#like come ON i just think the series would be vastly improved by having more diversity in the gem character designs. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ask-obt · 1 year

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A question for Woo. Would you enjoy an explorers DX getting revealed on the upcoming Pokemon Day?

// if this hypothetical proposes that this sort of explorers DX would be almost exactly the same in execution to rescue DX then I'd have to say................ no..............

before you bring out the pitchforks, let me explain myself. anyone who attends my streams or catches me in the wild in discord servers knows that I don't really like how the 3d games look. it's not as much a debate on "does pixel art or 3d models look better", but more "which style does chunsoft handle better", which I can sum up how I feel about in one screenshot

which is to say, my main problem with the 3D games is that the charm kinda got sucked straight out of them. it's true that pixel sprites have limitations- it's why we have portraits to more easily convey how characters are feeling, and your brain can fill in any missing details. but with 3D games, every aspect is able to be rendered out, and if you aren't going 100% all in, it's a lot more easy for the intended emotions to fall through. we have the ability to have pokemon emote like this now,

so why on earth is this the range that we're stuck with for PMD?

the simplest answer I can think of is that chunsoft is trying to apply the same strategy they used with sprites onto 3D models... which I think could work in theory, but not in the way they're applying it. as is, they don't have the models emote much and rely on portraits to carry the intended emotion through. the models also have some of the most stiff rigging I've seen in any game to date. I'm sure it has something to do with hardware limitations, but if that's the case I don't see why they couldn't create something that would fit their needs better like pokemon rumble's low poly models. well I know the answer is that they don't wanna actually render new 3D models for a PMD game and just use the library of models they got from gamefreak, but I like to think something like XY or ORAS's overworld models would make for a nicer looking game.

one pet peeve of mine is seeing folks praise DX for its unique look, which I think is true for the backgrounds!... but not really the models. I don't think putting an outline and paper texture overlay on the models is particularly revolutionary. it's a good direction to start, but far from peak aesthetic.

other problems I have with DX are how the main hub areas look (the grass for pokemon square is so blown out I have to play the game with lowered saturation and a darkened screen), and how the general UI looks in the dungeons. idk if it's because I'm neurodivergent or if it's just a "me" thing, but there's so much useless information being thrown at me at all times in a dungeon that it makes it really hard to focus on what's happening

I imagine this is mostly a side effect of losing the dual screen ability on the switch and I don't really have a proposed solution, but at least removing the text bubbles that come up every single time you get attacked or use a move would be a good start. maybe just save those for critical hits or smth idk, I don't really need to hear every single thought that comes out of my team.

I also think accessibility features like the auto-dungeon crawl feature are nice for those who want it, but it does feel a little overpowered by (seemingly) knowing exactly where the stairs are in a dungeon, which can take the exploration aspect out of playing the game. I'd also like the ability to disable that feature in a menu since I tend to misclick sometimes and accidentally activate things lmao

I just kinda tore into DX, but there are a few things I do like about it. the gummi system is vastly improved first of all (thank god I can stop grinding for one million gummis), and I think the dungeon environments are some of the best to come out of the series. I also think the models wearing scarves is super cute, I loved it in Super and am glad it made a return here. I'm sure there are other QOL features I'd like in theory but I kinda... didn't get very far in the game due to the aforementioned graphical and UI issues that felt like actual sandpaper to my brain.

if there was an explorers DX, I actually think one fun direction the series could take is something like pokemon cafe remix or paper mario, which is still the energy of a 2D game just using nice looking art assets instead of sprites. I just think a PMD game that looks like this could be really cute and charming...

and it'd probably be closer to chunsoft's wheelhouse since it'd take notes from how they put the sprite games together! just wishful thinking though. my current crack theory is that rescue DX was just to test the waters for how popular PMD still is and maybe to test out the engine on switch before releasing an original game, a la let's go pikachu/eevee to sword/shield. I doubt they'll make an explorers remake.

#on borrowed time comic #ask-obt #ooc #pmd dx #dx #that was a lot of words hopefully this is readable

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absolutebl · 2 years

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This Week in BL - Japan WINS

July 2022 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Triage (grey) Ep 9-11 - I got caught up! Finally we switched POV to Tol. I’ve been waiting for this. Also more time with the side characters - who knew Sing is a total badass, and a great actor? I guess it’s OK that Tin is mostly absent or in a coma. One of the greatest things about this drama is that all of the characters are complex but not necessarily likable more pleasingly flawed. TinTol give a great mutual kiss. (Look some of us have been waiting 5 years for it!) Episode 10 Slayed me! The twist on the person fixing the timeline was very clever. Jinta = The ultimate BL Shipper: turns back time so his boys can be cannon. Also teaching Tol a lesson in forgiveness and communication.This is a CLEVER show.

Love Mechanics (Sun WeTV) Ep 3 - My messy cheeky drama-llama boys are back in spades. I’m enjoying this more than I should. It’s crazy to compare to Check Out because they are basically the same premise airing at the same time, but LM is just SO MUCH better. YinWar sheesh, why so good? Seriously tho, Vee you bisexual identity crisis is going to break this poor little gay boy, you georious flirty cheating fucker.

Unforgotten Night (Weds on GaGa) Ep 3 - boring ep this week, nothing happened, not even one leathery whiff of BDSM, this is my sad face. TRASH WATCH REBORN!

Sky in Your Heart (Fri YouTube) Ep 6 - How they managed to make aggressive courting, one of my favorite tropes, still boring defeats me. That said: sick and needy Dao was cute. Meanwhile, Prince is an actual prince, who saw that coming? Everybody. Their kisses are sweet, tho. Having 2 faen fatals for Prince is a bit much, I mean I like both actors but...

Thai linguistics corner: If you want to hear frozen register spoken, that’s what Prince’s maa speaks to tease Fah in this ep.

On a different note I think both these shows would have been VASTLY improved by cutting each set back to 6 eps each and then cross cutting between the two couples like the Why R U? or Dark Blue Kiss approach with 12 eps total. Just call the whole thing Star & Sky. Each couple would have been less boring and frustrating if focus were split, and the pacing would have been a lot better too. Why do I have to tell GMMTV how to do their fucking job?

Even Sun (Wed iQIYI) Ep 2 - the language is fun in this one (they too switched to chan/nai so I’m guessing it’s and organized crime thing), the cast is excellent, the boxers mildly interest me (no, not that kind) and BounPrem’s chemistry is unmatched, but... I still don’t like it. *shrug*

Check Out (Sat IQIYI) Ep 5 - Candy is THE MOST confusing character. But this show is just messy, it’s not even hot. Sigh.

My Secret Love (Sat YouTube Sat) Ep 6 - honestly I only still watch this because I have a checklist of bad BLs to get through on Saturday before I post this and this is on it. It did get sexy more and faster than I was expecting.

Oh My Sunshine Night (?) - Ep 1 I admit I didn’t try very hard to find this. OhmFluke are one of my original biases, but honestly this looks to be yet another one of their serious+sad+meaty ones. While I love that they are handed high drama (because they are one of the few Thai pairs that can legitimately handle it) it’s not what I enjoy in my BL. I might wait until I know how it ends and binge later? Not sure what to do here.

For me, most of the Thai stuff is pretty lackluster right now.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Minato Shouji Coin Laundry (Japan Weds GaGa) Ep 2 - oh it is GREAT but I spent the scallop scene upset about the one left on the grill turning rubbery. Beautiful 17-year-olds are all very well and good but don’t fucking overcook seafood! Shin is the most aggressive flirt ever. Baby boi is persistent, gotta give him that. Minato is gonna have to hurt him bad to cut him lose. I don’t want that but this is Japan, they will probubly go there, don’t get comfy - never forget Japan’s brand is, in the end, emo.

JAPANESE LINGUISTIC CORNER: I gotta say one of the things I am LOVING about this drama is that gaga is giving us names+honorifics in the captions. Shin call’s Minato-san appropriately but Minato runs the gamut. I mean he fucked up from the get go going so casual with Shin he dropped not just to no honorifics but to a nickname. To be fair, with a 10 year age gap Minato can do whatever he wants, but also Minato kinda gave Shin license to crush with such casual informal affection from the start. (The fact that Shin saved Minato in his phone as Akira though - boy’s got balls fursure.) But it’s Minato jumping between Shin, Shin-kun (annoyed and/or formal distancing) and Shin-chan (childish and demeaning) in some sort of desperate attempt to grapple with his own feelings that I love SO MUCH. Honestly, this is like a master class in use of Japanese honorifics from all angles and as an intimate part of narrative. I can’t wait to see what Minato calls Shin next...

Senpai, Danjite Koidewa! (Japan Fri Viki) Ep 3 - look, I admit it, like SCOY this dynamic (super awkward pining uke) is one of my least favorites - high cringe factor. I prefer a pining seme for power differential reasons. I mean this dynamic has been done okay (see the yaoi Desire) but only really when the seme is a bumbling sunshine himbo type. This one is just painfully awkward and cringey. I’m sticking it out though, because I can’t fault Japan’s quality, moot pining is better than single sided, plus it got HELLA kinky allasudden (that submissive fantasy in A TEMPLE?). Okay so there is a priest kink, this is the first time I have seen a version of that in a BL. Everyone say “thank you Japan for slipping more kink into this dumb office set sweet romance than Thailand’s billed BDSM drama has in its little finger.”

Love in Spring AKA Spring of Crush (Korea grey) Ep 14 Oh it is not good but also weirdly fun in an old-fashioned way, like Hercules or Xena level of acting and quality. I understand it ends as either bromance or there’s no/dead fish kiss. So my expectations are really low. Want to See You (Vietnam YT) Ep 6 - I’m behind, I’ll get caught up tomorrow. Talk to @heretherebedork about it.

