#<- an analysis about something other than 3l

[darkaviarymc]

I kinda did a half-ass job explaining my views in the tags of that last post because, well, there's only so much you can concisely put into tags. So I'm just gonna make my own post.

I'm going to preface this by saying that you can do whatever you want forever and I'm not here to be the analysis police.

HOWEVER! I have Opinions and a right to voice them.

Grian is a very important, significant, and integral part of Scar's arc through the life series and vice versa. You cannot effectively discuss one without acknowledging the impact and involvement of the other. Even analyzing SL in a vacuum, Scar being forced to turn down Grian’s offer of friendship when both of them were desperate for alliances was a significant event for both Grian and Scar in the series. Desert Duo is important to Scar's win, and Scar's win is important to Desert Duo.

IT IS 100% GOOD AND CORRECT TO FACTOR THIS IN.

So I get it. I'm as feral a Desert Duo enjoyer as the next person. It's easy to get fixated on your favorite part, especially for the 90% of us who are some flavor of ADHD/Autistic. Hyperfixating is what we do best.

But so is overanalyzing.

SO THAT BEING SAID...

Scar is his own separate character away from Grian, and I think people centering Grian/Desert Duo when discussing Scar's win and journey through the Life Series to get there are doing a disservice to Scar's character and arc. Especially when people focus on Grian at the expense of Scar himself.

The loneliness of Magical Mountain and effectively losing Joel in LL was a stark contrast to 3L and forced Scar to learn self-sufficiency. The rivalry and subsequent tentative alliance with Team Rancher and the disruption to his alliance caused by BigB in DL forced Scar to rethink everything he thought he knew about how alliances worked. The family dynamic and watching Bdubs die in LimLife was the first time he’d ever had to truly grieve a perma-death, even if only for a short time before his own demise.

And Scar took all of this with him into SL. With the knowledge and experience he gained from everyone he'd crossed paths, hearts, and swords with, he made himself into the Scar we watched push that final success button.

He did that. He did that as all of his experience plus his own wit, tenacity, and resilience. He is far more than the sum of his parts, those parts being allies and enemies of every season.

And yes, one of those parts (and a very significant foundation piece at that) was Grian and that damn desert.

We are all shaped by our lived experiences and those we shared them with. But no person can be defined by a single thing. The cactus ring isn't the only thing that made Scar who he is. Grian isn't the only person who made Scar who he is. Magical Mountain, Joel, Jimmy, Tango, Cleo, Etho, Pearl, Bdubs, BigB, Gem... all of them contributed.

But more importantly, Scar made Scar who he is.

I think something ccScar says a lot can be applied to cScar here: life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. And it's how Scar reacted to the people and events that he encountered that won him Secret Life.

TL;DR: It's OK and even important to bring Grian into the discussion of Scar's arc. But it's a great disservice to Scar's character to make Grian his ENTIRE arc.

PS: Yeah ok fine I'll say it now: I THINK THEY FINALLY LEFT THAT DESERT!

#long post #desert duo #gtwscar #trafficblr #slsmp #3lsmp #llsmp #dlsmp #limlife

[guster-animations]

dreaming dead analysis: big b

(this is for my 3rd life sburb fic “dreaming dead”! this has spoilers! go read it)

it’s been a week but whatever. writing the post is writing the post and here this is, alphabetically fiWAIT FUCK BDUBS COMES FIRST ALPHABETICALLY. well whatever. that’s a thing for tomorrow

we are starting off weak with mr big b statz himself. i decided to watch his entire 3L POV for fic research and… i do not recommend this to anyone. at least half of the series from his perspective is mining. unedited mining footage. bigb dude i’m sorry but,,, yeah that was terrible

bigb is referred to as either “big b” or “bee” in the fic. this is just to keep it slightly more natural; “bee” specifically is only used by himself and the other evo members, since they’re more familiar with him. the ccs were probably just calling him “b” in their heads but it’s “bee” in the fic because, again, more natural

Dreaming Moon: Prospit

the vibe you get from watching big b’s videos is that he has a generally very happy-go-lucky persona. he isn’t a gullible person by any means, but he’s happy to go with a bit or let something happen that he knows he can’t stop by himself. a well known example is in episode 2, when he goes to monopoly mountain and immediately runs into scar and grian. grian does his “scar’s an insane scammer please don’t let him take your clothes” thing, scar does the scam thing. big b’s choice of action is to go with it and laugh along the way, but also to not give away his stuff. things like that make it pretty clear that he would enjoy himself on the cheese moon

