#autistic angel is my favorite character trope

[mischieviem]

Indulged myself for a homework assignment

#castiel #spn fanart #spn #dean winchester #deancas #dean x castiel #bobby singer #destiel #destiel fanart #spn comic #bamf castiel #castiel is so cool #but also #he's just a silly little guy #vavoom sorted #autistic angel is my favorite character trope #this isn't funny Dean #the voice says I'm almost out of minutes

[azuremist]

✧ — My favorite original posts

Dead Plate 3DS theme

Web weaving (Dead Plate)

Cohost sucks, too

On Marina in “Suffer No Fools” (Splatoon)

Pearlina as a princess x knight dynamic (Splatoon)

Haruka has an intellectual disability (and why that matters) (MILGRAM)

Needy Streamer Overload anime

Marina’s Dev Diary #8 (Splatoon)

“TME” and “TMA” are intersexist

Marina’s Dev Diary #1 (Splatoon)

Let Agent 8 rest (Splatoon)

The Furret walk being recognizing by Pokémon’s YouTube (Pokemon)

Papicoco’s wedding armor (Flip Flappers)

Trial 2 thumbnail scenes (MILGRAM)

Papika in episode 7 (Flip Flappers)

The balcony scene (Cherry Magic)

Papika really loves Cocona (Flip Flappers)

Guilty Kotoko propaganda (MILGRAM)

All references in Shiver’s Frostyfest dialogue (Splatoon)

Intermission animation (I’m In Love With The Villainess)

Kieran being 14 years old (Pokemon)

Hopeless romantic aromantic Mahiru (MILGRAM)

‘Alterhumanity and Autism’ follow-up survey

Kieran never hates the MC (Pokemon)

Bisexual Pokemon characters (Pokemon)

Kieran’s eye shines return (Pokemon)

How you would fall if you were an angel

The parallels for each prisoner pair (MILGRAM)

Lumity x “My Love Is Mine All Mine” (The Owl House)

Doki Doki Literature Club’s twist would have been better if Monika was a male character (DDLC)

Amane, Kazui, and how your childhood follows you (MILGRAM)

Panels from “The Bravest Prince” (Adventure Time)

An analysis of Marshall Lee’s nightmare form (Adventure Time)

Gumlee development (Adventure Time)

Princess Bubblegum vs Prince Gumball vs Gary Prince (Adventure Time)

Bubbline and Gumlee parallels (Adventure Time)

A resource for making your personal site accessible

“Bubbline vs Gumlee” (Adventure Time)

Analyzing ‘(Not) a Devil’

Crowley’s wings (Good Omens)

What did Neil Gaiman mean by this (Good Omens)

‘Alterhumanity and Autism’ panel script

Irony and the Barbie movie’s feminism

Vote against KOSA

The great implosion of ArtFight 2023

Bakugou is a funny character concept (BNHA)

Masterpost of art made about and during the AIDS crisis

Autistic bullying as portrayed in Ruby Gilman, Teenage Kraken

The hidden message of Swadloon (Pokemon)

Gen work June fanfic recs

Sun Wukong and Macaque flashback (LEGO Monkie Kid)

The original meaning of hanahaki

Autistic people writing robots / AI

AO3’s old racist mod

What is and isn’t menhera

Transphobe / TERF blocklist

Hunter and the ‘curing the disability’ trope (The Owl House)

Ships that are just teenage boys are good

My list of “internet archeology for old fandom drama / events” video essays

Every OT3 has… (LEGO Monkie Kid)

A compilation of every time that DBK and PIF are bad parents (LEGO Monkie Kid)

“Non-man” is a bad phrase

My guide to tumblr etiquette

Courtney analysis (Dead End: Paranormal Park)

The Golden Guard as a metaphor for masking (The Owl House)

My problem with “Thanks To Them” (The Owl House)

Bisexual Hunter is canon (The Owl House)

The androcentric desire hypothesis

Analyzing the themes of ‘Bad End Theater’

Canon autistic representation in cartoons

Male/female multigender advocacy

Religious themes to describe queer experiences

On the 2020 Moomin revival

Being a grimwalker as a trans metaphor (The Owl House)

Disability education resources

Character proportions (The Owl House)

Red Son and his parents (LEGO Monkie Kid)

Shadowpeach and songs (LEGO Monkie Kid)

Sun and moon bigender flags

Red Son is autistic (LEGO Monkie Kid)

Shadowpeach web weaving (LEGO Monkie Kid)

“Galar’s friends” card art edit (Pokemon)

Bambi bisexual flag

Gundham Tanaka is autistic (Danganronpa)

MLM/WLW flag

Digitalized Bede Pokemon Center art (Pokemon)

Bede character analysis (Pokemon)

Brown-eyed Goh edits (Pokemon)

Randall Ascot skintone edits (Professor Layton)

Mousier Scarlet story rework (Bug Fables)

That one time I predicted that Entrapta was autistic and made an analysis post on it immediately after season 1’s release (She-Ra)

#masterlist #blog info #azure does a thing

[thatqueercookie]

Got tagged by @luckshiptoshore (I've got the same first two as you)

8 shows to get to know me!

1. What We Do In The Shadows. This show really does have it all. A queer vampire polycule. A couple that's been together for 300 years and is still in love. The absolute BEST will-they-won't-they on television bar none. Guillermo's character arc is the best growth I've seen in a character in some time. It's hella sexy at all times. Everyone is so perfectly flawed and complicated. This show has inspired me to write more fanfiction than any show ever has! Also it's HILARIOUS, and tragic.

2. Our Flag Means Death. This is the sweetest purest love story and reminds me that no matter what you hate about yourself, or what others hate about you, there is someone out there who will love you for all those things! The representation is off the charts in this show and my love for every single babygirl member of the crew is immense. The only downside in the fandom is the discourse about Izzy. Like seriously, just let him be a part of the narrative. He's fun to hate and he's fun to play with in crack fic/art.

3. Doctor Who. This show will always and forever pretty much be my religion. The messages of love and intelligence over brute force and cynicism are so great. And the message that every single soul in the universe MATTERS and is important and unique and beautiful. And these messages are delivered through a gender fluid intergalactic nerdy tour guide with an infectious sense of WONDER for everything who takes you through time and space battling fascism and capitalism in a mess of camp effects and plot holes. I have seen all the classic and new series and I'm working my way through the Big Finish audios and EDA books.

4. The X-Files. Probably one of the best shows the small screen has ever seen. It's scary, it's suspenseful, it's funny, it's romantic, it's smart. It has simultaneously the longest non-sexual, emotionally intimate marriage AND the ultimate sexual slowburn. I could (and have) watch every episode a million times and enjoy them just as much every time.

5. Star Trek. I love every iteration of Star Trek, but The Original Series is my absolute favorite. It just gives me so much hope for the future. That someday, after all the human race's growing pains, after all the war and the racism, sexism, and homo/transphobia, after the greed and the poverty and pollution, we'll LEARN. We can be better. We'll explore and we won't explore to conquer or assimilate; we'll explore to learn about life and it's complexities and become even better versions of ourselves. And the friendship and sense of family on the Enterprise is just so beautiful. Also Kirk/Spock are the best definition of soulmates I've ever seen. The alien cultures within the world of Star Trek are just so well built and thought out (much better than in Star Wars). As an anthropology major, this FACINATES me.

6. Good Omens. The longest truest love story you have ever seen and one of the only (alleged) representations of romantic asexuality I have ever seen. Aziraphale and Crowley, an angel that doesn't fit in in heaven and a demon that doesn't fit in in hell but they fit with EACH OTHER and they love earth so dearly. It's humanism vs. religion and we win.

