#I mean. none of the character issues are ever really resolved | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kdinjenzen · 4 months

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Now I'm curious WRT how 'Barbie' didn't hit for you.

I’ll say this first. If you liked the movie, I’m happy for you and I’m not here to tell you to hate the movie. I’m glad you enjoyed it and hope you continue to enjoy it.

That said… this movie was NOT for me and I did not enjoy its story at all. I loved the set design, costume design, the performances, the music, the dedication to creating the world, all that stuff was great.

The plot itself. It felt circular without actually purposefully dealing with the issues it tried to talk about.

The fact that Doctor Barbie, who is trans, is the one who is told to “go seduce Ken by telling him you feel don’t feel pretty” - as if this isn’t something that leads to violence toward trans women in the real world and also why her to be the one who doesn’t feel pretty? Wtf?

The Kens of Barbieland are basically all losers, are grossly incompetent compared to Barbie, treated poorly, and our main Ken (aka Beach Ken) has severe self worth issues… so naturally all the Kens become the villains and are able to overthrow all of Barbieland later on in the movie by doing …. they never explain how. Somehow a world full of, and built by, the most capable women ever are overthrown by like 20 dudes who they treated poorly and who aren’t very smart. Beach Ken’s root problems are only barely resolved and none of it feels meaningful.

Gloria and Sasha, the human characters who work with Barbie to fix Barbieland, are just as much caricatures and tropes as Barbie herself. Sasha, the daughter, is a mean Gen Z who just openly lashes out at Barbie (a stranger), and everyone else who is actually nice to her, for no reason. Gloria is “a sad mom who pretends to be happy” but they never explain why at all, it’s assumed that it’s because “she lives in a patriarchy”, but the only person who’s directly mean to her in the film is… her daughter.

Gloria gives a speech to each Barbie, individually, to snap them out of the Ken’s brainwashing (which like AGAIN how did that happen? It makes no sense at all and just confuses me) - the speeches are not empowering at all, they’re just about how women in the real world suffer a double standard on how to exist and SOMEHOW with all those depressing revelations thrown at them it… restores their self-confidence/self-worth and undoes the brainwashing?

Weird Barbie, whom everyone says is ugly and gross and they have violent “EW!!!” reactions to her face, is played by Kate FUCKING McKinnon. Meanwhile Stereotypical Barbie, while having an ugly cry breakdown about (again) not being pretty anymore, is played by Margot FUCKING Robbie. A fact that the movie points out as “the wrong casting choice to have this scene and cast Margot Robbie as Barbie saying she’s ugly.”

I heard so much about how it was a “queer positive movie” but there’s nothing queer about nor really in the movie. So it got to cling to the rainbow and scream “allyship” and everyone praised it for essentially doing nothing.

Everyone is like… mean? Everything feels so mean and mean spirited. It’s supposed to be very tongue in cheek, very snappy and quick, and everyone has a comeback for every situation but… it just really feels like everyone is just being mean for the sake of being mean and it makes moments where you’re supposed to feel sympathy for any character just drop immediately when they say the rudest shit ever for literally no reason.

They talk about Midge, aka the pregnant woman in the Barbie line, and then say “no don’t look at her anymore, she’s weird and creepy” … which AGAIN feels like that statement undercuts the point of women empowerment that the movie wants you to take away from watching the film?

It tries to balance jokes and seriousness in a way that undercuts the message of “society is kind fucked up and broken” that they’re trying to talk about. The “good guys” are also constantly mistreating other people, the “Barbieland bad guys” became bad by going to the real world and leaning “patriarchy”, the “Real world bad guys” literally do nothing except take up movie time for random gags and really don’t service the plot at all, and as much as it’s like “TAKE THAT MAJOR CORPORATION” at every turn… the movie was fully approved by Warner Bros Discovery AND Mattel… so it’s never actually going to say anything worthwhile about corporate greed and corruption without putting on kiddie gloves to do so.

The only person who I felt true sympathy for, understood their reasoning, and felt they deserved a happy ending was ALLAN, aka Ken’s Best Friend, who is treated equally like shit by basically everyone in the film. Allan points out that Barbieland and the Real World both kinda suck, how life is only just slightly more miserable there after the Ken’s took over, and how he just “wants to run away” and when given the chance does so, only to defend Sasha and Gloria from a bunch of Ken’s single handedly and telling them to “get out while they can”… and then is subsequently brought back to Barbieland by Sasha and Gloria to fix everything and… AGAIN none of this pays off because Allan’s purpose is dropped immediately when they get back to Barbieland. And Allan is played by MICHEAL CERA. I feel like I’m losing my mind at this point.

It feels like the movie wants to talk about the issues women face in all walks of life, but is never able to punch hard enough to make that message matter nor stick. It talks around gender issues, self worth issues, and problems in society without actually saying something real about them. The meanness of all the dialogue makes me really not care about pretty much anyone in the movie because… man I’m just so fucking tired of everything and everyone having to be “mean” in movies to prove a point.

The movie ends with a gynecologist appointment.

I dunno what to tell you. The plot is “not for me” and I didn’t really connect with anything.

The movie just made me sad and disconnected because of how much everyone praised it, saying it “made me proud to be a woman” or “it’s inventive, immaculately crafted and surprising mainstream films in recent memory - a testament to what can be achieved within even the deepest bowels of capitalism.”

And it didn’t feel like that for me at all.

Maybe it’s because of all the “that’s womanhood” talk throughout the movie. Because I’ve had so many women in power give me that speech after I came out as trans only to be abused directly by them in the same way that they said men abused them all while I was still ALSO being abused by the same men who abused them too. So like YIPPEE this fucking SUCKS and it was kinda trauma triggering!!

Maybe it’s because I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for 17+ years and know how stuff like this gets made and how many corporate approvals you need for it to make the “take THAT major corporations and CEOs!” jokes land like a dead fish on the floor. The people they are directly calling out said “yes, this level of joke at the expense of our richness and power is okay” and that’s the ONLY reason any of those moments are in the movie. So it doesn’t even really fucking matter, it’s all manufactured, it’s all there to make you feel like it’s doing something when the people with all the power just allowed it to happen. It’s not a “win” or a “heavy blow to their ego”, they literally don’t care.

So I DUNNO, this movie kinda just made me feel depressed and made me remember how badly I had been treated by people after coming out regardless of that person’s gender. The movie felt mean in a way that was too “on the nose” and real for me but then praised most of the characters for their mean actions or words.

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anthurak · 1 year

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One very interesting factor I think we should be keeping in mind while theorizing about Ruby’s character arc in Volume 9, is that it is very possible, even likely, that Ruby’s conflict with her self-destructive hero-complex WON’T actually be resolved by the end of this volume. At least not fully.

Let’s all remember that while these subtle nuances of Ruby’s character might be obvious to those of us who have spent the last 3+ volumes going over every last one of her scenes with fine-tooth comb, they have still yet to come into the forefront of the show itself in the same way as, for example; Ren’s PTSD or Nora’s identity issues. That’s not to say that these issues haven’t been present. Rather, they’ve been more looming in the background. At this point, none of Ruby’s friends, nor Ruby herself, seem to be fully aware of just WHAT Ruby is struggling with, and how serious it is.

And I think THAT is (one of) the major shift(s) that Volume 9 is going to introduce: Finally bringing Ruby’s long-repressed issues into the forefront and focus. And finally letting Yang, Blake, Weiss and ultimately Ruby herself see just how serious her problems actually are.

I think Ruby’s big character breakthrough this volume won’t so much be something like ‘resolving her problems’, but rather simply recognizing that she HAS a problem to begin with. This feels like it fits in far better with RWBY’s long-form style of story-telling and character development. The problems and struggles characters face are not ‘fixed’ so quickly and easily as a single volume. Just look at Jaune, Ren, Nora, Yang, Blake, Weiss and basically EVERY major character in the show. And I’d say it only makes sense that our shows main heroine would have the biggest and longest struggle of all.

This is where I think it makes sense for Ruby to do something really crazy like cutting out her eye and/or hanging herself from the Ever After Tree’s limbs and impaling herself on Crescent Rose as part of some ritual all to learn how to get her team home. It’s a shocking, dramatic reveal to both Ruby’s team and the audience as to just how BAD Ruby’s problems truly are.

To use an example from a very similar character, Ruby cutting out one of her eyes Odin-style with barely any hesitation would be very much akin to Suletta Mercury turning some poor bastard into tomato-paste and then laughing off with a cheery smile.

It’s a moment that is a dramatic ‘Oh SHIT’ reveal to both the audience and other characters of the true scope of the heroine’s emotional and psychological problems. Problems that are far worse than almost anyone expected. And it’s not the sort of thing that will be quick or easy to resolve.