Classpect: Seer of Space

this autocorrects to mage in my head because scott and big b had each other’s classes (mage and seer) until, i kid you not, the Last Week of writing. for those less unfamiliar with homestuck analyses, the classes of mage and seer are generally agreed upon to be opposite classes that mean “one who knows”. the difference between them is that seers learn to understand their aspect over a long period of time through their natural drive to learn about it

a mage, in contrast, (a) has an intuitive understanding of their aspect from the start and (b) endures a lot more suffering because of their aspect than the seer (not that seers don’t suffer but it’s more instrumental to the mages). these points are both shown through how meulin and sollux are described

somehow i only realized that seer fit big b better and mage for scott when i was nearly done writing the fic, but better late than never ig

space as an aspect is a perfect fit for big b on all fronts. he spends most of 3L in the background, letting others die while he just tries to survive on his own. the reason i picked space over void based on this is because he’s absolutely the best one to breed the genesis frog out of the 14 3rd lifers. maybe this is biased by fanon but he has done the least atrocities and would absolutely work on the “win game” button by himself purely for everyone’s benefit including himself

also i had to give him the frog land

#bigbst4tz2 #3rd life #dreaming dead #writing #op

[strifesolution]

so sorry if this exists and i just cant find it, but might you have a post or something similar where you list the specific songs you associate with each of the songs in your 3rd life playlist? i am listening to it right now and quite adore analyzing it, but i am curious about a fair few of the songs and what lens you viewed them with. you listed a couple on the playlist post reblogs, but i am not sure about the others.

ayy sorry this is a late reply, i kinda forgot to get around to it :P i know i talked about them somewhere but i’ll do a quick analysis. with some lazier than others. this got long lmao.

do it all the time - idkhow

where the playlist name comes from! now we're so young / but we're probably gonna die. it’s the vibes of getting stuck in a game you don’t want to play but embracing it anyway, and the selling lies/trust fund lines tie into the scamming themes

great vacation - dirt poor robins

this song is along the lines of a telling of the rapture. i associate with the idea of the 3L cast being taken from their home servers into a new world.

the other side - the greatest showmen 

desert duo. need i elaborate 

six feet - patent pending

a very 3L/LL song. ain't nobody coming when you make the call, cause every man's gunning for the first to fall // so it's left, right, left, down, the trail of the dead, and only six feet between me and catching my breath, only six feet between me and getting some rest. basically a hardcore minecraft song.

people i don’t like - upsahl

kinda associate this one with scott or etho specifically? but it’s the idea of disliking the players around you, ‘i’m surrounded by idiots who don’t know how to survive.’

it’s tough to be a god - the road to el dorado 

early session renchanting. ‘nuf said

i can’t decide - the scissor sisters

your classic villain song. pick your fancy of who you like it to fit

the fine print - the stupendium

this is a scar song.

bang! - ajr

session 4 lmao

nicknackatory - mr b

early renchanting, again

crazy=genius - patd

desert duo

revolution - queenpb

ren song ren song ren song. start a revolution and watch your body decay from head to toe / start a revolution, and laugh as you think that you have control. the arc of the red king’s fall into blood lust.

anti-hero - sekai no owari

an etho song, imo

cops and robbers - the hooisers

blame simon, 'cause he said, you've got two lives down and one life left / blame simon, 'cause he said, you could think better with a hole in your head

wolf in sheep’s clothing - set it off

joel song!

the ballad of sara berry - 35MM

scar as sara and ren as julie, or swapped, depending on who you wanna view as the villain in the series (these two are morally gray parallels, which is the point of them swapping places depending on perspective)

brutus - the buttress

power hungry red lives.

the wolf - siames

red life vibes, specifically ren or joel for obvious reasons

misery fell - tally hall

the denial of early game, where it was supposed to be cooperative, and their was still hope they’d survive...

business man - mother mother

scar, again. he’s the most common character across POVs, what do you want from me? :P

come along - cosmo sheldrake

mysterious new world with a magical energy that comes with it of the lives system and blood lust vibes

off with his head - jack conte

ren, ofc

curtain fall - area 11

A11 PROPAGANDA!!! there are some ways to win, the primal games we’re in // cling to me and my scars that prove it all, don’t let the curtain fall

those who carried on - ghost

a 3L into LL song. the players are unique entities that will continue to be reawakened to play the game again.

i’m gonna win - rob cantor

fun fact, i said this would be a grian song if he ended up winning long before the finale. i was very right. i'll be bloody and bruised, i'll be breaking my bones /  i'll be paying my dues, i'll be laughing alone

send them off! - bastille

ren and martyn because i love crying

terrible things - april smith

about the unreliable narrator phenomenon in the series.

from the ground up - laura shigihara

if you watch the music video for this song, it’s about a couple playing in a hardcore minecraft world, living for literal centuries in it, and choosing to play again once they die. still gives me chills.

viva la vida - coldplay

damn i wish fallen kingdom was on spotify, anyways, ren

solider poet king - the oh hellos

a classic. you know the deal

two birds - regina spektor

red/green duos

skulls - bastille 

when our lives are over and all that remains, are our skulls and bones, let's take it to the grave / and hold me in your arms, hold me in your arms, i'll be buried here with you / and I'll hold in these hands, all that remains

no children - the mountain goats

again, another one i don’t feel i need to explain.