7. BBC Ghosts. I'm a sucker for the found family trope and this show does it so well. They're FORCED to become found family because there is literally no way for them to leave. All the ghosts are such nuanced (and autistic) characters and Mike is the best husband. He's so supportive of his wife and her crazy ghosts. BTW the U.S. version can go suck eggs in hell.

8. Willow. A return to the fun fantasy genre and the power of love and friendship that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's also a sapphic's dream! A demi-masc princess and her lady knight in a love story that kiss in the very fist episode? YES PLEASE! And Elora may be the chosen one but she sure does suck at it at first, and I LOVE that about her! The chosen one shouldn't be a perfect magic user, they should need to learn like anyone else. And THRAXUS BOORMAN!!!! Witty, slutty, leggy, longhaired, bisexual scoundrel who deserves to be in every single fucking scene! BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S ON THE KNIFES EDGE OF CANCELLATION SO GO SUPPORT IT ON DISNEY+ RIGHT NOW!

tagging: @someguywife , @indashadows , @glitter-mouse , @blakbonnet @bootlegsun , @nandorisms

#tag memes

[cloneslugs]

top 5 magical girlies!!

would cheat and list out all my magical girl OCs but i wont i will share the love beyond me but know i would put them here too but i wont but i would

1. WHA girlies (: i will not pit them against each other bc that would 4/5 spots on the list and also bc i love them all equally they're my little girlies & theyre all so wonderfully developed and very like. just very well written children (: Coco is just one of the sweetest protags to exist ever she has autistic swag through the roof and she's very sweet and has a beautiful heart & just <3 seeing her grow and her view towards the world and everything so much love & care in her it means the world to me Richeh is my little baby girl shes so uniquely charming i love her blank little face and her attitude towards magic and individuality & shes very quirky cute & Tetia is just a sweetheart such a sweet little girl i love how happy she is also theyre all transgender but she has so much tgirl swag & the creator retweeted transgender art of her so she kind of rules & she just makes me smile shes so kind and loving and well thank you for everything ms tetia & agott is my very very wonderful darling girl i have a soft spot for angry bitter little girls a bit she is my little angel i will always root for you and cheer you on i love how she interacts w people i just they all make me so sniffle ;__; my little girlies ohh you all do so wonderful happy magic i cannot to see where it takes you (:

^ tetia touch (pages L -> R)

2. sakura (: from ccs she is very dear to me she is a very sweet girl and ccs is just genuinely so full of love between characters its very <3 she wins in the mg department just bc she has no consistent outfit and always gets a new mg outfit its very charming and i love her rollerskates i just think she's so sweet, i think she's just very charming she is a sweet little girl who loves her friends and family and is always just very kind (:

3. sorry for wha again she just wins bc shes cool as fuck & also she has one of my favorite designs of all time Ininia win i think every girl needs ribbons and horns

also she just has the fucking coolest brim hat design, makes me very heheheheh hehehehehehhehheh that she doesnt have a brimmed witch hat she has ribbons that serve the purpose of a brim i just love everything about her look

putting jujy here too just bc i dont wanna take more wha spots but she deserves her own spot as well bc i also love her design this isnt to say i dont love the main group's desigsn but i think its so cool to see how other people design their apprentice's cloaks and hats i love all her tassles and i love her cloak especially & the pants her hair is very darling

gonna shut up about wha now bc i would also add lulucy even just for design & also the buff nurse who doesnt do magic but deserves a spot anyone bc women love her sorry . everyone look at wha designs though make me very (:

4. luz from the owl house biased a bit bc i just watched an ep but i love witchy weird girls so so so much shes just very sweet and fun makes me smile a lot (: bisexual win and etc etc

5. i am just gonna list random girls i like i want to say princess comet just bc shes very very very cute and i love a princess from space who is just yayy yayy interacting w the world i only skimmed the first ep of her bc riza wont watch more w me but she charmed me very quickly, i like madoka from pmmm but its been a while im a sucker for pink girls though and shes sweet from what i remember, snow white from [redacted and hit by a truck dont look at this one] bc she is just genuinely one of the sweetest magical girls ever esp given the circumstance of it all and etc & i wont ever forgive the dark magical girl "break the cutie" trope i hope someone dies for that one, rachel roth is my everything goth girl i love emotional problems shes very dear to me as always, trese and kaine are also girls i love who do magic but in a less cute way kind of but also i love you w all my heart thanks for kicking ass and also the tgirl swag, also marcille from dm just bc she has weird girl evil magic swag that just rules and shes funny, i would also list off every hatsune miku song/module thats based on magical girls bc i have 3 off the top of my head that mean a lot to me very cute i think everyone should sing songs about magical girls and what that means and etc, theres other like misc cartoons and stuff of just girls who know magic who also make me smile just bc i think girls learning/doing magic is a sweet and cute thing also for also for honorable mention i'll say the filipino witch from little witch academia even though i know nothing about her but a win for filipinos i hope

#not girls but they can be in spirit but also em.il & rals.ei can have something going on w them in a magic cute way thats very charming #asks #THANK YOU I CANT SHUT UP (: #i love magic hooray i still very much dream of being a magical girl sometimes i think its just such a wonderful concept makes me smile i (: #love lvoe love love love the genresorry this got so long i love magic systems and cute outfits and saving the world through kindness and lo #*love

[katagawajr]

SOOSHI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

baby sasha… for CEO of sasha -u-

- (First Impression): i loved her outfit so much and i was immediately worried that she was going to fall under the trope of “side character that gets killed off midway through for dramatic tension” so i’m glad it didn’t happen :’)

- (Impression Now): BROOO she’s my autistic little angel <3 <3 literally one of my all time favorite characters in media, she deserves so much better and more attention to her super interesting story

- (Favorite Moment): her entire arc with rhys in the biodome probably- the flower scene ofc, but i think the bridge scene and control room scene are also wonderful….. that or the ending with her and fiona :’(

- (Idea for a Story): asker of this question has the best ones obviously :3 but i’d say a cute story idea is just her showing off her gun collection/knowledge to someone..

- (Unpopular Opinion): well there’s lots i guess :| but in my unpopular opinion she’s actually one of the sweetest and softest characters in the series LMAO idk where so many people come up with the idea she’s some mean person

- (Favorite Relationship): rhysha :) rhysha :) rhysha :)

- (Favorite HC): @timothylawrence (asker of this question)’s autistic sasha hc for sure. 1000/10

#ugh my baby girl :’) #thank you for this bestie HEHE shes the girl ever #asks

[ormakeasaintofme]

unpopular opinion i guess maybe

idk like i know misha was never given the respect he deserved even when he was like, the only person on set who actually cared about doing a good job and i get why people wanted the angels to be larger-than-life beings that felt inhuman but i honestly love that most of the angels just act like people bc i’m so tired of “autistic-coded” being shorthand for “inhuman alien beings who look down on the very concept of feelings” and cas being the only angel who acts Like That means that instead of that trope we get a character who isn’t human but who is the most like humans and who cares the most about humans specifically because of who he is and i just. idk. it’s very important to me that cas is autistic, whether anyone involved ever for a second thought of him that way or not, and the fact that the rest of the angels aren’t is most of why it’s one of my favorite things about the show instead of yet another tired trope i have to resign myself to sitting through

#spn #cas #misha #idk i've seen posts from like three different people in the last day and i don't remember who any of them were but i'm just. Thinking #autistic cas #actuallyautistic #mine.txt

[hairasuntouchedaspartoftheamazon]

DO YOU HAVE FIC RECS (FOR SPN) I H U N G E R

Okay, recently read, yes that is the only criteria I use because i read too much fucking fic and CANNOT organize them all:

Angel’s Wild - Very long, Cas as an Angel that’s creature-like. Falls into one of my favorite tropes of Dean being like “Oh shit most of what I know is wrong” when he meets Cas and also they’re like almost immediately horny for each other. Slow burn so slow it hurts but I do love it.

