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nekodatta · 1 year

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More Tears of the Kingdom/BOTW rambling based on the new trailer.

They seem to be building a lot of emphasis on the "you are not alone" part of the trailer. We see Link accompanied by the new champions in what looks like boss fights, Link straight up fighting side by side with Sidon against a random enemy, wide scale battles with NPCs fighting enemies by themselves, a shot of Link with what looks like more random NPCs overlooking a field.

This all seems to hint at an entire "building an army against Ganondorf" system, maybe unlocking new npc allies as you do sidequest for them, while the story important characters will join you as "full party allies" when you complete their various part of the story and maybe random battles will break out all over Hyrule.

And if this is really what is going on, I find it all so... Beautifully poetic, and perfectly in line with the fact that this originally started as "BOTW DLC".

In BOTW, you travel a broken Hyrule completely alone, only stopping at little villages and stables here and there to rest, to buy stuff, to prepare for the next part of your journey. You meet people on your travels, but you exchange some words at the most, help them with some sidequest, or maybe save them as they are attacked by monsters, and then you are off on your own again, preparing for the next Divine Beast, the next shrine, the next mountain to climb.

But now, all the work you've done in BOTW will pay off. People all over Hyrule *know* Link. Not as some chosen legendary hero, but as the random guy that showed up and helped them with some little thing in their life, or thar swooped in as they were being attacked, or that helped them in something as little as gathering some fireflies for a girl to just watch them glow in the night. (I loved that little sidequest btw)

And people in Hyrule now WANT to help Link back. They're not standing by the side and waiting for him to do all the work. They will step up and fight against Ganondorf's forces, and I hope that they "reuse assets" in the BEST way and actually make them be the SAME people you met in BOTW, name and all.

From waking up in a shrine completely alone, no memories of who you are, just a distant voice telling you that you have to accomplish this impossible sounding goal of defeating the calamity... To standing side by side with all the people you've helped, all the bonds you have forged after retracing your past and regaining your memories.

"You are not alone Link"

#that's SO BEAUTIFUL #tloz totk #totk spoilers #tears of the kingdom #loz spoilers #tloz spoilers #tears of the kingdom spoilers #totk #zelda totk

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imagine--if · 2 years

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Headcanon for Dano!Riddler with a s/o who’s like Harley Quinn? I’m in love with that dynamic ❤️💙 AND your writing hehe, thank youuu

A/N: Hell yeah, you're not the only one who lives for this idea 😍 enjoy!! Here's the link to my taglist if anyone's interested in being added 💕 And thank you so much 🥺

Pairing: Dano!Riddler x reader (The Batman 2022)

Warnings: Mentions of chaotic violence, Riddler stuff, he's such a simp lmao

• I'm gonna say you two met when Eddie starts off as the Riddler, going in to kill the mayor, and since Don Mitchell was a jackass, you had some semi-personal stuff to settle with him, so you barge into his house with a bat and...

• ...Walk straight into the Riddler taping up his face.

• There's just a long moment of pure, stunned silence, before you grin and go over eagerly, like-

• "Ooh, that looks fun! Let me help."

• And he's just like 😲😶😍

• Okay but now I have the image of you holding a bat and him just trying to be as intimidating with a lil carpet tucker 🤣 babyyy

• You absolutely support his view on Gotham and plans for it, and by the time you're both done in there, your walking away together while he's drinking up all the information about your name and your kickass self

• And your outfits?!!?! ahdbisdglj he just can't

• They show off your body so perfectly, you look like a glittery goddess, and he lives for it

• The way you deal with people inspires his own methods, he falls in love deeper and deeper when he sees you swing your bat around and give scum the hell they deserve

• Kill someone for him?? He'll propose on the spot lmao, no joke

• The man legit made a livestream dedicated to you and how you two meeting was 'fate'

• You're a lot more energetic and bold than him when he's Eddie, and he was a little nervous revealing his true self to you, but he just couldn't not?? Edward wants you to know everything, your opinions, someone that actually understands him

• Of course, you think he's a total sweetie, and the compliments and nicknames you give him make him all blushy and flustered and love-eyed 🖤

• He's so cuddly and warm, you love just burying yourself in his protective embrace where he mumbles sweet nothings and gives you little kisses, I can't-

• You better be ready to appear on a crap ton of his rambling streams and help him write the cards out - you probably picked them lol

• Edward is super clingy, no joke, because you're an amazing angel that he can't get enough of and must be touching you in some way every minute or it'll get him agitated

• If you show an interest in his riddles and puzzles, he's so ecstatic to show you and bond on loads of other different levels and ways 🧩

• You're his beautiful partner in crime, so that's too bad for Batsy now that he's got the Riddler and his angel to deal with, as if his life isn't hard enough 😂

• The Riddler's followers love you too btw, your personality and all are just so awesome and out there, not to mention Eddie loves to show you off as his 🥰

• He'll do anything for you, legit anything, and the crazy, obsessively strong love you have for each other is just to die for

• That big board Edward has of the Batman is nothing compared to the one with your crimes, as well as random Polaroids and trinkets of yours he's found... like a shrine thingy 💚

• You both just connect with each other so well, and he's so in love, he refers to you as his goddess on streams 😍😍

Taglist:

@lilyevans1 @truecobblepot @kpopgirlbtssvt @tinyryder @ireadandream

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egyptsblackrose · 3 years

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Dancing with Strangers

Ok so, theres a Playlist I’m loving right now on YouTube called “Dancing between Gojo and Kakashi but you can feel the sexual tension growing by the minute”, posted by itsharley. I made a short story post on the video and people liked it, so here’s the story that’s been living in my head rent free for the past week! This is a regular world AU btw

Warnings: a little suggestive behaviour later, spicy stuff wont be added till later... other than that enjoy!

