#about empathizing with monsters bc of how you are treated like one | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

your--isgayrights · 2 years

Note

Holy shit are you the one that wrote that really good orv soulmates au? You're killing it! Also do you ever think about Kim Namwoon? I do. I think it's cool how he's introduced as a chuuni with no moral code, but as the story progresses he somehow develops into this odd character that represents the lack of a divide between good and evil. At first, his actions in the train are shown as cruel and evil, but then you realize that in some ways, he's actually kind of right? Ima write an essay (1/??)

Ok so im back- so I can't put images in an ask, but Kim namwoon's monologue about killing that woman is actually really interesting. He talks about how they HAVE to kill her- If they don't, they're all going to die. And that's wrong (but only because of the grasshoppers- is Gilyoung wasn't there, He'd actually be in the right here) So, in the context of the first scenario, Kim Namwoon is 'evil'. but as you read more, you realize a lot of stuff which retroactively redeems him (2/??) For example, Everyone outside of car 3807 who survives is a murder, just like Kim Namwoon. And they aren't evil for it- there's a distinction made between murderers and monsters. There's a lot of this- The scene in the theatre dungeon on the boats (live no matter what), etc etc. and we see that Kim Dokja isn't opposed to them either. The main reason he let Kim namwoon die is because he hates him. which is cool! especially because it leads the way for future character development (3/??) Regarding their relationship- Kim Dokja has to come to terms with the fact that Namwoon wasn't actually all that bad, both by working with him in the underworld and meeting the ''him' from alternate regressions. This arc works for two purposes- 1) It relates to the theme of evil versus good- Kim Namwoon is neither, so it's unfair to treat him as one or the other. But the second is my favorite- Kim Dokja's opinion of Namwoon serves as a kind of metaphor for his opinion on himself. (4/5) We know from the text that He sees Kim namwoon as similar to him, and so it's interesting to see him stop hating him as he comes to terms with stuff.

Always cool to hear from someone who's read wall fic :). You reminded me that there's a few Kim Namwoon scenes in the next chapter I'm excited to write... but my writing anxiety has been acting up again on the end of chapter four and I have to finish sewing a l/eech be/anie b/aby from scratch this week, so it'll probably be a bit til we get there.

I think that your analysis is really interesting, mostly because going at it from the angle of "morality" of omniscient reader is a perspective i kind of lack on my own. Like good vs evil is one of The themes of ORV that they hand out to you in their list of themes they have written on some literal walls, but honestly its not something i really think about on my own. For me, like you mention, the big emphasis of KNW's character is what he represents to Kim Dokja, bc i think one of my favorite themes is the relationship of him as a reader to the WoS characters and the "impossible communication" theme.

I think that one of my favorite aspects of Kim Dokja is the way that he was able to empathize and see himself in the different characters in WoS and give them the specific comforts they needed at different times in the story (reaching out to LJY, SYS, YJH, etc) and fundamentally giving them someone who is on their side and their for them when everything is lost and they are alone, because that's something that he didn't have. All throughout reading ways of survival, the only thing by his side was this story. He sort of knows what the solutions to their problems are just cause he knows what he needed back then... so this really positive trait is coming out of his projection of his own thoughts and feelings from the past to these characters he loves. It's great that we have Kim Namwoon as an inversion of that, a character onto whom he's projected not the struggles he faced, but rather the traits that embarrass him.