The Love Story of the Runner Up - PRIME Outside perspective with an OC. Real short but acheingly funny and sweet. Miguel(the OC) is the man. THE man. Basically, he dates Cas for about six months. It’s a sweet thing about how even people who aren’t permanently in your life can still have a big impact.

The Secret Good Supernatural That Lives In My Head, Season One - LieutenantSaavik HAS NEVER DISAPPOINTED. They are my icon, they are my diety, this is excellent. From the narration to the fact that the Winchesters are half Chicano (MEXICO REPRESENT) and the characters we love no longer influenced by misogynistic  and racist writing, this is the good shit.

Made Manifest - This is a Trans!Dean fic, and it hits me? It hits, okay? EXCELLENT USE of Lazarus Rising at the end.

Bring Me To Honey for Amber - This is so random, but it’s also poetry. They’re in love and things are always changing. Historical AU.

Speak Low, If You Speak Love - FUCKING. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. AU. BRILLIANCE. I love it. Shakespeare is a comedy, there’s meddling, they’re fucking idiots and British people get punched in the face by the Irish (i.e. Eileen) MOST EXCELLENT

Fata morgana - My wife Bela Talbot as the Queen of Hell do I need to say more?

It Is Not Light That We Need, But Fire - Okay, not everyone’s cup of tea but ABO and they’re escaping prison. The Winchesters and Krushnics are opposing larceny crews but Dean and Cas fall in love in jail and will not leave without each other. I’m explaining it terribly, it’s excellent.

The Moonlighter and the Magician - This one has not left my head in like six months because it’s excellent. 1920′s AU, Cas is a jewel thief and Dean is his neighbor who is pining over him like nuts. Exploration of social issues and unconventional queer relationships + autistic Cas.

Broadway Musical - ONE OF THE FUNNIEST FUCKING THINGS I HAVE EVER READ. Like....it’s canon-adjacent. Cas is supposed to be a matchmaker to bring about the vessels of Michael and Lucifer...he falls in love with Dean instead. Jimmy gets to say fuck. All around excellence.

So Says The Sword - I consider this canon I will have you know this. CANON. GLORY BE TO komodobits AND THEIR GLORIOUS WRITING.

I hope I have fed you. Go FEAST MY DUDE

#spn #cazi answers #fic recs

[moistestmango]

What fics would you recommend the most?????

IeHi!! I mainly read Tim and Wally-centric fics so I hope it’s alright that I only recommend fics abt them! ^^;;

I’d recommend all of allegrezza’s wally/batflash fics but they’re sadly deactivated ;-;

For Tim Drake (+ batfam) fics, I’d recommend anything by maychorian, incogneat_oh, musafir, Shirokokuro, heartslogos and CluelessKitten (there are def more authors out there but I’m having a little trouble focusing and writing so I’m def missing some more but u can check my bookmarks if u wanna! MoistMango bookmarks)

For Wally West (+ batflash, superflash (kon/wally) and birdflash) fics, anything by BatFlash11, Stormrace (all fics are fem!Wally, platonic!batflash), EiswolfZero, Taisi (some kon/wally + if you also happen to be a One Piece fan and love Luffy-centric nakamaship fics then they have plenty of fics like that too!)

Fics I especially adore:

Obs! I’m probably missing on including warnings so do read the tags before reading just incase!!!

Tim Drake-centric fics:

- “Look At Me” by CluelessKitten on AO3. A/B/O dynamics, fem!Tim. OBS! Read tags for warnings! No matter how many times I re-read this I’m always in awe. It’s well written and I like how the author mixes ABO with the characters identities in here (if that makes sense).

- “Executive Assistant To The Batman” by heartslogos on AO3. Alternate dimension, civilian!Tim. This one is hilarious!

- “The Adventures Of Tiny Tim” series by heartslogos on AO3. De-aged Tim!! One of my favorite things ever!!! Adorable as heck!!!

- “Go Back To Sleep” by LokisonofLaufey on AO3. Sweet hurt/comfort and fluff, platonic!Jaytim and dicktim!! 

- “Joker Junior” by Help__Obsessed_Artist on AO3. JJ!Tim with PTSD, aftermath of brainwashing/torture, angst and hurt/comfort.

- “The Green Knight” by gypsydancergirl, hauntedlittledoll on AO3. AU!, mute Tim. Author hasn’t updated in a while but it’s really good!

- “(Un)Wanted” by Mika-rin (mikachan) on AO3. Angst and hurt/comfort, childhood trauma.

- “Sleed Dreams” by heartslogos on AO3. The other batbros and batdad caring for sleepy!Tim, which is one of my absolute favorite tropes.

- “Year of Fallen Angels” by maychorian on AO3. Amazing!! Got so much angst and hurt but also comfort and fluff to balance it out. Hurt!Tim! 

- “It’s Always Bring Your Robin to Work Day” by audreycritter on AO3. Fluffy and fun, father-son Bruce & Tim! 

- “free (as a bird)” by hollow_city on AO3. Autistic Tim. Hurt/comfort, brotherly love and good dad Bruce! 

Wally West fics:

- “assumed serendipity” by squijim on AO3. Barry & Wally, fluff and hurt/comfort.

- “Speedster Family” series by ImaKaraTabiHe on AO3. “A series of one shots/shot stories about Wally West's life as Kid Flash dealing with being a kid hero, the League, his Team, and of course the Rogues (he IS their Baby Flash after all).“

- “These Small Hours (Still Remain) by CluelessKitten on AO3. Platonic Wally and League. Fem!Wally.

- “Leaps And Bounds” by Earthiana on AO3. Read the tags! Fluff and angst. Kid Wally!! ;A; Barry and Iris (+ the rest of the League) caring for Wally.

- “When I’m Gone” by CluelessKitten on fanfiction.net (same author on AO3). One of my absolute fave fics of all time! Fem!Wally. Justice Lords. Angst, tragedy and family. Implied/undertone of batflash but it isn’t too obvious if you’re not into that. 

Batflash:

- “The Cuddles of Batflash” by Dragonfire13 on AO3. As it says on the title, cuddles of batflash uwu. Hecking cute. Great pick me up!

- “Comrades in Arms” series by laceymcbain on AO3. 11 works. lots of UST and flirting. A blend of comic and JLA (animated series) verses. 

- “Slumped” by BatFlash11 on AO3. Fluffy and cute cuddling. Have re-read this countless of times lol.

- “Monitor Duty” by CoffioCake on AO3. Flirting! Confessions!

- “Seeking Help” by EiswolfZero on AO3. Fluff, getting together.

- “If Sadness Is a Color” by Jazyrha on AO3. Lord Batman and Wally. Explicit smut. Bottom!Wally. Semi-public sex, hurt/comfort.

Birdflash:

- “Nowhere I Won’t Find You” by et2brute. Explicit smut, Bottom!Wally. Fix-it fic. 

- “Nightly Excursions” by FlowerBox (Ieznos) on AO3. Explicit smut! Bottom!Wally. 

- “my heart on your skin” series by PotterheadAvengerDemigod on AO3. Soulmate!AU. Fluffy. A lil bit of angst. Very cute!

- “when I’m away I will remember) How You Kissed Me” series by PotterheadAvengerDemigod on AO3. Works 1 to 6 are birdflash. Lots of kissing, very cute.