Part 1-

Y/N L/N had a pretty normal life for the first few years of her life. Her parents were wonderful, kind people who were well respected and successful in their fields of work, both determined to give their precious daughter the best upbringing they could. Things only changed because both were offered a dream promotion. The catch? They had to move to Japan for the foreseeable future.

At first Y/N was devastated. She didn’t want to move away from her beloved grandparents and friends, she was just about to start primary school, and she didn’t know ANY Japanese! What if people were mean to her because she was different? However those worries soon melted away.

Their home was a stunning penthouse apartment in Hiroshima, close to Y/N’s new school, with beautiful views and amazing restaurants all around. There was even a private tutor to help Y/N learn Japanese faster so she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage from the other kids, but even though they were living in Japan, only their native language was spoken in their home. Her parents were adamant that she was smart enough to learn two languages at once, and they weren’t wrong.

In the beginning, Y/N was too shy to really try make friends, worried that she would say something wrong and people would laugh at her, or she’d pronounce something weird and people would mock her. Those fears soon disappeared also, however, when Y/N met Miku and Sakura. Both girls were very sweet, they thought her accent was cute and soon encouraged Y/N to speak more.

The 3 were inseparable, going to concerts together, cafes after school, watching movies and having sleepovers every weekend. It was more like having sisters! So when Y/N had to move back home when she was 15, the 3 were heartbroken. They shed many tears together, and at the airport the 3 and clutched at each other in a group hug, reluctant to separate.

But Y/N was a loyal soul, and the 3 talked over chat every day, and face timed each other every weekend night, watching movies and anime’s together, complaining about school, family and boys. It was painful for Y/N, she felt like she was away from home most of the time. But her friends were good people and never lost their bond.

Now finishing their final years at Uni, the 3 were face timing while finishing their papers, encouraging each other to finish and stay positive as they talked about their plans and ideas for their final year. That was when Y/N discovered the Japanese exchange program her Uni had in place.

Gojo and Kakasi had been friends for as long as they both could remember, meeting back in school, insisting on going to the same uni, and now working together in the police force as partners. The two were often mistaken as lovers, but they repeated many times that they were just very similar in personality, got along like brothers rather than friends, and were both very straight.

While the 2 were undeniably attractive it was Gojo who had the natural charisma out of them that many young women were charmed by, finding it easy to ignore his weird traits. He could never seem to keep a relationship going past a one night stand however, he was just too free willed and whimsical to be tied down. On the other hand- Kakashi- though dashing in his own right and was incredibly sweet to anyone who bothered to get to know him, seemed to fumble with his words a lot of the time, becoming embarrassed and flustered easily, backing out of any interaction that became too bold. The two were opposites, and they soon realised this as young men, observing how the other was strong where they had weaknesses.

It was Gojos idea (of course it was) to “team up” when it came to women. He was the hook, drawing beauties in and charming their pants off, and Kakashi was the sweetheart who convinced them to stay when they both approved of the woman. Sometimes for months, sometimes just for a few days of fun. Either way it was a win win for the men, Gojo received a proper taste of a real relationship (be it poly, as a 3) and Kakashi earned some much needed experience and confidence to help at least lesson his shyness.

But now they were not young men, they were MEN. Successful, powerful, admired men that had bright futures ahead of them and a brotherly bond stronger than ever. There was of course, something rather vital missing from their lives.

The two had been working stupid long shifts, with barely a day off to rest for far too long, and both males were pent up, and needed to drink and let off some steam.

Entering the club, Gojo immediately grinned at the low lights; pounding base of “Hotel Room” hitting his ears, the smell of perfume, sweat and booze. “The Ninja Shrine” was a regular hunting ground for the 2. Kakashi led the way to the bar by instinct at this point, determined to order something strong to continue their buzz from pre-drinks in their shared apartment. The two downed three shots of something dark and expensive with barely a pause for breath. After they were finished, two bottles of beer were purchased as they turned to scout through the crowd closely, leaning against the bar like they were at home.

Already some regulars recognised them- the women batting their eyes at the two, other men trying to seem like they were close and friendly with them so as to steal some of the female attention. Gojo and Kakashi already knew of, or had already slept with, a few of the women who were trying so hard to capture their attention as “Desire” played through the speakers.

They were put on the end of the list of possibilities. Gojo and Kakashi had agreed early on that they wouldn’t be ‘playing favourites’ with women, on and off relationships weren’t their thing. Kakashi would say its because he wouldn’t want to lead anyone on and build a girls hopes up, Gojo would say that once he’s had his fill, he’d get bored of the same thing again and again. Neither men were sure what they were looking for really when they went out scouting for some fun, and neither had found anyone who held their interest for the long term. But Kakashi was honestly more hopeful than Gojo and his whimsical personality.