I mean, I think image of Ruby walking up to an utterly shocked and HORRIFIED Weiss as blood seeps out from her freshly scarred and empty left eye socket and jokes with an empty, unsettling smile ‘Hey Weiss, I guess we match now, huh?’ is a scenario that is all too easy see happening...

#rwby #rwby volume 9 #rwby theory #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #ruby character arc #ruby needs ALL the theory #ruby is an odin allusion #g-witch #Suletta Mercury #i think its all too easy to imagine this being one of those 'i'd have two nickels' situations XD

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blues-valentine · 9 months

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this might be mean but i am glad nini was off the show and a lot of characters were taken off regular status because the show needed fresh story lines after season 2

This is going to be a long answer and probably a controversial one too but I feel now that the show is over I can finally say it. I really agree. And this is in no way shade to the actors but how things were constructed in the show. I feel like it helped the show to just focus on other dynamics and characters. If you take the S1 nostalgia aspect, Season 3 and Season 4 were such a massive improvements after Season 2, which is undeniably their weakest season of all.

I liked Nini, but as a character I feel like she wasn’t giving “main character energy”. It didn’t help either that most of her arcs were individual or about Ricky or Miss Jenn. So when you took her out, she wasn’t really missed in terms of the dynamics with other characters because those improved so much after she left. On Season 3 and Season 4 the group dynamics finally felt like a family and solid friendship instead of separated groups with separated plot lines.

Also, character arc wise, I feel like Nini’s arc ended on Season 2. Her arc has always been about spreading her wings outside of East High and finding what makes her happy. She got that at the end of Season 2 so it feels like it came to a natural conclusion. Nini’s send off on Season 3 was beautiful and a nice tribute to her character and her relationships. Even now, the small details that keep Nini’s character alive are sweet. I like Olivia but Nini as a character just wasn’t memorable enough for me to care. There's not "void" to me because the show has so many great actors and vocalists that were able to shine in Nini’s absence and I am glad. I would have hated if they Rachel Berry-ed her.

A character that benefited the most from Nini’s departure was Kourtney, who was perpetually stuck in the “black best friend” stereotype. Season 3 was such an improvement because Kourt was given an individual arc that wasn’t about Nini and her issues. Plus, Gina and Kourtney’s friendship felt so much more natural and reciprocated as well and her interactions with the whole group, especially with Carlos.

Gina always felt like the hidden female main character to me because her character had so many emotional layers. I’ve always said Sofia is the best actress the show has and is constantly rising the bar in scenes with her other co-stars. Anyone that's not giving her the flowers she deserves for this last season are just crazy.

Now, one of the biggest issues with Season 2 was adding new characters while also trying to handle plot lines for the established characters. It was messy. None of the plot lines were resolved and it was too crowded with most of the new characters staying as one dimensional and stereotypical. The season was dragged out and boring. The best choice this show made was to cut down on some of them for Season 3. I like Big Red but I don't think he was neccesary as a regular at camp. I am glad he wasn't there because it gave Ashlyn space to explore herself and get one of the best character arcs on this show. Same goes for Ricky. He needed new friendships and Jet was a great one to have. I liked Big Red's cameo and it was well placed. Same goes for Seb, I like him but I am glad Carlos was able to have a solo storyline about his own insecurities and also develop stronger dynamics with the group. His friendship with Ricky was great. Seb’s cameo was well placed.

Maddox and Jet were the best additions this show has ever made. And I don't take anyone seriously if they think otherwise. After season 2, the show needed changes. A new enviroment and characters that added value. Maddox and Jet gave us a new dynamic and instantly felt like a part of the group because they weren’t there to just exist temporarily, they pushed the story lines of the existing characters forward. The show needed a canon sapphic character and Maddox was perfect and relatable. Her arc with Ash goes down as one of the best on this show. Jet was great and Adrian's vocals are show stopping. Not only did the siblings added a much needed representation but were very easy to love. Even Val, in her minimal screen time, added actual value to the story lines.

And now goes to EJ, he was not going to be a regular part of Season 4 since he isn’t in East High anymore. It was the natural progression of his character. His appearance this season felt very well placed with where his character was. It would have been very weird to find an excuse to keep him at the school just for the sake of keeping him as a regular. Glad they didn’t do it.

So yes, I think a lot of the changes were necessary and made this show better.

#hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #gina porter #ricky bowen #ashlyn caswell #kourtney greene #carlos rodriguez #nini salazar roberts #ej caswell #asks #madlyn #maddox hsmtmts #jet hsmtmts

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hornystiel · 14 days

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tagged by @thisisapaige thank youu 💙

20 Questions for Writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 6 (i'm new to posting my stuff there)

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 33,807

3. What fandoms do you write for? Spn, tho back in the day i wrote weird ass crossover things for some games + comics + films and manga lmao. and none of those were in english

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

dressing down, shotgunning gone right, a couple of firsts, dancing moves, chipped coin

5. Do you respond to comments? i try to respond to all of them, even if with just a thank you, and i cherish them all very much

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? umm for now it's dancing moves i guess? because it's very open and they're nowhere near done resolving their issues

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? a couple of firsts. they will be fine and they will have a lot of sex :3

8. Do you get hate on fics? not that i know of? i mean in the comments everybody is very nice :')

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? WELL. the thing is. i only read and write fics with smut because yolo carpe diem and i love smut and i think when it's well written it adds A LOT to the characters. or i just want to read steamy stuff for my own benefit hehe. anyway yes i write it and it can be anything really, but usually it's on the verge of desperate and they're very obsessed with each other. i'm also a monsterfucker and love wing kink so that too. aaand i like writing d/s dynamics <3

10. Do you write crossovers? in my earlier days - yes, i've written a couple but it's just some bits somewhere in my folders and only one person besides me saw them. in spn fandom i'm not really interested in it

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? not that i know of and i don't think i'm that popular lmao

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? as of now - nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? no and i honestly don't think i'll be able to because i'm too protective and too 'it should be my way and style and nothing else' person so i'd be a nightmare to co-write with

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? destiel (duh) and mckirk (so many years have passed and yet they still hold a place in my heart)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? idk i have hope that i will be able to finish them all eventually. but probably the 'Skating Gays' fic because i can't focus enough to do a proper research on all figure skating shit and i don't want to write it half blindly and also in my head it's like at least 40k long and it intimidates me because i usually write much shorter stuff

16. What are your writing strengths? dialogues and smut (or i hope so at least)

17. What are your writing weaknesses? can't stay motivated and focused to write Big Works and probs the whole 'what's around the characters' descriptions

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? i'm bilingual myself with knowledge of bits and pieces in other languages and it doesn't bother me even if it's in a language i don't know, it can even be left without any footnotes if the meaning of this bit is for the audience/another character to fail to understand the character speaking. other than that i can read the translated text and be okay

19. First fandom you wrote for? hmm. hard to remember but if we're digging deep enough it was probably tsubasa reservoir chronicle

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? i love all of them? i put my whole pussy in all of them and i enjoy them after. but IF i have to choose...dancing moves and dressing down probably. still. HARD

tagging @jactingjoices @hauntedpearl @angelcasendgame 💜

#tagged #destiel fic #writing #fanfiction

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girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 10 months

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tuesday again 7/11/23, timezone change edition

the last time i wrote one of these things, i was not quite fully packed up in ma. now, i am technically temporarily homeless in houston, bc the apartment i originally signed on was completely unlivable. crashing in an acquaintance's guest room for a bit while i have a very bad time with apartment hunting round 2

i have lived in south florida, staten island, and various shithole student housing. i understand seasonal bugs in hot places and things such as different kinds of roaches and palmetto bugs. when i say that apartment had the worst roach infestation i've ever seen i fucking mean it. in theory i will get my full deposits back, but they're taking their sweet fucking time about it.

but having that full yes-i-know-about-seasonal-roaches conversation with new acquaintances and leasing agents takes too long so i've resorted to saying it had a horrific bedbug problem, which everyone seems to go Oh Okay Yeah Reasonable For You To Leave much more quickly.

listening

a lot of early aughts dance pop standards, to chase away the agonies as i drive to and from apartments only to get ghosted, find they were rented a week ago, or find that they look absolutely nothing like the pictures. i was really torn on which britney song to pick for this week until my sister sent me Twin Flame by Maude Latour, which i can only describe as "douchebag get the girl back song but for lesbians". spotify

also how do we like the "featured link from bandcamp or soundcloud with additional spotify link" format? in an ideal world i would buy all my music directly from the artists but realistically i use spotify 90% of the time. i don't know what your life is like, tell me if this is helpful or not.

reading

my best friend made sad faces at me until i read The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary, and it was a little nice to see someone else's dire housing situation get resolved neatly and with thematic consistence in several hundred pages. it was also nice to text her snippets with "WHAT?????" every so often. this is a reading experience i don't have very often bc our current reading tastes don't overlap even a little bit.

i don't have much to say about it bc i didn't have particularly strong feelings and don't really read mainstream straight romance, so i can't point out what this did differently or well compared to its peers. if nothing else, it was a fluffy bit of distraction, and i think that's kind of the point?

