and presence entails. However, I have come to the bad tendency of redemption in my line of story telling, I often find myself back and forth whether there is any redeemable qualities that should be given to them considering their very existence and such. Envy, or Evelyn, is one that I can definitely see having something on that accord, but she is still at her core bad.
I don't know if I am saying this correctly or even answering the question well lol. But yeah, I say my Deadly Sin OC’s often can be mischaracterized in a way. I can definitely picture them being top favs if my story was an actual thing. I support the fans in all they come lol ^^
23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?
I can't think of one I changed too much out of concern for what they are like that I can remember to be quite honest ^^,
I guess maybe Wisler? I know when I first came up with the start up concept of the LWW, I never intended for him to be a previous Warrior. It was always meant to be Dany’s Aunt who possessed it and Wisler was just a precautious elder wolf who needed to teach her to better her powers, less she gives it up like his daughter had.
Of course, the whole concept and idea, just gives way for him to have been a possible warrior in the past. If anything I just the developed the idea more and made it more of a tragedy for Wisler. Normally, the concept of being a LWW is meant to be a blessing, a gift bestowed by a greater power, but to him, after giving up his power and remaining upon the world, he just sees it as a curse. Pride only solidified that into his mind. Nonetheless, he becomes a mentor to the other warriors to better themselves and keep them from giving up their power.
Second, was more of a momentary interest in the Chronicles of Narnia and being ever so salty about Susan being left behind, while her family died and went to Narnia ;;;w;;;
Silly thing really, but literally chose, out of all the warriors, Lidia to be the one to be left alive, from whatever scenario I had at the time, because she refused her soul gift of the LWW’s. It was a momentary silly concept, I don't know why I would chose her for this scenario at all, she doesn’t deserve that ;;w;;
If anything, the ones that I can picture are Yamato and Danielle, just because of their mental state and emotional turmoil under such a heavy weight of loss. It was a silly concept I had thought of once, and just cry little at the thought ;;w;;
24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?
Heck, I would love to meet all of them... and heavy apologize for all the hell I've put them all through ;;;w;;;
But Jason~ most definitely...Not cause I self ship myself with him or anything but UwU,,, He is a sweetheart and a beautiful boi ~ I want to love him and give him a soft life pls.
26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will?
Ahh,,, All of them, in a way? ^^; my middle self was something else entirely~
I think design wise, most if not all my warriors, are still the same. Maybe just a few new upgrades in their fur shade, colored eyes, and maybe their human designs too. Most definitely will change more in the future, just for the sake of bettering myself to draw people.
Old, high school art~ Cringe
Any new design change is purely out of being in a more better mindset of design and just development of what make them unique. I have definitely changed all of their Soul Markings, I have changed Lidia’s name from Leafia recently, Taka’s formerly sky blue eyes to more of a pale green, Sora’s former tail scar to the claw ones on her shoulder, etc.
Origin, personality and relation wise on the other hand, GRADUAL SHIFT! Some points:
Sora, Yamato, and Takaru are heavily inspired by the Digimon Adventure kids of the same name, I kept their surnames of the ones from the series for a long time into at most Junior Year of High School. Til I learned, if I want to make them my own, I have to change this entirely!
So Sora, Yamato, and Takaru are definitely different entirely from their original selves, personality and kind of design wise.
Sam was kind of meant to be like Kari from Digimon in a way, but heavily refused to name her that or make her in similarity of the character.
Another Oc of mine named Jacob Wolfe was originally going to be the Warrior of Earth before I came up with Lidia.
There was originally meant to be just 5 Warriors, Lidia and Jason not yet part of it and, surprisingly, neither was Danielle.
Jason was originally named Damien and was kind of, for a while, Danielle’s twin sibling... Changed that drastically and entirely after renaming him to Jason.
Originally, had some other mythical beasts living amongst them in the Forest of Dreams, like dragons and gryphons for a while.
Originally, played with the idea of the warriors coming back to life if they didn't give up their powers, but... after much though it just became more of a “too cheesy of choice?” Especially for an ending thing before the next generation kids come in, it was just not an option after a while.
These are just some that I can think of at the top of my head at least, I am sure there is much more scrap things in my mind lol.
32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why?
...God I don't want any of them to fecking die grueso-(I should shut my mouth actually),,, even though I will admit I did internally put my warriors into a shitty thought-out idea of them in a Final Destination scenario...
Ahh, may Yamato in a way as that stoic, hardened protagonist with the will too try and survive, Wrath is his counter self sin, I find that fitting in a way. Same with Jason, just because of his slight nativity to being a warrior and how he left his former abusive living from his alpha and stepfather. Oddly enough, maybe Sam? Just because of her ability to see the worst things to happen in the future, but I am not sure lol.
Am thinking of the new Resident Evil game I see floating around with some gamer youtubers and I can see Yamato and/or Jason in the position and setting.