As the remix finished its hypnotising beat and “Such a Whore” began, there was a refreshing breeze from the door opening. A group of young women, probably uni students or maybe a little older, came in loudly. They unintentionally drew attention to themselves through their happy laughter and rosy cheeks, clearly already been drinking for a while. And in the middle of the group, they saw HER.

Link to Part 2 here- https://egyptsblackrose.tumblr.com/post/648451271546781696/dancing-with-strangers-ok-heres-part-2-i-guess

#Gojo #Gojo Saturo #Reader #Kakashi #kakashi hatake #Gojo x reader #Gojo x y/n #kakashi x reader #kakashi x y/n #Saturo #jjk gojo #naruto #Y/N #Idontknowhowtodotags #kindawingingthisplot #helphowdoulinknewpoststogether

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mysterious-prophetess · 3 years

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Review- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

I’ll admit this here: I’ve never played a regular warriors game.

I played the previous Hyrule Warriors, but I’ve yet to beat it. I’ll get around to it...eventually.

I also played the CRAP out of Breath of the Wild. It’s now my favorite Zelda game, knocking poor Ocarina of Time of its pedestal.

Ok, they share it, to be perfectly honest.

Twilight Princess has sentimental position up with the others because it was the first Zelda game I ever beat.

The first one I played was A Link to the Past and I was far too little to understand it at the time.

I digress, I’m here to talk about Age of Calamity.

I’ll go through a non-spoilery section and then move on to the spoilers in the next bit.

The gameplay was actually pretty fun. Hyrule Warriors��could get repetitive, something I’m given to understand is an issue of the main Warriors series.

Age of Calamity is actually more fun. Yeah, it’s still a similar game style but they implemented enough of Breath of the Wild and Zelda into it that it doesn’t feel anywhere near as same-y to play as Hyrule Warriors could be.

I’m not saying that Hyrule Warriors had too much in the way of same-y game play but it definitely felt way more repetitive to me.

Each character has their own way they play and if you don’t click with them, you’re not going to enjoy playing them but those you do click with can then be a lot of fun in Age of Calamity.

The Divine Beast sections were not a highlight for me. I just am not a fan of them. Three out of four felt epic. The fourth was not.

Yeah, I’m talking trash about Vah Rudania. Would not recommend that Divine Beast. Which is a shame because of the Champions, he is easily the one I handle the best in combat. Or he was untilI figured out how to play Mipha.

The story is much more a Zelda story this time. The other story just kinda felt....not.

Hyrule Warriors’s story just sort felt like a massive crossover fanfiction.

And, this won’t be the last time I reference fanfiction either but that’s for the spoiler section.

The game was pretty cohesive and the incentives for 100% the side quests (aside from leveling) are nice enough and easy enough to obtain that it’s not a total grind to do it.

Speaking of leveling, I did have a bit of an edge for that. You see, I got the demo and it transfers save data and I’d max-leveled Link for that demo (level 20 in case you were wondering) which meant if I found enough rupees, I could instantly get most of my crew up to that level. Zelda and Impa were mid to high teens whenever I was done with the demo btw.

In Hyrule Warriors, it did feel a bit grindy at times but I didn’t have that nice 20 levels from my demo advantage.

There are relatively few buggy moments in this game but once when I was playing as a character I can’t mention without spoilers, they got caught in a sort of loop where they’d do a move and I couldn’t get them to stop.

Sometimes the camera angles would fight me when I was up against bigger foes like the final boss or Hinoxes.

Beyond that, the game runs fine.

I enjoyed it but for those looking for a straight up prequel to Breath of the Wild, the only non-spoilery thing I can say is-it’s not this. It does touch on a few things and we do get to play the Champions but it’s not the game you think it is if you want to see what happened before Link ended up in the Shrine of Resurrection in the game this spun-off of.

Tl;Dr-I do recommend this game if you like Zelda and want a game where your weapons don’t break every five minutes and you like feeling like a BAMF as you mow down enemy after enemy.

If you don’t like Warriors games or wanted that dark prequel-you might want to pass on this.

Now leave if you want to avoid spoilers.

Ok everyone who wants to avoid spoilers is gone?

Good.

First, I’m just going to say it: This is a total Fix-It Fic of a game with its plot.

As Nine’s gif said, Everybody lives.

The Champions and the King and the soldiers (whose asses you’ve been saving this whole game so really no big deal), Hyrule in general.

Everyone lives.

This was already in AU territory with the little guardian-it’s name is Terrako- time traveling back to fulfill Zelda’s wish that she could have saved everyone. Parts of Calamity Ganon go with it and posses its past self.

That means this isn’t just a Fix-it Fic, this is a Time Travel Fix-it Fic.

That’s one of my favorite kinds of Fix-it Fics, so naturally, I was biased to like this plot.

It is a bit schmaltzy that everyone gets to live? A little but a Fix-it Fic tends to be more on the sweet and fluffy side of things.

I did not see the future champions coming. Yeah, I knew the little egg-guy was a time traveler but I thought Link and Zelda together were going to save each champion one by one. When out of left field, here comes the future Champions.

I was very happy to see Adult!Sidon appear.

I was just expecting this

and got this too

It does, however, confirm this is a total Alternate timeline.

Wouldn’t be the first time for the Zelda series.

The Four Future Champions were pulled from Canon Breath of the Wild, and likely Post-Canon or Near the End of Canon since they know Link.