(image from Tor) also read Saad Z. Hossein's Kundo Wakes Up novella in a waffle house while eating some of the best scrambled eggs i've ever had in my life.

this novella was the closest thing i've ever read to "aging English professor has an affair" without actually containing any of those elements. generally i enjoy his work, but this was sort of a way to check up and tie off many characters from previous works with a sort of light frosting of "my wife left me and i don't know why [ rot13:v pna znxr fbzr thrffrf ohg gurer vf ab zbzrag bs frys-ernyvmngvba, bapr ur svaqf uvf jvsr ur whfg perrcf ba ure sebz nsne naq nsgre qrgrezvavat fur'f abg jvgu nalbar arj znxrf gur gerzraqbhf fnpevsvpvny qrpvfvba gb yrnir ure nybar op fur'f zhpu unccvre jvgubhg uvz. gurer vf ab zbzrag bs frys-ernyvmngvba nobhg jul fur zvtug unir yrsg uvz. xhaqb arire trgf bhg bs uvf bja shpxvat urnq bapr.]"

while The Gurkha and the Lord of Thursday novella (TREMENDOUS) and Cyber Mage book (fun but with some dire pacing issues) are fairly standalone, i cannot imagine you'd get much out of Kundo Wakes Up if you haven't read the other two. for some reason none of the libraries i have access to have his other book Djinn City, so we'll have to procure that elsewhere.

watching

the dnd movie, the day after i broke my lease on the roach apartment. i don't remember a ton about this movie. do generally like a heist. michelle rodriguez was hot

playing

genshin. listen. it is a free and familiar way to turn my brain off by doing open world exploration and puzzles but CRUCIALLY! most of it is completely new to me. i have not played this game in a year and a half. i have not played this game since right before enkanomiya. there was no chasm. there was no Sumeru. i have absolutely no idea what’s happening lore-wise.

i pulled for the fancy ice claymore lady and got a catboy archer (at least i think it is a catboy? the ears do give a pharaoh hound vibe... he is distinct from the extant dogboy archer). not terrible but not my vibe.

youtube

i have been enjoying the shit out of the temporary summer event carnival space. they really did pull out several stops by introducing a ton of genuinely interesting and innovating little new mechanics and mini games. delightful!

making

altering the worst shorts ive ever seeeeeeeeen with a demure little two-inch side slit on both legs bc my thighs simply will not quit. mens shorts are so much better than womens shorts in nearly every way except for the catastrophic physical fit issues.

when i got ghosted by two different apartments on saturday i bought myself a spoon ring so chunky it makes my other chunky rings look positively delicate by comparison. not very comfy to drive in but fine to wear while tippy tappying on the spreadsheets

a girl i saw for one singular awful date in 2016 called my hands "coarse but honest" and i think about that every time my hands are in a photo. what did that even fucking MEAN, [REDACTED]?

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem

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iamnmbr3 · 6 months

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I have not watched the loki series this season but like a fool I looked up spoilers for the last episode yesterday. I didn’t think it was possible, but it still manages to break my heart that they gave this character literally the most painful ending they could think of. why. for what? I hate that I’m rattled by this but DAMN, it’s not fucking fair.

Ugh I know. What a mess. Alone forever, eternally suffering in service of others, none of his issues resolved or even acknowledged. A horrible ending for anyone. It would be more gut-wrenching to me if I saw the show character as Loki but I simply don't. He's so wildly ooc in every way that I really don't see Loki. I just see Larry the dumb fascist clown.

But yeah I know what you mean. It's quite painful. And it hurts that we will never get the Loki show we were promised. We will never get to see this tremendously complex and interesting character done justice on screen. And it hurts that this is the only end the MCU seems to think he deserves.

But we know better. Fic has always been better than canon. Now more than ever.

#Canon whomst? Loki and Thor are celebrating their 5th anniversary.#asks #loki tv series #loki series #loki show #loki tv show #loki tv #Loki #loki season 1 #Loki season 2 #thorki reference

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mydarlinginej · 1 month

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read my full review of old flames and new fortunes by sarah hogle here.

From the celebrated author of You Deserve Each Other and Just Like Magic, a steamy second-chance romance about a magical florist’s unexpected reunion with her high school sweetheart as she fake dates his soon-to-be stepbrother.

A small, magical town tucked away in rural Ohio, Moonville is the perfect place for flora fortunist Romina Tempest to expand her shop, where she uses the language of flowers to help the hopeful manifest their love lives. After giving up on her own big romance eleven years ago, at least she can bask in the promise of others’.

So, when the shop’s potential financier shares news of his wedding, Romina jumps on the opportunity to discuss buying the business. What better place to negotiate a deal than at a wedding, even if she has to fake-date her chaotic colleague Trevor to get an invitation? But all hell breaks loose when she discovers Trevor’s soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex her high school sweetheart. Her greatest love. The boy who, eleven years ago, broke her heart, and who now thinks she and Trevor are dating.

What starts as an innocent misunderstanding becomes a week-long fake dating scheme, as Romina resolves to make Alex pay for breaking her heart. The only issue? She can’t deny their still-burning connection. Caught between proving to Alex what he lost, and coming clean and risking her business, Romina must decide whether giving Alex another chance means going back on herself, or finally releasing her hold on the past.

my review:

Ever since reading You Deserve Each Other way back in 2020, I’ve been a big fan of Sarah Hogle’s brand of chaos and romance, so naturally I immediately added her newest release to my TBR list. Unfortunately, this book was not for me in a variety of ways. A lack of foundation for the romance and strong characterization made Old Flames and New Fortunes fall flat for me.

In a small town called Moonville, Romina Tempest runs a magical shop with her two sisters, Luna and Zelda, with the help of Trevor, the now-owner. After purchasing the neighboring rundown lot, they’re in desperate need of a loan from Trever’s father Daniel. However, after a misunderstanding at what turns out to be Daniel’s wedding announcement with the entire family, everyone thinks Romina and Trevor are dating, which they decide not to clear up once they learn that both of their exes are there. The only issue? For Romina, her ex is Alex, the high school sweetheart who broke her heart eleven years ago and the one who she never really got over. Now, he’s the bride’s son so they’re thrown together constantly over this weekend, resurfacing old, intense feelings.

Typically I start a review with what I liked about the book but honestly, there wasn’t really anything I enjoyed about this book…I don’t even think it was necessarily bad but I just genuinely didn’t care for the characters or the plot (what of it that we had) or the romance. As usual, these are my thoughts, you might feel differently, etc.

The biggest issue I had was with the romance. I’m very much a person who cannot get into romances unless the couple has a decent foundation. Other than a couple random flashbacks, I don’t think we got enough explanation for why Romina and Alex’s dynamic/hatred is so intense now, eleven years later. It seemed like a pretty typical high school break-up to me; even that I’d excuse if there was a little more detail but there was such a disconnect between that and their anguish now that I could not get into their dynamic at all.

read my full review here.

#old flames and new fortunes #sarah hogle #book reviews #reviews #booklr #mine #link

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purplemys · 1 year

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Clay Puppington and Cameron Campbell vs. Endeavor : Why I Like Their Character Writing and Not The Latter's

Clay from Moral Orel and Campbell from Camp Camp are from opposite ends of my Shitty Person Character spectrum.

My spontaneously-made scale for these characters include Disgusting But Interesting - Sympathetic (The Golden Area of my Morally Gray Characters) - Entertaining Scumbag.

Disgusting But Interesting

Clay is about as realistic as abusers come. He wasn't born evil, he isn't some spawn of hell, but he's definitely portrayed as a monster. The thing with Clay is that he's an abuse victim. His childish act of rebellion caused his mother to have a heart attack and since then his father resented him for what happened. His substitute for love is physical abuse. It's how he grew up, it's how his brain coped. And he knows this. He knows he's fucked up, he said so many times throughout the show, he's very aware of what his issues are and how to stop it.

You would think a character like Clay (sympathetic, realistic, self-aware) is a prime candidate for redemption and reconciliation with his family, esp Orel, his kind and forgiving son, yes? No. The ending, while somewhat rushed gave me such a good feeling. Orel didn't have to keep his father in his life to be "a kind and forgiving" person. Orel got to live happily ever after with Christina and break the long cycle of abuse which neither Clay nor Bloberta (the wife) broke once they got out of their abusive households. Orel honored his parents by keeping their photos in the new house, next to photos of his brothers who were equally abused and went on to be good people.