—✨——✨——✨—
I truly enjoyed all these questions! It gave me time to think and reflect on my ocs! I do hope you enjoy some old, blurred and unfinished art from ya wolf girl~ I truly appreciate this and gives me the feels of validation! ;;;w;;;
#the legendary wolf warriors#alpha’s art#alpha howls#oc ask questions!#bsd oc#original character#alpha's ocs
4 notes
·
View notes
Note
I meant I guess worldbuilding? Or really any aspect of the comic itself you're finding interesting!
Ah, okay! Top 5 worldbuilding/weird plot shit elements of Homestuck I really enjoyed:
1. The stable time loops/ontological paradoxes that the plot and existence of the characters is based around. Look I’m just a sucker for time travel and self-perpetuating objects/events, it’s good mind-bending fun and also plays with free will and self-determination and identity in really spicy ways.
(That’s why I latched onto Dark so much as well, even I ended up disagreeing fairly strongly with a lot of the eventual/underlying ideology - characters meeting future versions of themselves who were completely out of alignment with their current value systems or conceptions of themselves, various objects/ideas/entire family lines having no origin point, etc. Also people being related in weird ways. Homestuck and Dark really do have a disquieting amount in common in this regard, lol.)
2. Doc Scratch narrating the end of 5.2. I think this was really one of the best framing devices for the story (Caliborn’s narration, less so). That entire buildup was just so creepy and foreboding and draws on the meta aspects of the story and the different narrative and temporal layers of reality really engagingly. (And that damn clock.)
3. The quadrants. I know, I know! But I am just so gratified to finally see an exact articulation of the kind of relationship I am always looking for in media/fandom (and that “enemies to lovers” doesn’t really cover) that I can forgive yet another strict categorization/quantification of relationships. I just love the idea of mutual antipathy and competition being a method of self-improvement! Rivalry that’s invigorating and pushes you to be your best selves (and in which you make out on the reg). It’s just *chef kiss*
But while I have plenty of issues with how the quadrants in general are handled, I think what I most appreciate is Karkat explaining to John that he has a black crush on Terezi. Because that exchange, for me, really emphasizes the social constructionist nature of these categories. Like, I think feeling conflicted or hostile about a person on the development of romantic feelings for them is pretty common! We just don’t have a social institution built around it! The kids all treat kismesissitude like it’s super alien and impossible to understand but it’s actually based on feelings that lots of us already have, just conceptualized in a different way.
4. The characters in Sburb being designed based on different games - i.e. the Midnight Crew being playing cards, Doc Scratch/Lord English/the Felt being based on pool, the Carapacians being chess pieces, etc. I think pre-trolls, the happenings on Prospit and Derse were one of the most engaging parts of the story for me because of this aspect. And there’s so much meta out there about all the references to various games that are present in the design/plotting surrounding these characters. The amount of thought put into it all is super impressive.
5. The retcon. Whatever my frustration with Vriska’s character (and I have a lot of it), I really like the retcon as another part of the commentary on what constitutes “canon” and an extension of the identity confusion stuff present in the time loops. And I really appreciated what the retcon did for Terezi’s character in particular - seeing her master her powers (which are super cool) and push John into not giving up, and then see post-retcon Terezi struggle to live up to her future self. (And the passwords were a lot of fun.)
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
Exclusive Interview with Sheree Renée Thomas, Author of Nine Bar Blues
One of our booksellers, Caitlyn Wild, had the amazing opportunity to conduct this longform interview with author Sheree Renée Thomas. Her newest book is Nine Bar Blues: Stories from an Ancient Future, published by Third Man Books. Sheree is celebrating her book along with her Third Man “label mates” Alison Mosshart and Robert Gordon (who also have new books out) in our City Lights LIVE events series on Wednesday, October 21.
***
Caitlyn: This book is gorgeous on the inside AND the outside. This is one of my favorite covers of 2020, have to say. As I'm gazing wistfully at it here I see the subtitle, "Stories from an Ancient Future". Could you speak about what that phrase holds and conjures for you?
Sheree Renée Thomas: Thank you! I wanted the cover for Nine Bar Blues to offer a visual clue to some of the characters, natural (and unnatural) landscapes, and themes in the stories. Third Man Books did a wonderful job of creating that sense of wonder and the verdant richness (cicadas, Egyptian gods, the moon, aliens, vines!) I was hoping for.
The subtitle, “Stories from an Ancient Future” is my riff on the idea that if humanity continues onward, we’ll someday reach a point where even our imagined futures are ancient. Some of the stories in the collection are set in the near future, alternate futures, the present, and the past. What would life be like if you existed in an ancient future? If time is relative, there is always a place where we can look back at ourselves (or our imagined selves) and see the grand sweep of time. What things remains the same, what falls away, is erased and remade again? The ancient future contains some of the wisdom of our past and some of our hopes for the future. It also contains our mistakes and fears. Will we be better off then, in this imagined future? Perhaps, at least I hope so. But that depends on what we carry with us and how well we learn from the lessons of the past. For me, it’s a blending of Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles and the West African philosophy of Sankofa.
