#this is less of an analysis and more of me just ranting and rambling so don't expect anything profound or unsaid before
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this was the best scene thus far i am gonna go ahead and put that out there first
the way the entire world faded out around them to the point they didn't even notice the taxi pulled up until the driver had to say something
but also the way that jaewon seems so comfortable doing this type of thing where he fixes/helps jihyun pull his backpack up and PULLS (not lightly either) jihyun closer to him just to what??? stare into his eyes???
he seems somewhat comfortable initiating this but as soon as things get "too real" he seems to get overwhelmed. when jihyun was helping him draw and moved closer to jaewon he had to back away from the situation and make an excuse to get jihyun to go away for a second. this is one of the only times jihyun has initiated this type of contact himself also, other than maybe ep. 1 where he passes the lighter.
(which we saw how jaewon just stood there stunned for a while lmao) i think it's worth noting that maybe jaewon feels more in control even though it's kinda like he almost can't help himself but initiate this type of thing but also when jihyun kinda shows interest on his part jaewon is like hey woah woah woah..........like you can see the world fading away from him in his eyes when these moments happen or when he looks at jihyun.
it seems like jaewon has this own little world with jihyun like in this moment, he basically completely forgets the world is moving around them and other people exist. it's not like he's the character saying "oh but people will see us." he doesn't even seem to consider that really, because they're not even there? which goes back to how jaewon has these superficial relationships with people around him in his daily life.
then he gets snatched back, like it is a visible difference and moment when he gets pulled back into reality. and that is when he starts to pull himself back and kinda push jihyun away even. i would say most of jaewon's pressures seem internal because of all this, even though his "friends" definitely contribute to it. i don't think most of whatever is going on with him is about his friends or outsiders though because i don't think jaewon is even considering them at all? i don't mean in a selfish way. i talked about this briefly in the tags of the great post by this scholarly poster where jaewon always contradicts himself. because he is not being real with anyone including himself at the times we have seen him because that is his entire character and will be his character arc. pretty much everything i said in the tags was confirmed by these eps where he talks to the surf club president who seems to be his only friend he can be somewhat himself with and his therapist.
i mean that as frustrating as it is to watch jaewon's friends be shitty people......jaewon knows that too. but with jihyun we are seeing him put some type of effort into a relationship whereas the friendships he has... although it may be hard for him to be with jihyun because of whatever internal battles he has, it is probably harder for a character like jaewon to confront that everything else in his life is superficial and he's just been going along with it.
one, to confront that makes it real. if you just let it happen then it's whatever. but to tell someone to stop treating you badly even when you know they won't because the friendship isn't real, it's easier just to leave it as is. but also his character literally says it's his flaw, that he doesn't speak up or show his real self. but he also says that it is exhausting living like that so i suspect he's gonna blow up eventually. honestly when he confronted his friend in the bathroom i was like dang hope he bashes his head in the sink weak hero class style
jaewon even started his relationship with jihyun like this too. everything was oh i'm a senior that will be your friend, call me when you don't even have my number....he's stuck between this performance and persona he has vs real genuine interest in someone. when it gets in that grey area in between his persona (especially when he's around others) and how he really feels and what he really wants these contradictions occur. it's easier to play things off in jest too than admit something is real to you. he probably doesn't even know how to navigate that honestly, when he's been playing this part and just letting things happen to and around him. (he also says that the military was an escape for him since he didn't have to deal with all this). i wonder if his relationship with his ex was a performance as well. just to be "normal" amongst his friends and peers, but who knows.
i am willing to bet the closest we get to jaewon's "real" self is when he is with jihyun and even then it is only glimpses so far. that and when he is truly alone like we saw in the early eps but those moments are few and far between. i am glad he is in therapy lol because that seems like a lot for jihyun but also for jaewon too. i am also willing to bet that this will be a central conflict/plot point when jaewon stops performing and loses pretty much everything he has. and who stays will be who truly cares for him and confronting that is scary as hell. either that or something will happen with the friend or his ex where he will be forced to (probably his relationship with jihyun but at this point everything is fake around him except his relationship with the surf president, but even with her i don't know if he thinks he can be completely honest), and he's gonna react badly and i can't blame him
#the eighth sense#extremely long sorry i don't know why i typed all this so i put it under a read more#just me talking about jaewon#i can already see the pitchforks coming for his head when something happens and it hurts jihyun#i don't want to see jihyun get hurt either but jaewon is my friend and i am sticking beside him#this is less of an analysis and more of me just ranting and rambling so don't expect anything profound or unsaid before#i just like his character and this show and think it is interesting#i havent read this over because i am too lazy so it may not even make any sense sorry#five liveblogs
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JUST WATCHED EPISODES 7 AND 8 AND UNHOLY SH-
Look at all that Alastor LORE!!!!!
I AM SO EXCITED YOU DONT EVEN KNOW PEOPLE. WE HAVE BEEN FED WELL.
I also want to say that I was so freaking right in my first ramble about Alastor. Almost everything but his human life was freaking given to me in these episodes! I am very happy. Previous Ramble
*Ahem* Now, this is just a small analysis of Alastor scenes from both episodes, and I'll probably post my theories and stuff about it in a seperate post! I am currently frothing at the mouth. Obvious spoilers ahead!
Ok, so the first thing I saw was how Alastor jumped at the opportunity to go up to talk personally with Charlie.
Episode 7 thoughts:
I tried to steer away from sneak peak and spoilers, but I did get bombarded with little gifs of Alastor kicking his feet on Charlie's bed. Ruined the freaking surprise.
Anyways, Alastor obviously seemed to coerce Charlie into feeling rushed to a decision, which was obviously a deal with him.
I didn't expect him not to go for Charlie's soul. I saw so many people theorizing that was why he was at the hotel in the first place, and everything that lead up to Alistor finally making a deal throughout the other episodes, was a favor. A favor that didn't involve harm, no less.
This is still something very big, especially a favor from a princess of hell. I think the favor he needs eventually might be to help him break free of his leash, or to help protect him when he finally does in case things go south afterwards. Or maybe it could be a favor to somehow see how his mother is doing, the first much more dramatic, but I'd be happy with either.
Now there's Alastors demon form during the deal. Unholy cow, there's a lot to unpack. The first thing I noticed was Alastors FULLY STICTED smile. Like, entirely across. This could just be his true demonic from, or someone else did this to him to keep him smiling. From slipping up in his forced persona.
We also see how he can't stop smiling, even when by himself, drained of power, and hurt in his destroyed radio tower after the sngel attack. He rants and seemingly has a breakdown, but keeps smiling.
This could be how, like I said in my previous ramble, he uses his smile as a shield and as a defense for himself, like he stated to Charlie during the deal scene. Or, it's permanently there because it's just what he got stuck with in hell, or someone wanted to keep him smiling.
Speaking of which, the color is what's bothering me. There isn't much green in the pride ring other than Alastor himself. Almost every attack he's thrown has had green in it, with the crazy floating symbols, his explosions, and his void he controls has a bit of green. He can also invert colors. Why is that, when everything about him is red and black, matching the pride ring, his stitches and powers are green, like someone else's power.
There's also stitching all over his clothing, maybe as symbolism to keeping the persona up that the person who has his leash has made for him to play at the hotel.
Moving on to cannibal town, I adore Alastor and Rosie together. They bounce off each other well and just seem like real good friends. Love their dynamic! (Also, WOOOOOH! Canon Ace Alastor! Well, from Rosie. STILL THO! I am so happy, from a fellow asexual)
I was kind of sad when I realized Alastor could speak without his radio in hand when Charlie went singing with it as Alastor advertised the Executioner meat awaiting all the cannibals, with Charlie still holding the microphone. Would've been some entertaining stuff if he couldn't talk without it.
I don't really have much else to say about cannibal town, other than the Alastor comment near the end where it seems he's considering manipulating her to keep her on his side, to keep him on the winning one.
Now, episode 8.
This episode was a lot. In a good way, but still a lot.
Before the exterminators, everyone in the main cast was drinking, relaxing, and saying possible final goodbyes. Not Alastor. He was up on the balcony, watching the scene unfold.
They talk about how they enjoy the main casts company, and Alastor feels a bit sentimental as he admits he could get accustomed. Focus on the could part of that. He seems to imply he can't stay or things can't stay this way for long. Is it because of the reason he's at the hotel?
I do love Nifty and Alastor interactions. I wonder why they're so close compared to everyone else's relationship with Alastor in the main cast. Could they both be under the same leash, leaving some sympathy forbthe other? Or maybe Alastor just likes to see that gremlins shenanigans.
Now to the actual battle, Alstor was freaking peak at the beginning! His shield literally blocked off all angel interactions from the outside to keep the troops away, and it didn't even seem to tire out Alastor in the slightest!
The thing with him controlling those void tentacles to hold angelic weapons to kill the outsiders trying to break through is also just so cool to see because of Alastors ingenuity.
It took a strike from Adam just to break it, and I feel that's an accomplishment. For Adam to do something himself that all the other angels can't I feel is impressive, because he's not the head of the angelic army for no reason. I doubt heaven is that stupid to give a f-boy full control over the troops with no talent or experience to plan or lead them, at least.
Now for the Adam vs Alastor battle.
This had me at the edge of my seat, begging for Alastor not to be the one to be killed off this season.
I knew Alastor wasn't going to win, but he did have a good start. It seemed like he was toying and not taking this seriously, with full confidence in his abilities.
But that was until Adam finally got serious again, and broke his radio staff. His metaphorical (maybe literal based on his reaction) wall of defense.
This had me shook, as I saw my boy get beat in a couple of seconds. The radio staff was probably the source of at least a bit of his power from this person holding his leash, as he was worried enough about it to curse with no static in his voice during mid battle, leaving himself wide open. Or maybe this was just one of the times Alastor slipped up. It could also be the reason why he only used shadows, one of his only not-green abilities.
He still could move and talk, and I doubt he could attack or summon anything after being DIRECTLY HIT, POINT BLANK, WITH AN ANGELIC WEAPON, FROM PROBABLY ONE OF THE STRONGEST ANGELS IN THAT FREAKING EXTERMINATION, WHILE FREAKING SURVIVING AND GETTING BETTER THROUGHOUT JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS AT MOST.
(Also, shut up Vox. I know you freaking have the hate/obsession going on with the guy, but he probably lasted better than you could have, especially since you would've most likely been wire spaghetti after that hit from Adam)
I just realized that when rewatching, as before, I was just focusing on hoping he wouldn't be the one to die. But how did he survive that, and get pretty much better as soon as he got back to the radio tower? Maybe radio waves heal him, or he just has crazy recovery speed.
Now to the long awaited radio tower scene. I was hoping he would've gotten his own song by now, but maybe that shows how he needs someone else's push to be able to push on his own, like both his duets in the previous episodes.
Maybe we'll get an emotional song from him in the future. Crossing my fingers for that and a S2 as soon as possible!