This is mostly my interpretation but I really feel that there are similarities in the ways KDJ talks about himself as a child idolizing Yoo Joonghyuk and going through a chuuni phase and the way that he talks about KNW, and I think him being unkind to KNW is an extension of him being unkind to himself. Like at the beginning of ORV KDJ is in this place where his hero worship of YJH is at this crossroads with his view of his own self that he expects YJH to just treat him like a bug he has to exterminate unless he proves some other value. This perspective is interesting when you take into account that KDJ of the past would imagine being friends with the WoS characters and even used to pretend he was YJH, and that in fact the entirety of ORV was something he had continuously planned out since childhood when he wrote stats in his school notebook because it paints this picture of his daydreaming just being brutally beat down as he grows up and starts thinking about what would be really "realistic" with the kind of person that he believes himself to be... And then as that process is happening, Kim Dokja reads over and over again YJH just, at the start of every regression, picking up this annoying younger guy who's so desperate to impress him and somehow manages to get his attention while being embarrassingly chuuni and seeming to revel in the chance to kill someone... I think what you say is interesting about whether or not KNW was "right" to murder someone on the train, but honestly I don't think it matters as much whether or not he was right or wrong, just that Kim Dokja thought he was being an asshole about it, lmao. The whole thing of him killing Kim Namwoon is really interesting to me becaus it's a mix of a lot of great things. On one hand it's a big asset for the theme of a reader in the world of his favorite story because the premise of "My favorite book is real so I finally get to kill that character I've always hated," which is hilarious in its own right, gets turned into "wow I killed a 19 year old" when he's slowly starting to realize WoS characters are Real People, but it's also honestly a big piece of forshadowing for the end of orv before the epilogues and Kim Dokja's true character. Kim Namwoon's type of character is the kind that in most apocalypse stories is setting the tone of the edgey new reality, introducing the fact that people will die. He also represents the very idea of being forced into a situation where you must become a murderer or die; the jumping off point of WoS that Kim Dokja as a character fundamentally connects to. As a kid, he was forced to defend himself from his abusive father, and ultimately killed him. This is a central, scarring event of his childhood, and even though he represses and warps this memory into his mother's version of events, the concept is still something real to him and something that shapes his way of thinking. Obviously sometimes killing is necessary, but to enjoy it too much or brag about it on some level is associated with KDJ's past with his mother who wrote a book about murder and himself who once had to kill someone... It's obvious why Kim Dokja would hate a character representing this kind of narrative, that someone must be killed and because of that those involved are blameless, because Kim Dokja always pushes the blame of others' deaths onto himself... because in the world where everything is as Kim Dokja imagines and dreams it to be, KNW comes back as a spirit of vengeance to temporarily stall him on the bridge, there's an idea that KDJ deserves some retribution that he avoids to pursue his goals, which is consistent with what happens at the end right before the epilogues -

(quick digression: I've said this before and I'll say it again; I think that KDJ killing KNW is the reason that YJH tried to kill him in the beginning of ORV. KDJ dismisses it as YJH being an asshole for no reason, but I really believe that on some level YJH saw that KDJ just killed his chuuni little mentee and was like okay i want this guy to die. also getting into orv ending spoilers here ok)

-where KDJ tries to kill the kid version of himself by using disconnected film theory and stabbing himself. Like I genuinely think that KDJ avoids thinking about morality with the efficacy of "I know that I'm in the wrong, but I'm always wrong and terrible and regardless of what ever I am I have to get to the end of the story" and then after that whether or not he feels that he deserves salvation or damnation because to him the story that he loves is both...

gah, that was a tangent. I just mean that I think that part of killing KNW is Kim Dokja trying to kill a part of himself, the part of himself that dared to have the dreams that he had about the WoS characters being his family, just like he tries to kill the OD who still has those dreams... and is utterly baffled that those dreams could actually be realized in any universe. Additionally, the turn around KDJ has with KNW reminds of this in that he sees KNW in this constructive environment where he kind of just gets to be a kid and build gundams and realizes that these things that he hated about himself and KNW were just like... things that kids do. Like being chuuni about murder and the dark truth of the world is just a phase that teenagers go through sometimes just like building gundams... /hj... and like being cringey and having unrealistic ideas and desires isn't inherently malicious, like how we see KNW in the alternate dimension is just sort of a little brother character who has a crush on LJY and fools around with his mentor's stuff... It's similar to the kind of realization you want KDJ to have at the end towards himself when he sees the OD going with SP and crew to be a family lmao.

i wrote a bit lmk if i misphrased something or lost a train of thought somewhere

#also its funny that we talked about the good v evil theme bc i think you were my 666th follower lmao #orv spoilers #kim namwoon #ask #anonymous

147 notes · View notes

roseverdict · 4 years

Text

Vanessa's Vengeance

so…@doodledrawsthings's "coffee shop au," huh? :)

a vanessa POV for a little peek into the Conversation Where It All Went To Shit, because apparently i like making things harder for myself by writing from the POV of somebody i can't empathize with at all

also look at @carpediemingdork's art here please bc it got my muse going and they deserve All The Validation

〜〜〜〜〜〜

She'd chosen a spell that could be altered to delay its effects for a predetermined amount of time.