The story that really stayed with me in this collection was "Head Static". It put me in an altered state! I felt like I was watching the earth as it was being created, the deep gods and archetypes of our psyches emerging from the hum of the universe before my eyes, but in reverse. In short, I loved it! Could you tell us about the inception of the character in that story, Claire, and explain how she came to be in your mind and then on the page?
That makes me so happy because Claire was one of those characters whose journey really haunted me. When I began writing her, I knew who she was but not why she was, or rather, how she had come to feel the way she did. Music became a way of thinking about the things that people share in common, around the world, throughout time. It is one of our greatest forms of expression. And music contains our deepest thoughts and observations on the world. But our culture is so obsessed with the cult of celebrity, in search of the next great thing. We worship youth and novelty, often at youth’s expense. There’s this constant drive for innovation and acceleration, while holding onto the dream of an endless life span. At what cost? To what end? Writing “Head Static” was a way for me to think about some of these ideas while exploring that deep musical connection.
On October 21 we are excited to host you and two of your fellow Third Man Books authors, Alison Mosshart and Robert Gordon. Third Man also publishes another of my favorites, Janaka Stucky. As a reader I'm consistently enraptured with the authors and books they publish. I'm curious as to what the Third Man experience is like from the author's side?
It’s been pretty exciting! First of all, if you ever get a chance to visit Third Man Records, go immediately because the space is just amazing. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like a cross between Tim Burton and Ed Wood with a little Willy Wonka mixed in there? Fantastic design throughout and um, Jack White. Yeah, Jack White! Working with Chet Weise and the Third Man Books/Records team has been as close as my non-musical self has ever been to being in a rock band! There is a lot of good energy, great ideas, and collaboration, and the team is insanely supportive and creative. Between the kickass writers—poets, fiction writers, creative nonfiction—there’s a great deal of talent to just vibe with and connect. My fellow press mates are always working on new wonders, the kind of work that impacts the world—and that’s inspiring.
You are the first Black author to receive a World Fantasy Award for the groundbreaking collection you edited, Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, which was published in 2000. (HELL YES). In another interview, you said you were inspired to put the book together because you were shocked it didn't exist yet. In 2020, is there a book you are shocked that has yet to be published? What books that have come along since 2001 are you glad about?
There is at least one marvelous book that I do hope to see in the world before I roll out, and there are a couple of others that seem like their time has come, industry-wise, so we shall see. Back in ’98 when I was thinking on what would eventually become the first volume of Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, I didn’t set out to create a groundbreaking project. I literally was just looking for more Black speculative fiction to read for fun, and when I didn’t find it in the bookstores, its absence puzzled me. With as many different anthologies that make up the genre, I was surprised that it hadn’t been done before. I’m really grateful I had the chance (and the courage) to do it. It’s been quite a journey!
Since that first volume and the second one, Dark Matter: Reading the Bones, that came out in 2004, there have been many, many wonderful amazing books that pretty much put away the old arguments about Black writers not reading or writing this work. One book that I reviewed around the time I was working on the anthology was Nalo Hopkinson’s Brown Girl in the Ring. That novel felt like a game changer to me, because Nalo’s writing got us all so excited about the cultures and worlds we had not seen often in science fiction. She achieved this in a magical way that, while offering all the things we love about speculative fiction, rang true with a rootedness in Afrodiasporic culture. It didn’t feel like she was translating to us. Her writing, storytelling, and world building felt natural and true to itself. Today you could have a whole library of Black speculative fiction (and the scholarship that examines it), and that is beyond thrilling for me.
Between the diverse works of N.K. Jemisin, Andrea Hairston, Tananarive Due, P. Djèlí Clark—they cover a lot of imaginative ground--and a ton of exciting YA authors I cannot even begin to name, readers have a lot of new work and new voices to explore. It’s just an exciting time.
Finally, if you owned a bookstore or small press, what would it be called and what would your bestseller or focus be?
I’ve been jotting down bookstore names for years! Here are a few:
Beloved Books (this was invented during my Toni Morrison phase), focusing on the books people can’t stop discussing and all of our childhood favorites, too.
Echo Tree Books (named after one of my favorite short story writers and poets, Henry Dumas, featuring all fantasy, science fiction, horror, and such).
Haint Blue Books (so I can paint every single wall the most stunning shades of blue, focusing on excellent fiction and world folklore with tons of poetry because sometimes, sadly, people be sleeping on the poetry, lol. Don’t sleep on the poets!).
And my favorite, All Y’all Books (Southern lit and more! Plus a healthy selection of regional lit from other parts).
I love the last one the best because I can just hear folks saying, “You know you can get it at All Y’all Books!” or asking, “Where did you get that?” “Girl, at All Y’all’s Books. They have out of print and rare books, too!” Authors can say, “I’m going to be reading at All Y’all’s Books.” You can’t help but smile when you say that!
3 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
writingintheocean
Imagine Me Underwater
danieljreboot
Daniel J 2.0
laundryinthestreets
Golden State of Mind
cornalicious
Call me Corn
infinite-ducks
Sawyer/Spoon