Now the actual scene got me thinking. How Alastor is DEFINITELY under someone's control, as he also explicitly states it was a deal. Most likely for his soul, considering his want for freedom and to be able to do his own thing again.
I did see how Alastor was so desperate in his song snip about how he needs to find a way out of this deal he has made, with some of the most raw expressions we've seen of him to date.
But something did strike me. That on line from his song.
That's a bit of weird wording there Viv. Like, I know this is like an implication for his freedom, but imagine Alastor was a fallen angle or heavenly deity of some kind, like how the Cherubs got banished from heaven in Helluva Boss. Might explain how he didn't immediately die from Adams attack. (As you can see, I'm a bit delusional. But imagine if I was right tho)
But do imagine though, what this might imply for Alastor. How maybe the leash is holding something more than just his freedom, maybe how Alastor might've been even more powerful than he is right now, with the holder keeping some of his original raw power from his grasp, making him rely on their green power to survive and stay at the top.
The green light surrounding him with the line about him pulling the strings might also be how Alastor might want to take his holder's place, how when he's finally free from them he'll finally be able to take over that green with his own power, with his shadow.
I'm still wondering if Alastor is hiding side affects or pain from getting a beat down courtesy of Adam at the end there, as he seemed to take the most damage out of everyone while staying 'alive'.
Anyways, I need to wake up early tomorrow, and writing this in the middle of the night as it struck won't be pleasant for future me, but at least I could get all my thoughts together.
I am still obsessed with this deer man, if you couldn't tell already. I am so tired. If you saw any typos, no, you actually didn't.
#hazbin hotel alastor#hazbin alastor#alastor#alastor hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel spoilers#hazbin charlie#hazbin hotel niffty#hazbin hotel theory#I am still obsessed with this guy.#asexual#asexual alastor#hellaverse#hazbin#hazbin hotel thoughts
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So, I was wondering if you could figure out Rocky's Classpect? As promised, here's some rambling about him.
On the outside, Rocky appears like an optimist. No matter the situation, he always has that huge smile on his face, makes wise cracking comments, and keeps his chin up. It seems like even death itself can not scare him, if anything he sees everything as beautiful and can make a poem or song out of even his worst days. In a way he comes off sort of ethereal, untouchable and unreal in his cartoonish responses.
Yet, underneath that is something darker. For one, Rocky is fully capable of holding a vendetta, as shown by how he takes his vengeance on the big farmers for what they did and uses dynamite against the Marigold crew. He didn't take it to the point of murder, but he didn't really hold back either. When Rocky has enemies, he goes all out. And he makes it look like he's too childish to consider the consequences of his actions, but when that façade cracks, it becomes oh so clear he is more lucid than anyone would have ever thought, but he does it anyway.
Secondly, there's the sadder, softer side of those cracks in his façade. Simply put, Rocky is tired. He's worked himself to the bone to try to save the Lackadaisy, yet nothing he does is working. Instead, he's gotten people hurt, himself, Freckle, and Mitzi included, though the latter were more emotional than Rocky whose literally put his body and soul on the line.
What ultimately drives Rocky is the desperate need for love, rarely ever receiving it and constantly being rejected. From now to his past with an unexplained "family tragedy" Rocky was blamed for, he has been the embodiment of isolation. And so, he feels like a failure.
FHFFHHF sorry for rambling but you asked me for a rant and so you got one!
This one was TOUGH! But I think I've got it.
I think Rocky Rickaby just might be a
Prince of Heart
Analysis below the cut.
Prince
Princes are an active destroyer class. They destroy their aspect, or destroy by using their aspect. They are often plagued by their aspect in some way, and struggle with it immensely. This is shown with Eridan, who was obsessed with science and, despite his immense hope that there might be more to the world, couldn't let go of his obsession well enough to fully utilize his powers, as well as being shown with Dirk who had such a struggle with his self, his identity, that he splintered himself several times over and invented individuals to treat as family just so he wouldn't have to be with himself so much.
Princes also often put in a mask, they pretend to be something they aren't, often the opposite of their true self. Eridan, as hopeful and as gullible as he was, put on an air of science and fact and cold logic, pretending to be far smarter, far more mechanical in mind than he was. Dirk pretended to be aloof and uncaring, feeling it better to put on a mask of "whatever" rather than reveal how deeply he cared about those around him.
And lastly, Princes seem to have a critical misunderstanding of their Aspect's importance to themselves. Eridan completely disregarded Hope and it's concepts as important, and even outright destroyed the (at the time) one chance his species had to thrive, showing a complete misunderstanding of the importance of hope, both to others and to himself. Dirk was more than willing to die as many times as needed for his loved ones, even if that death was pointless, as he couldn't care less about himself, his soul, his Heart.
Altogether, this makes Princes inherently self-sacrificial, though what they sacrifice is dependent entirely on Aspect: Eridan was very selfish and focused solely on his survival and empowerment, thereby sacrificing his own chance at redemption and sacrificing his own hopes of ever having what he dreamed of, while Dirk was ready and, almost, eager to die for those around him, sacrificing himself and his own identity multiple times for others.
It also makes them very powerful, as they fully recognize the potential they bear, they simply see more of it in others, and feel it's wasted on them in some way or another.
Heart
Heart is the Aspect of identity, soul, and the self. Heart players are often self-absorbed, but not necessarily in a bad way. They can be anywhere from simply interested in figuring themselves out all the way to absolutely obsessed with themselves in every way. But in all cases, Heart players have a deep interest in themselves, in the sense that they desire to know themselves and manage themselves according to the story they want their life to be.
Heart players are also more likely to have identity issues or quirks, as their identities are usually more complicated than that of others. This can manifest as alters, identity disorders, mood disorders, or even "other selves" in a metaphorical sense, such as versions of themselves in other people's ideas of who they are, or even something as tangible as a version of themselves in a game or story.
Heart players also have an interest in certain emotions such as passion, love, and platonic relationships. This can present in several ways, from a mild interest in interpersonal dynamics all the way to an obsession with platonic, romantic, and every kind of relationship in between. They may find themselves having difficulty in understanding why others struggle with these concepts, or why others aren't interested, but are also the most likely to be understanding of their reasons when made aware, even if they disagree with them.
Overall, Heart players make for excellent emotional supports and even relationship counselors of all kinds, but are also often much more sensitive than they let on, and if their advice is rejected or turned away, or their understanding is called into question or doubt, they will likely be hurt by it long-term, be it for days or even weeks depending on the severity. This leads to many putting on a mask, something they believe will be more "socially acceptable", which often leads to them seeming aloof or distant despite being heavily invested in the lives of those around them, as well as their own.
Prince of Heart
A Prince of Heart is one who Destroys Heart or Destroys by using Heart. They turn the Self, Identity, into a destructive power when done literally, and when metaphorically, they destroy Self and Identity.
It's incredibly common for a Heart player to have an intense and overzealous personality, whatever that personality may be. One may be intensely, passionately stoic, while another may be infuriatingly solemn and reserved. Whatever their personality, Heart players rest on extremes.
Princes, on the other hand, actively mask their personality with a veneer of disregard or aloofness.
I believe Rocky fits these perfectly: His mask is the visage of one unbothered by circumstance and life. His mask is the appearance of carelessness, of carefree living, of endless joy and ceaseless artistry in the face of all things.
His personality, intense and overzealous, bleeds through in the form of just how strong that mask is. His darkness becomes abyss, his spark becomes sunlight, and so on, but he masks every ounce of his inner self, his fear and his exhaustion and his self-loathing, behind the false positivity that he's honed into a weapon through his experience with the true positivity he's felt at times.
He Destroys the gloom and misery around him by using Heart, the identity he's crafted for himself to use around others, and he Destroys his own Heart, his own identity, by suppressing it behind walls upon walls of energy, positivity, excitement, and love for life that he's long since felt draining out of him.
If this doesn't feel like the best fit, by all means let me know and I'll give it another go!
#class#aspect#classpect#analysis#homestuck#request#ask#answer#classpect assignment#lackadaisy#rocky rickaby
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Wordy rant incoming! Wondering how you feel about this, but totally feel free to ignore, its a bit rambly
I'm so conflicted about the American style of viewing race/race dynamics. Because on the one hand I understand with respect the particular focus on the black/white dynamic and colonization, considering Americas history with slavery, segregation and horrible treatment of Native Americans.
But on the other hand, I sometimes find that their analysis does not fit as well in other areas of the world that don't have that same history (naturally) Its just more complicated than that! To many Americans, brown+muslim= always opressed minority, and as an Eastern European, I must disagree lol
While we are very aware of our ethnic/cultural differences and see each other more or less as distinct peoples, Americans view us all as more or less the same flavour of whyte. I saw one of those ancestry test on youtube(must have been buzzfeed or smth lol) where one guy acted disappointed that he was a mix of north, central and south European. Saying "oh no, just boring white" As if those areas don't differ culturally from each other in major ways, as well as within their distinctive countries(not to mention all the smaller ethnic groups that exist regardless of modern national borders)…Its like when people think Africa is a country, and not a huge continent with wildly diverse cultures, customs, religions and peoples!
And they should google a little before they end up embarrassing themselves by freaking out about stuff like Sami characters in Frozen not being brown enough, as if most Sami aren't completely indistinguishable from the Scandinavian population. I've had an American white girl ask me if my Gerdan necklace was cultural appropriation of Native American culture… My GERDAN :')
100%! These types of people say they support "intersectionality" until it's about other countries. Just because their own model works and empowers (I hope) it doesn't mean that the exact same plan will solve racism and xenophobia problems in other countries with very different history and lens. Maybe when these people say "intersectionality" they mean they recognise it only within their borders, because they don't seem to recognise it anywhere else 😂 (For example, this girl thought that no other people on the planet have used beads to create necklaces 🤦🤦🤦) It is very myopic.
Even many sub-Saharan Africans call out this shit after seeing the way they are treated in the US by the progressives (aka, as if they are the same as every African American just because their skin tone is similar). And I'm only talking about the progressives here because it's the side that has the widest acceptance rhetoric, and they are supposed to be keeping watch about misdemeanors on cultural appropriation.
From time to time in this blog this issue is brought up you can find similar posts and asks from anons in the tags #race in greece #race in Europe #greek speaks and #uscentrism. We've been discussing this for years and I am clad more people in the US-centric western internet spaces join and express their concerns.
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hey daddy socrates!
as i understand you did MA in philosophy, can i rant a bit in your ask box?
i did my BA in philosophy, now i want to do my MA in philosophy because i love it. but everyone tells me it's useless since this degree is unemployable.
idk, i guess i wanted to ask, what are your thoughts on this? i feel so depressed lately since it feels like i have to pick between a) something i'm interested in, passionate about and love b) something that will land me a well paying job. and it feels like b is more responsible choice but also that it will ultimately make me really miserable.