Plus & Minus (Taiwan Viki & Gaga) Spe 13 SPECIAL - Drunken husbands after the wedding was very cute, then there were some flashbacks and an odd cross dressing dream. It’s fine if you want more time with the main couple, but doesn’t add anything to the story. Not necessary to watch. The rest of the “eps” are actually just bts. (full review here)

Finished this Week

Old Fashion Cupcake (Japan Mon Viki) Ep 5fin - I very much loved this, but I found ep 5 a tiny bit of a let down. It reverted back to pretty standard light Japanese live action yaoi, of the style I talk about here. I did expect a bit more intimacy from this one: at least showing the two of them cuddling in bed together or something super domestic, if not kissing. I get why they brought it back around to pancakes but this is me, I wanted more sexy. I wanted to see Togawa’s thirst satiated. I’m not surprised or upset, this is still an amazing, comforting, unexpected gem of a show, but it’s not the 10/10 I thought it was going to be at the end of 4. Solid & watchable. 9/10 Full review here. DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED

KinnPorsche (Sat iQIYI) Ep 14fin - FINAL THOUGHTS: VegasPete were in one drama; KimChay were in another; KinnPorsche were in each of those randomly but then sometimes in their own extremely slapstick cheese-fest alt-reality + Tankhun. There were clearly 2 directors with 2 distinct and conflicting points of view, who apparently never had a single conversation with each other. Was this show good? Nope. Was it absorbing as fuck? Sure. Was it well acted, absolutely. Were the sex scenes great? Yes. We the fight scenes awesome? Actually yeah (special props to Jeff for the hand-to-hand stuff). Did I enjoy the kinky bits? Certainly. But all that said: the VegasPete universe of KP was the only universe I really enjoyed and would like to revisit, and I only got that 1/5 of the time. Thus mathematics dictates that I, at least, am still waiting for the perfect mafia BL. I think it might be up to Japan at this juncture. Gevn fan fervor, I don’t really know how to judge this show but I have to go with my heart, and KP didn’t win it. 7/10 No full review here on tumbr but I did post one to MDL. RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS (some of them around the fandom)

To My Star 2 (Korea Viki) Ep 9-10fin - this was never going to be my favorite, too much pain, not enough payout but there IS payout and it does end happily, the finale was lovely. Did they talk enough for me to think they won’t still have problems - no. But for some it really worked. 7/10 Full Review here (I just updated my original TMS review, since the two must be watched together). RECOMMENDED WITH SERIOUS RESERVATIONS

Gossip

GMMTV is doing *something* with the holy trinity (SingtoKrist, TayNew, OffGun - yes Singto is back, although he hasn’t rejoined the stable) + the scions (BrightWin). They’re being uninformatively annoyingly secretive about it and I don’t do weird Thai promo stuff. But it’s on their YT channel.

Fluke Natouch (OhmFluke UWMA etc...) & Judo (The Miracle Of Teddy Bear) to star in the upcoming WaGa Creative's medical-fantasy Thai BL, Make A Wish. Has had a read through, no trailer yet.

New Thai BL End of Love announced based on a y-novel of the same name, cast with unknowns.

China rumored to be doing a bromance remake of Addicted Heroin as My Family Won the Lottery where our boys have girlfriends and just SOMEONE STOP THEM.

One of my absolute favorite Japanese BL actors Hio Miyazawa (from His the movie) is rumored to be taking on the lead role in the movie adaptation of Makoto Takayama’s autobiographical novel Egoist to be released 2023. He’ll be opposite super famous actor Ryohei Suzuki. This is about an openly gay but vein and superficial man (Hio) who falls in love with a personal trainer (Ryohei) who is stuck taking care of his sick mother. It’s not BL, it’s gay coming of age and we can’t expect it to end happily. Still, I’ll probubly try to watch it. Japanese movies are notoriously difficult to get ahold of, tho.

In Case You Missed It

MeMindY's Love in The Air (Thai BL ensemble pulp) starts on August 18 on GMM25 and they will drop it Fridays on their YouTube for international. Trailer.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Gameboys 2 is coming to GaGaOOLaLa weds, check your territory. Vise Versa starts on Saturday on GMMTV’s YouTube channel. War of Y has semi started or something? I don’t know what’s going on. They gotta stop this weird flash 3-24hr drops on YT. It’s just maddening.

This week’s best moments?

Ah, the famous quote returns.

This goddamn angel-child is going to kill Minato first and then all the rest of us.

KP paying a visit to the gayest bridge in Thailand.

VegasPete, just THEM.

(last week)

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greenjokwe-blog · 2 months

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Monthly Greej Media (February 2024) - Month of Scrambling

Sometimes I forget that February is the shortest month. Even when it's a leap year (which I only just barely noticed happened this year), a single day can be the difference for me on whether or not I write about something here or not. Especially this month, where I decided that I would take up several long media properties... while also not having the dedication to go through them at a constant rate to actually get close to finishing them. It's been a weird month.

Because of this, there isn't going to really be much in terms of video games for me to talk about. There's a few films I want to cover (and some I'm probably gonna save for a later point... again... maybe), but truth be told there isn't actually that much interesting in terms of new games for me, unless I wanna parrot what I wanna say last month (played a lot less of those two games though, even). I was going to have two shorter games beaten by the end of the month, but I was only able to beat one of them in times for this. There's a good chance that if I don't decide to talk about the other game next month though, I'll just make a short post about it at some point.

The one game I JUST managed to finish, is Earthworm Jim: Special Edition for the Sega CD.

I've been pretty public about my enjoyment of the Earthworm Jim series for a while, but I think I'm not as vocal about how my enjoyment basically EXCLUSIVELY comes from Earthworm Jim 2. Specifically the Genesis version, which was the one available on the Wii Shop Channel, but any of the non-GBA ports are good. Learning about the Special Edition was wild to me, which I had previously had no idea existed, as my general EJ1 experience mainly came from attempts to play the original Genesis version and falling off after a couple of levels... and replaying the old demo on the apple store on my old iPod Touch back in the day (which I'm 90% sure that version is lost media now?). Anyway, hearing about the "superior" Sega CD version of the game made me curious, and as someone who has never really beaten a game for the Genesis addon before (the closest example is Sonic CD, and that was the updated Whitehead rerelease), I thought it'd be a fun idea to boot this version up. I'm glad I did, cuz this definitely heightened my opinion of the game.

There's a lot of reasons why the Special Edition is the superior version of the game, from beautiful animations and visuals (which, when testing around with CRT Filters via Reshade like I have for the past month, are EXTREMELY visually impressive and basically look HD), an improved soundtrack, and just generally more content and levels. What I think absolutely sells it though, is that the overall game experience is just BETTER here, compared to the other version. Obviously nicer visuals and sound will do numbers in terms of making the game feel better to play, but I'm mainly talking about the game's flow and pacing itself.

Level order has been changed, new levels add a more interesting difficulty curve than the previous versions, and there are new secrets to find, including all-new secret paths that are not only loaded with rewards for the betterment of play but are just generally better than what was in the original game, it's a vastly better experience. Don't get me wrong, there's definitely some stuff here that's kinda stinks up the experience (that last level especially can blow me), but compared to how I previously viewed this game? It's much better now. I still wouldn't consider the first Earthworm Jim better than the second one even with this version, like a large portion of people (mainly... what I'd describe as "oldheads" but I mean this is Earthworm Jim we're talking about) seem to believe, but I at least get the logic when people believe that. Also like, Earthworm Jim 2 is one of the most creative platformers of all time so it's like, kinda hard to beat that. What went from a difficult recommendation from me went to something absolutely worth checking out.

But uhhh... Yeah that's it for video games. Like I said earlier, there's a little bit more to talk about for films this month, so I guess I'll start with... uhh... So uh... Oscar season is happening, right? I wouldn't really be able to tell for myself but from what I've heard 2023 has been a good year for movies, so I decided to make it fun for myself and make sure this year I've seen at least half of the best picture nominees before the show starts (not really that hard, but I've never done it before). It succeeded, although I'm still debating as to whether or not I should watch some of the others as well to make it fun for myself (namely Killers of the Flower Moon and Anatomy of a Fall). I thought it was a good time, while the film was just barely still in theatres over here, to watch one of them on a brand fancy new screen at a local theatre. That film, of course... was Poor Things.

Oh boy.

This ones gonna be... difficult to talk about for me, for a large, LARGE variety of reasons. One of which I might cover in a future blog post, but let it be known that I did NOT expect the kind of movie this was when going in. I knew about the sex symbolism, for sure, but to the level that it was...

OK, I just wanna say that I do appreciate what the films going for. It's weird. Weirdest film I've seen in theatres, and by far the most adult. And a lot of the subjects in this film are not being discussed at all! It dares to actually talk about shit like how women get taken advantage of by men and patriarchy, the conditions of sex work, and the failure of society to not protect women who aren't seen as perfect or exhibit traumatic responses in the real world! However, the actual result of these subjects being discussed... eh...

I will say that it does get the some of the points across well by the end, the second half manages to do a good job of making sure it's messages are sent. Although at this point... the film feels like it kinda needs to come to a halt to do so? A little? Also there are some implications here and there... weird one to chew, not sure how well some of these are gonna be seen generally, sometimes feels contradictory sometimes it lands perfectly into its message about women's choices. But overall, I still think I'm glad I saw this film, even if it made me feel like that one scene in Taxi Driver (even though I saw it alone). Weird and interesting, glad to support this kind of cinema, even if I don't know whether or not it'll grow on me as time goes on or I'll just start to resent it more. We'll see I suppose.

The last film I saw before the Oscar's was one I decided to watch at home, and that was The Zone of Interest.