That's the main point with Clay, the conclusion to his and Orel's relationship, because this father-son dynamic is the main plot of the show. Anyway, back to Clayduring the entire show's run. Season 1 put a bit of a comedic spin on the scenes where Clay was threatening to beat Orel while he was drunk, to reflect how Orel saw the situation and the world in general, his mind wasn't registering the awful shit going around him yet, esp about his father. As the show goes on, the abuse dawns on Orel eventually. But we as the audience were always supposed to take the punishments very seriously, to see the alcohol, the belt and the twisted lectures Clay gave and immediately think "Abuse". None of that "Twisted form of care/love". None of that "It's a mistake". None of that "It's just how he is." The show makes it clear that this is abuse and this is a choice and he knows it.

Which is why he was never redeemed.

Entertaining Scumbag

Cameron Campbell doesn't really have a sad backstory like Clay but he gets to have a chance at a redemption arc in Season 3 and 4. I just find him to be entertaining as a side character. His list of crimes mean little in a show that's full of very violent or selfish characters (most of which are kids). The characters talk trash about him too. Only one of them really gives him a chance to change (Yes, the kindest of characters, my favorite, David). They even make it a point in the episode "Keep the Change", Campbell would never be able to change for the better because he's selfish through and through. Was Max (the protagonist) right about his assumption?

Well you see, Campbell in that episode when repeatedly urged by David to do good, he kept slipping back into his selfish and narcissistic ways. Like wanting to only give to charity for adoration and fame. All that. David rightfully calls him out for that. That's another thing, they repeatedly give him shit for the things he say or do, to make up for the lack of legal consequences for his crimes.

(One day I hope the thing with Jasper gets resolved though. It was an accident but the fact that Campbell was being negligent was another thing. That being said, another kid died in Gwen and David's care too. Talk about off-screen negligence.)

Anyway, "After Hours" shows Campbell for the first time without Gwen or David telling him what to do or how to run his own goddamn camp. The first glimpse of him doing nice things without thinking much about them. The plotline with Campbell ends with this cute scene here.

When David saw them and woke them up, he was likely about to compliment Campbell about how good he handled the situation or whatever, but Campbell cut him off and started complaining about the campers and grumbled about getting some sleep. Good, I don't want to hear another sappy speech about Campbell! It was a nice episode overall. :)

So that's the main point about Campbell. How the characters act around him.

Now about his backstory, as a contrast to Clay's. Campbell is selfish. Greedy. Self-absorbed. An asshole. Campbell used to have friends, a girlfriend, and a stable job. He was so good at his job that he was eligible for a Camp Corporation(?) Magazine at some point. Point is, he had it all and his greediness made him lose all of that. And he definitely wasn't getting any of that back.

The fame went to his old friends, Camp Corp. founders the Campwells, since he was always in hiding because tax evasion and other crimes. He can't have his camp back because he went to jail and his new punishment is to surrender his funds and services to David, who he wasn't respecting before being knocked down a few pegs. Lastly, when he and his girlfriend reunited and he asked if they could "pick up where they left off", she rightfully called him out for that being such a shit thing to ask after 17 years apart. They banged in the end of that episode but the rest was up to interpretation until maybe Season 5 (if ever).

So his redemption is funny and definitely not giving him things easy since it's not like he has the things he always wanted: Fame, Money, and Control.

Endeavor and Why I Just Hate Seeing Him On Screen and Why The Decision to Redeem Him is Ridiculous and If He's Simply "Atoning", then everything else surrounding this plot is Confusing

I think a lot of you already know this by now but I'm Filipino and from an abusive household. Our culture is all about community. The majority over the individual.

Abusers get away scot-free unless... you broadcast it to everyone. The radio, the television, to anywhere and everyone who will pay attention. What Dabi did was the only way to give his abuser some semblence of repercussions since his family surely wasn't going to do it. Because here's the thing, E slur wasn't just some random jackass breadwinner. He is an authority figure, with wealth to top it off. He had everything in his disposal to manipulate things in his favor.

Like bro, even then, even when everyone in the neighborhood knows your situation, no one is still going to step in because the decisions ultimately lie within the family. And they (my family) sure aren't going to do something because "This is just how things are" "This is how the matriarch is" "This is how our family deals with it"

I wouldn't be upset with E slur not getting legal repercussions if it's clear that the entire family straight up hate his guts and not even bother to associate with him in any way. None of this forced family dinners, none of this getting the family to talk to him. None of this Rei and Fuyumi giving him a chance. None of this invasion of space and boundaries (like hugging Natsuo or acquiring Shouto's number from Fuyumi, and if she gave it willingly, I find that uncomfortable).

Sometimes, we just live in resentment and no one here is happy because we simply can't. How can you when your entire existence revolves around a dream your parents never got or a life they never lived? Who can forgive when your very life hinges upon how useful and cooperative you are? That your presence only matters when you're not a burden? Because I sure can't. I can't get over it. She didn't have to tell me but she did. The only reason why I'm even alive rn is because her son didn't amount to anything they wanted and I'm just a safety net. If I don't succeed in life, they'd be very disappointed.

That alone is awful. ^-^

I can't imagine if they were actual authority figures that will double the pressure on you because they have the media monitoring your entire family~

So how about the opposite? What if the family is indeed willing to give the selfish, extremely abusive, egotistical asshole a chance? (Not Natsuo, never him) Then why not have the media absolutely hound him. Have his coworkers scorn him, yes even Hawks who looked up to him and supported him. Have the entire world look at him and his entire posse with distrust, all of them. And the end of all this? Lose his hero license.

He can't have both.

Hell, he doesn't deserve either.

But if the narrative insists, then I'd rather he be a social outcast, esp by his own family.

Now about how he's treated within the story, you have all these characters pointing out how he's better, less of an asshole, "a changed man". Camp Camp did this for ONE episode. Because this is annoying. The man doing the bare minimum is so laughably sad. Especially all this was before the reveal of the abuse. And after the reveal, nothing. Crickets from the people who know of it. Those who do talk help nothing for this plot, like Hawks for example. 😬

It's important to note that Campbell is to David like E slur was to Keigo. Except Campbell and David did meet 14 years ago when he was 10.

The thing is though, that David grows out of this parasocial relationship with Campbell throughout the seasons. Hawks lately is Endeavor-san this Endeavor that, shut up. Jesus Christ. Like I know admiration. I know obsessive. It's not a cute look when you're 23 and supposed to be self-aware it is painful to watch unfold. Because I think a reveal like your idol (not even a friend) being such a scumbag can't have a Denial/Slow Burn Breakdown Reaction. And if the "It may be true but...I'm sure it's not like that anymore." is the final reaction/acknowledgement then 1) I've heard that before from irl 2) How are you SURE? Some random not-even-close-with-any-of-the-victims outsider? 3) Beyond underwhelming.

😬

Back to E slur, they never should have tried to give this man attention of any kind. He doesn't have a sympathetic background (not that I'd want him to) so he doesn't have anything to relate to. Yes, the """"inferiority complex"""" maybe but not everyone has the wealth and power at their disposal to buy a wife and coerce her to make children-

So he's not relatable, he's heinous, we're supposed to take his crimes seriously, so he's not even entertaining what else? He's doing a good job of atoning for his mistakes? He's a massive invasion of boundaries and that is uncomfortable.

1) Him giving Rei her favorite flowers.

My brother gave me a nice gesture once. Made me cry and everything. Wanna know why? Because this is the same dude who used to beat me with a broom stick! :D

Yes, abusers can do nice things omg shocker, do they deserve to get within 10 feet of you and then leave you presents, maybe even at an attempt at asking for forgiveness? Hell no. God that's spine-chlling. Because it could be genuine, and no one deserves to feel like they owe someone that kindness and forgiveness.

2) Him suddenly hugging Natsuo without regard for how Natsuo would react.

This is after years of neglect and subjecting him to domestic violence. This is him touching him just because, what, he was "scared of losing him"? Your child was just as likely to die from getting neglected or sheer stress and you're only worried now? Laughable and quite pathetic! I personally don't like getting grabbed without my consent, esp if it's someone who's hurt me before. Mother may have never hit me but I know what it feels like to be threatened. She gets mad when I get mad at her for suddenly grabbing me every now and then. I explicitly told her I hate getting physical. I'd hate to think how E slur would have reacted if Natsuo had the reaction time to flinch or shake him off. Again, uncomfortable.

3) Getting Shouto's number then bombarding him with messages.

If your kids don't want to talk to you, maybe stop pestering them? Maybe stop being such a nuisance? Maybe stop inserting yourself in their life whenever you can because you feel entitled to a chance? Or maybe get to know your kid first and that being he doesn't talk much to begin with so knock it off.

Again, if they never should have made him try. And if they insist, not like this.

Aight Im tired. Goodnight.

#vent #tw abuse #tw domestic abuse #tw vent #tw suicide #just pure rambling #anti endeavor #anti todoroki enji #mha

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itsclydebitches · 1 year

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I thought about the Ren & Yang fight in V8 again and it brought me to a sort of smaller issue: The Grimm aren't anywhere near as omnipresent as they should be. They're attracted to negative emotion. The squad's having this big emotional argument in the middle of nowhere, while the city is being invaded by the Grimm, and yet none of them are drawn to the group. The group is in complete disarray and yet this isn't punished by a Centinel ambushing them or a Gryphon swooping at them, or anything.