I knew it was an AU from the fact Link didn’t have the Master Sword when he should have. I own the book Creating a Champion and it mentions that Link of Breath of the Wild found the sword at some ridiculously young age. I’d look but that book is in a pile of stuff and I don’t feel like digging it out.

Best I can figure is Zelda’s wish also affected the whole timeline beyond when Terrako arrived allowing for her and Link to form a bond without resentment on her end. Which, we actually don’t know when Terrako and the Pieces of Calamity Ganon arrived in the past. They could have showed up five years prior with Terrako inactive and Harbinger Ganon using his crazy proxy.

Would explain why Astor was so bat-shit insane at that point.

Since I’ve mentioned him, this would be a good time to talk about Astor, or Not-Vaati as I called him before I learned his name.

Astor is every evil cultist serving some destructive force that is shocked that betrayal comes.

Especially, after he backstabbed the Yiga Clan causing even their leader to switch sides after the Yiga clan served Ganon for 10,000 years.

Astor is boring. He’s just another purple wearing evil dude who is serving a dark master who doesn’t actually need him after a point and gets a sort of comeuppance.

In this case, it was possession/assimilation.

I just beat Monster Boy and the cursed Kingdom and -spoilers-, in it there is a purple wearing evil guy who backstabbed others and was then backstabbed by the evil entity he served. He was just cursed into a ridiculous form instead of assimilation, though.

So, yeah. Astor was boring. The VA did what he could but Astor was just not compelling to me.

I did like the form that resulted of Harbinger Ganon absorbing him, though.

It was a very nice change of pace from the Blight-like form Calamity Ganon had in Breath of the Wild. I actually almost wish this was his form instead-though with the stringy hair all the Blights and Calamity Ganon had. Maybe as a between form? Either way, I liked it.

And that’s my opinion of the whole game; I liked it.

There were times I’d get frustrated (mostly having to do with time limits and characters I don’t enjoy controlling). I may not have liked the Divine Beast Sections but they weren’t enough to ruin the game nor was their inclusion to the point that it could ruin it for me.

The story, while a bit over-the-top with the wish fulfillment of everyone living, was still enjoyable for me and had its poignant moments. Especially with the Future Champions going back to their own(likely the canon) timeline where the Calamity wasn’t averted. Getting this glimpse of what could have been but isn’t for them.

All the younger Zelda flashbacks were bittersweet since we sort of saw how happy she was before her mother died and saw her father start his terrible parenting routine.

I don’t care that it was for her that he did it, it was still bad parenting. I sympathize with Rhoam, but that won’t excuse that he wasn’t a good father.

He loved his daughter and was trying his best but he still did damage in his attempts to defy destiny.

I just have a lot of feelings about this game.

I’ll just end this post here.

Age of Calamity was worth it, in my opinion.

#age of calamity #hyrule warriors age of calamity

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venusianknight · 4 years

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i!!! wanna talk about botw!zelda!!

im just kinda rambling here so be aware this contains spoilers for anyone who hasn't played, just a heads up!!

also: cw, mental illness (anxiety) & psychological abuse

can we discuss how awful king rhoam is in the one memory clip (”father and daughter”, memory #8) of him just utterly beating her down? im willing to take other sides considering he did write in his journal later that he felt bad for yelling at her, but who's to say he wrote that the same day? it'd be one thing if she was just straight up being bratty/refusing to actually take responsibility but as we're told from urbosa she literally passed out from praying at one of the springs (i can only assume she meant the spring of courage, or maybe im wrong and she didn't mean any of the three springs but idk im too tired to find the exact quote). need i remind you she!! just!!! turned!!!!! 17!!! by the time she finally discovers her power she'd just been at sanidin park talking to link about her 17th birthday not even (roughly) 4 days ago??? get this- the sanidin park memory happens before her visit to mt lanayru, meaning she was still 16 when rhoam was ridiculing her like this. she is 16 and rhoam is ticked she doesn’t know how to fix hyrule’s biggest threat? are you kidding me? the entirety of “urbosa’s hand” was about revealing why zelda felt so bitter as she was sleeping from working herself to the point of exhaustion and rhoam (the KING who is SUPPOSED to be letting zelda actually do what she needs to do in order to find the power hidden within her, not to mention take more responsibility in the literal sink-or-swim of his own kingdom) doesn't trust her enough to understand what the gravity of the situation is. to him, she sees it as a "childish game". does he legitimately think she doesn't care?? or is there something deeper there that im missing??? she's been putting in more effort into this than literally anyone else (gathering the champions, hand-crafting their tunics, researching the guardians/shrines/any ancient tech she could get her hands on) and you wanna tell me even still rhoam doesn't believe she's trying her hardest? that he just completely overlooks her entire life of praying, seeking and researching? there's honestly so much more i could talk about and i hope im not the only one who felt this way,,,

edit: i also want to bring up how he brings up the fact that people are making up rumors about her and calling her a failure. he has no idea how harmful this is to her. how sh*tty of a parent do you have to be to literally tell your own teenage daughter “oh yea btw people are talking sh*t about you and it’s your fault”. he is deliberately verbalizing her own insecurity to force results from her. he’s frustrated with her for something she can’t even control. what’s even more sad is how this reminds me of some parents in real-life. heck, my own parents have done this to me. this kind of trope is one of the most toxic things to occur in a filial relationship that i can honestly think of. the thought process is usually that the parent is angry at their child’s lack of success and so to get a move-on they breed fear into their kid. it’s like when kids are told not to misbehave during christmas otherwise santa won’t give them presents, except under mounds of pressure that is causing their kid to already be on the verge of completely shutting down. this is the kind of abusive sh*t that elicits mental illness, specifically crippling anxiety, depression and maybe even ptsd. the next memory of her is at the spring of power, where she spends nearly the entire thing breaking down about how she can’t harness her power. she feels numb, bitter and weighed down by the responsibility of it all, and has no one but link to let it out to.