#3rd life smp #long post #ask

[morosemariposa]

Shoma’s First Solo Gold

This weekend Shoma competed at the Finlandia Trophy challenger for the first time in his career. It was a good weekend for me as I was able to watch the entire competition and that hasn’t happened once this season so far. As a Shoma fan it was a good weekend for all the content and the joy from watching him skate. This post is going to be a more in-depth analysis of Shoma’s program performances and his interviews. Get ready to read because this is long.

The Short Program

I’m going to mention this first and then I’ll never mention it again. I know the controversy surrounding this program. I’m aware of the origins of the music and the whole appropriation of it all. For the duration of Shoma’s performance of this program this season I will be focusing on his performance and the elements executed in it. I’m not implying a flippant attitude about the program as a whole I just want to focus on a different aspect of it. I don’t like the program very much but I’m conflicted because I like the energy Shoma brings to it. I like that it’s a different much quicker pace than he’s use to and I like that he’s challenging himself this way. It just could’ve been done to a more appropriate program.

Right from the starting position on the ice it’s already different than what were use to seeing. Shoma starting at the end of the rink and making his way to the middle is a great way to begin this program. Right away you know this program is meant to excite the crowd. He makes his way to the audience and reaches out to them. I really like the movements and the set up leading up to the first jumping pass which was a planned 4F3T combo but ended up being a solo 4F. Shoma’s only done the 4F3T combo at the 2019 WTT and it was exciting to see it there because it was the first time he’s ever done a combo on the 4F. It’s great that he’s challenging himself with new tech content he’s never done before and if he keeps practicing it and attempting it in competitions it’ll pay off well. The only thing I worried about is that in practice, from the fan reports I read it seemed like the 4F was a struggle, so maybe he should’ve planned the 4T3T instead. But this is Shoma were talking about he doesn't back down from anything. That attitude is why we love him. The composition of the program is made so a combo goes at that music point because it silences for a couple of seconds long enough for a combo jump to be performed there. Then immediately the music changes tempo and it’s a beat that the audience can participate and clap in time to. This is great for again reiterating that this program is meant for the audience. Then comes the 4T2T combo that was planned as a solo 4T but Shoma needs a combo and after the failed 4F3T the 4T has to be in combination. To come back to the composition of the program this part is were the energy really comes in and leaves little room for mistakes. Because Shoma had to turn this solo jump into a combo jump he was a little behind on the music beats for the rest of the program and had to take out some of the choreography. The missing arms reaching up and the tiny foot steps at the end of the CSSp is something I took notice of, it’s one of the parts I like because it elongates his body but I’m glad the hands in the hair part is still there right before the cantilever that’s placed at a perfect point in the program where the music tone changes again and becomes lighter than before. The little parts of choreography after the cantilever are missing as well and this is were those missing movements would have lead to the CCoSp but the arrangement is changed to the 3A placed here instead. This is in difference to the layout Shoma did at Friends On Ice. The FOI layout works better for the program because doing the 3A after the CCoSp would work as a transition into the FCSp and that would transition into the StSq. At this competition the 3A comes before the FCSp and the music doesn’t fit well with this arrangement change but Shoma makes it work. The choreography that is supposed to be there is missing and I believe that keeping it would’ve helped with the completion of the program. Then he does the CCoSp and when he’s getting out of it he’s skating backwards toward the audience and this is where I think adding some kind of movement is necessary. He appears to be tired and I don’t think in a program it’s a good idea to give the appearance of exhaustion. But I guess it’s suppose to be that way because when he raises his fist up at the audience, again performing for the crowd, he immediately transitions into the StSq and it’s great. The movements are sharp albeit a bit rushed because he’s trying to catch up to the music. I love it but the best part is the butterfly jump into the final pose. I love the pose at the end because his body is twisted at an angle where you can see the curves of the body and positions of his legs, arms and the head thrown back at the end beat is amazing. This program is a wild ride and Shoma is performing it for the audience. Every time he reaches out it’s to the crowd and the participation of the audience helps to elevate the performance.