I think RWBY could have gotten away with this if there had been another conflict to forward that fight. Meaning, it's heavily implied throughout the series (though not explicitly stated? I honestly can't remember) that grimm are attracted to the most intense negative emotion nearby. So if one person is kinda bummed out and another is having a full-blown panic attack, and they're both approximately the same distance from the grimm, the one having a panic attack will be dealing with that Griffon. That's why Cinder was able to accurately predict that Penny's death would draw so many grimm to Beacon (a horrified crowed trumps whatever else might be going on nearby) and why fans were annoyed by the grimm in Argus just kinda flying aimlessly around our heroes when there was a panicking crowed of civilians below. If RWBY had actually kept this rule consistent--which it hasn't--I would have been inclined to say, "Of course none of the grimm stopped to attack the group. Yang and Ren's spat, though intense for the audience who is emotionally invested in them as characters, can't hold a candle to the fear and despair emanating from Atlas as Salem attacks." Plus, if we want to throw out another potential bit of worldbuilding, we might say that Salem is actively directing the grimm towards her target (the city). But really, neither the specifics of what grimm are attracted to, nor the amount of control Salem has over an entire army, is ever established. After all, this is the show that made a HUGE deal out of the Relic attracting grimm... and then had Ruby and Oscar carrying that around with zero consequences. The rules of this world exist only when it's convenient for the plot.

But to get back to my original point, even if RWBY had done the work to explain why none of the grimm made a pit-stop to attack the group, that scene still needed something to break up all the walking and talking. (Especially when, from my personal perspective, the conversations are so bad. I can't agree with the stance the show takes against Ren and I hate that instead of working to resolve their disagreements, Yang inexplicably worries about Blake and then Ren just realizes how wrong he was off screen??) Getting separated out in the wilds of Atlas should have led to some sort of danger for our group. If not grimm than the cold--another threat RWBY introduced, but then did nothing with. Really, what's the point of separating the group like that if nothing was going to happen? They can argue in Mantle. They can be found by the Ace Ops in Mantle. RWBY raised the stakes by going, "Look! They chased this horrifying grimm out into the tundra and are now stranded without transportation. Countless more grimm are wandering about--remember the problem of that hole in the wall?--and they'll be dead in no time if their aura should fail. To top it all off, they're fighting among themselves and may not be able to drum up the necessary cooperation to survive. What will happen to our heroes next?? Stay tuned to find out!"

Nothing. The answer is nothing. Nothing happens. They find a convenient house to sit in and then they leave.

In thinking about RWBY's status as a combat show in the wake of Volume 9's lackluster combat trailer, it stands out to me that so many of these action sequences are like... superficially exciting? The Hound attacks, but our heroes mostly stand still and watch it like we didn't just have a whole season about how they're the strongest of professionals now. We have a chase scene that doesn't end in a second confrontation and then they walk back, encountering nothing except their rescue. I do believe that as a show conceived as, advertised as, and heavily focused on action for the first three years, RWBY should maintain a certain number and quality of fights to meet viewer expectation--the same way I expect certain storytelling beats if you label your show as "horror" or "comedy" or a "fantasy." But that belief aside, I could far more easily accept RWBY's transition to something other than a "mere" combat show if it did something with those plot points. But as we've been saying for years now, RWBY seems wholly uninterested in exploring the new stuff it introduces. We don't get to learn about Oscar's merge, or tackle Whitley's abuse, Nora doesn't struggle with her new scars, Penny is killed off as soon as she becomes a Maiden, there's no confirmation for Blake/Yang... Ren's differing perspective is highlighted, rejected, and then resolved at some point in his own head, giving us only an unsatisfying apology later on. RWBY doesn't seem to want to be an introspective romance-drama, given that it ignores those ideas as soon as they're introduced, but it doesn't want to be a simple action show either.

Ultimately, I don't know what in the world RWBY does want to be, but the end result are scenes like this one. Do you want to see this fight have an interesting impact on the story? Too bad. Okay, do you want to see a cool grimm battle if we can't see character development? Too bad. The characters are going in circles nowadays and I'm afraid that Volume 9's trip to Wonderland and back is just going to reinforce that.

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

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ufonaut · 2 years

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Will you please share your black adam thoughts?? I was also very nervous about it and how it would handle the JSA but i actually really liked it! I actually work at a movie theater so i saw it twice already 😂

i'm putting these together because they're all related to my thoughts on black adam 2022 and i thought it'd be more convenient for everybody (even if they're wildly antithetic povs)! i absolutely loved black adam and i think i'm gonna see it again quite literally as soon as i can. given that i only got back approx ten minutes ago, here's some jumbled thoughts right off the bat:

i think what makes or breaks a superhero movie is whether the people involved think comic books are beneath them or not (as the folks over at the mcu often seem to do) and black adam certainly loves comic books with its entire heart and soul and you can tell. from various black reign panel recreations to carter's picture perfect thanagarian ship from hawkman 2002, this is a very sincere and earnest movie with none of the parodic tone i so often despise in superhero media.

VISUALLY GORGEOUS. SIMPLY GORGEOUS. the fact that 99.9% of the film takes place in daylight immediately resolves the lighting issue of all modern cinema but lawrence sher (of joker 2019 fame) as cinematographer simply changes the game with this one. in fact, i can say the same thing about the magnificent use of cgi -- cyclone's powers, in particular, are one of the most beautiful things i've ever had the pleasure of seeing in action.

while there are certainly a few things i disagree with, such as carter's estate and kent seemingly having a chauffeur/butler, i think most of the major changes were unavoidable either in a lost in translation sort of way or simply in order to make this movie palpable to average audiences used to marvel. over all, i felt the jsa's dynamic was captured perfectly and what drew me to the team in the first place is very much still there in a way that's definitely absent from stargirl, for example. they're still a horrible little family made up almost exclusively of weird uncles.

SPEAKING OF. AL PRATT? I SCREAMED.

i thought it was made clear that this isn't the entire team but rather just the members carter chose for this particular mission, which i also enjoyed. and while we're here, to touch on some of the points from the anon, i don't think any marvel-style humour was actually present? or at least, it didn't come across that way to me. i mean, it's a very funny film, i was laughing nearly the whole time (or tearing up! or simply absolutely on the edge of my seat!) but it all felt perfectly natural to me, especially in al's case where it's a clear consequence of powers he's obviously still unused to. the relationship between him & carter is actually exactly the element that made me feel a first spark of recognition like.... man i'm seeing my favourite lil comic book guys up there on the big screen.

ALSO THE LEGEND OF CARTER - KENT GAY HOMOSEXUALITY LIVES ON. OLD FRIEND? CARTER CRYING? YES OKAY OKAY I'M ON BOARD. IT'S NOT CARTER IF HE DOESN'T HAVE A BIZARRE WARRIOR BOND WITH SOMEBODY.

considering i was all set on hating this portrayal of kent, i also can't believe how much i ended up completely utterly loving him. the movie definitely has a knack for making you fall in love with its characters nearly instantly (maxine!!!!!!!!! oh maxine!!!!!!!) because it's so well written but kent's random outfit changes for no reason whatsoever, the bit where he's parading around in a dressing gown on carter's ship, "i'm not that kind of doctor", the entire scene in adrianna's apartment... yeah babey. actually i was losing my entire mind at "i remember the day i saw my first aeroplane...", the way pierce plays him might not have been intended to be hilarious but by god, giffen himself couldn't have done a better job. you can tell he's not all there (and i did also enjoy maxine calling him possessed by fate) and it's precisely how kent should be even in the absence of unnatural youth.

the narrative actually allowing carter to be his usual arrogant asshole self-appointed leader with a heart of gold self was also a welcome bonus, i loved seeing him the way he's always been written at his best and i loved that his sharp edges haven't been dulled any by a script that could've easily gone the sanitized route. his black and white thinking is also something that's always been a part of him and i don't think it's necessarily odd to have him say superheroes don't kill -- superheroes certainly don't kill as easily and indiscriminately as black adam does, not even the jsa.

on that point, the jsa's actions are clearly framed to be in the wrong? i loved black adam's arc, i thought mr the rock was acting his little heart out and succeeding like never before but we're also definitely pushed to be on his side to begin with. adrianna and amon are the moral centre of the movie and they certainly stand with black adam! the movie doesn't simply co-opt anti imperialist languages for the hell of it, the jsa is plainly told they're coming here with a us-centric pov and helping nothing & nobody in the name of some nebulous form of justice. i thought it was definitely abundantly clear that the conversation opened around a colonized kahndaq does not condemn adam's actions against intergang etc.