#I want to include more but I'm lazy OTL #also this isn't properly written and tagged but oh well ;-; #replies #fic recs #I only read tim-centric cute and fluffy hurt/comfort batfam and wally batflash and birdflash fics lol

[quantumfeat72]

Ask Meme: Chara Dreemurr

:>

favorite thing about them

baby!  chara’s one of those characters who i latched onto on a sort of “it me” level - like, a lot of that is just me projecting but it’s also just so great to have a character who’s coded neurodivergent and still gets to be fucking baby!

but also i love that they make puns as the narrator, so that’s probably my favorite thing from their characterization in the game itself, but tbh a big part of what i love about them is their characterization in (parts of) the fandom

(and, you know, a canon nb character is always great and they were a big part of how i figured out i was nonbinary)

least favorite thing about them

ummmm does “i wish they got a happy ending” count?  like, i wish they’d gotten to heal and grow up because nd characters never get that.  like it makes sense, cause their death was like, the inciting incident, but that’s why i write so many stories about brain-ghost chara getting to be happy. they deserved better dammit

favorite line

this is tricky but imma have to go with

brOTP

fgkafds um unpopular opinion maybe but chara and sans are my main brotp in this fandom.  like, they have a TON in common when you look closely - they both love to make stupid puns and poke fun at people, they’re both super cagey about their pasts, they both have brothers they would die for, they’re some of the most depressed bastards in the game, etc etc

and like, there’s stuff they don’t have in common - chara has a very set moral compass and ends up seeing themself as a villian most of the time by failing to meet their own expectations of “good”ness, while sans is more of a “just dont hurt me or my family and we’re chill” attitude, which i can see getting on chara’s nerves a lot but it might be part of what they need to help like, overcome their self-hatred and learn to accept themself

plus the two of them would get on each others nerves CONSTANTLY but like in a fun way they both think is funny.  they get chocolate together and sans puts ketchup on his.  chara replaces his ketchup with hot sauce.  sans dares chara to do something dumb and films it

OTP

frisk!  i don’t have a ton to say about it though because,, honestly, ships aren’t a big part of fandom for me lol (i learned by reading a bunch of shipfics that i’m arospec, and honestly it’s great to have a reason for why it doesn’t really interest me)

that said, this is another dynamic that i really love exploring, because frisk is another person whose moral framework is antithetical to chara’s in a way that could help them learn they aren’t such a shitty person, and also because bodysharing is a very fun trope to play around with

nOTP

ummm i don’t see a lot of chara ships that legitimately bother me (including chasriel, i don’t get it but it’s whatever).  something that really does bother me though is any sort of antagonistic relationship between them and the dreemurrs.  like.  the kid canonically loved their family a whole lot and their difficulty expressing that love in a healthy way is part of what i love about them because i relate so hard to it, but any sort of story where chara feels ambivalent toward or actively dislikes their family is a big squick for me

i’m also not fond of those stories where sans and chara are like, Mortal Enemies, because it usually plays one or both of them as a Bad Person

random headcanon

i thought of this just barely too late to add it to the autistic hc post - chara has about one million comfort items.  they’ve got their locket, their knife, probably five other Things Chara Keeps With Them At All Times, and they have a lot of anxiety about losing things because everything chara owns is special to them.  they struggle to throw away stuff that’s broken or useless

unpopular opinion

ummmmmmm, i dunno man most of my chara takes are shared by a good portion of the fandom.  i guess my main Hot Take is that the line “Chara wasn’t really the greatest person” says a lot more about asriel than chara - he’s learning to treat them like a flawed person and accept that they fucked up and hurt him and it’s okay to be upset about that, and he doesn’t have to see them as some kind of perfect angel because they weren’t, they were a kid who he trusted with his life, and they hadn’t earned that trust.  

i think one of the most important messages in undertale is that you don’t have to be a Bad Person to hurt someone, and that doesn’t make it okay but it does mean you can do better in the future.  asriel doesn’t have to forgive chara, either.  they deserve a second chance, but he doesn’t specifically owe it to them

song i associate with them

blissful ignorant by awkward marina if that wasn’t obvious, but also:

Holding on and Letting go by ross coppermanThe Learner’s Paradox by WoodloreJust Someone, Not Me by Awkward MarinaBarricades of Heaven by Jackson Browne

just to name a few

favorite picture of them

loaded question so i’m limiting it to ones i could easily find lol um, this one and these two are some of my favorites. i can’t pick just one

#undertale #undertale headcanons #chara #ask #mine #it makes me really happy that the first one i got was for chara haha #my child

[sweetsoursugarcube]

So, I’m playing the AO3 BINGO to celebrate 5 million fanworks on ao3 :D You totally should play too!

A fanworks challenge: @spideypoolbingo which I’m totally participating it, but haven’t posted anything for yet because a) I can’t finish anything and b) if I do finish something, I can’t stand to edit it, which means no posting yet. Oops? I swear I’m working on three different prompts right now. Check out Spideypool Bingo 2019 on ao3 HERE

A podfic under 30 minutes: Spideypool fic Quackery by @capsing read by @rhea314. Listen HERE

A comment you left on a fanwork: “Nnngh fuck, I didn’t know I needed this in my life until I got it here. I kind of hope Peter won’t have to turn into a werewolf in order to make this work, especially considering Eddie seems to be against it (and also because I just love Peter as he is aaa). Ned is such a great friend, just immediately on board with all the supernatural stuff haha. I love this, thank you for writing and sharing with us! 🌸😊” left on spideyvenom fic Peter and the Wolf written by barbaricyawp

A fanart based on another fanwork: @fluffyboots has made art based on their ereri fic Forest of Twilight. Both the fic and the art can be viewed HERE

A fanfic over 50 000 words long: Off The Record by @crookedswingset (a 138 368 words long, completed spideypool fic)

A meta work: Alphas, Betas, Omegas: A Primer by norabombay. I’ve made some a/b/o research, hah

A fanwork with one of your fav tropes: Man I have so many fave tropes and fave fics! But I’ll name i begin to understand why god died by @viscrael because it has fantasy, angels/demons, amnesia, angst (with a happy ending), fluff, hurt/comfort. A beautiful nezushi fic!

A creator with only one posted work: @songbird462 has only posted their ereri fic What’s left of me (which is a whooping 336 620 words long atm and still going strong!!)

A fanwork from a small fandom: spider silk by @spectacular-nostalgia. Spideyvenom is a ship with a pretty small fandom - the Eddie Brock/Peter Parker tag has 107 works on ao3

A canon-divergent fanwork: For instance the ereri fic Words Cannot Describe by @zhedang

A photo manip: Thief by @kanarek13 (check their ao3 profile for more manips! There’s so many to choose from I just slapped one of Neal from White Collar here)

A character study fanwork: I Like Birds by chinashopbull is a great character study of autistic!Peter (with spideypool)

Favorite fanfic: I’ve got many! But I’ll name the ereri fic Searching for Levi by blessende as one of them

A crossover fanwork: For instance Language by @lafaiette is a Spider-Man/Deadpool crossover fanfic

A fanwork with a color in the title: Spideypool fic Black Jelly Beans, Actually by hoosierbitch

A podfic over 1 hour: Spideypool fic Peter Parker's Home for the Wayward Villain by BeanieBaby is also available as a podfic read by @mistbornhero. You can listen to it HERE

A fanwork in progress: Blood Isn’t Everything, but It Pays the Bills by ChickenGoesMoo (18/? chapters of a slow build fic, tagged spideypool)

A fanwork for when you’re sad: One I’ve re-read a few times is platonic ereri fic Time Flows Unnaturally by orphan_account

A favorite additional tag: “Levi’s mysterious mer-dick” that Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house used for their ereri fic Dark Waters

A fanart comic: We take us Home [COMIC] is a cute symbrock comic by @massivespacewren

A fanwork for when you’re happy: One is ereri fic Steered Straight by @jesse-m-c-c-r-e-e

A 100 word drabble: The symbrock short Made to Love by Goddess_in_Aubergine

A “classic” fanwork: ugh, would you believe me if I said I actually haven’t read all that many fics that a lot of people consider “top classics” (fics with the most kudos in a fandom)? Off the top of my head I’d name ereri fic Street Brat by @monswoon

Unfortunately I can’t find any of the fanmixes/fanvids I’ve listened to or watched on ao3 so I don’t get the golden ao3bingo badge :/ silver will have to do for now!