She'd chosen a restaurant with dim lighting and good reviews, the better to lay her trap.

She'd chosen a table with a perfect view of the waiting area, the better to see when her liar of a prince showed up.

(Her grip on her glass grew tight, and small tendrils of ice branched out from within her drink before she recomposed herself. It wouldn't do to spook him before the time was right, after all.)

The door opened, the bell jingled, and her prey walked into her clutches.

Schooling her features, she put on an innocent smile. "Luka."

Her prey grit his teeth. "Vanessa."

"Won't you sit down?" She offered, graciously gesturing to the chair across from hers. "It's been so long since we've been able to talk like this."

Luka walked to the table, but he did so stiffly, refusing to take a seat. "Why did you call me here?"

"Is it a crime to want to check in on my family?" Vanessa pouted.

(She had to hide her smirk when Luka dropped into the offered chair.)

He scowled and pointed an accusing finger at her. "Cut the crap, Vanessa. You and I both know that's not the real reason."

She dropped the pout in favor of frowning distastefully. "Fine." She took a sip of her drink, discreetly watching to see if Luka would do the same.

He took the bottle and an empty wineglass and poured himself a drink.

(She hid her satisfied grin beneath another sip.)

Luka lifted an eyebrow before sampling his own drink. "You haven't tampered with this, have you?"

(Had she been less prepared, this might have unraveled her entire plan.)

She scoffed. "What, you think I'd slip something into your wine? What are we, a one night stand?"

"That's not a concrete answer." Luka noted, swirling the wine in his glass with a wry smirk.

This time, she rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't drug your drink. I know you think I'm many things, but I should hope 'crass' isn't one of them."

Seemingly satisfied by her answer, Luka lifted his glass to his lips and drank.

(Unbeknownst to him, Vanessa hadn't told the entire truth. While she hadn't slipped any mundane substances into the wine, she had cast her spell onto it. She'd had to drink some of it herself to convince Luka to drink, but the end result would be worth subjecting herself to its effects.)

(She could always cast the reversal spell on herself later.)

"So…" She started, leaning in a little. "How is my sweet Hattie?"

"Stop it." Luka ground out, glaring at some point in the distance.

(Reverb. The spell was already at work on him, though he hadn't seemed to notice. She needed to escalate this before he began transforming in earnest, or else she would be the prime suspect. With everyone else in the restaurant acting as witnesses, the case would be open and shut.)

(Plus, she wanted him to feel the effects of her wrath, and the angrier he got, the sooner the spell would take hold.)

"Oh, please." Vanessa snarked. "First you choose her over me, and now I'm not even allowed to ask about her?"

"You lost that right when you treated our little princess like Cinderella!" Luka snapped, gritting his teeth.

(Hm. The spell made his eyes flicker a golden, amber color. Whoever had written the part about "eyes reflecting the person's soul" must have mixed up which color went with a pure heart and which went with corruption. She'd alter it accordingly once she was done here.)

"Our little 'princess?'" Vanessa clenched her fists, accidentally snapping the stem of her glass. "I was your princess! What kind of monster chooses someone else over his beloved?!"

"What kind of-?!" Luka breathed, seemingly stuck on her simple question.

Then his eyes narrowed, and he stood up.

"What kind of monster makes her husband choose between her and their daughter?!" He snarled, glaring down at her for a moment.

"If you're so convinced I'm the monster, why would you come here?" Vanessa retorted, getting to her feet to stay at his eye-level.

"Uh-uhm, excuse me-"

"WHAT?" Vanessa snapped, whirling around to face the idiot who dared to interrupt her-!