#breath of the wild #botw #botw2 #botw 2 #text post #tea #king rhoam #hyrule #zelink #link x zelda #loz botw #loz #nintendo #we hyperfixating #oops my bad

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zachwritesstuff · 6 years

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Dragon Pilot: Old vs New

Warning: This article contains spoilers to Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan’s later parts and ending.

Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan is, in many ways, a fabulous series. The animation is great, the characters are lovable, and the story hits emotional high points in strange and unexpected ways. It’s probably one of my most recommended series of the Summer Season, and possibly of the year! But I could spend paragraphs talking about how much I loved this series, when really, I want to talk about one specific thing that stood out to me about it.

I don’t think it’s a controversial statement to say that anime has changed in the last decade or two. In fact, it has to change, or else it will stagnate and die. But in recent years, there has been a different kind of change happening, not on screen, but behind the scenes. While reports come in on Anime shows and franchises seeing record high profits, more reports are coming out about the troubling financial and personal conditions that animators and production assistants on shows have to live in, and the treatment from upper management and fans alike that people inside the industry have to go through. It’s no surprise that more public figures, like voice actors and idols, become traumatized and sick from all of them issues they have to deal with outside of their control.

It’s reassuring to see that things might be looking up for the lower workers in the Anime industry, from more affordable dorms and housing being crowdfunded, to new avenues of production opening up new ways to get anime to an audience, doing away with the strict and punishing guidelines. And creatively, more challenging shows are starting to be made, ones that poke fun and challenge the classic cliches and tropes of Dumb Big Breasted Women, Blank Slate Heroes, and Marketing Driven Shows. Instead, we are seeing more uses of Absurdist Comedy (Pop Team Epic, Asobi Asobase); Introspective shows about the creators of anime and the people who indulge in anime (Shirobako, Wotakoi); And shows that take classic romance plots and apply them in new, inventive ways (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Recovery of an MMO Junkie).

A wholesome slice of life comedy~

Even outside of the industry, Japan is seeing political change, with more protests against militarization of the country and support for LGBT rights popping up to challenge the instilled conservative views that have been a mainstay in Japan for so long.

I bring all of this up because I believe, whether purposely or subconsciously (And I do believe that it’s mostly on purpose), Dragon Pilot is a reflection of the changing industry and how it’s dealing with these issues, especially when it challenges the classical/traditional way of doing things.

The first major clue, and the thing that caught me on to this theory, is the design of the show. From the get go, it stands out from other shows in how it lays out it’s world. It strays away from the use of Key frame animation and highly detailed backgrounds, instead using a much more fluid movement and watercolor spaces to give everything a more down to Earth feel. And even when they use newer technology, like CG animation, it’s only used sparingly, as to not interfere with the natural flow of the animation. The two styles are used complimentary, instead of as a way to fill space.

Inside the actual designs of the Military base, everything looks old and lived in. There are spots of dirt everywhere, doors are uneven, and equipment has been put through the ringer. Even the character designs themselves seem to carry this style, many of them being a mismatch of character archetypes from the 60s, 70s and 80s. This all in spite of being in the modern day, and many of them having smart phones and updated Military hardware, like the parts that make up the Dragon’s disguise.

This, I feel, sets up the main conflict, even before you learn what the series is even about. It’s an establishment that has done things in one way for many years, and even though it tolerates minor advancements around it, it always sticks to its core values, never straying too far from what they believe to be the proper path to success. This could be applied to the Anime industry, as even when experimenting with new ideas, core ideas have always been forced in: Fanservice, merchandising ability, storyline tropes, etc...

Awkward situations is the main staple of modern anime

Which brings us to the main plot of the show. In a quick summation, the main Pilots, called OTF pilots, must control dragons, disguised as planes, to lead a world destroying God Dragon to it’s new resting place, a tradition that they must do every 76 years. They do not find out until after they begin, however, that one of the main parts of the journey involves sacrificing a shrine maiden, in order to ensure safe passage. This appalls the main characters, and they hatch a plan to prevent it from happening, eventually succeeding with much hardship.

This, I feel, reflects the current state of the Anime industry. For years, it’s been leaning heavily on the things that made it the most money, like shows with heavy fanservice, shonen shows that were played into the ground, harem series that allowed the viewer to place themselves into the empty husk that is the main character. While they allowed little changes in technology and storytelling, the core values have roughly been the same since the 70s. But it’s not the 70s anymore, and things do have to change, lest they get eventually outdated and left behind. Of course, the people running things do not and will not agree, so sometimes you have to be a bit more forceful and creative with how you make those changes.