Holyyyyy. What a film. I'm gonna be very short about this one because I feel like this is a film you need to experience for yourself but put simply: A film with pure vision. Pretentious arthouse indie cinema used as malice. Abhorrently aesthetic-focused to its favour. Exists only within frame but ALWAYS vividly presented outside. A film with a very clear, ageless message that defies all conventions to proceed, but still feels especially required and relevant in the current climate. A one-note experience, but that note is an unforgettable drone that lasts long after viewing. Perfect cinema. It's also the weaker of the two Jonathan Glazer films that I've seen. How the fuck does this man do it.

But yeah... Jesus. That shit bummed me out. A great experience, but a drowning one. Anyone want a pick me u- oh god damnit.

Saw this at the beginning of the month, so my review is gonna be a bit hazy, but I do think it says a lot about me that this was the film that I enjoyed the most out of everything I have seen so far this year. This year being y'know. The past two months. Not in terms of releases this came out in 2016. Whatever.

God this film is sad. It's so fucking sad. Manchester by the Sea is a film that should not be watched unless you are either currently depressed or ready to be depressed. However, that being said, it also manages to be such an realistic portrayal of suffering and grief that I absolutely fell in love with it. The film not only looks beautiful but feels it as well. I've heard complaints ranging from that it glorifies trauma or that it represents it's symptoms as "personal failings", but I think it rounds around to me to represent something truly human and honest with itself. There are the occasional times in a couple of scenes where it takes the safe route of modern storytelling for my liking, and there's definitely other issues (mainly the sound design, if you know you know), but there are few films that feel as groundedly sad and wonderful as this one does. Even if it's extremely sad and bittersweet, there's something reflective I got from this film that almost made me feel... Weirdly satisfied? Very strange thing to say, I'm aware, especially if you've seen the film and know what I'm talking about. Maybe I just like movies set in Boston Massachusetts. But god damn... what a film. Highly recommend if you can handle fucked up dark trauma films.

Anyway, last up, music!!! Still not a lot to say here, so I think I'm just gonna post the chart and dip I think. A couple of these were new listens for me (aside from Friko being a brand new release, the Allman Brothers Band and David Kauffman albums were my first time hearing them). A vast majority of them I went back to a few songs often but only just went back to the album now. Some of these I just haven't heard since ages ago. So yeah, that's it. Cya either next month on in an extra post I make in a week or so, we'll see what happens first.

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dragontamer05 · 3 months

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What I think Konami absoultley should do now that they've got like the rights and are more in control when it comes to dubs/localization is like redub the older series.

Let English/other language enjoyers get to experience something more accurate to the original JP material. Still be some changes but ever since 4K is now working under/for Konami it has vastly improved.

Mainly I'm looking at GX and 5Ds, much as GX does have a bit of a nostalgic place in my heart I can acknowledge the mess it is - at minimum I just want to see an english adaptation for the 4th and final season pls

For all I care don't even have to air them on T.V release it via a streaming platform or dvds or something idk. Call it uncut edition or something.

5Ds I'd like to see cause it was also a mess and so many episodes got cut oof.

I'm sure they could get a few of the original va's back but hey if characters gotta get new voices then hey it is what it is and I can accept different voices for characters.

Zexal would be nice to , compared to the other two it's at least a completed series but if there was an option to watch an english version without as egregious editing/censoring that'd be great.

#will this ever happen?#no I highly doubt it but god I'd love it #like assuming there aren't any other potential legal issues in the way to stop them from doing such #also idk if it's a legal thing or what but god if they can/could make it happen #give us international releases of the subs/JP

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macbethz · 4 months

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I visited your blog to find that great edit you made of Alex Wilder again, because I think it's just great and one of the best edits i've seen of Alex. I was wondering though, what did you think of Rowell's time on the comic series. I really do admire how much she cares about the characters, I really do, but I had a massive problem with the progression of the stories. I just feel like it would have been better if it was in a show rather than a one comic that comes out once a month

OMG you came to the right person because i have many thoughts on Rowell's run...also thank you for the kind words abt my Alex edit its one of my favs and i always forget it exists

In terms of Rowell's run. It started off as one of my favorite runs and as time went on I grew to really dislike it.

I think there's some stuff she does I REALLY love - I think she gets Alex on a level a lot of writers really don't and does some genuinely interesting things with him which is very important to me personally since he's one of my favs. I sometimes like to look at the stuff she wrote for him in a vacuum and pretend the rest of that run doesn't exist LMAO. The stuff with Molly and her reluctance to abandon her parents because she was so young when she lost them I find very compelling as well, as well as stuff that begins to be explored with Chase in terms of How To Cope With Your Dead Girlfriend Coming Back to Life And Still Being 16, but unfortunately it isn't really resolved. Gib also is a fun addition to the cast and I like the parallels between him and the rest of the Runaways. Anka's art is ofc beautiful as always (kinda a minor issue tho but I wish he had gone less nugoth for Nico and stuck to her more classic romantic/trad goth looks - it makes her look so artificial to me)

It's been a hot second so I really need a reread but iirc i didn't have as much of an issue with pacing as I did with some weird characterization and plot choices so I don't really know if another format would have improved it, but maybe if a show or something stretched out the runtime of each arcs. I saw someone say once that Rowell is a fix-it writer and i think that really describes the problems with this run, which is that she's far more interested in resolving ""plot holes"" and bringing back old characters than telling new interesting stories. I put plot holes in quotation marks because frankly a lot of these things are not plot holes. The fact that we don't know how the staff of one works is NOT a plot hole, its part of it being a weird fucked magic artifact. Making it a person kind of undermines everything Nico has gone thru in the rest of her arc and adds some weird ass implications to every other writer's work. Even with things that actually are issues, comic history is full of holes not everything exists to be repaired especially if it comes at the cost of cool stories.

THE ROMANCE ARCS feel engineered just to kinda create cute moments rather than good stories. I didn't find Nico and Karolina's relationship issues believable or interesting at all especially considering their respective histories. I find them and a lot of the cast to be vastly OOC but that's pretty typical for comics I guess. Victor and Gert's romance is one of my main issues as well because it just seems kind of out of nowhere to me and just kind of an effort to pair off the cast. I don't feel like they have any chemistry, Vic (and the rest of the cast but mostly him) feels really dumbed down and his complex struggles with bodily autonomy are simplified down to him wanting to hold his new girlfriend. Just overall his characterization in this comic completely revolves around Gert and it sucks. Gert in general is a huge issue for me because while I find her an interesting character in her original form, in this run she kind of monopolizes the entire comic with her arcs always taking precedence. AND THEY DONT EVEN DO ANYTHING INTERESTING WITH HER. SHE LITERALLY DIED AND CAME BACK AND LOST YEARS OF TIME WITH HER FREINDS WHO HAVE GROWN CLOSER IN HER ABSENCE and instead they write this very like cartoonishly evil fatphobia plot which doesn't seem interested in saying anything besides "fatphobia bad :(" I normally hate to like try to read author intention but its difficult to me not to think Rowell did a bit of a self insert/authors pet situation here.

TLDR - OVERALL I think the comic could REALLY have benefited from less characters with longer arcs rather than trying to fit everything and the kitchen sink from the last 20 years of runaways history. But I also think it is unfortunately one of the best and only runaways comics we've gotten recently so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ def need a reread to fully collect my thoughts as well

#warlock wartalks #many thoughts!! but god i need a reread. anyway runaways forever stan alex wilder my final message goodbye

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siena-sevenwits · 1 year

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My April Reading Review

Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings by Diana Pavlac Glyer (Non-fiction, historical/literary/creativity) - 5 STARS - Like the author, I too spent my youth not only gobbling up the Inklings' works, but every non-fiction work about them I could get my hands on, and I too was was disappointed that the books all just passed around the same half dozen quotes about the group and left it at that. Informationally, this is the book I wanted when I was thirteen. Ideologically, it is more. So many excellent passages (C.S. Lewis's feedback on Tolkien's Lay of Leithian, humourously written as though he were five different overblown professors analyzing an early medieval codex, was a highlight!) Learning more about Warren Lewis was also great. I also appreciated that in this edition for popular reading, Pavlac Glyer does a lot of reflecting on the near necessity of community if creativity is to come to anything. I love the time she spends mythbusting the concept of the isolated genius, and the practical takeaways she suggests. I may have to turn to the more scholarly version, The Company They Keep, because this lady appears to be a research queen and I'd love to look at this through a more academic lens with further info.

Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner (MG/YA fantasy) - 4 1/2 STARS -This series continues brilliantly. Kamet is a unique and enjoyable narrator, and i love seeing him in duo with Costis, who has such an utterly different personality, outlook, and experience. The texture of this material is thick and rich. I've got a hold on the Return of the Thief audiobook.