The waitress flinched back slightly, but otherwise held her ground. "If the two of you are going to fight, could you please leave the premises? My manager can hear you from the back room."

Before Vanessa could do anything, Luka nodded once, handing the waitress a handful of dollar bills. "I think I'm done here anyway. Keep the change. I'm not hanging around any longer than I have to."

And with that, her prince left, the door slamming shut behind him.

She waited a moment longer before smoothing out her dress. "I believe I'll take my leave as well."

The waitress glanced at the incredibly expensive bottle of wine on the table, then at the shards of glass embedded in Vanessa's palm, but before she could say a word, Vanessa clasped her hands in front of her and strode for the door.

She noticed the way the doors were scratched slightly where one would use their hands to push them open, and she smirked.

She smirked as she stepped into the parking lot and caught sight of Luka's car pulling away.

She smirked as she plucked the glass from her palm, discarding them into the grass.

She smirked as she drove home, shadows creeping up her arms. (Luka's transformation would be much more sudden.)

She smirked as she entered her study, delicately opening her book of spells to the page she'd bookmarked all those years ago.

She smirked as she made the necessary adjustments to the description of the spell's effects.

Only once she heard the sounds of police sirens racing down the street towards Luka's home did she burst into laughter.

What kind of monster chose his daughter over his beloved, anyway?

#rosie writes #ahit #afit #a hat in time #ahit 'coffee shop au'#snatcher #snatcher ahit #ahit snatcher #vanessa #vanessa ahit #ahit vanessa #SHE'S A JERK

352 notes · View notes

soft-ris · 3 years

Note

Hi! I'm not sure if u still have slots for CP but if so could I have one? my top 3 from hq are bokuto, iwaizumi + miya atsumu! im 5'5, she/her w long dark brown hair w the front half of my right side dyed white, green eyes + tan skin. I'm super bubbly, loud, naturally flirty + my love language is physical touch! I love working out and I'm a huge foodie. I'm stubborn + impulsive, luv rain/storms, coffee + pda. I ramble but I'm a gd listener, a night owl, v playful + luv teasing 1/2

im spontaneous, optimistic, passionate + ambitious! I'm empathetic + love comforting others! I'm emotional, confident, bold, giggly, energetic + observant! I'm also straight forward and try my best to be upfront about my feelings. I love autumn/winter, cooking + outdoors but also love cosy nights at home! I also really like protective people! Thank u sm in advance if theres still space <3 2/2

Cupid’s Pick for your match made in heaven is...

... Iwaizumi!!

...long dark brown hair w the front half of my right side dyed white.

All of them would find that super cool, like the unique style of it, their reactions would just vary.

Iwa would be wide eyed and go ‘wow’. He’d definitely stare, but in a good way because he’s 100% admiring the way you look with this style. There’s just no hiding that admiring look on his face, he can’t even if he tries tbh. He just thinks it’s so mf cool. Would subtly bask in the praises you get bc ‘hell yeah she’s fucking cool, that’s my girlfriend >:)’. Would compliment you for sure, simple and to the point, and you just know he means every word because his personality is like that.

Atsumu & Bo would be louder and more verbal & show-off-y. Lots of like ‘omfg this style is so cool?!?!?’. Would even go as far as saying ‘we matchBIXKJSANJC’ (especially Bo since the dyed colour is the same), since they have dyed hair themselves, and would also 100000% take pics and show them off to Osamu & Akaashi and their MSBY teammates and even post about u on their accounts bc they’re just so excited uwu

It’s also a given that they would change their wallpaper to u with this hairstyle ASAP uwu

I also really like protective people!