It’s not just the overall plot that clues into this either. Even the smaller side plots play with classical tropes in interesting ways. Romance ends up being a leading factor, as the Pilots end up not able to link with their dragons properly if they are feeling love for someone else. While it’s mostly played literally straight with Hisone and vaping engineer Haruto Okonoji, things play out slightly differently with the other three pilots.

The biggest crime of the entire anime, promoting vaping...

For example, let’s look at the other focused romance between the hard nosed dragon pilot Eru Hoshino and the perverted male pilot Yutaka Zaito. On the surface, they are introduced as a very played out idea: Perverted, somewhat sexist boy falls in love with a girl that is sickened by his attitude, yet still falls for him when he starts to become less sexist and perverted. And though it’s pretty much done word for word as it’s done in the past, they do pull one interesting twist out. Because she fell for him, she’s unable to pilot, and despite the man’s best wishes, he actively sabotages the relationship, making her hate him so as to complete the mission successfully. Though it works out in the end, it’s a surprising route to take for a show that has romance as a main plot mover.

And speaking of romance, let’s talk about the other two pilots: The motherly Mayumi, and the sullen Liliko. When they are analyzed for their possible romantic links, they are simply written off as “not a concern”. While it’s never openly stated, the coding for the two characters seems to be that of an aromantic type, and at least in Liliko’s case, asexual. Throughout her time on the base, Liliko seems to show no romantic interest in anyone, and when even asked at the end if she was interested in anyone, she simply mentions “Kingdom”, the manga she reads. Mayumi is a little harder to tack down, as her interests seem to lie in caring for someone rather than having an active relationship, shown in her way she deals with her dragon and how she only seemed interested in someone else because they seemed well fed and groomed. When you have an industry filled with strict guidelines for relationship (Shonen has only hetero relationship, romance is either m/f, m/m or f/f, no crossover), it’s very refreshing to see a mishmash of different ideals represented.

One of the funnest characters, btw

Even the way that Hisone reacts to her choice between love and duty is different. Hisone is forced to choose: Either stop loving the engineer boy Okonoji-san, who represents her personal life and self worth, or else never be able to pilot Masotan ever again, who represents her dedication to her craft and what she’s built her life around. When faced with a final choice, she initially chooses neither, instead choosing to quit. This gets a negative reaction from her higher up, who somewhat literally throws her out, yelling insults the entire time. But soon after, she chooses to actively follow the plan, only to go against it at the last moment when she learns about the sacrifice, ultimately deciding to take things into her own hands and perform the ritual herself, risking her own life.

This, in a sense, could represent the constant struggle of newer animators, producers and voice actors face when breaking into the industry. They are told the traditions and things they have to do, and to question or reject them could lead to their abilities being insulted or questioned, their job threatened, and in some cases, termination and blackballing from the entire industry.

No pressure

When Hisone reenters the Air Force, apologizing for what she did, she is showing her respect for what the tradition is, and how it has helped their country for centuries. She feels that she can balance work and her personal life if given a chance, despite the heavy toll it takes on her, like having to work for dozens of hours on end because that’s the expectation of her; Having to follow ridiculous order after ridiculous order, with little explanation of why or what the benefit is; And any question she places against it being shot down. These conditions which might resonate, not only with production workers, but also many other jobs around the globe…

But when faced with the horrible idea of having a person losing their life, she knew it was the final straw. She saw a young person forced to take the fall for an institution that consciously and knowingly lied to and built up this person for failure, something they had done for years. Hisone knew it was too far, and instituted change herself, despite those around her telling her it was a suicide mission.

And what happens? Hisone does it, and everything works out. Despite being told for eons that this thing must be done one was, and any other would destroy everything, when Hisone tried a new, inventive, and more importantly, less toxic way of doing things, it worked out fine. Hisone lived, the Air Force learned that their lesson, and everyone was left to figure out how to live their lives with this new way of doing things.

And being fucking adorkable while doing it all~

Ultimately, Dragon Pilot is a show of hope. It shows that, even against overwhelming odds, the way things have been done before are not the way things must always be. The world evolves, so with it, an industry must as well, or else they’ll simply be left in the dust. And even if it might seem hard, impossibly hard even, sometimes that’s just a sign that you must work even harder to make it happen. So hopefully, the Anime Industry learns a lesson from it’s own show and cleans up its act a little. A little less of shows like Darling in the Franxx, and a little more of shows like Dragon Pilot.

#dragon pilot #hisone #masotan #zach #writing #article #anime #old #new #netflix

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shinyzango · 7 years

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Btw I may or may not have ended up playing BotW for 24+ hours straight. It always happens when I get a new game and it’s an openworld game.

Anyways, I arrived at freeing my first Divine Beast, Vah Ruta. Yes that means I met Prince Sidon. And I see why people ship Link with him. Which is ironic since how things were with his sister Mipha. also holyshit he’s seriously tall.

I unlocked Edin’s map and tried heading to Goron City... except I got completely destroyed by the heat and tHE FUCKIN GUARDIAN WHO DESTROYED ALL MY SHIELDS IN THE PROCESS OF REFLECTING HIS LASERS.

At least I didn’t die but I had to retreat to the Stable. And it turns out I need Fireproof Elixirs. And WHAT U KNOW, the only lady I didn’t talk to sells them. Either way, I’m holding off from attempting the trip again to restock on stuff. Aaand maybe find more shrines.