FINALLY, MY THOUGHTS ON THE FATE HELMET AT THE END? HERE'S HOW JARED STEVENS CAN STILL WIN.

this got long enough but god, i really did love it. i loved black adam. i loved the jsa. a respectful, loving, beautiful cinematic adaptation like i never thought we'd ever get.

#asks #anon #black adam #jsa

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messymindofmine · 2 years

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Ok I am so sick of people saying that Johnny has good intentions. Johnny has never had good intentions when it comes to Robby. It's always been about himself and his own guilt. Not once has he ever even spared a thought to Robby and his feelings on anything. Also can people please stop likening Robby to other characters? There is absolutely no comparison to be made here bc Robby is not on equal ground with any of them. I said a while back that Tory is the only one that Robby is on remotely equal ground with but after this season even that isn't true anymore. Because at least Tory wasn't forced to sacrifice her entire personality in order to fit into what others wanted her to be. Hell even prior to that, Tory was able to get help-from Amanda no less and had even started therapy. All the while Robby has been consistently shafted by everyone.

Also, I know that Sam as a character gets way too much hate from the fandom. I personally don't hate her as a character on her own. As a character, I actually like her a lot. In fact, her arc this season was the one of the very few things that I liked. I'm so glad she got a win this season. But that right there proves how even Sam still gets the better end of the stick when it comes to Robby. Not only is Robby hated by the fandom to such an extent that there were actually people saying that they hoped Robby got r**ed in prison or that they hope he'd die in s4. There are people who will literally make shit up for an excuse to hate on him. But he's also been through non-stop hell since the end of s2. And in this season, he had to sacrifice his entire personality in favor of becoming everybody else's hype man just so that he could be accepted by them. No other character has been treated this badly. There is not a single character that has not hurt Robby in some way and none of them have apologized to him. Yet Robby has been made to apologize to them and be their emotional punching bag. So no, I don't think that the way Robby is treated by the show and the fandom is in any way comparable to any of the others.

I also don't think it's entirely fair to say that Johnny was there for Sam more than her parents were. Yes, Johnny taught her a way to channel her anger in a way that Daniel refused to do but that's about all he did. Amanda was stuck in a really difficult situation with Tory. Amanda went to Tory and basically threatened her to leave Sam alone. Tory then got fired after yelling at Amanda which yes, Tory shouldn't have been surprised that she was fired but it did make things even harder for her. Amanda then helped Tory bc if she hadn't Tory could have lost her family. Even then, she never made any illusions as to who she really cared about. She was very upfront with Tory that she would be rooting for Sam and asked Tory not to hurt her. Daniel resolved his issues with Johnny and told Sam he wanted her to be herself and do what's right for her. Daniel may not have been the best in s4 but there was never any doubt as to whose side he was on. And as for Johnny, the fact that he was able to show more concern for his rival's daughter than he was his own son is a big strike against him. Pointing these things out has nothing to do with me hating on Sam. If anything, it's me hating on Johnny.

I understand that people aren't always trying to be hurtful or invalidating when they say that. I also understand that they don't mean any harm when they bring up other characters. If people want to talk about how overhated Sam is that's totally fine. In fact, I've actually made a few posts on this in the past myself and may well do more bc I do have issues with the way people talk about Sam particularly wrt her and Tory's rivalry. But I just don't think the way Robby is treated can be likened to any other character not when he has been hung out to dry by both the show and the fandom

#cobra kai #robby keene

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jaigeye · 1 year

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everyone is forgetting that saw gerrera was taught by anakin and obiwan (white) lol

i do take some issue with sw writers plopping characters of color into villain/antagonist/not working with the ‘heroes’ role and the fans making incredibly racist memes, i just wanted to point out the fact that he was already on the edge of being a radical and anakin’s presence and training shoved him over the edge along with the death of steela. as a nonwhite person who has seen their own friends radicalized in Very similar ways, i dont think there’s anything necessarily wrong with how he’s being portrayed. i think he’s a good mirror of real life circumstances. the problem inherently lies with the fans, although again as i said it has disappointed me that fascinating, complex characters who are also poc or poc coded (barriss, saw, Reva, for some examples) are mishandled by sw writers and fans.

I think you're misunderstanding me here. Sure, it's a good point that yes, Anakin and Obi-Wan played a role in his life, but I don't think TCW is even a significant enough piece of media to base judgment of his character off if; Rogue One is where he really began to take shape as the character he is, not just a one-off arc character that was quickly forgotten. The nature of the clone wars anthology style is that unfortunately most characters motivations and actions are molded or influenced by the main trio, so I don't know if that argument holds up, although it is an interesting one I hadn't thought about.

My argument is not that characters of color cannot or should not ever be villains... Yet I would strongly disagree with categorizing him as an antagonist. Even in Rogue One he felt like a sort of indelicate attempt to show the political complexities of the Rebellion. That is both where my praise and issues with his writing begin.

Isolated, he himself is a very nuanced and interesting character. Placed in a space with the other Rebel leaders, however, it quickly becomes frustratingly clear that the only Black leader of great significance in the plot, on the same level of narrative importance as Mon Mothma, is a politically radical and aggressive Black man, plagued by delusions of victimhood/paranoia. This is as some might say, not cool. Imagine a sheet of paper with all the rebels and imperials on it. Who are the aggressive, intense characters who are ruthless? (Outside of Andor, because although flawed I feel they did a better job,) that list would include Saw Gerrera, Reva, and Moff Gideon. The good, harmless Black characters? Finn. Jannah, with a few minutes of screentime. Maybe Lando, but he too is always sidelined and we don't get a really good look at his motivations or character. Who else? There are others, but none with enough plot significance to really make up for this imbalance. Plus, a lot of those characters die.

If he were one among many Black Rebel leaders of varying political mindsets, I think my personal gripes with his writing could be resolved more. (However, Black fans opinion here would matter more than mine.)

The basic thing is that Star Wars writers do not know or care about your friends. They don't seem particularly tapped into the political realities of young radicalized minorities right now. We have to be more serious and objective here than this.

Their points of reference were most likely Che Guevara and Malcolm X, so on and so forth. i could handle that under certain circumstances. Andor did a pretty great job portraying him. The Rogue One book did a good job. Then the animations get their hands on him and, as is kind of inherent to the nature of kids shows, they have to pick someone to make the bad or scary decisions to show kid viewers that actually, changing the world through any means possible is a bad thing, and that you should usually use your words, be polite, and not be aggressive or demanding like these ~scary~ people performing direct action. Why did TBB and Rebels choose to take the one Rebel Black guy and make him try to win by putting children&other marginalized people at risk and using explosives and shit? in a real life context, when we focus on the motivations of the writers and not the content of the character, it gets concerning. It is not all, but many of the writers. It is not all, but I'd say most of the fans. The problem is a pretty big one. When u write him in such a way that people r blaming him for character's deaths and accusing him of parental abuse, the writers did something wrong too, not just the fans

Saw Gerrera is one of my all time favorite characters in star wars, because I think he's fascinating and full of potential. But it's really important to be objective about the inequalities in writing here, and pay attention to the way the very few Black characters in a narrative are portrayed.

#saw gerrera #antiblackness #racism

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gaspardcaderousse · 6 months

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Hi Alex. J/olysui for the ask game. Dont hold back

ohhhhh god dude i cannot STAND that shit

like i don't think every j/olysui shipper is a Bad Person. i think a large portion of ppl read it as girlboss/malewife, which, like, fine, you do you, i won't give ppl shit for it. but that just isn't real. anasui's ass is NOT a malewife, this dude literally murdered his girlfriend

as for my ACTUAL thoughts... i just think it's bad all-around.

first of all, anasui is just really weird to jolyne. let us not forget that f.f. outright calls what he's doing sexual harassment. in no world does that make me think "oh what a cute ship!" like. brother that's awful. his repeated pursuit of her just comes off as creepy, especially considering, like i said, this guy MURDERED HIS GIRLFRIEND? when has a guy who murdered his girlfriend for cheating on him ever NOT been a huge misogynist. like. anasui needs to stay away from women forever, or at least until he changes as a person. i see people argue that none of that matters since jolyne is strong and wouldn't let herself get victimized by that, but like... that doesn't mean she deserves to have to deal with it. someone being strong doesn't mean it's cute or romantic for them to be sexually harassed by a guy who has a clear record of violence against the women he dates. it's still fucked up.

also, i just don't think anasui understands jolyne. he claims to love her for her strength and resolve, and i think that's part of why people ship them, but when anasui first says this, he's never even spoken to her. later, when jolyne asks anasui to save f.f., he explicitly says no, because he only cares about jolyne - but f.f. is someone who jolyne cares about, whose friendship makes jolyne happy. in fact, her bonds with her family and friends are part of what jolyne strong in the first place. if anasui really understood jolyne, he would know that, and if he really loved her for who she was, he would try to help her friend. but he doesn't try to save them, because he doesn't really understand her or love her for who she is. how could he? he barely knows her. it's the idea of jolyne that he loves. that makes for what would be miserable hypothetical romance - and makes their actual relationship feel even more creepy.