All of them are pretty protective in their own rights, I feel? The difference would be how they deal with the thing or person making you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

I feel like Iwa would have no qualms being a sort of shield between you and that problem. If someone’s bothering you, he would step in between u and the person/people and bring you away from them AFTER (respectfully) glaring at them and telling them they’re making things uncomfortable for everyone. He’s quite observant too, having dealt with Oikawa’s personality and habits for a lot of his life, so he would be able to tell when you need his protection and when you can handle yourself. Tbh even when you can handle yourself, he’ll already be inching towards you, wanting to be by your side just in case it turns ugly. And if it ever turns ugly (which is fucked up because why tf would anyone wanna fight Iwa when he’s packing all those muscles??), ya know he won’t be fucking around. He may be a respectful man, but that doesn’t mean he won’t twist the person’s arm with a little more force than necessary if they tried to do shit to u. After the mf’s taken care of, he’ll take you some place quiet and make sure you’re alright, feeling safe and comforted by treating you softer than usual. Will also bring you your favourite snacks to help you ease your nerves and end the night on a better note. Overall, 10/10 boyfriend because your comfort and safety means a lot to him uwu <3

Atsumu would probably veeeery publically embarrass them by calling them out, and you know his words cut deeeeeep. He’ll be keeping a hand on you throughout the day/night, that’s for sure, until you’re home again. Just that touch of his to make sure you’re by his side and doing alright.

Bo would probably get angry (whether in a cute pouty way or in an intense anger would depend on the situation), unintentionally call them out (which would be hella embarrassing for the other person bc god they made BOKUTO angry??), and then he would just start trying to make sure you’re okay. He’d start being really touchy like cupping your face, hugging you from all angles, & etc. He’ll bring you home asap if the situation calls for it or if you ask him to or if the person isn’t gone from the space, but would probably stay if you tell him it’s alright and you’re okay now.

I think the both of them are protective in their own rights, but something about Iwa being really perceptive and having that strength and reliability to his personality that would probably make you feel the safest (based on yours and his traits).

I love working out and I'm a huge foodie.

IWAIZUMI HAJIME, (27), ATHLETIC TRAINER. CHAMPION OF ARM WRESTLING, AND EVERY SPORT IMAGINABLE.

I don’t think I need to say more, it’s all right thereKSKSKSK

He’ll work out with you and become those perfect work out couple goals. 1000000000000000000% for sure. And he’s an athletic trainer, so he knows how to help you maximize your work out.

I can also see him eating a lot with you on your food trips. Sure, his diet is pretty balanced, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like to eat, and especially on cheat days he’ll happily indulge in the more ‘unhealthy’ foods with you.

I also don’t think he’ll be trying to control your diet, but maybe tell you stuff like ‘eat more veges/protein/etc.’ if you don’t eat properly. He cares for you and your health is important to him too. But if your diet is pretty good and balanced as is, then he’ll be a little more relaxed knowing you’re not surviving on only junk foods and sodas lol

I ramble but I'm a gd listener, a night owl, v playful + luv teasing.

GREAT because I can see Iwa appreciating very much that you’d listen to him talk on about his rough day, gush the monsters he finds super fucking cool (like Godzilla), rants about Oikawa being a shit head (again), and so on.

I can see him being a great listener too, always nodding along and taking in what you ramble to him. Giving comments and insights too if he can. And if he doesn’t have the capacity or energy for that (most probably bc work was draining or he isn’t having a good day), he’d tell you straight up (if you didn’t catch the physical clues he displays). Politely and to the point, without malice.

Oikawa is teasing and playful with him, so he’s practically built to handle it like a pro since childhoodKSKSKSK

But he won’t resort to violence with you ofc, just with Oikawa <3 depending on the nature of your teasing, he’d either roll his eyes and maybe bump your shoulder lightly (or some other light form of contact), or he’ll try to tease you back. I can also see him blushing and asking you to shut it if your teasing grants that kind of reaction if yk what I meanKSKSKS

The night owl bit, he understands, but would tell you sometimes to not mess up your schedule and to sleep earlier if you can because that’s just how he shows that he cares. If you point out that he sounds like a nagging mom, he’d pop a vein and tackle you (softly) and drag you to bed and be a little kid about it like ‘HA what can u do now that u can’t escape my arms?? Who’s a nagging mom now??’. Y’all would 100% end up in giggles UWUWUWUWUWU

I'm stubborn + impulsive, luv rain/storms, coffee + pda.