#zango derps at BotW #botw spoilers

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spaceorphan18 · 7 years

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Finding Kurt Hummel: Choke

Masterpost

3x18: Choke

Okay -- so after along absence, I am back! And jumping into an episode I consider the beginning of a long downward spiral of quality of episodes that I don’t think really recovers until we get to Dynamic Duets in season 4. Yes, we’re entering a dark time here, (and my personal least favorite part of the series) but that doesn’t mean there aren’t interesting things to pick apart.

So, let’s do this...

Phantom of the Opera

So -- we open Kurt’s story here with him singing Music of the Night -- a standard if there ever was one. It’s his audition for NYADA.

And you know, it’s nice. It’s not great. It’s definitely undoctored as he goes a little flat on a few notes. Intentionally or not, when Kurt goes on about it being safe and being bored with the number, I think he has a point. There’s nothing about this performance that stands out. I don’t even need to do meta on the music, because it’s so unrelated to Kurt, that it’s not really worth it. And with the lackluster performance of Tina as Christine (god, talk about no chemistry, though I know they were purposely trying for that), I think the point is that it /is/ the safe and boring choice.

I love that Kurt’s ideas to spruce it up are utterly ridiculous. Doing it German? Sing it in the nude? More sequence on the cape? Kurt’s used to doing outlandish things to get attention -- but I’d like to point out that all of these things are about being theatrical, but not about himself. And, if I’m going to tie this in with season four’s Swan Song -- I should mention, Kurt’s audition pieces are, and should be, about showing himself.

And I mean, it’s not that Kurt’s theatrics aren’t him -- they are! It’s just that it’s an outward persona. Who Kurt is on the inside is something he often keeps guarded. And right now he’s playing up to expectations of what he thinks people want him to be -- not showing off what he really is.

Meanwhile -- out in the audience is Blaine, trying very hard to be the dutiful boyfriend now that we’re post-Dance With Somebody. He isn’t quite sure how to tell Kurt that his ideas really aren’t that great. However, he does have the best line of the scene. When Kurt suggests adding more candles, Blaine’s response is hilariously amazing.

Blaine: Oh god no. No more candles.

School’s Out

Intersecting with Puck’s story, he comes blazing through singing some Alice Cooper. Most of the glee club looks confused or repulsed. I love that Kurt’s just scared, and at one moment, you can see him almost curled into Blaine -- like save me from this insanity. It’s kinda hilarious, actually.

Change of Plans

Something I’d like to point out -- post Whitney tribute, Kurt changes his locker. It’s more reflective of being a senior, and more photos of the group and the seniors. I’m a little sad that the Blaine shrine came down (though, I’ll argue that it needed to as they go from fairy tale to real story), but I am amused he has a picture of Brittana in his locker.

Anyway, we get into the crux of Kurt’s story for the episode. And, I’m going to be straight with you, there are a few things about this that drive me a little nutty. As I’ve been saying through most of season three, Kurt’s NYADA arc in the season is intentionally propped up against Rachel’s. All of Kurt’s decisions and all of the good things that happen to him are going to be marred because of what happens to Rachel. But making it even worse is the fact that Rachel’s going to get into NYADA and Kurt, while doing his best, while trying is everything, is not. And while I’l say, yes, yes, Kurt gets the better story line out of it -- I can’t help but be annoyed that for a long while, he just can’t have a story line to himself.

In addition -- I’m not really thrilled with what Glee is trying to sell here. Kurt wants to take a chance on something that he feels right. And in Glee world, it is the better choice ultimately. But just a word of advice for any of you who might be going into the performing arts -- practice. Seriously, practice. You aren’t going to get anywhere on talent alone. I promise you that -- as someone who’s been there. Do not just wing it because you think you can.

However, here, though, Rachel’s projecting all of her insecurities and issues onto Kurt. It’s another Hummelberry trait that’s going to drive me nuts, as this kind of thing is going to get worse as we go into season 4, and Kurt starts drinking her Kool-Aide more.

Rachel thinks he’s self-sabotaging by going with a song he feels more connection to, and taking a risk on something he feels more passionate about. He’s not -- it’s the right choice. There is something to say about being on top of things and being inspired to do something, instead of Rachel, who’s relying on being in her comfort zone, which is why she’ll crash later on.

Also -- man, Rachel has some control issues in this scene, and Kurt kind of lets her steamroll right over him. I realize that Rachel is kind of a tour de force at times, and I’m glad he kind of shakes her off later on, but man, Rachel, let Kurt make his own decisions.

(I need to take a second say how much I appreciate the scene where Finn is telling all the guys his plan on intervening with Puck. It’s hilariously amazing.)

Not the Boy Next Door

It’s audition day -- and Rachel tells Kurt that their adjudicator is none other than Carmen Tibideaux, NYADA and Broadway Bigwig. Now, here’s my thing -- I adore Whoopie Goldberg, I’m delighted she did the show because I think she’s fantastic. But Carmen Tibideaux drives me crazy -- and not really because of how she handles Kurt, which she could have done a lot better, but because the way she runs things doesn’t make much sense, and she often lets Rachel get away with waaaay too much, imo.