Okay so, I'm not gonna lie I also thought it was useless in undergrad. I had gone in initially with the aim of an English major and the education certification track (bc my school was quirky and wacky 🤪🤪 a cert for my state rather than a full major) but I found myself so enamored by the mushy-ness of philosophy that I stuck with it. Every time I asked a professor "so what can I do with this degree?" it was ALWAYSSSSSS "you can do ✨️anything✨️ :)" and I'm like, Gary that's not an answer (^':
Right so a lot of people take a philosophy degree (or two) and then go into law school or become a professor. I wanted to take some time to explore other options before committing to a second degree in philosophy and honestly I got about halfway through a school year away from it before I went crazy and applied for some classes at a nearby university. Backstory backstory backstory, etc. If you really want you can find the rest of that in my talking tag (#blah blah blah) if you want all the ramblings and complaints and the victories.
Getting back to your point though, when Gary said "you can do anything," he meant that the skills taught in philosophy - like critical thinking, deep reading, reasoning, recognizing fallacies, awareness of social and political history surrounding the "whys" behind the "whats" of individual beliefs and broader systems/structures - is almost universally adaptable. My mom said through my junior and senior years that those skills are always in wicked high demand, so philosophers are going to be good at whatever we decide to apply ourselves to.
But that's not fun. We know REAL fun! Sitting in a library basement drawing the ghosts out of dead texts and "Um, Actually"-ing them with our 21st century, likely more diverse perspectives :)
Have the others in your life picked out careers for you? Because I have a little list of things I came up with that are not rooted in academia but can use the skills and might help cast a wider net while still related!
Joining an activist organization, or a union organizing group
Political analysis
Editor (maybe for a philosophy journal?!)
Local office ethics board
Human resources is a related option to the above and seems to be in constant demand
It's a short list and definitely a work in progress, but they're just a few little ideas. Use your network!! Use them! Professors, classmates, alumni, friends, family of friends, etc! They may have insight into places you can't even conceive of yourself at this moment!
I did almost go for a job in HR with an environmental technology company but somehow got a job in costuming. Fuckin bananas, the chance of that. But it's wonderful, because it's a job I can leave at work, and once a week last semester I would leave a little early to do just one class. Working full time and being a super-small-part-time student has been uhhhh tricky but it's more or less worked for me to dedicate a few hours each weekend to doing the assignments etc. JUST a few. Sleep and video games and going outside are also necessary.
... But also, if you really want to commit to philosophical research or teaching philosophy (as I am now planning to do), then I say go for it. My current job is definitely not my forever-home, but ALSOOOOOO the idea of a "forever career" feels silly to me. If you are able to let yourself float a little bit from time to time, recognize that you can switch it up if you need to. My partner is currently in a floating spot right now and he's miserable about it, but there is something comforting about knowing that the training he is currently doing in the meantime while between jobs does not have to be the only office he will ever have to sit in.
If you choose to go ahead in philosophy, hell yeah!! Big fan, absolutely love that. If you decide to take a break like I did, try something else, even just for a little while, that's also great! It could be used as a sort of "See? I DID do other things" at your nay-sayers too >:)
WHEW lots to say, too much space allowed to say it. I hope some of that can help a little. Absolutely come back to rant more if you want!
#replies#i answered the other ask the other day bc your ask reminded me it was in there lol. i just wanted to spend the time to write out a response#fr rant anytime#i will do my best to give a Thoughtful response in a timely(ish) manner#you got this anon!
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happy july kate 💖 hope you're doing well. as a long time lurker of your blog, you and your work has slowly highlighted my need to create and work on my creativity, especially when it comes to things i loved to do before such as drawing and writing. ngl it's been hard because ive been comparing myself to other artists and writers. for example i saw someone write this beautiful dragon-pheonix reincarnation fic for their ship. the plot, prose and the way everything intertwined was beautiful (1/?)
(2/?) but i look at myself and can barely muster up the courage to write vecause how could i when there's already people who write and draw that well. a lot of my perfectionism comes from past abuse but the way it's manifesting here is such a pain. therapy has helped in healing but god, im so scared to start. have you ever caught yourself in a similar dilemma?
(3/?) another thing i wanted to ask about is how do you approach incorporating other people's analysis and stuff into your own work? obviously give credit where it's due but im always wondering whether it's worth it to be reiterating the same stuff when someone has already done a comprehensive job of it. i guess an example could be lore related to some kind of show or game.
(4/?) last question but do you ever catch yourself justifying your ship? there's like 50 different reasons you can ship characters,,,, maybe I spend too much on twitter but I feel like I have to justify a lot or at least there's an expectation to do that. it makes it harder for me to enjoy other ships (even the ones i dont care for) because now im expecting others to justify for all the same reasons. perhaps i need a fandom break or need to set better boundaries
lmaosorry for the word vomit in your ask box. it's been bugging me a lot and i didn't know who else to ask this since my friends don't really participate in fandom spaces 😶😶 hope this isn't too much of a bother but thank you for even entertaining my chaotic rambling. have a great weekend 💝
Hi Lurker! Oh, I can relate for sure. I think most writers/artists can.
I'm not sure my advice will be anything you haven't already heard, but I can tell you that by living it I know it's true: write it/draw it anyways. Imperfect, sure. Nothing is perfect, and art is subjective. There are so many needs, and no artpiece can satisfy every soul on this planet.
Do it anyways. Even if it's not perfect. You'll get better and better without even realizing it. You'll have moments where you're like I'M REGRESSING *cries* and then someone will tell you this was their favorite thing ever. Art isn't a static thing you just create and leave alone; it's more like an interactive thing, a living thing even at the risk of sounding super fucking cheesy--because it impacts people in different ways, ways we can't predict when creating it. And the act of creating it will impact you, too.
As for the analysis part, give credit and write it on your own. You learn by writing--sometimes it's fun and you'll realize oh hey, I just uncovered something new as I was writing that I hadn't even thought of!
As for justifying, sometimes? And sometimes not. Less so the older I get, lol, and I don't think it's a great thing ever to feel like you have to morally justify everything from each and every potential dislike. Just accept that other people have different tastes, limits, and preferences--which of course is way easier said than done! Give yourself grace and allow yourself to rant from time to time (privately). Art does affect our emotions, and it's good to express those (just not good to be an asshat about it or judge people for it, but expressing "I don't like this opinion" privately to a friend isn't that).
Twitter is the worst for that, though. Everyone's jockeying to be the Most Moral and Change the World Through Yelling At Others You Don't Even Know on there, and I hate it so much. Even as I, y'know, go on pretty much every day and therefore have no right to complain. I do this to myself. Sue me. I'm human too and def a hypocrite for participating in the Bird Site Madness but oh well.
Wow, that's a tangent. Anyways. We're all just doing the best we can, Lurker. Even if you can't quite bring yourself to start art yet, or to stop comparing, give yourself some grace for that. It doesn't make you a loser and it doesn't mean you never will start. All of us have those moments--moments that seem way longer than they should, I'm afraid.
But you know you want to make something. That's good. You deserve to have your voice heard, to follow what you want. The abilities you want to cultivate deserve time and space to grow. You deserve to make imperfect art because you deserve to be here, because you're alive and life is growing and all people should have their voices heard. <3
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Ain't taggin' since I'm just mindlessly criticizing a popular thing that's a part of a series I hold near and dear and I don't like my mindless rant-like things posted in bold.
Man, Yakuza 6.
The more I dwell on it the more I dislike it.
Like I think it has to earn the spot at the bottom of my list of Yakuza titles now, like I just find it so deeply dishearteningly disappointing and mean spirited.
When I was playing it I was having fun; I was lost in the glitz and glamor, I was seeking the conclusions I wanted regardless of if the devs provided half of what I wanted- I was Built To Succeed, Determined To Enjoy Myself.
And after beating it I just needed to absorb what I took in and look back on it with my eyes less blurred by excitement. I sat down and enjoyed a thorough dissection and critique by someone I respect on the matter who found themselves thoroughly perturbed by the undercurrents within Y6. And I've really just sat on all this and some more takes and re-reading my own posts on the game as I was playing it and-
Man.
It's just kinda sad.
Like Y4 was my least favorite because it wouldn't let me have fun- it kept inching towards Yakuza fun (read as "Intense character moments; Character growth; Interesting Story; And the general 'fun' of like silly moments and fighting")
But Y4 in retrospect is honestly fine. It's STUPID, but it's pretty decent, especially for being experimental.
But Y6 has the opposite effect. I was having a blast playing it. But every moment spent analyzing what occurred, how things were handled, what conclusions were made and crucially what conclusions weren't allowed to be made- it's just become more and more disappointing with time.
Y6 doesn't care about Yakuza, doesn't care about Kiryu, doesn't care about the story it's told over the last 5+ games, and really just wants to be flashy and impressive for its own sake while having uncomfortably hostile takes hidden under that glitz and glamor.
I hate that Y6 is how Kiryu's story ends. It doesn't follow his growth. It doesn't follow his friends impacts. It doesn't emphasize Haruka beyond being in distress. It fucking has Kiryu tell her off after saving her IN THE LITERAL SCENE BUILT TO BE HIS APOLOGY (at least to a rational observer).
Y6 is stupid.
It's not Y4 stupid where it's got ridiculous narrative mcguffins to force things to play out "correctly".
It's stupid in the "This game straight up doesn't care about the story that lead to this point- it just wants to ramble about foreigners being bad, women less, and idealized ultra nationalism- oh and Kiryu is there in name and face only as we stripped him of who he is for this one".
Damn game.
Unfulfilling and sad.
I'd be ranting about it just being unfulfilling if I didn't listen to some other people's deeper analysis (where they actively deep dove into the whole instead of just playing with stars in their eyes and then thinking of it later as I did).
So even if I didn't indulge critical analysis I'd be upset, but with it I'm borderline disgusted that this is what we call the close to Kiryu's story >:(
Ah well. Games go brr. I move on yet again.
#my posts#Glad GC positive goes so hard on his critiques tbh just because I enjoy a thorough lens to contrast my own views with#and honestly I just ended up agreeing in this case
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just me rambling abt my thoughts on war for cybertron siege so far. idk if anyones gonna read my gushing rant i just need to get it out there
at the end of war for cybertron siege and im feeling interesting things about that megatron and his gradual arc of getting worse. the way he at the beginning goes from ‘let’s talk, i don’t want to destroy all the autobots’ to ‘destroy all of the autobots’, ik it sounds simple the way i put it but the gradual shift there is just. it makes me Feel Something i do not have the media analysis skill to clearly explain or express
just shocked MEGATRON is making me feel complex emotion here considering most of the time my opinion can be summed up with ‘push him down the stairs and prep starscream’s coronation i hate this man’ but i think the way this starscream has been kinda uninteresting so far is helping megatron’s case severely. (seriously hope starscream improves as this continues. he feels less... charming than usual? something is off and idk what)
like, i hate this man, but in an INTERESTING way. he is so wrong, but he’s got a sort of charisma and tact that means I can’t help but kind of understand why a random Decepticon might stick by his side. It’s just. Wow I hope this goes somewhere interesting in earthrise and kingdom he is stealing the show in my mind right now
i was gonna post this to twitter but this is why i don’t use it that much because if i care enough to tweet i have more than a twitter character limit’s worth of thoughts XD
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There’s no particular reason for me making this post other than I am having thoughts again and I wanna rant about them. Below you will find the unhinged ramblings of why I ship Drakkgo (Shego x Drakken). And somewhat of a personality analysis for both them.