#ao3bingo #ao3 #spideypool #ereri #spideyvenom #symbrock #nezushi #fic rec #fanfiction #fanart #podfic #white collar #no.6 #snk #spider-man #deadpool #venom #rivaere #veddie #riren #omegaverse meta #marvel

[catinthepines]

New Writeblr Intro

Hi there! I'm Rook, a 20 year old autistic environmental scientist from Arizona. I read and write a lot of different things, but my favorite genres and tropes are:

Found family

Science fiction

Fairy tale retellings

Urban fantasy

LGBT+ rep where nobody buries the gays

I have six (6) WIPs going all at once because I crave chaos in my life.

Phork:

Teens on a space station full of anarcho-communist counterculture communes try and wrangle resources and support for their pet radio project of theirs, which just happens to lead to the communes terraforming an old abandoned half-terraformed planet.

Found family? Hell yes

Sci-fi

Very very gay

This is gonna get political, folx

Antioch:

Heaven and Hell make a bet that leads to seven random college students being given the powers of the archangels. Hijinks ensue as the gang tries to solve the mystery of their new powers while being dragged into a world of paranormal weirdness.

Angels and demons creating rival frat houses

Romance, most of it gay

Even MORE found family

A college campus in the Pacific Northwest

No less than three mentions of Waffle Houses

A coven of witches and a coffee shop ran by faeries

Honestly the plot of Antioch is ridiculous and that's the point I love it

Everything was Great Until we Drowned the Protagonist:

Two socially awkward neurodivergent teens meet in a high school English class. Their friendship helps them through the rough patches of being a high school freshman.

A story within a story

Aro-spec representation

Ownvoices autistic representation

Sorta a classic coming of age story, to be honest

Green Light:

A brilliant philanthropist decides that he needs to try to fix his past mistakes so that he can begin his charitable works earlier and help even more people. He consults with a scientist to create a time machine, but the scientist's wife (who is also a scientist) sabotages the machine to protect the timeline. Something goes wrong, and the scientist's wife ends up trapped in the past, trying to get home without messing anything up.

Ambiguity

Morally grey characters

Time travel with a lot of angst attached

Romance? Maybe

Chosen:

A world in which the chosen one always defeats the forces of evil is thrown into chaos and war when their chosen one fails. A ragtag team of adventurers must go on a journey to save the world and become the chosen ones their world is counting on.

Superheroes in a fantasy setting

Heroes being the people who choose to be heroic, not the people who get told to be

Polyamorous lesbian romance

The Cloud:

An ex-con and a scientist go on a road trip while a cloud of poisonous and noxious gas descends on and corrodes entire cities.

Falling in love with an apocalypse in the background

Magical realism which I can't explain here because of spoilers but trust me it's there

The world is ending and nobody is straight

I was inspired to start my writeblr by @writeouswriter , @toboldlywrite , and @mlgwrites , and I hope y'all don't mind me tagging you in this post!

#new writeblr #writeblr intro #rookeryintro #aaa im new and nervous but i really hope starting this blog gives me some accountability for actually doing my writing

[teababe27]

Anime/Manga I’ve Seen/Read This Year - Notes from the Myanimelist Anime/Manga Challenges - Part 1 - Anime

Every year on Myanimelist.net, there is a Manga Reading Challenge and an Anime Watching Challenge.

Though I didn’t end up finishing all of my challenges before the deadline, I did see some good anime and read some good manga this year. I will mention a few notable ones, as well as ones notable for other reasons.

This post will deal with the anime side. Another post will be made about the manga side.

Favorites from the challenge:

Haibane Renmei - completed for the challenge “Watch an anime recommended by a staff member”

Very feelsy.

A story about an angel (?) who suddenly appears in purgatory (?) and tries to find her place in the world. I thought the animation style was nice and the story was cute. Some things could have been developed a bit more, but this one still made me tear up at the end.

Wandering Son (aka Hourou Musuko) - completed for the challenge “Watch a Noitamina anime”

Two trans kids in middle school trying to figure stuff out.

I loved the characters in this one. I plan to read the manga when I get the chance to see how the story goes on. I liked how one of the trans kids has an older trans role model to ask for advice. The main girl (one of the trans kids is a trans girl, the other is a trans boy) was the best, along with a couple of the side characters: a rambunctious classmate and the aforementioned older trans role model.

Kaiba - completed for the challenge “Watch an anime with more users in Plan to Watch than Completed”

Vastly underrated.

Takes place in a world where people’s memories can be transferred between bodies via computer chips. A guy wakes up in a room with a hole in his chest and a locket around his neck. He goes on a quest to find his memories and who he really is.

I loved the art style and the soundtrack in this one. The premise was also very interesting.

Fune wo Amu (aka The Great Passage) - completed for the challenge “Watch a completed anime with a popularity of #701 or lower”

A guy gets recruited to help edit a dictionary and makes new friends in the process.

I often found myself headcanoning the main character, Majime, as autistic, and I found myself relating to him sometimes. This anime was just one of the sweetest things.

Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven’s Door - completed for the challenge “Watch an anime from a random TV Tropes page”

It’s the Cowboy Bebop movie. I love the original show. How could this not be good.

Spike and the gang hunt for a bounty, revealing more than they thought possible.

The action is great, love the characters and the music and stuff. Basically, all the stuff I love from the original series is here.

Other Notables:

Pupipo! - completed for the challenge “Watch an anime that started airing the same day you joined Myanimelist”

A shy girl, Wakaba, can see ghosts. People are afraid to get near her as a result. One day, she gets a pink round creature thing, named Po, as a pet, and it helps protect her from ghosts. And she makes a new friend!

This is my most pleasant surprise of the challenge.

I thought the premise was kinda cute by itself, and it started off as a simple slice-of-life short series, but then near the end, it took an interesting supernatural twist. I also loved the friend character, Azuma. Made me laugh every time she was on screen. And I want a plushie of Po.

The episodes are 4 minutes each, and there are 15 episodes. You can finish this one in about an hour, so search it online.

Legend of Lemnear - completed for the challenge “Watch an anime that began airing between 1980 and 1989″

I would consider this my guilty pleasure for the challenge.

A warrior girl, Lemnear, goes on a quest for revenge against the king that killed her family.

This was honestly a bit contrived and Lemnear’s outfit was super-fanservice-y and there was gratuitous boobs (it was the 80s, after all), and the dub could have been better (again, the 80s), but I couldn’t help but get a kick out of this one.

Probably because Satoshi Urushihara did the art. If you don’t know who he is, read my review on the hentai Another Lady Innocent. He has also done a manga that I started for the challenge, but have not yet finished.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie - completed for the challenge “Watch an anime that aired only during 2017″

A girl, Moriko, quits her job and devotes her time to playing MMORPGs. She ends up meeting a guy, and she and him are both super-awkward about it.