I don’t know what’s going on with the 3A. It’s one of his best jumps and in JapanOpen and now here with the short program it hasn’t gone well. Is the technique being changed? It doesn’t seem that way to me but If I have to worry about Shoma’s 3A’s then I’m going to be stressed all season.

My favorite thing about this performance is the energy he brought to it. It got the audience clapping along to the beat for almost the entire time. I hope this happens at every competition this season, I want Shoma to feel the support of the audience.

Interview After the Short

Shoma is his own harshest critic. I like that he acknowledges his shortcomings and mistakes then works hard to better them but I wish he would also acknowledge his successes. He said he wants a more complete program and I would like for him to use the program layout that he did at FOI. I felt that layout complimented the program well but if he keeps this layout then it could workout just fine. He also said his edges were shallow......???? Is he talking about himself? Did I watch a different performance? If those edges are shallow then there’s a rude awakening for many skaters. Shoma has some of the best edge control and quality. He made other comments but I think it’s interesting hearing Shoma analyze his own skating and then seeing the enhanced protocols and realizing that Shoma pretty much knew what those protocols would look like. I like hearing his awareness of his own performances. I guess he’s sharing it with us instead of a coach. In that case I’ll be glad to hear you out Shoma.

The Free Program

Right from the starting position and the opening movements I’m instantly reminded that I love this program for Shoma. The iffy landing on the 3S happened and I thought he could still pull it together and do well. I like the bits of choreography leading up to the next jumping pass which was the well executed 4F. I wanted him to do the combo then cause I had a feeling that the 4T wouldn’t go well. I wish he did do the 4F3T here because it would’ve been vengeance for not being able to do in the short. Then a beautiful 3A to follow a great 4F. I didn’t like the camera work during this part because I wanted to see Shoma from the front so I could better focus on the little steps he does after the 3A. Then a great 3L that he could’ve turned into a combo jump as well. I know that the first four jumping passes are all solo jumps but that kind of jump layout really stresses on the skater that they HAVE to land all the next three jumping passes. Because the last three jumping passes are all combo’s Shoma can’t afford to mess even one of them up especially if he messes up on a solo jump. For the composition of this program I understand that the first four jumping passes have to be solo jumps. Each jump works in tune with the music that way. Then the fall on the 4T and for the second time in a row Shoma falls on the 4T during the free program. Maybe it should be moved to the first half of the program. He might have a better chance at landing it. The 2A3T is interesting. Could that combo maybe turn into a 3A4T in the future? I don’t know but if not then I feel Shoma can do a different combo instead. I’m not a person who cares about points much but he could score more points on a better combo. The landing on the 3A part of the 3A1EU3F is what messed up the entire combo which is a shame cause that’s my favorite combo in skating. I love this StSq, he hits every note of the piano and I’m mesmerized. It blends into the FCCoSp so seamlessly and during the spin he’s hitting piano notes as well. I love it. He was a little behind on the music for the ChSq but I liked it and the ending CCoSp is classic in a Shoma program. Great positions and I like the simplicity of the ending pose. It’s not dramatic like his SP ending pose but it’s subtle and reflective of the program it belongs to. The interpretation of the music was by far the best part of this performance. That along with the 4F, StSq, ChSq, and cantilever made it great. It’s not perfect but it’s a good outing this early in the season.

The most common issues across both programs and this competition and JapanOpen is the 3A and the 4T. It could be because it’s the start of the season and eventually they’ll be stable during the Grand Prix Series. Or it could be boot problems. I hope either is the reason. I think this was a good overall performance, for me at least. I liked it, I could still see the good parts and can appreciate that Shoma never gave up on the performance. As a whole it still needs work especially the consistency of the jumps. It was good enough and I’m eagerly looking forward to his Grand Prix events to see how he improves.

Reflections After the Free

It’s been confirmed via Shoma’s Manager that he’s having boot problems and is trying to break in new boots and that’s why his tech content was lowered. I figured that was the reason. There were similar reports at JapanOpen.

Best moment of the competition was Shoma and Sota sharing a podium together again. It was a moment four years in the making since 2015 Junior Worlds.

It was a great effort by Shoma in this competition. It’s not easy being on your own and finding motivation in yourself to do well. So I’m proud of Shoma for going out there and doing it. People might think it’s dumb for him to be without a coach this season but I really admire him for going on this journey of self-discovery. I think it’s important to remember that he made this progress without a coach to guide him. He made his own choices and succeeded here on his own. Of course he wasn’t totally alone. He had his manager, trainer, and JSF representative but ultimately Shoma won this competition by coaching himself.

Congratulations on your first gold medal of the season!!

#shoma uno #i just love him so much #can i love him any more #2019 finlandia trophy