Okay listen
Listen
On the surface is may seem like they are by default paired together because they are sidekick and villain, and yes that is a perfectly valid reason to pair them because sidekick and villain ships are awesome, but there’s a lot more that I really like about this pairing. It basically has all the makings on what I consider ‘OTP’ material.
First things first is to clear up misconceptions. A lot of people equate Drakken with somehow being the ‘less evil’ of the pair. Which is true, in the abstract sense. But Drakken isn’t out there frolicking in a flower field, even after he got plant powers. He’s still evil. He canonly is motivated purely by pettiness and the need for revenge, and he’s willing to go to wicked extremes to get to it.
He does things that Shego even considers abhorrent. Such as cloning for one, and cloning against someone’s will. Shego also has some beef with mind control chips, and he still does that. He also commits attempted murder and his victims range from Kim Possible to children to old ladies. He has almost no qualms about doing what it needed to get a job done. He’s pretty ruthless as well, not to the extent Shego is, but he isn’t some wooby baby who just because he is bad at carrying out evil, doesn’t mean he isn’t.
Next, let’s clear up some things about Shego’s character. While Drakken is far more nasty than people sometimes make him, Shego is... yeah pretty nasty. But she ALSO has some lines she refuses to cross. She refuses to steal wheelchairs, she gets upset whenever animals are involved in schemes or could be hurt, she refuses to let her brothers be without their powers and loses in a fight deliberately against them. She is also on a whole far more lazy than Drakken is. This makes her not as big of a threat, because she chooses not to be. Unlike Drakken.
Okay so, time to get into why I ship them together.
People might think this pairing consists of Shego endlessly dogging on Drakken while he simpers and takes it. That is not the case. At all. These two are partners. They balance out each other’s weaknesses. They are in tune with one another. They value each other. Shego’s teasing of Drakken is filled with much less malice as compared to her taunting of Kim or her brothers. Shego snarks at Drakken and mocks him, but what people sometimes overlook is that Drakken does the same to her. That’s what makes it work. Drakken takes it, but he also dishes it back out. He regularly teases and taunts Shego, playfully annoys her, and does things to deliberately drive her up a wall. The ONLY time they are seriously mad at each other is when Drakken placed a behavioral modifer on Shego, making her listen and obey his commands. And Drakken was quick to apologize.
So we have a basis on banter, of mutual friendship, and teasing. They get along together.
I wanna talk about how each of them care for each other next.
Starting with Shego, it’s a bit harder to see the ways Shego cares for Drakken because she is definitely an action person. Shego REMEMBERS things about Drakken that nobody else does, and she knows his personality inside and out. Shego will regularly step up and protect Drakken, even when she doesn’t need to and it’s outside of her contract. Take the holiday episode, where she rescued Drakken from the snowstorm even though she was on vacation, which she takes very seriously. She ALSO defends him verbally when he’s not around, take her interactions with the Seniors and how she takes care to say that she sees him as someone who is capable and worthy.
She has a deep trust in Drakken, and this takes place in the form of allowing Drakken to see into various parts of her life that often aren’t available to the public. Shego also is the first person to go back to Drakken. She may complain about being there, but she will ALWAYS return. Whenever Shego becomes the Supreme One, she gives Drakken free will and continues their same dynamic. Meaning in her perfect world, her and Drakken still have that kind of rapport and bond. Shego never betrays Drakken, like she does with other villains or heroes. Shego, while also under the effects of a mood modifier, became extremely open about her affections for Drakken. I fully subscribe that the mood modifier only amplified her emotions and on a whole amplified emotions that were already there. Finally, Shego RESPECTS Drakken, something that is huge with her. She will follow his orders even when she thinks they are stupid, which is huge for her.
Respect is a huge aspect of their relationship.
Moving onto to Drakken, this one is a bit more obvious. We’ve already talked about their playful banter, but Drakken definitely takes a way more fun approach to teasing Shego, than Shego’s darker jabs. His way of teasing Shego is more along the lines of giving her sappy and fond nicknames, calling her ‘Marshmallow’ among other things. Drakken likes throwing back what Shego gives. He enjoys their conversations and misses when Shego is gone and he can’t get that dialog. He also greatly respects her opinion, and takes what he says into account. He treats her extremely well compared to other people, and Shego is someone who he relies on frequently. Without Shego, Drakken is notably worse off. He can’t even open a pickle jar. He always lets Shego know her worth, something even her brothers never did. He also pays for her vacations, as a thank you for all her hard work.
He tries to take a genuine interest in her likes, and takes special note of what she prefers and dislikes. Drakken sometimes takes advantage of her, yes, but he also always shows her his appreciation. He values Shego’s worth. Moreover, he’s also protective over her. It’s obvious Shego doesn’t need protection, but Drakken still does, out of affection and fondness. Despite knowing more than others what she’s capable of. He always jumps to her defense, and gets jealous of any other men who take an interest in her as a love interest. He also went BATSHIT when he heard Shego was hurt by Aviarious. (I know I’m not spelling this right.). This is also huge, and a large point, but Drakken sees beyond Shego’s looks. Villains and heroes alike always comment on her looks, her body, hit on her or try to get with her before realizing her dangers. And keep on pursuing in some cases. Drakken NEVER does. He always is attracted to her mind, her personality, her power. Even when she was throwing himself at him, he NEVER took advantage of her. He also never makes one disrespectful or sideways glance when she’s in a swimsuit or some other dress.
And whenever he does get plant powers, which react without him knowing and following his emotions sometimes, his vine wraps around them both pulling him close. And he doesn’t pull away. Even SHEGO looks delighted and thrilled.
They both have lines they won’t cross, they both respect one another, and they both acknowledge the other as capable and genius. Shego gets the respect and acknowledgement of her abilities, and Drakken gets someone who defends him and appreciates what he does.
They are both evil, at least until the series finale, they are both horrible people. They both do villainous plots that would make most people shudder. They bring out the best in each other, which is evil to everyone else. They aren’t a straightforward case of bumbling boy and strong and intelligent girl. They both have qualities that are valued by the others. Shego’s capableness and toughness, and Drakken’s creativity and scheming. They have a partnership that transcends the usual dynamic of their situation, and something that is unique.
In conclusion, Drakkgo fucking rocks I’ll see y’all in my next unhinged rambling.
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I posted 1,060 times in 2022
That's 1,025 more posts than 2021!
21 posts created (2%)
1,039 posts reblogged (98%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@mlchaelwheeler
@andiwriteordie
@willel
@queerxqueen
@new-ronantics
I tagged 54 of my posts in 2022
#byler - 27 posts
#will byers - 16 posts
#stranger things - 15 posts
#theories - 6 posts
#analysis - 5 posts
#sorry this turns into a rant - 1 post
#y'all making me emotional - 1 post
#share this again - 1 post
#im crying rn - 1 post
#south-east asian - 1 post
Longest Tag: 133 characters
#but like i can't imagine how they are gonna defeat vecna in any other ways except for taking what he preys on and uses it against him
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
I'm so disappointed to the point that I can't feel anything but empty right now. Will, you don't deserve this treatment.
20 notes - Posted July 1, 2022
#4
79k!!! I remember when I first started to follow the tag, it was like 20k something or even less. And now we are 21k away from 100k??? Oh man that's crazy to think about.
22 notes - Posted August 4, 2022
#3
No matter what is gonna happen in vol 2, I just wanna say that I had a time of my life reading all the theories and analysis of you guys. Some people may say “it’s not that deep” but to me, what makes a work of fiction have a lasting impact is the fact that we can dive deep into the story, decipher the smaller details and see how it contributes to the larger picture. Arts continue to live on because we, as the audience, never cease to analyze and interpret it with different angles and layers.
In the months leading up to the release of reputation back in 2017, I read tons of amazing theories. Although many of them ended up not being accurate but looking back, I never regretted being invested in them because they gave me the thrills that only a well-done work of art can do: that there is always something more to what we see on the surface.
I’m not sure if what I’m saying makes sense or not because I’m so stressed out right now and English is not my native language. So in short, thank you so much for all the theories, analysis, and memes that you guys have posted in the last month. I will remember June 2022 for the rest of my life <3
37 notes - Posted July 1, 2022
#2
How realistic should a work of fiction be? ~aka this is me rambling~
Warning: This is going to be more like me getting all of my messy thoughts out of my head than a coherent in-depth analysis. So read it at your own expense lol. Still, I would really love to read you guys’ thoughts and opinions on this topic. This is something I have been pondering upon for quite some time but I didn’t have the urge to write it down until I saw people on Twitter “arguing” over what a therapist said about Mike.
Also, English is not my native language so sorry in advance for any spelling/ grammatical mistakes or ambiguous/ confusing word choices. I won’t mind if you guys point it out for me.
First of all, let me start off with some chit-chats (you guys can skip it if you like). I have no intention of “forcing” my opinions on others so I want to make it clear how I am like which can affect my viewpoint intrinsically.
A few years ago, I generally didn’t care much about films or TV shows, to be honest. I did watch movie analysis for fun but I have always been a book lover and I tend to gravitate towards classic literature because they usually make heavier impacts on me (I may use some examples of classic lit later on). I usually opt for classic lit because I feel more certain that it has the thing I love - a character-driven narrative in which we get to dive deep into a character’s inner self, explore all their turmoils in exquisite detail, and observe a natural progression in their thoughts and feelings.
It was in late 2017 or early 2018 that I watched a video explaining the first two seasons of Stranger Things that I got interested in the show. It was specifically Noah’s acting and Will’s possession arc in season 2 that made me become a fan, not gonna lie. I was super excited to watch season 3 right when it came out. And … It made me so disappointed that I felt weirdly left out when other people all seemed to enjoy it. I thought maybe it was just me and I didn’t think of the show at all during the three-year period between season 3 and 4. I clearly didn’t know that Will is gay or pay any attention to the underlying problem in mlvn’s relationship. That kinda qualifies me as one of the general audience, right? Volume 1 blew me away and made me hooked on this show again. And then I came across posts and analyses about Will and Mike (in season 4 and other seasons) and I was even more blown away by all the subtexts and parallels (you guys are AMAZING!). In one way or another, I support byler because if it is really the direction the show is heading towards, it proves that the piece of entertainment I am consuming at the moment has so much depth, breadth, and width. And that has always been the thing that gives me an amazing sensation of blissfulness and satisfaction when I enjoy art. It makes me feel like a diver making her way down the mysterious depth of the ocean, being fascinated by all the questions and wonders.
Thank you for getting through that. Let me get to the main question now.
How realistic should a work of fiction be?
I have seen a lot of people say things like “Stranger Things is a show about a girl who throws off a car with her mind and alternate dimensions with monsters but gay characters in the 80s is where you draw the line, really?” Although I agree with the overall sentiment here, there is always something irking in the back of my mind about this argument, about when things should be realistic and when the writers can just do anything they want.