I can see Atsumu & Bo loving and basking in the PDA more than Iwa, because that shit makes him flustered so hard and he has to take a while to get used to having someone show him such bold displays of love. But I feel like Iwa would really grow to like it tho uwu

All 3 of them are kind of stubborn in their own way? If y’all disagree on something, I can see Bo & Iwa coming to a compromise with you easier than Atsumu.

Iwa would make you a cup of coffee just the way you like it every day when you wake up because it’s his actions with the littlest things that show you the loudest how much he loves you. He’s also great with holding you back on your more dangerous and rash and potentially harmful impulses, like the reliable figure that gives you good reasons and talks you out of reeeeaaally bad decisions, but he’s also a whole Gemini so he’ll indulge in your impulses with you more often than you think heh heh

I'm also straight forward and try my best to be upfront about my feelings.

That’s a great trait for all of the boys tbh, because all 3 of them needs someone like that due to their personalities.

Atsumu would understand that you’re not playing mind games and he wouldn’t then try to play it back or burst into flames. Bo would be thankful because he can just take your words as is. And that’s the same for Iwa too. While he’s observant and can probably read between the lines no problem, straight forwardness just makes things easier for him because he’s pretty straight forward too. And I feel that if he can count on you for that, then he’ll be probably allow himself to rely on you more.

If you praise them, they’ll know you mean it too and they’ll be real happy about it uwu

I'm empathetic + love comforting others!

Another great attribute for all 3 of them. Bo & Atsumu melts in a more obvious way (and in the moment) when you comfort them and when you empathize with them, but Iwa? It’s in the way he squeezes your hand right after, the look in his eyes are soft and so is his grateful smile. It’s in the way he hugs you later in bed, curving into you like a cat, arms secure around you, and he whispers a very tender ‘thank you’. It’s in the way he kisses you good morning the day after, hand on your cheek as if he’s holding the world in it, and he feels like he is. I’d say it’s more quiet with Iwa’s display of gratitude, but it’s just as loud as the other two, there’s no doubt about that.

I'm super bubbly, loud, naturally flirty + my love language is physical touch! I'm emotional, confident, bold, giggly, energetic + observant! I’m spontaneous, optimistic, passionate + ambitious!

Your outgoing and naturally flirty self would probably capture all 3 of their hearts, with Iwa putting up a little more fight than the rest (he doesn’t take it as him being special, but falls for your sweet words regardless bc he likes u so much).

Bo & Atsumu would satisfy your love language more, both looking like they’re very comfortable in showing you they love you in that way. Iwa might be a more muted than the 2, but if y’all are dating, he’d always have a hand on you somehow. Whether its holding your hand, a hand on your back, on your cheek, & etc. Like he just finds a way to always have contact with you, especially when he finds out your love language if physical touch. He’ll put in the effort, that’s for sure.

Atsumu might not do as well with your emotional trait? He doesn’t mince his words, and even if he tries to be softer with you, it’s not 100% that he’ll change that part of himself. He’ll try to comfort you, apologize and sooth your wounds if he hurts you bad, but it’s how he is with his words – blunt and (mainly) unfiltered. Iwa isn’t blunt, I’d say? He knows what to say and when to say it and how to say it, and he’s also caring, so I feel like he’d do very well with this trait of yours.

Being energetic meshes pretty well with Bo bc he’s pretty energetic himself. Iwa himself has a lot of energy, so he would most definitely keep up with your energy no problem.

Every other trait I can see doing well with Iwa. He’d admire it, and some would even push him further too by feeding off your traits too.