on jolyne's end, she just clearly is not interested in him at all. there are lots of scenes where her rejection of anasui is kind of accidental and unknowing, but there are also some where she clearly knows what's going on and isn't humoring it. she ignores his advances extremely pointedly and doesn't give any indication that she'd be willing to enter a relationship with him until the very end of the part - and even then, i tend to interpret her encouraging anasui to confess as less of a "ask me to marry you because i'll say yes" and more "ask me to marry you because i want you to forthrightly put yourself out there for the sake of your own development as a person." like, i don't think she hates or even really dislikes him, but she's not into him, either.

also, it just... doesn't make since to me for jolyne's character arc. jolyne starts part 6 in a relationship with a man who throws her under the bus to save his own ass, and she spends a large chunk of the part surrounded by and bonding with people who aren't men. i think there's something to be said about jolyne finding strength that way and realizing she doesn't really need to date a man to be happy - at least, i like to read it that way. having her end up with anasui feels really reductive in that sense - and i have issues with irene and annakiss for that reason. i honestly feel like araki pulled that because he wanted to end the part on a somewhat optimistic note, and Boy And Girl End Up Dating means the ending is optimistic, right...? but i also think it's worth noting that jolyne both begins and ends the story of part 6 riding in the car with a boyfriend, and we all know how her and romeo's romance ended up...

anyways. i don't even dislike anasui tbh. i think he's a fun character at times, and also he's pink and transgender so that's cool. but his interactions with jolyne make me uncomfortable and i think she deserves way better. they're not even unhealthy in an interesting way! every aspect of j/olysui is fundamentally opposed to everything i like in a ship. LEAVE HER ALONE GET A JOB

#asks #jjba #anonymous

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themattress · 1 year

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Re-evaluating Diamond/Pearl?

With Ash’s time as the protagonist of the Pokeani behind us, I wanted to look back at my least favorite (and only straight-up disliked) series in the anime: Diamond/Pearl. Is it really as bad as I’ve always felt it was? Weeeell....no and yes. See, what I’ve come to understand more and more is that it was never really what’s in Diamond/Pearl that bothered me, it’s how they were used and, perhaps more importantly, how they were paced. Diamond/Pearl’s sense of pacing is abysmal, and that’s what really drags its elements down for me. I think that if I was a kid, I wouldn’t mind, so I don’t begrudge fans of Diamond/Pearl who grew up on it; more power to you. But I grew up on the Original Series, and while I kind of fell out of touch with the anime thanks to Johto, Advanced Generation was paced well enough that I had no problem checking back in from time to time and enjoying its better elements like May’s arc. Diamond/Pearl was just too exhausting for me, and IMO it’s pay-offs never made up for that.

Let’s run down the show’s main recurring components, shall we?

Ash's badge quest: Ash getting his first badge took from episodes 15-18, which immediately showcases a pacing problem. One episode to watch Paul get the badge, then an episode for Ash to try and fail, then a breather episode, and then a second attempt where Ash succeeds. Why drag it out that long? You could’ve had him get it on his first try; or if you wanted him to fail and try again, don’t waste time with Paul beforehand! It then takes 19 episodes until Ash gets his second badge in episode 37. And if you think that’s long, it takes 29 episodes before he even reaches the next city in episode 66, the kind of length that brings back bad “between Fuchsia and Cinnabar Gyms” from Kanto memories, and he doesn’t win his badge until two episodes later in episode 68. After this, things abruptly settle back to the way it was paced before: his next badge comes 15 episodes later in episode 83, then his next badge 19 episodes later in episode 102. But then, it takes just 6 episodes for his next badge in episode 108, only to then have another 19 episodes before his penultimate badge in episode 127. Last but not least, the infamous stretch where it took a whopping 48 episodes (that’s an entire year’s worth!) before he reaches the final Gym in episode 165...only for a complication in the following episode causing him to have to wait 13 more episodes before finally earning his last badge in episode 179! This was the biggest slog of a badge quest EVER, bar none.

Paul: At first, Paul isn’t paced well in his appearances and clashes with Ash, starting up in episode 3, then showing up again just 3 episodes later in episode 6, then 9 episodes later in episode 15....only to disappear for 24 whole episodes until he resurfaces in episode 40. It’s like the show just forgot about him for a while there. But he’s never forgotten about ever again, appearing in episodes 46, 50-53, 64, 66, 69, 74, 81, 100, 118, 127-133, 155, 163, and 182-188, and that’s not including silent cameos, flashbacks and mentions from time to time. So Paul’s issues were resolved pacing-wise; the problem now lay solely in his content, which was a repetitive, go-nowhere exercise in bothersome creator’s favoritism and asinine moral equivalency to the point of abuse apologism, meaning that unlike Silver whom he was based on, Paul wouldn’t get a real redemption arc because as far as Atsuhiro Tomioka and the characters he warped (even Cynthia!) were concerned he barely did anything wrong. The end result is me greatly disliking Paul......and not for the reasons I should be disliking him for.

Dawn's contest arc: The pace for this one once it gets going is episodes 11-12, 26-27, 49, 61, 77-79, 95, 114, 146, 161-162, 167, and 171-177. In this case, the problems are the 22 episode gap between her second and third contests and the 42 episode gap between her seventh and eighth contests (and she doesn’t even win said eighth contest, meaning we waited nearly a year just for her to see her lose to a cross-dressing James!) It’s not quite as bad as Ash’s badge quest, but it’s also nowhere near as good as May’s two contest arcs from the previous series. But Dawn has a much bigger problem than her contest arc, and that’s...

Dawn's self-confidence issues: So when Dawn fails to make it past the Appeals Round in her third contest, she has a crisis of self-confidence, which should be interesting....except then it’s immediately dropped, only to start up all over again 12 episodes later in her next contest where the same goddamn thing happens! Why do that? Why start an arc, then stop it a minute later, then start it up again after some time passes? You could argue that Dawn could’ve just written the first failure off as a fluke so she needed another one to really depress her, but given that she lost her first contest and only barely won her second, I think she was on shaky enough ground as it is. But anyway, this arc of hers progresses for 18 episodes until it just abruptly resolves itself through her unconvincing victory over May in the Wallace Cup in episode 79. Afterward, Dawn has no personal struggles to overcome, just random issues with Pokemon such as Mamoswine or Plusle and Minun. In a 191-episode series, her character stopped growing 79 episodes in, which again reflects this show’s complete failure of pacing.

Brock: He gets nothing. Moving on.

Chimchar: Once Paul abandons him in episode 51, Ash picks him up in episode 52, and then his personal issues get resolved in episode 53. Or at least it seems that way. Episode 81 rather randomly re-opens his personal obstacles relating to Paul’s past abuse of him, and this leads to a very predictable outcome where he evolves in episode 132 to defeat Paul but fails, evolves again in episode 163, then defeats Paul at the last possible minute in episode 188. Honestly, they should’ve just had him utterly own Paul in that battle. It’d be more cathartic.

Buizel and Aipom: This is one of the weirdest continuing plot threads. Zoey first brings up that Ash oughta trade his Aipom to Dawn in episode 11, since Aipom does better in Contests than in battles. Later, in episode 34, Dawn catches a Buizel that’s clearly more adept at battles than Contests, leading for Zoey to make the trading suggestion again. After 20 episodes have passed, Ash and Dawn randomly decide to finally go ahead and make that trade in episode 55. But while Buizel does well enough for Ash, Aipom (now Ambipom) ends up suddenly developing a love and talent for Ping Pong of all things in episode 123, leading to Dawn releasing it in the following episode so that it can go pursue its newfound dream of becoming a Ping Pong Champion. So in the end poor Dawn got a raw deal with this trade!

Mamoswine: So Dawn’s Swinub evolves into Piloswine, becomes surly and disobedient toward her, then quickly evolves into Mamoswine and is more powerful but has the same rotten personality. But eventually, Dawn healing a grave injury it suffers makes it care about her again and become obedient and reliable. Aside from costing Dawn an important match, this is literally the exact same arc as Ash’s Charizard, dragged across 35 episodes and doing nothing unique. I wouldn’t mind so much except that Ash is still right there on the show, so there’s no valid reason for recycling this arc. In fact, it’s not the only time this happened - Pikachu’s evolution dilemma from Ash’s battle with Lt. Surge was recycled with Piplup in episode 122...which was after it had already been recycled with Ash and Pikachu themselves in episode 74! Again, pacing isn’t this series’ only problem: the lackluster content is too.