In this case, I won’t bring all the supernatural things into this discussion because I think the matter is not whether things are realistic or not, it’s more about whether all the supernatural elements really align with each other in the grand scheme of things, whether later discoveries explain or disrupt the set of established rules and norms (which can be absurdly unrealistic) we have from earlier seasons. Although there have been quite a few inconsistencies, especially in regard to the Upside Down as people pointed out, there is still the last season 5 in which more will be explained so yeah … let’s wait and see how it will pan out.
What I do care though is the characters, their personal developments, and the dynamics they have with each other.
Back to the therapist I mentioned earlier, I don’t know exactly what she said but as far as I hear from other people, she explained Mike’s behaviors in a way that is favorable to mvln so undoubtedly, mlvn shippers use it as their proof. Meanwhile, they are pretty much against an analysis of a person with film degrees and experience in media literacy. On the side of byler, there is an opposite response: more in favor of the latter, of course.
In my opinion, this is pretty much a gray area. On the one hand, I can see why people cling to the analysis of the therapist because characters are humans and their behaviors and thought process can be explained through the lens of psychology just as normal human beings. On the other hand, they are also fictional entities who play a part in a story, directly engage the audience into a narrative, and are the means through which the emotional impacts are created. Rather than seeing this in a black-and-white manner like “it’s not realistic to do this or that” or “oh come on it’s fiction,” I would say the boundary between the realistic and creative aspects is pretty blurry, especially when people are just talking generally about the show without specifically focusing on a character, relationship, or plotline.
A basic opinion that I first had about this is that: the journey that a character goes through should make sense and make the audience feel like it’s relatable to a certain extent (or at least understandable). But to adhere strictly to reality for the sake of being realistic isn’t it. That personal journey, with its progression, climax, resolution, and aftermath, has to serve a purpose, or in another word, it has to be purposeful and consequential.
People argue that Will being gay, in love with Mike and potentially having his feeling reciprocated + having a happy ending isn’t realistic because it’s the 1980s - a really homophobic period. They believe that it would be more realistic and accurate for Will to be rejected or something along the line. But if it is the path his arc is heading towards, then I wonder for what purpose then?
(This thought came after I finished this whole writing so I don’t know where to put it except here. Consider it an irrelevant note if you like) So … When I think of the word “realistic” when talking about fiction, I recall a quote that one of my professors mentioned in our class: “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” I question if it can be applied in this case. Although the 1980s was not a great period of time for gay people, was there anyone who actually got to have a happy ending? If those people exist, is it “unrealistic” for us to tell their stories instead of the conventional one - the one with no joy and happy ending at all? OK maybe that’s not what realistic actually means and maybe I’m way off base.
To be as close as the reality of the time is an obvious answer that some people may cling to but is it enough to be the drive of the arc of a main character?
I am currently reading “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'' by Anne Bronte and I am pleasantly surprised by how progressive the book’s ideology is considering that at the time it was published, women were devoid of any independence of their own and viewed as the properties of their husbands. To see a woman of that time (not only the heroine of the book but also the very author) deliberately going against that mindset is empowering indeed. The things happening in the book aren't necessarily “realistic” but sometimes we have to defy reality to get a message across and to create an emotional impact. Particularly when it comes to a progressive ideology like feminism or LGBT+ rights, by defying the reality, the writers are able to create a work that continues to be impactful decades or centuries later on. Or on a much more personal scale, we may say it’s a way of self-fulfillment for the authors who didn’t get a chance to live a better life (like Jane Austen with all of her books). Either way, there is a purpose.
On the other hand, there are also authors who don’t defy the rules and norms of the time and try to make their stories realistic. I always think about “Tess of the d’Urbervilles'' by Thomas Hardy in regard to this because that book hurts me like hell with its pessimistic progression and devastating ending. Spoiler alert, the main protagonist of the book doesn’t get a chance to escape the bleak reality of her life and the love story in the book doesn’t have a happy ending at all. Upsetting as it is, it makes sense when we learn more about Thomas Hardy. He is a person who is known for “his stoical pessimism and his sense of the inevitable tragedy of life.” Although one of his most popular books “Far from the madding crowd” has a happy ending, there are still a whole lot of pessimistic things and tragedies that plague nearly all the portions of the book. Also, sticking to a realistic portrayal of the society and having the characters suffer immensely can be a way of social critique, having the general audience confronted with unfairness and cruelty of this world, to encourage them to actually think about justice and equality instead of being indifferent towards those matters.
Now, based on what we know of the Duffer brothers (there are other writers as well, but overall, they created the whole thing in the first place so let’s just narrow it down to them), which side would you think they gravitate towards?
Depressing as the show can get sometimes, it still offers us a message of hope and optimism, as well as emphasizing the power of self-esteem, friendship, and love. As someone who has always felt like an outcast, a second thought, and someone who tried to seek validation from other people to feel worthy in high school, I find the show relatable and inspiring, and I believe that it’s the effect the show creators want to bring about.
If Will’s feeling for Mike is not reciprocated and he somehow ends up sacrificing not only his heart but also himself in season 5, what message and effect do you think that would bring? Not just in the LGBT+ community but also people who find themselves resonate with Will in any certain ways.
Counter arguments
One may argue that well, if you want Mike and El to break up, it would still suck because she has suffered a lot and deserves love and happiness. Now I would support this if it were not for the things happening in episode 9 and her overall character arc. To be honest, I didn’t really care about El in earlier seasons because I tend to just hyper-fixate on one character at a time. But there are aspects of her arc this season that I find particularly relatable and touching. It’s her need to feel accepted, validated, and loved.
At the beginning of the season, the foundation upon which she depends her self-esteem comes from the outside, which as we have all seen, causes even a lot more trouble to her mental health. All the bullies and harassment and then the lack of love received from Mike - all contribute to pushing her closer to the edge. At first, her coping mechanism is shrugging it off, putting it aside and pretending that all is good. It really doesn’t help that she can’t be honest with Mike about her struggles although hypothetically, they should be able to be so if their relationship is healthy and advantageous to both sides. I think all the lies are pretty much rooted in insecurity as she is an original person now without any superpower. She has been trying to find herself for several seasons but this is the first time there is no “superpower” - the main thing that many people see when they see El: a thing that they may depend upon in dire circumstances, or at worst weaponize for their own benefit. Her being left without it makes the issue of finding herself even more pressing because it seems now to her that she is no longer as helpful as before.
Despite the facade of happiness, all the distress is still there, waiting to surge up, breaking the dam when the time comes. That time being at the Rink-O-Mania. After that, we finally get the chance to see her true thoughts and feelings. We see that under the facade of happiness, those demeaning labels and names have really caught up to her and affected the way she defines her self-worth. It doesn’t just stop at “I’m different. I don’t fit in.” She literally sees herself in the worst light possible - a monster - something that brings destruction and death.
So the main character arc of El for the rest of the season (and I believe it will continue in season 5) revolves a lot around her defining her very self-worth (she alone knows herself best, not anyone around her; not Hopper, not Mike, her), making her own decisions despite the biggest authority figure in her life - Papa - saying “NO,” and most importantly, accepting herself (and her abilities) for what things are. If need be, she is going to use them in a violent way, like fighting against Vecna or the military, or use it to save Max - her dearest friend. When I first watched episode 9, I was a bit annoyed by the fact that they have El revive Max in such a way because it feels like they want to avoid a main character’s death. But when I ponder upon it a bit more, I see it as a beautiful contradiction with how her power has been used continuously in every season - something that causes damage and death vs. something that can revive life. There is no clear-cut definition like the monster or the superhero because these words imply certain qualities that completely contradict each other and cannot co-exist in one entity, that entity being El. She is Eleven and she is more complex than what those labels can ever describe.
Now this is exactly where I have issues with Mike’s monologue. Because he keeps going on and on about her power (a lot of which isn’t even accurate) and calls her a superhero. Many people have talked about this but let me put it down here just to make things clear: Mike is holding El back from her personal development. She cannot open up to Mike about her life in California, suppressing her negative feelings and thoughts all the way, because he has always looked up to her for her abilities and she can’t bear his pity if he knows the truth. She feels unloved because Mike cannot write the word “love” to her but once again she tries to put that aside. Mike’s words after she hits Angela triggers her traumatic experience at the lab - the one which makes her feel like a monster. And then when she finally gets to see that there is no such thing as a monster or hero, she being way more complicated than what others dictate her to be, Mike once again brings back the word “superhero.”
OK I didn’t intend to write that much about El, which is a bit funny considering that my favorite character is Will. I am feeling like I am driving at night without any headlight so let me end this part with a question: If she continues her relationship with Mike in season 5 without both resolving all the underlying problems in their relationship, it being the fact that they cannot really be themselves around each other and therefore, hindering their own personal development due to each being the main source of validation for the other, what purpose would it serve? What emotional impact and message can that bring about at the end of the day? What is potentially the climax of resolution of all these underlying issues that have lain around for seasons?
The psychological (realistic) and narrative (fictional) aspect of a character’s personal arc is so intricately interwoven to each other that to me, to erase one side from the argument (to completely cling to the analysis of a therapist) portrays a black-and-white way of looking at the show. I still love listening to character analysis of people who have knowledge of psychology though, because I love psychology a lot but I’m not going to forget that I’m watching a show in which everything has a sense of purpose and has to fit into a narrative. At the moment, we still have a whole season left and none of the characters have completed their arc yet, not to mention we are kept in the dark about some of the character’s actual thoughts and feelings and the only thing we can do now is deducing from what we see or hear from the show and other related sources of hint.
See the full post
42 notes - Posted August 3, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
PREACH!!!! OMG I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!