Kurt’s understandably nervous -- because yeah, this is a big crossroads moment for him, and to do so in front of someone so prolific heightens the stakes. But you know, he’s wearing those gold lame pants underneath that phantom costume. It was always an option, even as he let Rachel talk him down the safe path. I think the fact that it was Carmen made Kurt decide to go with something he’s ultimately more comfortable and interested in doing. While Carmen may not see it, this is Kurt at his best -- and at least afterwards, he can say that he gave it his all, and presented himself the best way he knew how.

(Btw, as this starts -- Blaine sneaks himself into the audience. This is such a little ‘awww’ moment. I love how proud Blaine is of Kurt throughout this sequence.)

Anyway -- it’s interesting how Kurt can read Carmen when he gets out on stage. She’s heard Music of the Night hundred times, as well as The Impossible Dream and Being Alive. I have to wonder if they knew they were giving Kurt Being Alive next season. It’s hard to tell with Glee.

So yeah -- Kurt makes the split-second decision to go with Not the Boy Next Door. And I kind of love this small little moment before the song starts, as Kurt closes his eyes and goes to a different place, and sheds the scared part of him off as he embraces the role of Peter Allen. It’s just kind of awesome.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ZKxx1YSks] <---- Not the Boy Next Door Link. Idk why Tumblr won’t actually let me post it correctly. But go watch it!

So. Not the Boy Next Door.

I don’t think there’s another solo that’s as Kurt Hummel-ish as this one. This song is so fantastic, and it’s Kurt at the height of his scene-stealing ability. The choreography is interesting, it’s most definitely an homage to the original musical -- only Kurt adds his signature moves, which is adorable and brilliant. He sounds fantastic on the number, and it’s a shame we don’t get the full studio recording, as that shows off his range better than here. Everything about this is such an amazing performance, and I’m so glad they had Kurt do it.

I'm not sorry for just bein' me But if you'd look past the past you could see That I am not (I am not the boy next door)

And, of course, this song fits with Kurt so well. Because it’s about a guy who realizes that he doesn’t fit into the mold that society deems worthy but that doesn’t matter -- he decides to leave the facade behind, and be himself. And that is exactly what Kurt is doing here -- showing off his true colors, and completely owning it.

Also. I should probably mention the gold lame pants. But, I mean I think they kinda speak for themselves ;)

(Watching Blaine through this is so entertaining -- we are all you, bb, proud and overjoyed about Kurt’s performance)

So. Here’s the interesting and complicated part about all of this. We know Kurt. We saw him shine like the bright bb that he is. Carmen, however, does not know that this is Kurt coming into his own and owning it. And she just happens to have a different set of standards. Because this performance, yes was undoubtedly Kurt Hummel at his best. But. It wasn’t Kurt at his emotional and raw. So to Carmen -- she can see that he can perform, but can he dig down deep and give emotion? Well, we know that he can, because most Kurt Hummel solos do that ever so well. But she doesn’t see that here.

And now -- that’s personally why I think you do a variety of things when you audition, but this is Glee logic, so whatever. But what I find kind of interesting here is that she compliments him -- because he does deserve it. But maybe because i’m watching it knowing what happens, I kind of sense something else here, too. She was impressed, sure, but she didn’t see what she wanted to see. She congratulates him for taking the risk -- but that’s all. It’s not enough for her.

(Now -- I’m not going to sit her and say I’m completely content with this -- especially since Rachel whining enough is enough to get Carmen to change her mind, but I’m just trying to make sense of the whole thing)

So, oh Kurt, he’s so happy, and proud of himself, and I love it. And I’m so sad that it’s just not enough right now.

The Consolation of Ms. Rachel Berry

And now we get to the frustrating part that leads into the messiness that is the end of season 3. Rachel chokes on her audition. Kurt is in disbelief. And I’m frustrated because Rachel fucking it up means that Kurt’s going to fail. Because Rachel needs to succeed. And for reasons I just don’t get, that seems to be the balance the writers need to strike in this stupid NYADA plotline. Why can’t both of them succeed? I don’t know. Why is it every time something goes Kurt’s way -- Rachel is left an emotional mess to be picked up? I don’t know. Why does Kurt have to fail if Rachel wins? I don’t get it either. But that’s the plot line we get. I guess the only consolation is that Kurt ends up being the better developed character after all of this.

And -- here at the end, Kurt does what Kurt always does. He tries to make Rachel feel better in the varying ways he knows how. And I feel like now is where we’re cemented (at least for a while) in how the Hummelberry dynamic is going to work. Rachel emotionally stumbles and Kurt’s there to pick her back up again. And it’s going to be this off balance until we get to season five. I wouldn’t mind so much if it’s sometimes turned the other way (and around season five we get that), or if Rachel didn’t always need to be picked up from being an emotional mess. But, I get the feeling that that’s really what the writers knew how to write. And I suppose the Kurt fan in me is sad that his story is sidelined for a good long while as he becomes, essentially, Rachel’s side kick.

Now in general - I don’t want to knock friendship stories. And I’m glad that he that they show he does have this huge heart. And I’m also not saying that Rachel doesn’t deserve to have this low moment, either, because she does. I just wish they had gone in a different direction -- and had shown that sometimes dreams change because you screw up -- not that you screw up, and people crown you prom queen because you’re sad, and if you harass the right people long enough you get what you want. But I digress.

But, ah, this I suppose is the last high point as Kurt’s year is going to get a whole lot worse. Fun times ahead!

#finding kh #kurt hummel

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