"A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen (classic drama)- 4 STARS - Ibsen is absolutely right about what is wrong with Nora and Torvald, individually and in their marriage. Nora is almost entirely wrong about that the answer is. She's right - they can't continue as they are, and the way it's revealed he would have completely disowned her if the truth were to come to light is awful. But I don't think her walkout was wise either - certainly not in its specifics. Yes, enormous change is needed, and that change may not be possible. But in her shoes I would hope to approach it differently. That being said, I completely understand why she believed she had to do this. I think my quibble is less with the play, which would be excellent for the sake of discussion, and more what the play represents in its cultural moment. The way it was received when it premiered. The drama is compelling and intelligently written, and interesting both as a play and for its historical interest. But this is a really great tragedy with some very strong insights, and I enjoyed it.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (pirate fantasy) - 4 STARS - Oh, how lovely to have more Cosmere for read aloud with my brother. Not his best, but fun - definitely a similar spirit to The Princess Bride while being very much a sweet monster of its own. I will say this - Sanderson's prose was vastly improved by being written in a specific character's voice! (Hoid of all people - I would NOT have expected the book to improve by being told in his voice! I love his stories, but I would have expected a whole novel's worth would be too much - i would have been wrong.) He should always write in a specific voice from now on, if you ask me, even if he keeps it low key and doesn't reveal to the reader that's what he's doing. Wow - a non-traumatized Cosmere protagonist! Love all the piratical antics, the fact that it's basically a power-of-friendship story, and the rollicking atmosphere. I laughed a lot. This book is like the opposite of Mistborn in so many ways. That being said, there was nothing particularly hard-hitting - a nice message about how damaging the "I don't want to impose" mentality can be, but nothing deep. I mean, that's not a requirement, but I do love some themes I can chew on. Now, theoretically this book can be read as a standalone. However, the final passage. While story-structured in such a way that a Cosmere newbie could get along just fine with it plot and character-wise, the tonal shift from semi-zany to completely zany would probably be incredibly jarring if you weren't in on some of the backstory. I mean, storms, it was jarring for me, and I am up on the Cosmere (except for Wax and Wayne - too much content I don't like in those books.) I think it would be a difference if it's a fun jarring or an unpleasant one. There were a few crudeish sentences here and there which I took a black marker to, and one completely unnecessary anecdote about sewers that was gross. But overall, I had fun, and am looking forward to getting a little more Cosmere later this year.

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott (classic children's slice of life) - 3 1/2 STARS. It's good - it really is good, and I am even interested in reading the sequel, Rose in Bloom. But I definitely had to be in the right mood for this book. When I was not, it could be a slog. See, I do enjoy plotless books that revolve around everyday highs and lows for well-developed characters. Lucy Maud Montgomery is the queen of this, and Louisa May Alcott can be brilliant at it. However, I don't feel like she achieved the heights she did in the Little Women series or An Old-Fashioned Girl in this book. The characters simply don't seem developed enough to carry the type of book it is, and it mostly comes down to Alcott's thoughts on child-rearing and the best way to approach growing up. Which I largely agree with, and can also find interesting in their historical context - what Alcott is reacting to in the attitudes of the time, etc. But while Rose and Uncle Alec are sympathetic, they are not rich characters, nor are they flat characters with a rich plot to carry them, at least at this point. Perhaps the whole thing is stronger in retrospect, in light of Rose in Bloom.

No Plot? No Problem by Chris Baty (non-fiction, writing) 3 STARS. This book was written by the founder of NaNoWriMo, and is basically a handbook of tips for prepping and making it through he well-known "thirty days of literary abandon." I believe I read an earlier, shorter edition of it back in the day when it was a free PDF on the NaNo website. I read it more to pump myself up for creativity than because I thought I needed the raw advice. That being said, it does what it sets out to do very well. And if I ever finish my novel, I am totally going to do like that one woman and wear a thumb drive with my manuscript on it round my neck for a few days, as the world's nerdiest secret writer necklace.

Muppet King Arthur (children's comic anthology) 3 STARS. Great fun while you are reading it, with lots of jokes that land and feel truly muppetish in the best way! Didn't measure up to Muppet Sherlock Holmes, though.

Tom's Midnight Garden by Edith, based on the novel by Philippa Pearce (Children's historical fantasy, graphic novel adaptation) 4 STARS. Beautiful, faithful adaptation of a favourite novel from my childhood. The art did not impress me at first, but I came to appreciate it. The spirit of the novel is so well preserved here, and I ended up shedding a tear or two, though it was probably just nostalgia misting in my eyes. I did share it with my dad, who has never read the original book, and he enjoyed it so much he asked for me to lend him the novel.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (YA sci-fi fairytale retelling) 3 1/2 STARS. Finally finished it! I always enjoyed listening to it when it occurred to me to do so, but didn't have a lot of impetus to move forward. That being said, I am continuing on to Scarlet, so I guess I enjoyed it sufficiently! I will say that Meyer is doing everything she needs to to bring to life the kind of story she is telling, and I admire that.

#Coreander's Old Books #recovering reader

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faenix-fire · 2 years

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I want to talk about the Witcher as someone who has read the books. Actually no.

I NEED to talk about it. My visualization of what's been going down and what I have seen, I need show fans to understand so please listen.

Originally when Netflix announced the Witcher it told us it would be a faithful adaptation. Now many people understand that some things will always change for adaptations and sometimes adaptations can be an improvement.

So many book fans waited to see if they were going to hold true to this.

They didn't.

Now Henry Cavill. I've seen a lot of hate thrown his way of his decision. Henry loves the books. Go listen to him read a passage on YouTube.

The audio books are also on YouTube, even ones with the words on screen for people who like both. You can look up the book order. You didn't hear that from me though. Some pirate whispered in your ear.

Henry fought for the position of Geralt, he wanted to prove how much he understood the books to get the role. He did! And that's why we had this Geralt. There were still writing flaws that to me, even in Geralt's character, felt like such a jab at the source material but I glossed over it. I quit in season two, I was so angry, so furious... I can't even describe how much it let me down. It's not to say that others can't enjoy it but you do not know the loss that I know. To not see the words that clung to my brain liked clawed monsters and played stories in my mind's eye. Those never got to come true.

The books themselves have issues I would never say otherwise. The problem I see though is the improvements mean nothing without the best aspects of the books. The story is gripping, pulls you by your arm and onto the pages themselves. You want to laugh, to cry, to fancy a tavern, or cuddle up in a cozy house listening to Geralt or Ciri speak with a new stranger on their journeys.

The show may be over after this but I ask if you haven't already to try the source material. It might not be for you and that's okay but check it out. If the books are hard to focus on the audio books are nice and the voice actor for them clearly loves the books and he does a fantastic job as Geralt and other characters.

In season two Henry Cavill had to fight to not have to say a slap stick joke over the death of Roach, Geralt's beloved horse. Henry loved this story and working on it broke that. It doesn't matter what other reasons may have also factored into why left, just know he never would have if he enjoyed his time there because he was a fan before any show fan was to the point he became the lead actor. He wanted the story to be what you all adore and write in your fan fics and comics. It's sad that that is never what it will be, and that the people over it had never it intended of it to be like that. Continue to watch it, I don't think there's a problem with that, but understand the situation around all this.

I think what would really mend some of us would be many of us reading the source material, playing the games (although I don't enjoy them that much to each their own, but please play them if you want!), watching the hexer (Polish Witcher show and movies.), and even the comic series!

If we could make something from all of each into a new fan group I think it would mend whatever has been transpiring. Stories written around different versions of each series meeting, stories about taking the best aspects of all versions, fix it's of each one written out for things we each personally didn't like, comics depicting mixing up your favorite versions and least favorite versions of characters to make a whole new story, nuanced takes on how parts of the books games or other shows that could be vastly improved, or even ideas with fan art animatics and visuals of what a fan remake would look like if we as fans made one.

That's what we should do. That's what would be best because the show is spiraling now we all know that. It may be more enjoyable for some people in season four but we won't be able to guess what it would look like yet.

I just want the fandoms to merge into one that can respect each different type of fan and for us to make our own world of the Witcher and content together as a merged group. That's what we have sorta done but I think we should encourage each other to get into other parts. There's much more to all of it the two seasons, so much more and you get get different parts in different flavors.

Let's just wait a bit for more news on what's going on but by all means be pissed as hell if you need to be. Let's just use the energy to mend the chasm that seems to be forming.

#witcher netflix #netflix witcher #henry cavill #the witcher #witcher fandom #witcher season 3 #witcher season 4 #witcher games #witcher books #witcher audio books #geralt of rivia #roach the horse #geralt witcher #henry cavill witcher

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calligraphic-tac · 9 months

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Hey, saw your reblog on a post about writing, and since I had a creative block that lasted about a decade and kept me from writing or drawing, it resonated with me. A lot of things happened to finally get me out of that block, including changing meds, but a big one was just that stupid Comic Sans trick. (And this coming from someone who also loves writing in notebooks!)

Have you heard of it? You just write in Comic Sans, and it makes it impossible to take your writing seriously, so all the dread of the expectation of truly ~writing~ is lifted from you. I amplify the effect by using Notepad++ (no fancy formatting to distract me), using a theme with candy colors (even harder to take seriously), and keeping the window small (just a little things to ramble and jot notes in, not a big important writing document, goodness no, but if some writing should *happen* to happen...).

I also just don't worry about writing a story linearly. I write scenes as they pop into my head, however short, and then I stitch them together later.

As it is, my story still isn't finished (in part because it's the script for an animated series I'm working through animating at the moment)... But, counting all the AU tangents, I've gotten a Moby Dick length corpus out of it and counting, and I've had a hell of a lot of fun. Writing is back to being fun!! And that's all I could have hoped for.

Hey-o! I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. I drift from one thing to another sometimes and I was hyperfocused on Minecraft for a bit there!

I've heard of the Comic Sans trick, but haven't yet tried it. I tend to use Arial myself, since that's the Google Drive default. Might try it on my next story attempt, though, since I'm moving back to Word and pulling my writing off of Drive. (I want to keep my own backups and not worry about what's synced where.)

I also snagged an app on Steam called Nimble Writer that I want to try out. It apparently has some neat features to help with focus, but I haven't really played with it yet beyond booting it up and checking out the UI.

In terms of trying to write, I often find myself in brainstorming documents where I half-outline, half-brainstorm ideas. I get a lot of character backstory by doing that, and a lot of them have turned into full-blown worldbuilding with magic systems and descriptions of fantasy races, geography, weaponry, and so on. So it's not like I don't write anything, but it's not the prose I'd really like to be writing.