So many convenient coincidences/contrivances, but this anime was still so cute!!

Ling Qi (aka Spirit Pact) - completed for the challenge “Watch a Korean or Chinese anime”

A guy, Yang Jinhua, dies and gets brought back to life ten years younger. He is found by Duanmu Xi and asked to be a Soul Image (like a support spirit, as Yang is still technically dead) to him. Possible shounen ai undertones.

I honestly found this one interesting because this one came out in Chinese first. I watched the Chinese dub of this anime, which I had never done before.

Yang was kind of annoying, but this anime definitely had its moments.

The Short Works of Shintaro Kago - completed for the challenge “Watch an anime with no producer, licensor, or studio listed in the database”

If I had to pick a Worst for this challenge, this would probably be it.

Just some random 1-minute shorts by Shintaro Kago, a mangaka known for making manga that is on the ero-guro side, often involving sex, body horror/gore, and poop. Most of the shorts were just kinda stupid and gratuitous. There was one with Buddha jacking off and like 5 million dicks, I don’t fucking know.

The second episode/short made me laugh for some reason, though.

I would say watch if you’re morbidly curious.

#anime #haibane renmei #wandering son #hourou musuko #fune wo amu #the great passage #kaiba #cowboy bebop #pupipo #recovery of an mmo junkie #ling qi #spirit pact #shintaro kago #legend of lemnear #thoughts #thoughts of the day #myanimelist #myanimelist.net #anime watching challenge #myanimelist anime watching challenge #long post

[youcantescapethehammers]

1, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 12 for the ask meme!

1: Describe the plot of your current WIPs in a single sentence each.

POI/POD-Interrogation: Marie takes her turn interrogating an uncooperative prisoner.

POD-The Dirge of Archibald’s Tomb: The crew of Archibald’s Tomb drunkenly stumbles their way through telling their story through song.

4: What are some of your favorite tropes?

Deadpan humor, found family, that thing where you give a character what they really want in a situation where they have to turn it down.

6: Which OC did you forget about?

I’ve been neglecting TJ hard in my excitement over Marie and Angel, gonna have to make room for him soon.

7: What was the first novel you ever tried to write? If you’ve never tried to write a novel, then what was the first story you ever wrote?

I distinctly remember some Super Smash Brothers fanfiction that will never see the light of day.

9: Which OC is an absolute pain to write?

Surprise of surprises, it’s TJ. When I decided he was going to have him be autistic, I suddenly wanted to walk on eggshells when dictating his behavior. The last thing I want for him is to be a caricature of autistic people.

12: Share a dumb line from an old WIP.

Honestly, I’ve only been really writing fiction for a couple weeks aside from the aforementioned lost to time fanfictions. I’ve only written nonfiction stuff for school up to this point.

#writing #ocs #basically my writing is me filling the void between my d&d sessions #because i want my character to shine bright like a dubloon #frenchy-and-the-sea

[buffster]

Something Blue (BTVS 4.09)

This is part of my ongoing Buffyverse Project, where I write notes/meta for every episode in an attempt to better understand the characters and themes of the shows. You can find the BTVS list here and the ATS list here. Gifs are not mine.

I loved that Something Blue allowed us to sympathize with both sides of the Willow vs. Scoobies conflict. I’m annoyed when Willow snaps at everyone and interrupts Buffy and Riley’s date, which forces me to recognize truth when Willow says no one wants to deal with her heartbreak anymore. The episode was also really funny.

We discover in the first scene that Willow has been going to Oz’s place alone. She’s clinging to the relationship and fully expects him to return. This is also when Riley and Buffy really get going, which has to be a painful reminder for Willow. I had forgotten about Willow and Buffy’s conversation in the graveyard and in hindsight find it pretty sad. Some of Buffy’s issues with Riley were already present but she basically never dealt with them. I don’t believe the implosion of their relationship was all on Riley. I think he sensed some real issues but just handled it all wrong. 

Buffy: Riley seems so solid. Like he's not the type to give a girl grief.

Willow: Get out. Get out while there's still time.

Buffy: I know. I gotta get over the whole bad boy thing. There's no good there. Seeing Angel in L.A. - even for five minutes - hello to the pain.

Willow: The pain is not a friend.

Buffy: But then I can't help thinking, isn't that where the fire comes from? Can a nice, safe relationship be that intense? It's nuts, but part of me believes that real love and passion have to go hand in hand with lots of pain and fighting-

I’ve never gotten the bad boy thing. It’s all cool on television but in real life it’s dealing with a serial cheater at best and visiting a jail at worst. No, thanks. Anyway Buffy definitely has a thing with it which, if I wanted to get analytical, would say goes back to her father and her fear of healthy relationships. Riley could have been forever and committing to that is scary. But when you know Angel or Spike can’t last you don’t really have to commit or face your fears of ending up like your mother. I think Buffy has a lot of issues with Hank (made worse by her first relationship being a nightmare) that go unresolved. I’m not saying Riley and Buffy would have lasted forever, but I don’t think she ever really gave that idea a chance. 

Buffy: That's it. The invalid amnesiac routine is over. Kitchens closed 'til you tell me something useful about the commandos.

Spike: I'm trying to remember. It was very traumatic.

Buffy: How long are you going to pull this crap?

Spike: How long am I gonna live once I tell you?

Many people have wondered why Buffy didn’t stake Spike in season four and consider it a plot hole. I don’t doubt wanting to keep James Marsters around was a contributing factor, but I think we can also find signs Buffy had something for Spike in this episode. I don’t think it was love--just a weird sense of companionship mixed with physical attraction. They’d been rivals for so long they were practically pals (and his affection for Drusilla had always made him seem pathetic and more human to everyone). When they take him prisoner Giles is content to ignore Spike but Buffy sits by the side of the bathtub and teases him. They’re already developing that classic trope of the two people who fight so much you just figure they’ll eventually screw. Giles even notes that if they don’t kill each other soon he might lend a hand. 

Willow’s solution to the Spike problem is a truth spell. In season six her going straight for a magical solution would have raised eyebrows but now everyone thinks it’s brilliant. It was probably frustrating for Willow that her magical help abruptly became an issue. 

Giles: Willow may have had a helpful idea. She seems to be coping better with Oz' departure, don't you think?

Buffy: She's still got a way to go, but yeah -I think she's dealing.

Spike: What are you people, blind? She's hanging on by a thread. Any ninny can see that.

There’s an interesting irony in Spike being so good at reading people he doesn’t care about in the slightest. He’s proven right when Willow returns to Oz’s room and finds his things gone. She’s devastated and returns to moping around until she finally decides to get drunk. Xander and Buffy don’t approve. 

Xander: We’ve all got pain, Will--

Willow: Like what? Poor me, I live in a basement? Oh, yeah-that’s dire!

Buffy: I’m taking you home now.

Willow: I don’t want to--

Buffy: You’ll thank me when you still have a friend in the morning.

That made me so sad, especially given Xander’s usual attempts to cheer his friends up even when he’s feeling bad. It highlights a typical Xander issue--human problems tend to go unnoticed in all the supernatural chaos. Xander isn’t going to have a spell go awry and cause mass chaos when he’s upset so people just leave him to deal. 

Willow: Isn’t there some way I can make it go away? Just ‘cause I say so? Can’t I make it go poof?

This quote points us to a major underlying issue of Willow’s: she doesn’t like to fix things the hard right way. She loves magic because (aside from the power) it allows her to take short cuts. She doesn’t want to take the long, hard, and human path to healing and (later) forgiveness. This episode is one where you can really see Willow slowly going down the rabbit hole with magic and no one realizes what’s going on. 