70 notes - Posted July 17, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
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earlier today, i saw people on my dash on the topic of analysis relating to osomatsu, which made me want to give my two cents as well from something i rambled about to my friends a while ago... this might only make half-sense i wrote this while i was in the middle of season 1 on my rewatch so it had been a while since i’d seen the entirety of the show
in episode 19 of season one, we learn that osomatsu’s “self-awareness” is tiny, gross, trash, yet it’s easy to handle. so we already know that osomatsu maybe doesn’t think extremely highly of himself, surprisingly enough with the character he puts on (kind of makes me think of that moment from the episode “just don’t” in season 3 where he gets yelled at “where’d your confidence go?! are you all talk?!”), and despite how he acts like absolute garbage at times, he can push aside his needs for those around him if it’s neccessary, even if he doesn’t want to directly acknowledge it.
in episode 24 of season one, we get shown that osomatsu has a clear fear of abandonment - this is actually foreshadowed in the self-awareness episode! choromatsu brings up wanting to get a job and become independent, and osomatsu’s response is more or less just “alright, i’ll cheer you on, okay this conversation is over let’s stop talking now”.
either way, he gets *extremely* upset at choromatsu moving out, becoming increasingly aggressive and going as far to kick jyushimatsu for bothering him, earning an assbeating from kara. as the episode progresses, and as the sextuplets move out one by one, we see that osomatsu just… breaks. he can’t live without his brothers. he doesn’t know what he is without his brothers. osomatsu has always been considered the “normal” one, the “basic” one, the blank sheet of paper - he’s the eldest, he’s kind of just the “base model” for all of the other sextuplets. even his brothers don’t think he has any specific qualities, as shown in season 2, episode 2 when they have to re-paint his face, they proceed to just paint him as a “stupid and pervy asshole”. these are traits that can basically be applied to all of the brothers… all of them are pretty nasty perverts, osomatsu isn’t special in that regard. it’s just amplified, because really, for him, it’s his only distinguishing characteristic…
this makes it pretty clear why osomatsu has such a huge fear of abandonment from his brothers. he doesn’t want to let go of that “sextuplet puzzle”. he wants to stay in that set forever. it’s all he knows, he doesn’t know what it feels like to be a proper individual… he rants (very drunkenly) about this to chibita, too, in the second episode of season 1.
i think that a really interesting detail to note is that… osomatsu’s entire personality is pretty much built up of negative characteristics? his entire character is “improper”. in season 2, episode 24, when osomatsu is the one to take initiative to think “okay, maybe we should be getting jobs”, he goes through kind of an identity crisis due to this… “am i okay? am i still osomatsu?”, because, once again, his entire character is built upon improperness… stripped of these qualities, what is he?
he amplifies his negative personality traits so much because that’s all he knows… maybe comparing him to someone that acts out purely because they want the attention, whether negative or positive.
and that identity crisis he goes through… kind of breaks him as well! in a way, i don’t think osomatsu WANTS to be his own person. i think osomatsu wants to stay as a part of that whole sextuplet gimmick for as long as he can, because he’s really afraid of the future. he doesn’t like the idea of growing up.
i think that’s why he has this whole “i just wanna have fun and go with the flow~” attitude going on. i would have previously said that osomatsu is the type of person who lives in the present, but, honestly, i don’t think he is? he seems like he’s constantly worried for the future… he just makes an effort to never bring it up, and instead just bury it deep down. never gotta face your fears when you can just pretend they don’t exist!
another thing that i think is super interesting to note is that osomatsu is rarely seen alone, but when he is, he often mimicks his brothers and talks to himself? once again because he’s just… not… USED to being a person for himself.
i think osomatsu could actually easily make it out in the world and live an independent life. but he doesn’t want to. he hasn’t learnt to let go and face his fears yet… i hope he will someday. i think he needs a hug
#i'm so insecure about how much i talk LOL#i love him though so much#osomatsu san#ososan#long post#mine
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Where do I even start- this might sound weird coming from some stranger but thank you- for rambling about south park so much lol. I felt like I needed to say this, I have some intense feelings about the Post Covid special and just hearing and relating to your thoughts is kinda comforting as I´m trying not to put too much thought into the ending scene because it´s upsetting me what they did to Cartman. To be honest, I´m not a fan of Rabbi Cartman either (I try not to be vocal about it as it seems a lot of people liked him… oh well), but how he ended up was just… too cruel. I dunno, I just love seeing people rant about this, I feel less alone with my unreasonably strong opinions about things that weren’t meant to be taken this seriously. And I keep finding myself chuckling about “why did they have to ruin everything right in the last few seconds what´s their obsession with doing that” at the most random times throughout the day, lmao. I´m saying, please never stop typing your thoughts bc I love reading them,,
Oh it's not weird at all!!! And thank you for this actually 🥺💕 I feel like I ramble a lot for someone whose not even intending to be like a commentary/analysis blog or anything, I just have a lot of strong feelings lmao. But I totally know what you mean about it being kind of cathartic to hear someone else rant about something you yourself are angry about, its like second hand getting it off your chest haha. And yeah! I mean, this show is intentionally ridiculous and not intended to be taken too seriously (also a comedy above all else - even though as fandom we're more interested in the character drama aspects of it), but it's also really hard not to get in too deep when you're emotionally attached... even if that level of attachment is against your will dfjsd. But at least you're not the only one for sure, like we are all here in this together lmao 😭
Also that about their obsession with ruining everything in the last few seconds:
I keep just kind of hoping everyone knows what I mean by this because I assume it pisses everyone else off as much as it does me jsdgbsdfjsf. But if anyone doesn't know what I’m talking about or has been wondering, it's something like..... hmm... I think the most glaring examples I can think of are episodes like the underpants gnomes one where they spend the whole ep explaining why big corporate businesses overtaking small local ones is harmful, and then right at the last second they're like "nevermind lol!! 🤪 we love big corporations actually! its the fault of the small local ones for their product not being good enough". And in the goobacks episode we spend the entire time learning that the solution to preventing the future from becoming uninhabitable is to look after the earth in the present, and then in the last few seconds they're like "actually this is stupid, fuck the environment!!". Like....... !?!?
These are just two examples but they do it SO often, sometimes in slightly different or more subtle ways (like Stan's parents getting divorced - this one happened twice actually - which they desperately need to, and everyone was happy and better off... then they get back together at the last minute for like, no reason? Just to make Stan miserable again?) Speaking of Stan's parents another clear example of this is dead kids, where we spend the whole time sympathizing with Sharon being the only person who is as worried about the situation as everyone else should be. And then when her son gets shot you expect Randy at least to understand her now? But instead SHE'S the one whose like "actually you're right, who cares lol!!"
I think the reason they find it funny is because it's a last minute reversal of expectations, because you're expecting the kind of happy or logical ending any other show would give you and its like - oh wait!!! actually, *long fart noise* instead.
But like.... fucking stop doing this 😭 LMAO..... or at least don't do it in a way that fucks up character development, that's already a mess on this show.....
#x#sp spoilers#sometimes I wonder if this is something thats just way funnier when you're the one writing it#bc the audience of people watching the show are not laughing?? sdgbgf#or maybe its the kind of people who love the tegridy jokes who also think this is great
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there's a limit on how much you can be an isekai intellectual...
a bunch of analyses have been popping up before me all day so i wanted to throw my hat into the ring. all love to ppl who are exercising their creative minds + ppl like geoff here who just talk about these things because of fan interest but i feel like there reaches a point where exploring the "types" of isekai is pointless? i've seen ppl list out the different types of villainess revenge isekai or fantasy mmorpg isekai but eh why fit them all into separate boxes like that?
i think it's easier to think of isekai as a "type" (genre) of itself with only two categories: 1) a focus on isekai (lit. another world) 2) tensei (lit. to be reborn). this allows for a variety of applications and thus tropes that ppl see so many trends of!
with isekai - in another world
you see everything from:
pure fantasy (inuyasha, digimon wait maybe not the best example but in my childhood mind i count digimon as pure fantasy, fushigi yugi)
mmorpg inspired fantasy/adventure (.hack//legend of twilight, sao ugh, log horizon, overlord (LOVE OVERLORD!)
otome game-esque worlds >>> this is where it gets complicated with "villainess routes" since i admit there are multiple villainess tropes but this is why it's nice to not think of this as a "sub-type/genre" bc it frees you from those complications! (the saint's magic power is omnipotent, the white cat's revenge as plotted from the dragon king's lap soso cute!, the savior's book cafe in another world, i'm a villainous daughter so i'm going to keep the last boss wait i can't remember if she's reborn in this one lmaooo see this is why rules make everything hard)
with tensei storylines - being reincarnated/reborn in another world as *insert character/role*
you see...
the same tropes!!
pure fantasy (a returner's magic should be special, reminiscence adonis, the lady and the beast, light and shadow, i can't think of a manga off the top of my head for this ah)
mmorpg inspired fantasy/adventure (so i'm a spider so what i stan kumoko so hard, her majesty's swarm, can't name another off the top of my head ah i hate lists shorter than two things...)
self-insert based games/novels (fiance's observation log of a self-proclaimed villainess, who made me a princess, death is the only ending for the villainess, the villainess wants to marry a commoner, honestly games vs novels are different applications but i'm not in the headspace to try to remember a bunch of both lol)
*insert line break to give random ppl a break from scrolling but tl; dr just enjoy things for what they are no need to micro analyze*
similar variations occur in both genres (if ppl want to be super technical i guess i'm arguing that isekai itself is a massive genre that has the "another world" subgenre and "reincarnation" subgenre tl; dr) so i think it's honestly a huge pain to try to separate all these trends into so many different types of stories. for me personally it's easier to not get overwhelmed by this gigantic umbrella of "isekai" that spans light novels, manhwa, manga, and mobile games by just stripping each story down into its trademark tropes (aka character archetypes, story structures) and slapping "oh this is a person going to a world that's not ours" and "this person gets reborn as blank in another world". none of this "omg this power fantasy is such a this kind of isekai moment" or "there are 14 different types of villainess revenge stories and this series fits into this" bc AH labels! limitations! circle-jerks via ppl trying to compartmentalize everything and sound smart for leaving a comment on story analysis instead of ooh-ahhing over a character's face! dividing things into light novel manga vs manga vs korean manhwa ft. female characters!
the last bit is mainly why i feel frustrated by ppl's insistence to group everything?
the video linked at the beginning of the post (honestly good video essay, i enjoyed it, i just kept thinking in my head the whole time "marimo these are tropes do not take the genre talk literally") has a baby comment thread talking about "korean isekai manhwas" as a genre featuring nothing but reincarnated villainess' and i can't.
like i cannot acknowledge that as a genre of any sort. the energy i felt reading through some of those insights takes me back to 2012 when all yt americans discovered k-pop and deemed all korean music k-pop from then on! (ppl still do this now, yes you are seen and don't talk to me pls i don't like you. k-pop is korean pop music and nothing less and nothing more. take a few seconds and try to parse apart aspects of korean culture instead of slamming everything into a monolithic label that has the letter k and a hyphen.) it feels so odd to see a bunch of young ppl on ig and tiktok acknowledge korean media that happens to be in the form of a webtoon as "oh stories all about young girls becoming villains in stories they made/played" bc it feels so reductive u.u
(positionality disclaimer that i'm praying isn't actually necessary: i am a 3rd-generation korean of japanese descent do not fite me i am exhausted irl of ppl asking for validation/verification bc massive shove off.)
breaking news! korean manhwa...is just as multifaceted as japanese manga...bc how can comics as an art-form not have multiple genres...huh such a shocker?!?! same likely applies to media in other parts of the world like chinese manhwa and french comics--not my place to explain either of those i just know those industries exist bc of wakfu and donghua shows by Tencent.
at the end of the day it's not like analyzing any kind of isekai is wrong--absolutely not!! i think it can be super fun to think about how isekai elements complicate a story (MCs trying to go back home, ppl from the og world, reincarnation plot-twists) or maybe even bash a series for including some kind of other world element when they could have just written a super fun fantasy.