There are some other factors. My sibling is living with me. they're only 22, and they're still figuring things out, but there are also a lot of things they could be doing to be a better roommate. I prefer living alone and I knew I would only be able to tolerate them living with me for a little while, but this has gone far beyond that. I won't write that novel in this post, though. Suffice it to say I'm looking for my own place, and I know my creative productivity will vastly improve once I have a space where I can actually decompress after work.

On the linear writing thing: I used to be a panster. I wrote linearly, but I wrote what was fun. I've never written out of order before, but that has more to do with my ability to keep track of what's happened, and it's easier when I do it chronologically. I think I'll try an out-of-order story just to see if it breaks the block, though. Maybe if I break my own mold, I'll find another shape that fits, to follow the metaphor.

One trick I've been tempted to try is to pick one of my very old fanfictions, from back when I was a wordy teenager who had to describe everything in exacting detail, and copy it all down word-for-word until my writer's brain kicks in and diverges with it. I'm not the same person I used to be, so I'd like to think my old self would drive me just crazy enough to force me into action writing something new. Or maybe the same thing but better. Who knows?

On that last point: You're writing a script?! Am I allowed to ask about it? And animating! I've been wanting to relearn how to draw, but animating seems so daunting! I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you for the ask, and for the chance to get some thoughts out. I'll put some of your suggestions to the test and see what happens. :D

#ask tac #can it tac #writing #creativity

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weasley-detectives · 2 years

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Just got around to watching the final episode of Rings of Power - it was a blast. Not as good as the Mount Doom episode, and I sort of wish we'd spent more time and build up with Halbrand schmoozing with everyone in Eregion, but these are minor complaints. I'm just really hoping all the miserable moany gits will have buggered off by the time season 2 swings around. This is the series I've been hoping for since I was a wee kid. I didn't expect to love it (and especially the characters) as much as I do. But it sure would be nice if I could enjoy it without coming on here and being attacked for doing so, or finding the tags absolutely fuckin flooded with hate. I still don't get it. I mean yeah, Amazon is the devil, buuuut New Line weren't exactly angels or has everyone conveniently forgotten what happened in New Zealand during the filming of The Hobbit? And yeah, they've changed a lot and condensed the timelines to make for a slicker visual media friendly timeline. But no more so than Peter Jackson did.

I just think the standards some people have set for this show were ridiculously high and the negativity is fucking exhausting. I mean I'm all for critique, but the complaints I keep coming across border on unhinged. But hey, I'm new to Tolkien fandom so maybe it's always been like this. My love for Tolkien has always been very much outside of fandom. It's a childhood love, the kind of books I pick up when I'm feeling low or nostalgic. It wasn't until I absolutely fell for Bagginshield that I stepped into the fandom, and I've heard from others that Tolkien fans can be, er, intense. (I remember them from uni. They were scary. And by scary I mean the kind of tweed clad Oxford arsehole I used to pickpocket down the pub).

Edit- sorry, I need to add this because this is the level of criticism that grates me more than anything. One pretty popular Youtube Tolkien vlogger suggested that the "Halbrand is Sauron" reveal could be vastly improved/retconned by Isildur discovering the real Halbrand's body. Thus, the real Sauron only appeared after the eruption of Mount Doom. They continued to say that they doubted this would ever happen because "the show is not clever enough to do so".

That... That kind of bait and switch is not clever writing. Especially not in this medium. Can we please for the love of God get away from this idea that being too obvious and not cheaply shocking your audience at every bleeding turn is bad writing? I mean sure, there were some clues to Halbrand's identity which I would personally have changed/made a little more subtle, but leaving a trail of clues for the audience to follow and enjoy piecing together is strong writing, especially for weekly TV viewing. It's one of the reasons I hate the writing in Sherlock and later Game of Thrones seasons. When writers become obsessed with being cleverer than audiences, the writing tends to fall apart, because you need to follow through on the pieces you set up.

#rings of power #The rings of power #Tolkien #Rings of power spoilers #Weasley rants

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arkus-rhapsode · 1 year

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So Fire Emblem Engage is just around the corner

And as you all remember I was more than hyped for a brand new Fire Emblem after almost three years of waiting. Hell, I even defended it after a lot of the initial backlash for its design and use of legacy characters.

Now I still standby I think a lot of the backlash was overblown and showed more of a trend in theFE development to often pivot vastly after an entry going for a different tone or story element. The reason I am writing this down now is I want to talk about my expectations for it as well as maybe how it can be managed. It’s no secret that the FE community has certain camps of how they’d like the direction of the series to go, weather you have older Kaga era fans wanting to keep it the romantic high fantasy of Genealogy, fans who want FE to be more political and nuanced like Tellius era fans, or just to keep the robust dating sim like character interactions of 3DS era fans.

When it comes to Engage one would think the meter stick that should be used is Three Houses. Afterall, it is the predecessor. But given all the information we have on how Engage is moving away from some of the mechanical beats like the branching paths into separate routes or the handing of every character in a customizable state to the player early on, as well as how it was meant to be an anniversary title, I think the title I am personally using to measure it will be Awakening. And let me just say as FE Awakening has had a look back by some as being a mostly fine entry that’s ultimately just a highly archetypical story with the most supports in a cast, it can not be understated both important it was for the franchise while also homaging and respecting everything that came before it. To put in a streamlined way, Awakening is the greatest hits of Fire Emblem: reminding old fans of the stuff they like about the franchise while creating new fans to see why this is a franchise worth keeping around. I think that context is also why many FE reviewers still are very fond of Awakening even when trying to look critically over it, whereas it’s successor, Fates would try to recapture Awakening but without that same tributary element to it tended to be seen as more bloated and harsher judged entry. But with the context of Engage’s development and what it’s aiming to do for FE’s 30 year history, I believe it should aim to be a Awakening level of experience. Doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel of the franchise, but rather an experience that both older and newer fans can enjoy.

There’s also no doubt that the animation style has changed from the intentionally slower FPS cut scenes from Echoes and 3H, to a more smoother matching the engine style cut scene. And frankly I find it beautiful, this is some of the most fluid 3D animations FE has had and I’m excited for this going forward with other games. I understand some found the older style more… stylized and giving it an identity, but honestly the fact the animations improved this much from the lambasting 3H had for its animations is a real show of improvement in my opinion. Also fully voice acting returns and as well as allowing our avatar characters to speak freely even as we control them is a welcome return.

And lastly for this blog, I know if you’ve been following for awhile you know the FE live blogs and original FE content have been a staple of this blog. I do hope to continue that, though it might not be to the essay level as FE3H provided me with. But for followers who have felt I’ve mostly let this channel be inactive, I will be likely posting here more In the coming weeks.

#fire emblem #fire emblem engage

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nflstreetsanimereviews · 1 year

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Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun (Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki) Volume 1 Review

Coming back to the first volume after finishing volume 8.5 (the tenth volume of the Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun series), my perspective on the Tomozaki series has changed staunchly from when I started it. I’m not going to go back and show the review I made at the time – all I’ll say is that it was highly critical. Second time around, with the foresight I have now, my perception of this volume (and series) is vastly different. Is it one of the best things I've ever read? Definitely not, but Tomozaki has generally surprised me with well thought out it is–at least, compared to other light novel series. Not the toughest competition, I know. Anyways, what is the Tomozaki series about? Is it worth reading? Or are you better off just watching the anime adaptation?

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun (Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki) is a romantic comedy light novel series about Fumiya Tomozaki, who is, as the title suggests, a self-described ‘bottom-tier character’. Being a gamer, Tomozaki is mentally unable to think of things in non-gamer terms. Therefore, life is a ‘shit-tier game’ that ‘isn’t worth playing’. Tomozaki, in his second year of high school, spends his days playing Attack Families (shortened to Atafami), this universe’s version of Super Smash Bros. Tomozaki isn’t a loser at everything though! Under the pseudonym ‘nanashi’, Tomozaki has established himself as the best online Atafami player in Japan. That's all he has, considering that he's written off the society around him–that is, until he meets the number two Atafami player in Japan–someone who was hiding in plain sight, and someone who thinks they can teach our dear main character a thing or two about this game of life.

After playing an online match against ‘NO NAME’, the second-ranked Atafami player in Japan, they invite Tomozaki to an offline meetup in order to ‘talk and have a rematch’. Coincidentally they both live in the same region of Japan. Our main character is taken aback when he finds out that ‘NO NAME’ is actually Aoi Hinami, his classmate and a ‘genius at life’. It turns out that Hinami isn’t only a star athlete and a top performer at school, but she’s also a savant at Atafami! The only thing more surprising to Tomozaki is how rude she is, calling him ‘a loser who’s going nowhere in life', and berating him for the lack of effort he gives in anything outside of Atafami. By turning off her ‘perfect girl’ filter, Hinami lets her mask slip and shows Tomozaki who she really is: a cynic who devotes every iota of her day to improving her standing at the high school totem pole. To Tomozaki, it’s amazing that someone who he describes as the ‘ideal Japanese girl’ would be so good at Atafami (and also be such a prick), but to Hinami, it’s severely disappointing that the one person she looked up to is actually ‘garbage without the slightest spark of ambition’.

After some more bickering, Hinami ends up promising Tomozaki that she’ll show him ‘the rules of this game (life) one by one’. Reluctantly, Tomozaki accepts, mostly due to her explaining details in gamer lingo, language that he can understand. Despite having opposite lives, the two do think in similar ways. By 'gamifying' life, Hinami can explain situations like 'talking to people you don't know' as 'grinding experience'. If the whole ‘analyzing simple social cues and the society around them in gaming terms’ thing is especially annoying to you, then I'm gonna go ahead and say you won't care for this series.