#hq #cupids_pick #iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi #haikyū!!#haikyuu #haikyuu!!#hq_stuff

7 notes · View notes

ghostificati0n · 3 years

Text

horror can be about being scared and spooking your audience and experiencing adrenaline and monsters and demons and stuff and thats the primary part of horror i think. thats its main attraction for fans like its the spooked bit that draws people in and gets them excited about it

the secondary part though is the underlying themes of trust or love (not just romantic) or healing or things that are less positive like existentialism and capitalism and consumerism and racism (everyone please watch get out) whatever else the movie wants to make a statement about

both are important parts of horror and not having both is what makes some horror bad

maybe its just bc i was 15 when i watched paranormal activity, but i didnt think it was super good like it was funny and had spooky moments, but i never felt a connection to the characters that made it something id sympathize/empathize with. i think without that empathy it loses the power it couldve carried

i think the a good version of this that ive seen is the quiet place, which is scary and stuff but i think the biggest part thats scary about it is imagining losing your loved ones the way they did. you mess up and take one wrong step, you make one wrong noise, and youre screwed. the small moments of solace they had where it was loud enough around that they could speak with each other and the way they treated each other with so much care is how it emphasized the sadness and fear of losing these people. and the audience naturally empathizes or feels compassion for these relationships, so the idea of losing them is scarier

just.... horror can exist without underlying love and trust themes but its just better with them

#mine

2 notes · View notes

caden · 4 years

Photo

bluring out OPs name bc i genuinely dont wanna start drama or make it seem like im trying to get into an argument (if I did i would just reblog from them). what i’m about to say is maybe less a direct response to this post and more a response to the type of media criticism this post is promoting.

First off, no, the movie absolutely does NOT depict him as a good father. He views his kid as a prize to be won in the divorce, not an individual with their own wants and needs. Escaping that toxic mindset is, like, the essential core of his character’s arc. His character is portrayed as a selfish, aggressive, borderline manipulative asshole who made (and continues to make) a series of bad decisions. And this isn’t in a charming way, it’s clearly portrayed as a harmful facet of his masculinity that he MUST OVERCOME.

Honestly, this must be a fucking exhausting way to consume media. like when people on here say to start critically analyzing the movies and television you watch, they don’t mean “research the details of the creator’s life so that you can then cast harsher judgement on their work”. They mean look WITHIN the work and try to discern its messaging. Try to actually think about what it’s saying. In the case of “Marriage Story”, the messaging could be pretty uncontroversially interpreted as: “All couples do and say horrible things to one another, which is bad but also to some extent unavoidable in a serious relationship. However, men tend to have unique powers and privileges in a marriage, so their toxic tendencies can have more tangible consequences: they can strip away their partner’s agency and sense of identity. During the process of divorce, their partners often reclaim their power to make decisions and take control of their own lives in a dramatic way, which leaves the men confused and hurt. But male self-pity won’t do anything to improve the situation. You must learn to empathize with your partner in divorce and start treating them like a human being, even if you couldn’t while married. If a child is involved, you need to also treat that child like a human being, not a bargaining chip. Basically, men, stop feeling sorry for yourself and start just having empathy, and your relationships will all get much much better.”

It manages to do this without making either of the main characters look like horrible irredeemable monsters, because... if it did that... the movie would be unpleasant to watch, and the core message would be hugely undercut. I literally really really struggle to understand how you could watch this movie and have your take-away be “this was probably just some gross, cynical attempt by the director to make in-fiction excuses for his real life bad behavior”. But even if it was, honestly, who cares? If that was his goal, he failed. And it doesn’t really matter that he failed, because he succeeded at unintentionally delivering a much more profound and positive message.

Artists will create work that reflects their real life experiences. That is a necessary ingredient in telling compelling stories. However, that doesn’t mean that we, as the audience, need to treat those experiences as if they’re the essential nugget of truth within the story. If we want to abolish the toxic elements of celebrity worship, the toxic nature of parasocial relationships, etc, we HAVE to start viewing art as more than just a window into the lives of its creators. This approach to media criticism will not only keep you from being able to possibly enjoy any work of art you consume, but also from being able to critically engage with any work in the first place.

I know that the post isn’t that deep, and I’m also NOT saying that an artist being a shitty person can NEVER have an effect on the work. It can have profound effects on their work, and on an individual basis I can also understand boycotting a creator specifically because they’re gross or problematic. But it especially bothers me in this instance because the condemnation of the AUTHOR comes off as a cynical attempt to condemn the work-- when, in reality, the thing that we’re condemning ABOUT the author is also DIRECTLY condemned by the work itself.