insert marimo's brief ramble that hey you can get sick of truck-kun's hitting disillusioned guys who happen to be super duper smart or girls who happen to be master chefs/craftsmen but transporting a fully-grown being into a fantasy setting is the ultimate cheat code for making mundane modern technology seem cool and overpowered, and being reincarnated as a fully grown person in a world with a pre-made story/game set-up completely bypasses the need for an author to slowly flesh out world-building in a natural progression so isekai is actually a really smart writing tool it's just that there are some series where the author didn't use it well at all and it's cheesy or clearly isekai was misused as a vehicle for character/story development and it was pointless *DEEP BREATH OUT*
in this essay i will argue...lol i am such a culture studies major!! if i were an english major i would be talking all about writing but here i am having a side-tangent about world-building via someone being reborn wow i love this for me (don't get me started on when an author has someone reincarnate as a baby and the story is mostly them having warm fluffy moments with their family--typically father figures--and getting lots of powers i could and would and probably will rant about east asian toxicity)
but anyway am i crazy????? like yes for being passionate about the technical use of a word like genre (i am a scorpio rising let me be fussy pls) but i don't think it's a lot to ask for ppl to not unironically see "villainess revenge isekai" as the definition of korean manhwa.
idk as someone who resonates with why japanese isekai is so popular domestically + why a lot of korean manhwa feat. the same tropes (it's not for great reasons lads it's actually depressing tbh) i'm just starting to feel kind of pained by the generalization and need to separate "cute japanese girl in an otome game"/"japanese boy finds a harem in another world" from "korean girl dies and comes back as a villainess" bc they are just! applications to the same story device!!
recommendations for any who makes it this far down below <3
// also gladly recommend any of the examples i've listed in the above rant as i've read/watched all of them and adore them v much! //
save me princess
super refreshing fantasy manhwa ft. a princess and her ex-boyfriend having to save the world!
the beginning after the end
an AMERICAN web novel turned into a comic (but see it being not korean/japanese doesn't really matter when you just consider isekai as a genre...isn't it nice to not overthink it?) ft. a super-powerful wizard king reincarnated into another world and starting from scratch--gives mushoku tensei vibes but huge twists!
the reason why raeliana ended up at the duke's mansion
love love LOVE this story--read the title and you'll learn how this girl reincarnated as the character raeliana in a book gets married to a duke!
trash of the count's family
such a good novel!! a guy gets reborn as a lazy oaf and he takes the hero of the story under his wing...plot twists come up later on!
this time i will definitely be happy!
v good and refreshing for a shorter series! she's been reborn 3 times and remembers every time the hero's stabbed her in the back, and now she just wants to break up with him!
silver diamond
older manga but v good adventure w intrigue! a boy who loves plants get sucked into a desert world with demonic lizards and a mysterious bodyguard by his side. shonen-ai not BL but wonderful vibes nonetheless + great side characters!
the princess imprints a traitor
adore everything in this from the world (not in that way this society makes me so angry) to the machinations at play and the dynamic between the fl and ml
#isekai#mother's basement#inuyasha#digimon#fushigi yugi#.hack//legend of the twilight#log horizon#overlord#the saint's magic power is omnipotent#the white cat's revenge as plotted from the dragon king's lap#a returner's magic should be special#adonis#the lady and the beast#light and shadow#kumo desu ga nani ka#her majesty's swarm#fiance's observation log of a self-proclaimed villainess#death is the only ending for a villainess#the villainess wants to marry a commoner#save me princess#the beginning after the end#the reason why raeliana ended up at the duke's mansion#trash of the count's family#this time i will definitely be happy!#silver diamond#see i normally put the raw titles for everything but the tiny korean/japanese part of my brain is so tired bc my english brain went off#the princess imprints a traitor#manga#manhwa#donghua
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And sorry to keep on rambling, I guess im still a little mad lol, but you know how weird it is that straight men seem to be the most misogynyst ones? Like with woman the true "misandrists" are almost always lesbians, but straight men seem to have such deep disdain of women, and christian men on tumblr really are a perfect example of this. I've seen these blogs only defend women when it comes to trans stuff, but when it comes to rape and murder and male violence they couldn't give less of a fuck. like theyll constantly cite that study where they believe it says lesbians suffer high rates of partner violence, and thus try to dismiss any kind of male-to-female domestic violence, conveniently missing the part where it says that these lesbians mostly suffer violence from their male partners. and some of them even try to suggest from this faulty analysis that this may mean that women are more likely to be perpetrators of violence than victims and try to make it a gendered issue, but when women point out that 98% of rapes are done by men, and that the majority of victims are women and girls then generalizations are bad and you can't make this a gendered issue and women can be evil too and so on. it seems that the only reason they even bother with women its because of their sexual attraction to them, and because they can give them babies and thus "pass their genes". At least most misandrists try to avoid men the most they can, but most misogynyst dont "go their own way" or whatever, they just keep on bothering women for whatever reason. And I also dont understand the women who follow these men and entertain or put up with these attitudes.
And I was also going to rant about the racist ones, but this is getting too long lol. So many of them are specially anti-black and try to cite statistics to justify their bigotry. Like God sure is proud and definitely expects you to hate black people and brown people and women. That's why He created them 🙄
Now I want to make clear that I don't hate men. Or women. I love them both, they're my brothers and sisters, but it still doens't mean that I can't be irritated at these attitudes. I guess it makes me more sad than anything else. I just expected more from fellow christians...
ihow weird it is that straight men seem to be the most misogynyst ones? Like with woman the true "misandrists" are almost always lesbians, but straight men seem to have such deep disdain of women
This is such an interesting remark and this is soooooooo true!!!! Hate as you want about misandrist/separatist lesbian radfem, but at least they are consistent in their disdain for men and are doing their best to avoid them. On the opposite, male misogynists are for the most part straight, and it seems like their hatred for women reeks from spitefulness. And they won't leave us alone.
They are mad at us for not being sexually accessible and somehow threatening (feminism made women less shy to call out their bs). That's why they HATE subs like FDS, because they feel threatened at women having boundaries and standards.
I've seen these blogs only defend women when it comes to trans stuff, but when it comes to rape and murder and male violence they couldn't give less of a fuck.
Exactly. Even when trying to express positivity about women, it's ALWAYS backhanded. Like, they'll make a post raving about how much better & prettier women from decades ago were compared to the ugly, angry & unshaven feminists lol "that's how real women are uwu"
Or they'll pretend caring about feminists from Third World country and be like "see? that's what TRUE feminism is!!" as if women needed they stamp of approval to define feminism.... LMAO Male entitlement knows no bound....
These people will act so offended and shocked about radfem saying "kill all men" when we all know WHO -IN REAL LIFE- KILLS WHO lmao How ironic is that women saying "KILL ALL MEN" will do their best to avoid men and do not that much actually, when men are acting like they were under attack (against their masculinity...) while championing homicide and femicide lmaooo
They're so fake and pathetic.... And yet their female mutuals will let it fly because "I'm not like these stupid feminists uwu I'll let my male buddy clown and disparage women because I'm 2cool4feminism uwu" SMH
like theyll constantly cite that study where they believe it says lesbians suffer high rates of partner violence, and thus try to dismiss any kind of male-to-female domestic violence, conveniently missing the part where it says that these lesbians mostly suffer violence from their male partners. and some of them even try to suggest from this faulty analysis that this may mean that women are more likely to be perpetrators of violence than victims.
Yeah I've seen that post saying that women were more violent than men make round and been rightfully been debunked by radfem. I used to follow the girl who made that post with stats saying lesbians relationship were more violent than straight & gay ones but a bunch of these been debunked too, as, like you said, some stats were from lesbians who underwent abuse from STRAIGHT relationships. I think out of those she pulled out, only one stat was legit/not poorly interpreted, so IDK what OP was trying to achieve but it was kinda messy. She didn't back down though lol
Meanwhile, she never got the same energy to call out male violence and the misogyny of the Christian LARPer weirdos she mingled with ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ mind you, that's the same girl who got mad at me for saying that man-strocking wasn't cute so this explains that.... lol
IDK what she and all the people who entertained this crooked data thought they were achieving anyway. Bickering about minority issues (statistically) while totally missing the elephant in the room ain't the hot take they thought it was... Lesbians relationship could be the most abusive ones, it still wouldn't dismiss the fact that most couples are straight and that male on female violence IS dominant in society and consequentially has bigger effects on society + doesn't stop at violence but straight up murder.
And yes, while I won't deny that lesbians can be totally abusive, it was still very strange to see the people who NEVER spoke about male on female violence (that represent MOST of domestic violence), suddenly getting out the woodwork to jump on this opportunity to be like "SEE? WOMEN BE EVIL!!!" Dude, why do you care about lesbian violence your own fellas are making up almost 100% of rape and domestic violence in the world? 🤔....SMH They are so corny and fake....
And I was also going to rant about the racist ones, but this is getting too long lol. So many of them are specially anti-black and try to cite statistics to justify their bigotry. Like God sure is proud and definitely expects you to hate black people and brown people and women. That's why He created them 🙄
You're right! God saw the world and made Blacks, Asian, White, etc. It's so crazy to me to see these fake Christians mock our features and call them inferior and dull... Like, do you know who made us? They pretend to be Christian, but they are making a mockery of His Work on a daily basis.... they are demons.
Some are literally so OBSESSIONAL at mocking Black people, it's almost pathological.. I remember browsing on that blog from a "Christian" man retelling his encounters with skinwalkers and I thought he was cool, and then I realized his banner was actually mocking Black for making up 41% of crimes in America. Then I scrolled below, and he replied to an anon mocking Blacks, and made the same 41% "joke" like?? how any more obsessed can you be?? they're demons.
#thank you so much for your insight anon you give out the best takes!!!<3<3#answered#Christian#tradmen#Christian LARP
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The Existence of Capitalism in Skyword Sword and How it Makes No Sense Contextually
First off, before I begin, I would like to make it clear that this is not meant to be a a post to bring politics into Zelda; it is my analysis of the information we are given about Skyloft and subsequent questioning of a lot of different canonical aspects. This also won't contain any major spoilers for Skyward Sword, as this is viewed almost entirely from a world-building perspective.
Continued beneath the cut (because this is a monstrous post)
The Canon Economy
In game, the citizens of Skyloft rely on a monetary system of trade, i.e. using money to purchase goods. This in and of itself works fine for the game, but I'll get into later why it's not very well founded later on. We see that the Skyloftians have to pay for necessities such as food in game. Seeing as this isn't something that carries much weight story-wise, it's hard to find lots of information, but it can be asssumed that Skyloft operates on a typical "use money to purchase goods" system.
Furthermore, the only large source of food we see in game (pumpkin island), appears to be owned privately. Patrons must pay to consume pumpkin soup. This indicates that other islands with the means for producing food may also be owned privately, though these theoretical islands do not exist canonically.
Most of this will become relevant as this post goes on; for now it offers contextual knowledge.
The Money Problem
Across the Zelda franchise, Rupees act as the main currency. It is not stated anywhere how or where Rupees are created, so there's a few potential routes.
1.) Rupees are mined from the earth.