In order to lift Tomozaki up from being ‘bottom-tier’, Hinami comes up with goals, both short and medium-term, in order for Tomozaki to ‘gain exp’. These goals can be as simple as ‘talk to three girls at school’, or as daunting as ‘obtain a girlfriend by the start of the next school year’. She also puts an emphasis on Tomozaki’s outward appearance, helping improve it in simple ways such as dressing more stylishly, walking more confidently, and having a non-gamer posture. The real challenge, and what makes the Tomozaki series interesting, is the bizarre assignments she gives him, such as wearing a mask and smiling under it in order to ‘train his facial muscles’. And that's nothing compared to ‘memorizing conversation topics’, where Hinami insists that Tomozaki use flashcards in order to always have topics he can bring up in conversation, just like she does. There’s also the voice recorder Hinami gives Tomozaki with the recording of a conversation they just had, which she wants him to use to ‘review’ said conversation. Obviously, this is insane behavior, but it’s part of how Hinami got to where she is today. If it worked for her, it can work for Tomozaki too, right?

When I first read this series, I made a comparison of Hinami’s teachings to those of PUAs (pick-up artists)–mainly in regard to Hinami’s machiavellian mindset when it comes to social dynamics. There’s a moment in this volume where she decides on who Tomozaki’s ‘main love interest' is going to be, after analyzing several conversations that Tomozaki has had with girls in his class (who Hinami ordered him to talk to). She makes this decision for Tomozaki without any input from him, not asking him even if he’s interested in her in the first place. Tomozaki, being a gentleman, refuses to play around with the feelings of girls, even if it hinders his 'leveling up'.

Ethics aside, Hinami is what makes the Tomozaki series worth reading. Her attention to detail, from memorizing every classmate’s seat to knowing where each classmate’s train stop is, is nothing short of incredible (and creepy). She single-handedly has risen to the top of athletics, academics, AND the school hierarchy, while even having enough time to grind and become a pro at Atafami. Knowing that she’s done it due to self-interest, and not because she wants to (or was forced to) is honestly fascinating to me. Hinami is one of the only characters in a light novel that I’ve read that’s a straight-up psychopath. If Power from Chainsaw Man's personality is inspired by Eric Cartman from South Park and Walter from The Big Lewbowski, then Aoi Hinami's personality (or lack of one) is inspired by Patrick Bateman (from the movie, not the memes) and Nick Saban (from West Virginia, but resides in Tuscaloosa).

The setting and characters themselves are generic for a light novel series. Other characters of note include: Shuji Nakamura, a hot-head who's as into Atafami as he is into sports, Yuzu Izumi, a classmate Tomozaki sits next to in class and uses often to 'level up', Minami Nanami (often referred to as Mimimi), a bright and cheerful classmate who 'smiles through it all', Hanabi Natsubayashi (often referred to as Tama-chan (against her wishes)), Mimimi's good friend and a fellow socially stunted high schooler, and Fuka Kikuchi, another classmate Tomozaki sits near to and uses to 'level up'. A great thing about this series is that it contains no wish fulfillment (well, other than having someone as mighty as Aoi Hinami try to unfuck your life). What I mean by that is that Tomozaki doesn't randomly get popular with girls for no reason other than because he's the main character. Not in this volume at least. It also shows that it doesn’t take that much change in order to glow up and be more sociable. It's a lesson that might be useful for those who read Tomozaki and find themselves in a similar situation to him.

The main drawback, to me at least, is the misutilization of Atafami. Atafami is a major plot point, don’t get me wrong, but you’d think that the best online player in Japan would have at least some interest in capitalizing financially on his talent. There’s no mention of professional play anywhere in the book. For all intents and purposes, eSports might as well not exist in the world of Tomozaki. I know it’s a small thing, but you would think that someone as anti-social as Tomozaki would relish the opportunity to get paid to beat people at Atafami. Then again, maybe he just has anxiety about signing up for tournaments. Perhaps Tomozaki doesn’t care about the profit motive and purely plays for the challenge. Or maybe he just doesn't want to smell other Atafami players' BO (Atafami is a Smash derivative, lest we forget). I find those reasons unrealistic, but then again, it's small potatoes in comparison to the overarching plot.

It wasn’t that much of an issue to me, but the way that Tomozaki and Hinami talk to each other can be grating to most. It’s one thing for Tomozaki to think about everything in gaming terms, but the book really pushes it when Hinami AND Tomozaki both speak about life as an RPG. One example: After Tomozaki successfully is able to have a girl invite him over to her house (for Atafami training), Hinami’s explanation for his success is “The sword you were carrying just happened to work against the boss’s elemental weakness, and the shield you had just happened to resist the elements she used. A miracle, I’d say.” As a friend once said about a different series, 'No one speaks like this!'. Bringing back PUAs, the way the two speak about life and society reminds me of those dreaded bastards. Don't worry though, this series isn't secretly the biggest hit in the PUA community since The Game. 'The game of life' in this case is a race to the top of the light novel high school social ladder, not to see how many women you can seduce and elope with.

Tomozaki ultimately is interesting enough to keep up with. Even when I thrashed the series the first time I read it, I kept reading because I was interested in Tomozaki's journey. This novel ended rather weak in my opinion, but in its defense, it wrapped up a plot point that had served its purpose. The Tomozaki series is unique in the world of light novels – it’s one of the few light novel series where the main character gets nothing without effort, as compared to a more standard light novel where the main character gets everything with no effort. The worst thing a light novel can be is boring, and Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun definitely isn’t that. It’s silly, sometimes annoying, and sometimes fascinating. If you're into rom-coms, I think you should give it a read. Or perhaps check out the anime if you aren't that much of a reader. Light novels only take a few hours to read though, so it isn't that much of a challenge.

70/100

#bottom tier character tomozaki #light novel #anime #review #light novel review

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the7thcrow · 2 years

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YESSSSSSS CROSS OVER ONTO THE SLASH SIDE.

seriously though, writing in that perspective is hugely beneficial in my writing growth and learning. i also have a vastly different writing style when i write 3rd person pov which is fascinating. IT'S FUN. COME DABBLE WITH ME!

I might ,okay. I MIGHT.

like don’t get me wrong, i still enjoy writing reader inserts and 2nd person pov. i do. but the other day i was considering writing a pretty big novella with my own original characters and stuff. the whole thing was plotted out. it sounded good. then I found some character sheets, a series of must-know questions about your protagonist, and thought it would be a good idea to fill them out. then i realized… i couldn’t. i actually didn’t know how. these major aspects of character building have just been absent from literally everything I’ve written and it was a major wake up call. and that’s the thing, with reader-insert i don’t really get to know my protagonist. don’t get me wrong, i think my protagonists have personality. i think the natgig mc is very dynamic and complex in particular. but I don’t spend the time building and getting to know them the way I should, and i think that trying to do so through reader-insert isn’t the best or most effective way in doing so.

also, while writing natgig 06, the opening scene is strictly between san and seonghwa, MC is hardly mentioned. and while writing it, i was sorta confused as to why I was having such a good time. it’s not a chapter I was extremely looking forward to like 05 was, and yet it was flowing so much easier. then I realized it’s because it’s in third person. then I realized pretty much all my favourite parts i’ve written in natgig have been from the boys (third person) perspective. I also think my voice sounds a bit different in 3rd compared to 2nd pov. I don’t think it’s necessarily better, but I do actually prefer reading in third person, so maybe it just sounds better to me in that sense. it’s interesting.

I think natgig is a good taster for writing mxm. dip my feet in the water ig. but I think down the line (more sooner than later) i am going to devote a lot of my energy to some mxm. I need it to work on and improve my writing. definitely not abandoning reader-insert, bc I still love it and it’s still fun for me, but I’m starting to hit a bit of a stagnancy. but ofc then I have to worry about trivial things like how anything other than reader-insert kinda tanks on here. which will be a bummer, but hey, I post everything on ao3 anyway. I’ll figure it out.

#this was an absolute monster of a response to a very simple ask I am so sorry LMAO #if you cannot tell I've been in silent contemplation for a while now #sorry to word vomit all over you <3 #svnthpop #mutual pals🕺🏼#asks

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amibeann · 1 year

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immortality review??

I've just finished immortality - or at least how much I feel like finishing - and I have thoughts about the gameplay and I want to get them on paper.

General cw for the game as given by the devs: strong language, violence, blood and gore, as well as nudity, sexual content, and the use of alcohol and drugs.

Refer to halfmermaid.co/content-warning for a detailed content warning.

I won't be talking about these things in my "review" but if you're interested in checking it out - which I do still recommend despite all the complaining I'm about to do - I thought I would mention it.

What is Immortality?

Immortality is an FMV (full motion video) game where you progress the story by interacting with a series of pre-filmed clips featuring real live actors and shit. The premise as to why you're scouring through all these clips is that you are investigating the disappearance of a once up-and-coming star Marissa Marcel. The clips are from the three movies that she made but were never released: Ambrosio, a gothic sexploitation film from the 60s, Minski, an indie crime drama from the 70s, and Two of Everything, a big budget 90s take on the prince and the pauper but with a popstar.

How does the gameplay work?

So this is what I really want to talk about because Immortality's gameplay is really interesting and unique but also I think they could have pushed the concept much further.

Interacting with the clips basically works like one of those games where you have to find things in a big illustration but in video format. By pausing a clip and clicking on an object or a face, you will then be taken to a different clip with the same thing you clicked on. So for example, if you clicked on a chair in one clip, you will be taken to another clip with a chair in it. This is called the match cut system and is the majority of the progression in the game. However, when you match cut to a new clip, you won't necessarily be taken to the beginning of a clip. You're more likely to be dropped somewhere in the middle. So you have to go back, and when you scrub through the clip backwards, you may see something....odd.

Image credit: PC Invasion

There's a second clip layered on top of the one you were watching and, by finding the correct roll back speed, you can pop yourself into the other clip.