Giles: A spell? I don't think it's wise for you to be doing that alone right now. Your energy is too unfocused. 

Willow: That's not true. I said I was off. Not incompetent.

Giles: I only meant that you're grieving, and it might be best if you took a break from doing spells without supervision.

Willow: So I get punished 'cause I'm in pain.

Giles misses the main things Willow is saying here: one, she does not like to be thought of as incompetent and two, she considers taking a break from magic a punishment. Willow craves approval and is already too reliant on magic. She is also deeply insecure and seeks to use magic to fix that (”if I had any real power I could have made Oz stay with me”). Buffy starts to tell her that she doesn’t want Oz to stay because she forced him but gets distracted. We avoided an important question--does Willow have a problem with enslaving Oz?

Buffy: One more word out of you and I swear--

Spike: Swear what? You're not going to do anything to me. You don't have the stones.

Buffy: Oh, I've got the stones. I've got a whole...bunch of stones.

Spike: I get this spell reversed, they'll be finding your body for weeks.

Buffy: Make a move. Please. I'm dying for good slay.

The sexual tension is pretty blatant in this scene. They’re leaning towards each other and you half expect them to kiss. Buffy is clearly attracted to Spike but too proud and disgusted to ever do anything with him (and that’s if she ever even admitted it to herself). 

We revisit the idea that our heroes are “doomed” when it comes to love. Willow calls Xander a demon magnet and causes him to literally attract demons because of her spell. Giles becomes blind, which was interesting because he does see things but often willfully ignores them. Buffy and Spike think they’re in love and getting married. 

Buffy: My wedding! I'm getting married! Can you believe it?

Riley: I don't think "no" is a strong enough word.

Possibly my favorite scene was when Riley runs into Buffy and believes she’s getting married. I laugh every time. She manages to save face when the spell is over by claiming she was teasing him over his panic when he saw her looking at wedding dresses. 

Xander: Something about Willow and her grief-y poor-me mood swings. So, so tired of it.

Anya: You mean I don't have to be nice to her anymore?

Buffy: We're all tired of it, but what's it have to do with what's going on?

I saw a post mentioning it’s pretty obvious Anya is autistic, which was like--lightbulb! I find her character annoying at times but one thing I identify with is her being a bit stumped by certain emotions and social appropriateness. Anyway, one big neon warning sign the Scoobies miss is Willow being offered vengeance demon status. Heartbreak is one thing, but being recognized as a possible force for never-ending vengeance is a whole other level that clearly points to some deeper issues. It doesn’t surprise me that Anya doesn’t think much of it; she probably thinks her similar capabilities are a normal way to feel. But the hatred and drive for that kind of thing isn’t something every human is capable of. After all, Cordelia was not given the offer after the Wishverse. But Willow turns down the offer and bakes everyone cookies and all is forgiven.

Other Best Quotes:

Buffy: Honey, we have to talk about invitations. Do you want to be "William the Bloody" or, like just "Spike"? 'Cause either way it's gonna look majorly weird.

Spike: Whereas the name "Buffy" gives it that touch of classic elegance.

Giles: Stop whatever you're doing. You smell like fruit roll-ups.

Spike: This is the crack team that foils my every plan? I am deeply shamed.

Character Notes:

Riley Finn: Buffy catches him helping hang a sign about the meeting of the UC Sunnydale Lesbian Alliance, telling us he’s a good, community-involved guy. He loves to cruise. 

Anya Jenkins: When she sees Willow is sad she says she’d burn Oz’s entrails if she still had her powers. Xander says that’s sweet. Anya is able to help when a demon attacks. She was turned 1120 years ago.

Amy Madison: Willow’s spell briefly turns her back into a human, but she’s back in rat form before anyone sees.

Buffy Summers: Buffy still doesn’t know how to drive. When under the spell she asks Giles to give her away at her wedding rather than her father and wants ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ for the first dance.

Rupert Giles: He’s touched Buffy wants him to give her away. Despite his reluctance when Willow was in high school Giles now depends on her help when it comes to magic.

#tracy forbes #willow rosenberg #buffy summers #Riley Finn #Xander Harris #anya jenkins #xander/anya #Buffy/Riley #rupert giles #amy madison #spike #buffy/spike #Daniel Osbourne #willow/oz #somethingblue

[ganymedesclock]

I'm deeply curious, what are some tropes in fiction that always make you smile like the happiest man on earth?

I really like contrasts in internal monologue and outside environment. Like a scene is beautiful and pastoral and everything’s going nicely and everyone is happy and then ‘this is probably the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.’

Or like everything’s awful and on fire and falling apart and the narration is like ‘Needless to say, it was all a little unpleasant.’

My absolute favorite thing can be intuited from my blog pretty straightforward: I adore traditionally monstrous or villainous roles or archetypes explored in a neutral or positive context. In particular if you want to turn me into a gibbering mess, I’m always a sucker for creepy or monstrous-looking characters who are gentle and soft and get a happy ending. It is one of the oldest tricks in the book and I will die every time.

Faithful companion animals are a very fast route to my feelings. Faithful companion animals that are realistically written like the animals they are and are not a stereotypical dog and/or human in a weird costume are really good. Faithful companion animals that are monsters more like yes thanks bury me alive in them.

Also this isn’t really a trope but I’m autistic and every time I see a character who does hand motions when they’re excited my crops flourish, my skin clears, a hundred-man chorus of angels descends from the heavens and a kitten smiles.

...In general I love horror elements and dark concepts but secretly I don’t have it in me to live there, I’m super easily won over by fluff. The best thing is combining them, like, give me gross weird monsters and eerie bleak situations but have them overcome that and move onto better lives. We live in a cold uncaring universe and it’s important to have reminders that we can in fact stand up to those things.

#Anonymous

[snarktheater]

Movie review — Power Rangers

Say, did I ever mention I was a Power Rangers kid? Because I was. I was a little too young for the original generation, but when Zeo aired, I was so into it it was kind of embarrassing. I watched as religiously as a small child can when he doesn't know how to VCR a show and has to rely on his parents remembering to record the episodes. I played pretend Power Ranger a lot. I had (and…still have) more toy Megazords than I am fully comfortable listing. And I'm pretty sure I still played with them into my late teenage years, because I am exactly that kind of dork.

Ahem. Point is, a Power Rangers movie reboot came and I was…intrigued, but mildly scared too. This series is not exactly top quality, and the wave of nostalgia-driven adaptations hasn't really led to great stuff that often.

Does the movie hold up? Well, honestly…yes.

Mind you, Power Rangers the movie (does it have a proper name? I wouldn't know) isn't high art or anything. But it's probably better than anyone expected when they heard about this movie in the first place.

This movie does a good job at striking a balance between recreating the original show and doing its own thing. Part of that is due to the media transfer (we can't tell the same kind of story in a show and a movie), but part of that is clearly a creative effort on the part of the crew.

So, the aesthetic is something most people have been critical of. "The suits look bad", and so on and so forth. Honestly, I'm on the fence on this one, but I have to admit that it's the only Power Rangers we could have gotten in 2017. I mean, look at the Flash in those Justice League trailers. This is just what's in vogue. I don't mind the suits, honestly.

No, if we're going to talk bad aesthetics, I have to point out that this movie is another victim of the "MAKE EVERYTHING DARK" trend of this decade. And I don't mean "dark" as in "serious and gritty". The movie has a fairly light tone overall, if you look at it honestly, but the color palette is washed out and the brightness is dialed down way more than it needs to be. That's an issue.