Hippopostas: Basically a rehash of Spoink from the previous series, it shows up in one episode (episode 44) as a set-up, then reappears later (episode 65) for pay-off. Like Snubbull from Johto, it seems like the writers were trying to recapture the success of Jigglypuff without running the joke into the ground the way Jigglypuff was, but none of these attempts worked.

Zoey: Zoey’s appearances were paced out relatively well (appearing in episodes 11-12, 34, 41, 49, 55, 77-79, 93, 126-128, 155, 174-177 plus the occasional silent cameo, flashback or mention), but like Paul she suffered in content. Whereas Paul was a character who just went nowhere because as far as Tomioka was concerned he was near-perfect as is, Zoey clearly was going somewhere at first, having a distinct dislike of people pursuing badges from Gyms and doing Contests at the same time. However, possibly due to reaction from fans who didn’t like her having a character flaw to overcome, it was just suddenly given up on when she shows up in episode 77, now being totally cool with people doing both. The explanation we’re later given into episode 126 as to why she had a problem with it to begin with is pretty underwhelming and it just doesn’t really feel like it was the original plan with her character.

Kenny: Dawn’s childhood friend and rival appears in episodes 26-27, then reappears 33 episodes later in 60-61, then 60 episodes later in episodes 122-123, then 51 episodes later for the first round of the Grand Festival in episode 174, which he loses, causing him to leave and then randomly re-appear 6 episodes later for a send-off. If not for a few silent cameos here and there, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that he was even a character on the show. Another thing Kenny has going against him is that in his debut he teases Dawn by calling her “Dee Dee”, and we don’t learn what that even means until 135 episodes later, where we learn that as a young child...a Plusle and Minun caused Dawn’s hair to sparkle and the other kids laughed at this and called her “Diamond Dandruff”. That was it. Oh, and in the episode this is revealed we’re now suddenly expected to take this seriously, like Dawn has a legit phobia of Plusle and Minun over this experience that she has to overcome. It’s so STUPID.

Nando: Kenny’s got nothing on this guy though. Debuting in just episode 4 and set up as a rival for both Ash and Dawn since he’s pursuing both Gyms and Contests, but only shows up again 32 episodes later in episode 36, in a non-competitive usage no less! He then shows up to win a Contest 13 episodes later in episode 49, then barring some silent cameos makes his return at the Grand Festival in episodes 174-177...125 episodes later! A few episodes later he appears at the Sinnoh League in episode 182...then loses in the following episode and is never seen nor heard from ever again. What an absolute waste of a perfectly good character.

Ursula: Appearing to just be a one-off in episode 114, Ursula returned almost a year’s worth of episodes later in episodes 161-162, then returned for the Grand Festival in episodes 174-177. It feels like she was an attempt to recapture the success of Harley from the previous series as well as give Dawn an “asshole rival”, but it ended up being done too late in the game to make an impact. For what it’s worth, I like Ursula, and she deserved so much more.

Barry: It’s the second half of the series and suddenly the rival from the games said series is primarily marketing appears! Barry appears in episodes 101-103, 110-111, 122-124, 140-141, 157, 163, and 182-189, so his appearances are paced out just fine. The problem with him is threefold: he’s thrown in late in the game, is treated as a Jobber who always loses to Ash, and is insultingly used to prop up Paul, both in being a comic relief foil as a rival and by literally singing Paul’s praises every chance he gets (again a case of characterization being butchered for Paul’s sake). Barry’s a funny and enjoyable character, but he was poorly used.

Conway: A one-off from episodes 50-52, until he reappears as a Flanderized, more comical version of himself in episodes 88-91, and then out of nowhere at the Sinnoh League in episodes 182-185 where we’re suddenly expected to consider him a major rival to Ash! Nothing about how Conway is used is particularly offensive, mind you, just...confusing.

Cynthia and the Elite Four: Lucian appears in episode 35 and establishes the presence of the Champion and Elite Four in the Sinnoh Region. 5 episodes later the Champion herself, Cynthia, appears. She reappears 57 episodes later in episodes 96-97, then in just the space of 2 episodes we get Aaron, who goes on to challenge Cynthia for her title and fail in just the next episode. 50 episodes later Cynthia shows up to hep defeat Team Galactic, then 15 episodes after that we are introduced to Flint. Bertha appears 5 episodes after this, then 10 episodes after this Flint reappears and says he’s going to challenge Cynthia next. Cynthia is at the Sinnoh League in episodes182-189, and then in episode 191, the final episode of the series, we see that Flint lost his battle with her. So my question is what was the point in any of this? Many back in the day thought it was setting Ash up to win the Sinnoh League and get to challenge the Elite Four and Cynthia, but as we know that didn’t happen. I’m fine with the Elite Four and Cynthia showing up; it’s to be expected. But why give the sense of a building plotline surrounding them and Cynthia’s status as Champion only for nothing to happen?

Team Galactic: I’ve railed enough about this one in the past. To sum it up, the pacing is horrible (episodes 36, 60, 69, 96-97, 110-111, 130, 136, 150-152), the content even worse, and it does no justice to the characters and plotline of Team Galactic, especially with Cyrus.

The Lake Trio: This might be the worst case of build-up and pay-off in the whole damn series, which is saying something. Dawn sees Mesprit’s shadow in episode 1, then Ash sees Azelf’s in episode 78 (77 episodes later), and finally Brock sees Uxie’s in episode 133 (55 episodes later). The pay-off in episodes 150-152 is that Dawn, Ash and Brock are psychically bonded to the Lake Trio and use this bond resolve the conflict by....praying to them. Really. And why were they bonded to them? Because of how they represent Emotion, Willpower and Knowledge respectively? Nope! Just because “they care so much about Pokemon”. As if that’s something unique and special to them. Also, why even build something up in episode 1 and then pay it off with 39 whole episodes still left to go in the series? Shouldn’t the pay-off be near the end? There’s no excuse for this, no real life interference...it’s just bad writing.

Hunter J: Another case of there being no excuse. Hunter J debuts in episode 20, reappears 25 episodes later in episode 45, then around another 25 episodes later in episodes 71-72, then 57 episodes later in episode 129, and finally 21 episodes later in episodes 150-151, during the Team Galactic climax, where she is suddenly killed off. Hunter J is an OC, created for the anime! The writers had no limitations on how much they could have used her, and yet they barely did use her. Maybe they were concerned about the series being too dark if she was used too frequently, but in that case they could’ve just toned her down and kept her extra evil-ness reserved for special occasions. Also, why kill her off as part of a different storyline, and with no climactic face-off with Ash, Dawn and Brock given that she was being build up as their personal enemy? This was a fantastic villain, but the writers screwed the pooch with her.

Team Rocket: They appear in every single episode, and yet this is the one series where it feels like the writers are desperately trying to justify their continued existence from start to finish. Whether it be Jessie suddenly being treated as a credible Coordinator as “Jessalina” (in essence giving Dawn yet another rival when she’s already swamped with them), James’ whole backstory with Jessiebelle suddenly being brought up again, Meowth constantly being tempted to leave Team Rocket for what he perceives as greener pastures, or their feuds with Hunter J and Team Galactic so that those super dark villains have comical foils to compete with and thus brighten the mood a little, Team Rocket’s time in Sinnoh was a never-ending exercise in grasping at straws. Giovanni didn’t even remember they existed anymore, that’s how bad it was and how irrelevant yet shoved down our throats they felt. DP!TR sucks.

Angie: An character who shows up in the Summer Camp arc of episodes 88-91 as a Distaff Counterpart / shipping bait to Ash. 7 episodes later, she reappears and we learn a little more about her, so you’d be forgiven for thinking she’ll be recurring from here on out. Nope! Never seen again. Why even have that one reappearance at all? She’dve been fine as a one-off!

Lyra and Khoury: These two actually were one-offs, appearing in a mini-arc that lasted episodes 143-147, then never appearing again afterward. They were fine; I didn’t mind them.

Cheryl: Also a one-off, early in for episodes 30-32. Again, perfectly fine for what she was.

May: She had her obligatory return appearance in the Wallace Cup (episodes 75-79) sporting her Emerald design. Beyond me not buying her losing to Dawn, her presence was welcome and a helpful distraction from the fact that we’re only just now getting Wallace in the anime.

Gary: Gary Motherfucking Oak is the reason Ash went to Sinnoh to start with at the end of the previous series, but he only shows up in episodes 45, 85, and 150-152. It felt like a waste back then, and it’s worse now after Journeys used him in a recurring capacity much better.

To sum it up, I reiterate that my problem with Diamond/Pearl remains that it fails so badly in execution. Hypothetically, there is a series where every single one of these elements, or at least most of them (I don’t think there’s any salvaging the “Diamond Dandruff” thing), were used almost perfectly and created an engaging experience that was truly worth the series being four years long and spent in a single region. But sadly, that’s not the series we have.

If you like it, cool. I just...can’t.

#Pokemon #Diamond/Pearl #Opinion #Analysis #Comparison

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