Personally, while the effect is really neat and genuinely freaked me out, I think the game obscures these from the player too well. Or at least on mouse and keyboard. You see, when you're watching a clip that has a secret in it, there's a ominous hum that'll play in one ear channel. But when you play with controller you will also get a rumble. My problem is that the hum, while obvious when you know to look for, it is far too subtle on it's own. I wish there was another indicator of the secret clips so that keyboard and mouse players aren't as disadvantaged like a slight discolouration or something.

Also, you know how when you match cut chances are it'll take you to the middle of a clip and you'll need to go back? In theory this would make the player stumble on the secrets far easier as they have to scroll through the clip to get to the start. However, we are given a button to instantly take us back to the beginning. While this button makes looking though the surface level of the clips more convenient, I does mean that I didn't feel encouraged to manually scroll back through clips if I didn't have to. I think removing these buttons would vastly improve the experience and make it much easier and rewarding to find the secrets organically.

It's a shame because these secret clips are the true heart of Immortality. While I don't want to feel directly lead to the cool stuff with the devs handholding me, I think the game lacks a feeling of direction. My whole playthrough I felt like I was only stumbling on clips and throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks.

This kind of free-for-all exploration is fine for the first couple of hours but I feel like over the course of my playthrough I should be becoming more purposeful in what clips I was investigating and what objects I was match-cutting. Eventually, I gave up on finding the secrets and used a walkthrough. Funnily enough I felt more engaged with the story while I was doing this. I think the main crux of the issue is that I want Immortality to give me a more explicit puzzle for me to solve in it's gameplay.

Where I think they could have added more to is single frame flashes of things. We have the ability to go through frame by frame but aside from match-cutting something quick, it feels underutilised. I'm thinking of ARGs like iamsophie where we needed to go frame by frame to pick up on a clue that was only there for a second. This could be used to guide players towards specific clips to search for secrets through riddles or something. Maybe they flash a frame from a clip with a secret in and you have to identify that clip. Maybe they give a push to what the player should be match-cutting. I feel like this kind of feature could be used by the designers to guide the players in a way that A: fits the atmosphere and the theming and B: doesn't feel overly obtrusive. Nor would it require them to reshoot any of those films so budget wise, it should be feasible.

Conclusion?

Immortality is a unique and interesting experience that I wish was pushed further. I don't really have anything to say about the story, not to mean it's bad or uninteresting or anything. It's themes about the role of the artist and living though one art isn't exactly ground-breaking. The only real explicit problem I have with the narrative is that the use of symbolism is rather cliché. They rely on apple, snake and Christian symbolism which is pretty done to death so I wish they were more creative in that respect.

But it executes these ideas very impactfully and the actors kill it. I was super happy to see Marissa's actress Manon Gage get nominated for the VGAs but I wish the woman who played The One, Charlotta Mohlin, got recognised as well. Everyone in the cast gives a believable and dynamic performance and I'd recommend this game solely because of them. Also, the films look beautiful and reinforces my opinion that everything should be shot on film.

end.

#immortality #game #video game #indie games #fmv games #review #text #I dunno if i'll do more of these but it is nice to speak an essay into the void #game review

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thebiscuiteternal · 3 years

Text

“Paper Scraps”

Post-Canon, Angst, Hurt/Comfort...ish?, Reconciliation, Discussion of Suicidal Ideation, Ghosts, Implied Sangyu, Mo Xuanyu Gets To Be Mourned, Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang Are Going Through It

Series Link on Ao3

__________

"To what do I owe the surprise visit?'' Nie Huaisang asks, and his voice is so devoid of emotion that Wei Wuxian has to bite back a shudder, suddenly very much aware that he is treading in completely new and potentially dangerous territory.

Nie-xiong is as dead as his beloved elder brother, and the Headshaker was nothing more than a mask. All that's left now is Nie-zongzhu, whom he knows nothing about and threatened the last time they actually spoke to each other in person.

Still, he sucks up his nerve and plasters on one of his usual careless smiles. "We need to talk, you and I. Just you and I."

"Wei Ying-"

He holds up a hand to cut off Lan Zhan's protest. "How about it?"

"And what, exactly, do you think there is for us to discuss, Wei-xiansheng? Have I not been behaving well enough for your liking?"

Ouch.

"Okay, I deserved that," Wei Wuxian says as he waves off his defensive husband and friend a second time, suddenly wishing he'd just snuck out and come alone.

Then again, that probably wouldn't have gone well either, judging by the wary looks he keeps getting from the handful of Nie disciples who linger defensively near their sect leader.

Okay... okay. No more trying to joke around. He takes a deep breath and lets it out, then straightens his back. "I'm here about Mo Xuanyu."

Nie Huaisang’s face betrays nothing, but the fan in his hand snaps shut with enough force that it's audible throughout the room. “Everyone, please escort our other two guests to the main gardens so that we may speak privately.”

“Zongzhu-” one massive bear of a man starts to protest.

At the same time Lan Zhan moves in front of Wei Wuxian to growl “We are not going anywhere,” and the tension in the room ratchets sharply to hair-on-end levels as the situation threatens to turn into a standoff.

Wei Wuxian pinches the bridge of his nose to stave off a building headache, then reaches out in an attempt to tug his husband back. “Lan Zhan. I’m the one who requested a one-on-one meeting, remember? Literally just now?”

“He cannot be truste-”

“Wei-gongzi, he might-”

“Enough,” Nie Huaisang snaps, the unexpected whip-crack of his voice making them all, a few disciples included, jump. “Let me remind all three of you that you came here and none of you are required to stay. In fact, today would be much improved if you didn’t.”

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian hisses.

Lan Zhan doesn’t budge, hand still tight on the hilt of Bichen. “If you harm Wei Ying-”

“Yes, yes, you and the Ghost General will cut me open and hang me with my own entrails just to start with,” Nie Huaisang replies irritably, giving a dismissive wave of the closed fan. “I’m well aware.”

Judging by the startled and utterly appalled looks that cross Lan Zhan and Wen Ning’s faces, that had decidedly not been on the list of options of what they might potentially do. But the descriptive suggestion does work to knock them off guard, and Wei Wuxian bites his tongue hard to keep his expression neutral as the two of them are herded out without any more fuss after Nie Huaisang makes a short gesture to his disciples. “You did that on purpose.”

Nie Huaisang turns without responding to the jibe at all and walks off towards another door.

Ouch again.

He trots after the other man and falls into step beside him as they enter a hallway that’s clearly not for public use. Part of him wants to ask where they’re going, if just to break the uncomfortable silence, but he keeps his mouth shut.

They finally stop at a door that, when Nie Huaisang slides it open, leads to a tiny garden so deep in the sect's keep that the back wall of it is cut into the mountain itself.

And in that little carved out cave, shielded from wind and rain and snow, sits a funeral tablet on a table shrine.

Wei Wuxian involuntarily sucks a sharp breath through his teeth at the sight of it, his hand coming up to clutch at his chest. Guilt wells up hot and stinging and bitter in his stomach, then higher into his throat. Dizzy, he sways on his feet and is only vaguely aware of the hands that catch him.

Once his resurrection had been revealed, everyone simply accepted him as “Wei Wuxian”, not “Wei-Wuxian-In-Mo-Xuanyu’s-Body”, seemingly having just... forgotten that the face he has now once belonged to someone else. He had grown so settled into this body that until the dreams had begun, he had barely given Mo Xuanyu a second thought.

But right at this moment, staring at the name carved into that tablet, held up by the one person left who had remembered- had loved the original owner of this body enough to memorialize him, he has never felt more like an invader in it.

His vision, gone fuzzy from the sickening torrent of emotion, slowly begins to come back into focus and, for just a moment, he is staring through Mo Xuanyu’s eyes into the worried expression of Nie-xiong before the lingering memory clears to the more neutral face of Nie-zongzhu.

He is on the ground, his head in the man’s lap, and the sudden urge to cry hits him hard. “Do you hate me?” he asks without meaning to, voice coming out plaintive and half-strangled by his effort to hold back the tears.

“You were the one who decided there was nothing left between us worth salvaging.”

“I did. And it was stupid. But that’s not what I mean, and you know it. Do you hate me for having this face?”

There is a pause, then a quiet sigh. “No, I don’t.”

“Why?”

“If it wasn’t you, it would be someone else. Or something else. Yu-er was…”

Nie Huaisang turns his head away, expression softening into a complicated mix sadness and pain, and Wei Wuxian finds himself thinking that while ‘his’ Nie-xiong might be dead, Mo Xuanyu’s Nie-xiong might still exist somewhere deep under the protective layers of Nie-zongzhu.

He swallows hard, then makes himself sit up and looks again at the tablet and its small offerings.

“Determined,” he says quietly, finishing the sentence. A tiny wet laugh bubbles out of his throat. “I thought… I really did believe that you had forced him into it,” he continues, and in the edge of his vision, he sees Nie Huaisang flinch at the accusation. “But no. No. He... really was determined to see it out to the end.”

“How do you-”

“Ah.” He scratches his cheek, then scoots to face the other man. “That’s actually the reason I needed to talk to you. I’ve been seeing- fuck, dreaming his memories, I guess… though they were more like nightmares, considering what was in them-”

“Wait,” Nie Huaisang says, holding up a hand. “When did this start?”

“Mmh. Just a little over ten months ago, I think? Or maybe closer to eleven. The first one was of your visit right after his mother died.”

Nie Huaisang goes slightly pale at that, though whether it’s from the admission of the length of time or the contents of the memory, Wei Wuxian can’t tell.

He gets an answer when Nie Huaisang gets up and rushes to the table, returning with something carefully cradled in his hands.

It’s a spirit pouch.