But aside from that, the adaptation strikes in world building as well. And that's actually my favorite part of it. We get backstory for Zordon and Rita (which I fully approve of), they worked in the Zeo Crystal as a plot device that's more than a McGuffin to give the Rangers new powers. Oh, and of course, the Green Power Ranger is already established here (although saved for the potential sequel), and Rita is given a connection to it that she didn't have in the original show. They even thought to explain why the Zords are modeled after prehistoric creatures!

It makes the world feel a lot more cohesive, rather than the "let's just pick a Super Sentai series to adapt and invent a connection" method that formed the plot of the original Power Rangers seasons. Not that I don't understand why the original series had to do it, but it's good to see that they decided to up the storytelling game for the remake instead of relying purely on the franchise name and nostalgia value.

Speaking of storytelling, the plot. After some backstory to the time Rita first wreaked havoc on earth, we skip to present day, and meet our teenagers with attitude, all the while witnessing Rita's return. It's a pretty standard hero's journey, if we have five heroes who stand almost (almost) on equal footing and follow a similar path.

Most of the movie is spent with the Rangers first finding out about their powers, then, once they meet Zordon and Alpha (i.e. the mentor figures), trying to master them. All the while, we cut back to Rita's progress. It's better than it sounds.

Allow me to elaborate. First, we spend a considerable amount of time introducing the protagonists before they're even chosen to be Rangers. Second, they don't just get picked by Zordon; instead, they actively make their way into becoming Rangers, first by finding the Power Coins, then by seeking out answers as to why these coins gave them the abilities they have. Active protagonists! It's important to have them.

Third, while Rita's earlier scenes are fairly standard and mostly serve to establish her motivation, powers (and rules thereof), and the threat she poses, she doesn't stay separate from the Rangers forever. She does clash with them halfway through the second act, gives them a more personal reason to fight than saving the world, all that jazz. Not that they weren't on board beforehand, but it's important.

Because…see, these Rangers have actual characters instead of being blobs who each wears a different color. They have personal conflicts, and while they're not exactly all resolved by the end of the movie (which is probably a tad overconfident by counting on sequels), they do progress. The Rangers make the right decision to save the world, but giving them a personal stake is what gives them resolve to fight the final battle. This is good, it's exactly how you should blend character motivation with heroism.

Speaking of personal conflicts, let's talk about these teenagers for a moment. The phrase "teenagers with attitude" associated with the show (which I already quoted above) is much more applicable here, when…you know, the protagonists actually have issues instead of being perfect role models. I understand that different times mean different sensibilities and I guess the original cast was more palatable to the 90s, but I'm glad about the change.

So we have Jason, the red ranger and leader of the group. He's the gold star athlete student of Angel Grove—big enough to be in the local papers, apparently. His issue is…basically an existential crisis of "is this what I want, or what everyone else wants from me?" Well, kind of. He's already past this issue at the start of the movie, since we meet him in the middle of acting up. I guess his conflict is actually more trying to reconcile the two, putting the things he's good at (i.e. leadership) to the service of something he actually wants to do (being a Power Ranger) instead of something he's expected to do. It works…mostly because he's definitely a little more central than the rest of the crew. Which is a negative point on the movie. I'm sorry, but you have a diverse cast, and you choose to focus on the white boy? Boo.

But on the plus side, this is a conflict we've seen done a lot, and I think this movie manages to do something new with it. Mostly by being more subtle about it. It lets the movie avert clichés (you know, the "No, dad, it's your dream!" speech), and it makes the whole progression feel a lot more natural when it's all understated. When the Rangers bond together, he doesn't even need to say his problem, because everyone knows. Including us. It's almost meta in its self-awareness.

Moving on. Kimberly is the pink ranger, and while I mentioned that all out protagonists are flawed and have conflict, she's the only one who's actually done something bad. In two words: revenge porn. Yeah. It's pretty bad. But…she owns up to having done something terrible, and grows from it. It's sort of put aside rather than actively being resolved, but again, I think this is more because the crew expected sequels. Oh, also, that kiss between her and Jason from the trailer was cut out of the movie. No romance here. Apparently focus tests finally showed that an unnecessary straight romance wasn't something people wanted!

Zack and Trini, the black and yellow rangers, are the least developed members of the team, by virtue of being the last to even show up in the movie. Not that they lack personality, mind you. If anything, them being a little harder to decipher feels intentional, since Zack stays out of school to take care of his sick mother, and Trini is "the new girl" (who's been here a year, but that's just details) and kind of self-ostracized, in a "don't let them in, don't let them see" kind of way.

They're still both pretty enjoyable characters. Zack is the brash comic relief archetype most of the time, but seeing his sweet side with his mother was a nice addition to the trope (also, having him speak Chinese, I approve). Trini is implied to be some shade of not straight, although I think the cries of "yellow ranger is gayyyy" were a bit exaggerated. More importantly, she's the one Rita chooses to go after first because she's more guarded than the others…and Trini does the right thing and ask for her team's help. Just like with Jason, it's a subdued kind of character development that I like a lot. No one goes "wow, you trust us now?" like it's some kind of grand change. She just trusts her team, and the others accept it. I like that. Also, she calls out her younger brothers' casual sexism, that's cool too.

Which leaves us with Billy, who I think is pretty unanimously the audience favorite. One, he's a black autistic guy, unambiguously so, which is already pretty rare. Two, his autism actually feels…you know, real. It's consistent, it shows itself in symptoms that make sense, but it also doesn't define all of Billy's character. His interests are his own, even if they express differently because of his autism. And three, and perhaps most importantly, he's the group's emotional core. That's pretty groundbreaking as far as autistic characters go.

And I don't mean he's the poor autistic kid that everyone feels pity to and therefore stick together to help—he's an active participant in it. He's the one who discovers the Power coins and gets several of the other protagonists involved (he definitely brought Jason, attracted Zack's attention, and I think Trini also followed him to the quarry), he's the first to embrace that they're Rangers and a team and he's the one who works to make everyone else work together. So hey, that was nice.

As for Rita…she's a little bit of a mixed bag. First is the whitewashing issue, on which I will…choose to remain cautiously silent aside from mentioning that, yes, Rita Repulsa was originally portrayed by a Japanese woman by virtue of all her footage being dubbed over from a Japanese show, and the movie cast Elizabeth Banks as her. Make of that what you will.

She is the biggest aesthetic departure from the original, which is partly because of her retconned backstory, but frankly? I think it's probably for the best because of the aforementioned whitewashing. Maybe my standards are low, but at least she's not trying to pretend like she is Machiko Soga at all. If you get my drift. And if you don't: I mean Hollywood loves to pass white people as Japanese (or other Asian ethnicities).

Far from me to claim I have a final say on this issue, of course.

But as a character on her own, I actually liked her a lot. She felt threatening in a way show!Rita never really did, probably because, you know, she actually does things instead of staying cozy on the moon and sending monsters to do her work. They established her powers more clearly, which is good, because rules means we know what she can do and we can feel the threat she poses, instead of having her pull random shit at us.

And yet, in spite of having a more threatening villain (including her underlings) and higher stakes (i.e. world annihilation, more or less), the movie manages to retain its light tone I previously mentioned. Which is…hit or miss (the very first present-day scene includes a particularly tasteless joke, if you ask me), but it's still less cringey than the original show, while keeping with its spirit.

So overall, I'd say the Power Rangers movie is a pretty successful adaptation. If we must keep readapting everything in the name of nostalgia, I hope we get more work like this. I wouldn't be too optimistic about it, though.

#power rangers #power rangers 2017 #movie #movies #review #reviews #movie review #movie reviews #st: movie reviews