In the very first installation of the franchise, rupees are referred to as Rubies by the game manual. Rubies being used to refer to them implies that they may share similar properties -- so from here we can assume that rupees are some sort of gemstone that are mined from the earth and made into money. If you're thinking, "but money is made out of paper, why would they use gemstones?", then I will direct you to the historical use of silver and gold as currency.
2.) Rupees are created magically.
In game, rupees can be obtained in an eclectic variety of methods. Killing monsters, cutting grass, and so on and so forth. This could imply that they are generated by some outside force at seemingly random. This particular theory is the weakest of the three.
3.) Rupees are formed via living organisms.
Hear me out. Seeing as a potential drop of enemies is rupees, the creation of rupees is not explicitly stated, and they're not so common that they're essentially worthless, one could assume that, similar to pearls, rupees are created by living organisms. This would explain why they are dropped sometimes by enemies, and even why you find them in the grass (outside of the minish) -- if a monster dies, the rupee(s) could be left behind in the grass and so forth.
When taken in the context of Skyloft, the theoretical origin of rupees that makes the most sense at a first glance is the second one -- there are few monsters on Skyloft, which rules out no. 3, and seeing as they have very limited ground to work with, mining is out of the question. However, when we look at the option of magical origins, it starts to break down -- they can't exactly disperse any excess money, as they are extremely limited in who they can trade with, and if money just keeps showing up out of nowhere the economy will inevitably undergo inflation, which wouldn't be good for anyone.
So, this leaves us with a limited supply of rupees on Skyloft, following either theory 1 or 3.
The problem here is that they live on a floating island, and frequently travel between multiple of these islands. If, say, one was to drop something off the edge, we know that it would be as good as lost canonically -- they cannot reach the surface, and therefore have no method of retrieving any objects lost in this manner.
In my initial ramble about this, the example I used was this: Young children clearly exist on Skyloft, and typically children enjoy playing with things and imitating their parents. I'm sure most people have had an experience in which a young child has either destroyed or lost money. If there's one toddler that has the idea to start chucking money over the edge, they could potentially even wreck the economy depending on the current finite amount of rupees available on Skyloft and the amount of which is being thrown off. Basically, the economy of Skyloft could be wrecked by a child.
They could potentially use something other than rupees as money, but options here are pretty much nonexistent -- what would they use? The amount of resources they'd have to use to produce money simply wouldn't make sense, seeing as they have limited resources -- which brings us to our next section.
Limited Resources
To add to the dubious monetary system of Skyloft, we have the very clearly limited resources. They live on floating islands. In the sky. With no access to the greater world below. They have very limited room for production. Even with the small canonical population of Skyloft (we're strongly going to assume that the npcs present in SkSw are not the extent of the sky's population, however, because otherwise they'd be competing with the lines of the european royalty), managing food would be a large and very important undertaking. In order to keep myself going a rant worthy of its own post, I won't be going too into depth on how they would make use of the land for survival. All that is needed to know is that food is very much limited and also, obviously, essential for survival.
When looking at an isolated community like this, food would likely be the most important part of life on Skyloft. If food isn't available, you die. Given that it is so important to have food in this situation, it would be a reasonable assumption to have a community in which everyone works to ensure the production of food. With these circumstances, the private ownership (for profit) of gardens is both unrealistic and extremely unethical. Farmers could charge a premium for food, making themselves extremely wealthy, and everyone else would be forced to pay these rates in order to survive.
Summary of Canonical Issues
Basically, we have this community in which resources are vastly limited, obtaining replacements for lost money is more-or-less out of the question, and the community would likely be all working together for the collective benefit of said community. In this context, having both money and capitalism make very little sense, and capitalism on its own is horribly unethical.
Potential Solutions
The full scope of world-building solutions to the "look at it wrong and it crumbles" situation of Skyloft gets into far more than the economy, and this post particularly was spawned from a conversation about Skyloftian food production. This will be pretty much a summary, but if I get around to making a separate post for the food and resources of Skyloft, I'll link it here and reblog this with a link as well. Anyways.
The conclusion I eventually came to falls into socialism. There's not really a central government on Skyloft, so production would be in the hands of the community at large. They would all be working for the benefit of one another and continued survival of their civilization, and seeing how essential food is, wages wouldn't really be a factor either -- you garden, or you die. This eliminates the need for money, as essential goods can be obtained via working for them and contributing to the community.
Outside of essentials, any luxury items could be obtained through the trade of items or skill, which would make sense. Someone who is, for example, a woodcarver, could want silk from a weaver. Instead of paying in money, which wouldn't serve any purpose outside of luxury items, they could instead carve something for the weaver. This continues to promote the learning and use of specialized skillsets while avoiding the money conundrum. Plus, seeing as Skyloft would likely be tightly knit as a community, it fits far nicer than charging your neighbor ridiculous prices.
Also, as a bonus thought, Rupees would probably just be seen as gemstones on Skyloft. They could be used by craftsman or as decoration.
I'm at a loss as to how to end this post, because I pretty much summed up the bulk of everything I could without going on wild tangents, so I leave you with this:
#long post#skyward sword#skyward sword worldbuilding#skyward sword anaylsis#analyzing video games#my mom poked her head into my room like halfway through and thought it was a school assignment and asked how the essay was coming#i didn't have the heart to let her know that her kid is ranting about the unethicality of capitalism in a fictional world in a video game#essay#casey gone feral#essays theories and worldbuilding#worldbuilding#i need a tag for posts like these#uhhhhhhh#zelda worldbuilding#zelda analysis#questioning canon#questioning things that were clearly meant to not be questioned#i blame faye /lh#ask me about how this affects my take on Sky#or don't i'll probably ramble about it at some point anyways#zelda theory#i guess technically sorta#caseyworldbuildsandetc
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what are ur thoughts on edmund pevensie
aah I'm so glad someone asked!! thank uuu <3
My thoughts on Edmund Pevensie? Mr. redemption arc boy? My sassy bean? Sulky little shit boy? Oh my god where do I start.
(putting under the cut because this gets unnecessarily long and my mutuals are tired of me)
Edmund Pevensie is a horrible little gremlin who turns into a delightful little gremlin over the course of one book/movie and ends up being one of the best characters in the series. I don't know whether to rant about book!Edmund or Movie!Edmund, but I supposed I could do both?
So pre-redemption, Edmund is a generally awful person. I really like that. Whenever we get a redemption arc in modern media, it's usually 70% defending why Character A is actually a sad emo child who was neglected and actually you know what? It's everyone else's fault that this person does shitty things (i.e. k*lo ren, vanya hargreeves, mcu wanda, etc).
Edmund is a truly hateful person and canon DOES NOT APOLOGIZE OR VALIDATE IT. Even in the movies (where they make him more sympathetic by drawing attention to the fact that Edmund is a child being manipulated by an abuser) they recognize the fact that he was a nasty person before the White Witch ever came into play.
I LOVE that. I love a redemption arc. And the only way a redemption arc really, truly works is when the character being redeemed is a Bad Person. It makes it so, so much more satisfying when the character finally comes to their senses and Does The Thing that starts/completes their arc.
AND EDMUND'S IS TOP TIER. In the books, it's a bit less explicit, but by the time he finally reaches Aslan's camp and talks to Aslan, he's pretty much made a full 180. He is immediately forgiven by his siblings and the Narnians and when the White Witch turns up, he is unafraid. He has full confidence that Aslan knows what he's doing. In the Battle of Beruna, he's the only person smart enough to realize that going after the White Witch's wand is the best tactical move. There is no clear "heroes redeemed journey" (as i'm calling it). Edmund realizes that he was wrong, accepts Aslan, and helps defeat the White Witch.
The movie makes Edmund work a bit more. He's forgiven by his sisters', but not quite by his brother. It's vague whether or not the rest of Narnia has forgiven him. When the White Witch arrives, he shows visible fear. It's only after he breaks the White Witch's wand and dies/nearly dies doing so, that he's allowed to be fully redeemed and forgiven by his brother.
I have conflicting feelings about how both of these narratives are different and the indicators thereof of said differences, but that's a whole other meta post I don't have room for. What I can definitely say I do love about Movie!Edmund's redemption arc is how they conclude it. In the book, you don't actually see the moment where Edmund breaks the White Witch's wand and it's more inferred than directly stated that she's the one who wounded him. He also doesn't come as close to actual death in the books.
In the movie everything is absolutely fucking perfect. They start out the battle with Edmund looking unsure of anything except Peter and they end it with Edmund dying (?) in front of him. The moment where Edmund decides to defy Peter one last time and break the wand? 14 year old me was losing her SHIT. They literally could not have concluded his arc better. 10/10 Disney.
Prince Caspian--books and films--gives us a clearer picture of who Edmund is after his redemption arc. He's still kind of snarky, but 100% a ride or die for his siblings. He believes Lucy when she says she sees Aslan, supports Peter and Caspian in their quest to get Caspian on the throne, and is the most level-headed character in the book. He is also incredibly sulky in the books and 1000% done with Trumpkin's shit. It's delightful. They translate this in movieverse for him being 1000% done with Peter's shit which is even better. He does not really have an arc or plotline, but as a supportive character he's a 10/10.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has my favorite Edmund. This is an Edmund without his older siblings. This is an Edmund who gets to bond with Lucy, Caspian, and Eustace and have wacky sea adventures. The Lucy/Edmund dynamic is STRONG and I am living for it. Both of them banding together to hate Eustace for half the book? 11/10. Both of them banding together to love Eustace for the other half of the book? 14/10.
Also, this is the book where we find out Edmund reads detective novels. Which is adorable and so in character for him.
Oh my god let's talk about Eustace and Edmund. After Eustace tells Edmund about what happened with him and Aslan and apologizes for being a dick? Edmund is immediately there to reassure him that all is forgiven, and actually? Edmund was a worse person his first visit to Narnia. (Pls get some self esteem Edmund.) Let's talk about Eustace and Edmund being protective over Lucy (who doesn't really appreciate it, but it's adorable just the same).
Movie!Edmund in this story is also a snarky delight, but the main thing that jumps out to me is HE AND CASPIAN ARE SO GAY FOR EACH OTHER HOLY SHIT. LIKE THEY TRIED TO PUSH LUCY/CASPIAN FOR A HOT SECOND AND THEN GAVE UP BECAUSE CASSMUND IS LIVING THEIR BEST GAY PIRATE LIFE.
Oh we should probably talk about Edmund in the Horse and His Boy. Yeah, this one is a real delight because we actually get to see grown up Edmund. There are so really awesome moments here, especially with him and Susan. My favorite is where he basically tells her, "yeah if you married that dick prince I would have totally hated you for it. thanks for making a good choice on that." Lmao. It's really interesting to see him more measured and mature in this book.
So anyway, to cut this rambling reply short. Edmund Pevensie has been my favorite character since I was 11 and first read the Narnia books and he continues to be in each adaption of the series. Can't wait for the Netflix adaption.
(ask me about book vs. movie meta, cassmund analysis, the problem of susan, or anything else narnia related for more ramblings <3)
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