His hands are shaking as he holds them out to accept the tiny burden, and he’s vaguely aware that he’s gaping like a fish. “Huaisang…” he chokes out when he finally manages to find his voice again, but that’s as far as he gets.

“I… have studied a lot of ways of finding and contacting the dead,” Nie Huaisang says, and Wei Wuxian nods along numbly because that makes a ridiculous amount of sense, given the circumstances. “I know what the ritual notes said, but seeing that there was still something left of Da-ge after everything that had been done to him…”

He reaches out and touches the pouch and Wei Wuxian finds himself thinking of a gentle hand ruffling his (but not his) hair.

“I’m just sorry it took me two years to get up the nerve to go looking.”

But you went, Wei Wuxian thinks. You went.

He’d never even considered it. It had never crossed his mind at all.

“Eleven months ago, right?” he asks, voice still a little squeaky.

“Mm-hmm. I should have written to you about this long before now, but it seemed like every time I’d prepared myself to send the letter, something would happen that would remind me that… well.”

That we’re not friends anymore.

That you want nothing to do with me.

Wei Wuxian closes his eyes and rests his hands in his lap, still holding the pouch as if it’s made of porcelain instead of cloth. “I probably wouldn’t have read it,” he confesses quietly. “Or I would have, but I wouldn’t have believed you. I would have thought it was a ruse, a setup-” A tiny, wounded laugh escapes his mouth and he tilts his head back to stare up at the sky. “Maybe that’s why I started having the dreams. His way of telling me I’m an idiot.”

“A little drastic on his part if it was.”

“Can’t say it wasn’t necessary.” The pouch gives a jangling, discordant little hum when he pets it, the fracturing of the soul within vastly different from what he’d felt from Xiao Xingchen. The pieces feel smaller and fewer, yet heavier. “Oh,” he murmurs when he realizes why.

“Oh?”

“The array was designed to consume the resentment of the caster based on negative memories of the person or persons they wanted to curse. That’s why the memories of you and the flashes of his mother were so vivid when the rest of them weren’t. That’s why you were able to find these pieces. He really did see you two as the only bright spots in his life, so those memories were spared.”

Nie Huaisang makes a choked noise in the back of his throat, and when Wei Wuxian turns his head, the other man is looking away in a clear attempt to hide his expression. “He was wrong.”

“A year ago, I would have agreed,” Wei Wuxian mumbles. “After everything he showed me, though… I don’t think he was. I get it.”

He takes a deep breath. He has never talked about this, not with Lan Zhan, not with Wen Ning, and certainly not with Jiang Cheng, even if they are taking tentative baby steps towards being less awkward around each other. He’s not sure he should be talking about it with Nie Huaisang either, but-

“I know what it’s like, just wanting everything to end. Deciding the whole world can go to hell. Maybe I didn’t intend for the backlash from breaking the seal to kill me, but I sure didn’t fucking care what it would do to me one way or another. Nothing and nobody could have saved me by that point. You couldn’t have saved him even if you’d dragged him home with you like Lan Zhan wanted to do to me.”

“Wei Wuxian-”

He ignores the little flutter in his chest that they’ve at least moved back to an address that feels less precarious than the icy ‘Wei-xiansheng’. “Let me finish, okay?”

“Okay.”

“So... So... Ah, fuck,” he mutters, gently shifting the pouch so he can scratch the back of his neck, trying to catch the lost trail of thought. “You know… I never questioned the clothing I woke up in when I was resurrected. As brutal and nasty as the Mo family were and as disgusting as that little shack was, it should have come off as weird that I was wearing such nice robes.”

There is a quiet sniffle, and Wei Wuxian pretends not to see Nie Huaisang wipe wet eyes with the edge of a sleeve as he continues talking. “He appreciated those. Appreciated that you tried to take care of him.”

He raises the pouch to eye level, and it gives another little crackly hum. “And clearly he still appreciates your efforts, considering his method of dragging me here to make me apologize for thinking the worst of your relationship. So, I’m sorry for that.”

Nie Huaisang gives a watery little chuckle and swipes at his eyes again. “Accepted. Is he… Is he alright? I only know how to contact souls, I don’t know anything about tending to them.”

“Honestly… I’m not sure what can be done,” Wei Wuxian admits as he begins another examination. “There’s really so little of him left, I don’t know what will happen if a purification ritual is attempted. He seems to be more stable as he is than Xiao Xingchen was, but there’s no guarantee he’ll stay like that. Still, I owe it to him to find some way to help him out, so I’ll do what I can.”

“If it would be easier for you to take him back to the Cloud Recesses for study, then… then you should,” Nie Huaisang says, and Wei Wuxian is a little bit impressed that he was able to make the offer despite how much it must have hurt.

“I think he’d be much happier staying here,” he says, then tentatively adds, “But that would mean visits, plural, and while I’m definitely going to have a very long talk with them about all this, I doubt I’ll be able to come without either Lan Zhan or Wen Ning… probably both at first.”

Nie Huaisang rubs his temples with his fingertips, his expression cycling through a complicated series of emotions too quickly for Wei Wuxian to follow, then he sighs. “We’ll figure something out,” he says as he reaches out and takes back the pouch.

Wei Wuxian can’t help smiling at the tender way he cradles it against his chest as he gets up to approach the funeral tablet and put it back in place. “Yeah. We’ll figure something out.”

#mdzs #wei wuxian #nie huaisang #mo xuanyu #not tagging the cameos #sangyu #fanfic

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merlin-reboot-when · 3 years

Text

You know what, no. No modern day Merlin reboot. I don't even wanna see that (unless it's a sitcom). But hell yes to a "Merlin - the coming of Emrys" limited series spin off. It's basically the story of Merlin between Arthur's death and his rebirth. The first episode shows how Merlin develops away from his Merlin persona and shifts more and more into Emrys mode over the course of like 2 or 3 centuries. He becomes a nameless nomad, wandering the earth restlessly. No friends, no home, no purpose. That is until someday (I'm thinking end of the first episode) an old friend shows up at his door.

Leon, also immortal by accident, is kinda pissed because Merlin just left. Arthur, Elyan, Gwaine - all dead and Merlin just left the few remaining members of the roundtable, meanwhile Leon still has no idea about everything Merlin went through back in Camelot. So they have more than a few things to talk about (there's angsty flashbacks to Leon finding out he's immortal and Gaius', Gwen's and Percival's deaths). Ultimately they work through their issues and decide to track down the prophecies about the once and future king, hoping to find some sort of clue about the future.

Episode 3 is them travelling around, there are a couple of timeskips (they keep getting side tracked), but ends with them finding some ancient druid ruin which they explore in episode 4. Turns out the place is magically booby-trapped and they have to master a set of tasks to get through (featuring ghosts, hallucinations and more angst). They find a collection of books and scrolls left there specifically for Emrys to find.

The writings give them a location and time where the great and powerful leader, slain by someone they once called friend will rise once more. So Merlin and Leon spend the 5th episode racing back to Lake Avalon and preparing everything for Arthur's return - except it isn't Arthur walking out of the lake, it's Morgana. She's changed (it's a wonder what 400 years of peaceful rest will do for your psyche), more like the Morgana they used to know in season 2, but she remembers everything that happened. The episode ends with a shouting match between Merlin and Morgana who are not yet ready to forgive each other and Morgana dramatically as ever disappears in a cloud of black smoke.

Episode 6 features Merlin and Leon trying to come up with a plan about what to do next, every now and then cutting to Morgana trying to catch up with the new times. She explores the country, goes back to what used to be Camelot and decides to stay there. Merlin and Leon fight, the latter wanting to guard the lake in case anybody else comes back, the former wanting to find help to increase his skills as a sorcerer so he'll be ready for the threat the prophecies speak of. They decide to split up, Merlin agrees to come and check in at least once a year.

There's another timeskip of a couple dozen years between episodes 6 and 7 which shows the progress everyone has made. Leon has build a house near the lake and keeps making improvements around the house. Morgana has learned to live with her past and also got a better grip on her temper, but ultimately also picked up travelling again (at some point people do start to wonder how you're not dead yet) also in an attempt to learn more about magic. Merlin has vastly expanded his knowledge on magical theory, picked up some new skills and also let go of his bitterness a little. He and Morgana run into each other and come to a truce. They're done being driven by anger and go back to the lake house together. The episode ends with Leon, Merlin and Morgana sitting together laughing and being truly happy for the first time in a long while.

Episode 8 would take place another few decades later with the first signs of the ominous, oncoming threat showing up, but also more people coming back. Theory is that the (strong) magic users come back first. That's why Morgana - who was Merlin's equal on some levels - came back so early, followed by Mordred and eventually Gaius. They form a nice life together, but reports of magical creatures wreaking havoc and seers foretelling dark times pile up more and more. Nobody knows why and there's still no sign of Arthur and the other knights. Then magic users all around the world start to go missing, among them Mordred. Merlin and Morgana decide to go looking for him while Leon and Gaius stay behind. Several weeks later and miles away Morgana and Merlin get attacked by somebody or something and have to fight for their lives. The outcome of the fight is unclear, cut to black. The last scene of the season shows the lake house again, Gaius and Leon are doing the dishes. Looking through the window towards the lake they see a group of 6 people emerging from the water.

The story would continue either in a movie or another mini series, featuring (among other things) Leon and Gaius explaining a bunch of stuff, Arwen and Lancelot having a very awkward conversation, one of the knights (I think I'd pick Elyan) learning he also has a little magic, canon bisexual Gwaine, Arthur having a reality check since he's not king of anything anymore, Leon being the leader now, a world ending threat to humanity and some more romance maybe.

#bbc merlin #merlin #sir leon #morgana pendragon #mordred #gaius #arthur pendragon

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