I really don’t think this is TOO much of a crazy big-brain take. I’m not arguing for total death of the artist, just... not... total death of the art, either.

#and yeah at the beginning of the movie scarjo sort of says he's a good father #but that's just a character stating an opinion #it isnt a universally true statement being made by the movie itself

26 notes · View notes

okaybutlikeimagine · 5 years

Note

I need brother!billy to be protective of Johnathan bc hey that's his brother now Tyvm and only he can mess w/him 👀 and Johnathan is just Exasperated™️

I. LOVE. THIS. AND I COULDN’T AGREE MORE.

{TW: Q-slur used once}

Kay so i really just am so interested in how Billy and Jonathan’s relationship would work. I’ve talked about this before but i absolutely headcanon them as smoking weed together like, weekly at least. They just enjoy the energy of the other and the virtual silence that they’re able to slip into comfortably (i also kind of headcanon Jonathan as being an empath who probably doesn’t know it.)(so like, he’s super affected by different energies)(we don’t have to get into this though)

They don’t really hang out often, but they talk every now and then when they’re at the other’s house and it’s always amicable enough and surprisingly far from awkward. Billy never fucks with Jonathan at school and Jonathan enjoys being invisible for the most part, so he very much appreciates it. Jonathan used to get SUPER nervous about playing music too loud when Billy was over at their house bc he knows the boy is a music fanatic too and doesn’t want to hear any more shitty opinions on his music taste (even though he has some choice words about Billy’s own taste in music). this doesn’t stop Billy from giving Jonathan shit about it though whenever he hears his music playing.

and as they get closer to each other and talk more, Billy gets brattier and more mouthy. He swipes at Jonathan’s hair in front of his face and calls him “Beatle” and asks if he can see through “that curtain”. He taps the boy’s back and tells him to straighten his back out bc “you’re already short enough, you’re losing some valuable inches standing like that.” The first time Billy hears about the extent of the fight he got into w/ Steve (Steve and Jonathan and Nancy are all on good terms at this point, Steve just mentions it in passing as a joke), Billy puts Jonathan in a headlock and ruffles his hair and asks about the “fighter” in him.

but Billy is never hard w/ Jonathan, necessarily, bc he knows Jonathan has dealt w/ shit. Jonathan doesn’t have a dad around. Will nearly died and in fact was said to have died like, less than 2 years ago. They had a fucking funeral for him and everything. He had to watch a crazy as fuck monster possess his brother. Their family is poor and struggling and Jonathan works hard as fuck, way harder than a teenager should, so Billy knows the boy is tired and doesn’t need to be given more reasons to be. Plus, Jonathan is pretty damn passive during every encounter of theirs; he just takes it and gives Billy a tired but ultimately amused huff.

When Joyce and Hop get married and Jonathan and Billy officially become brothers, they get even closer. They smoke and talk more. They share similar music tastes like Bowie and Queen. they talk about relationships and sexuality and little siblings and shitty parents and… pretty great ones. They have long talks out in the woods around their house and they sit in the cold and smoke joints and Billy puts Jonathan in a headlock like, once a week with the excuse of “keeping you on your toes, John Boy!” When Jonathan is feeling a little less passive, he’ll pull at a curl on Billy’s head that’s noticeably longer than the others and say “Your mullet has a tail” or “your mullet’s tail is looking a little ragged, I think you missed it w/ your hairspray”

They make weird jokes that aren’t funny to anyone else and they laugh muted quiet laughs that would probably confuse anyone other than them and then Jonathan’s car breaks down and Billy drives him to school while they’re trying to figure out what’s up with it.

It’s then that Billy notices people fucking w/ Jonathan.

Bc he just doesn’t hang out w/ Jonathan at school. They leave each other alone bc that’s what they prefer from each other. That’s just the relationship they have.

But as Billy is waiting in his car, singing along to Zeppelin, he sees Jonathan walking up, followed by a few guys he’s never seen before. He figures it’s just Jonathan’s friends when he notices one of the boys reach out to grab at Jonathan’s bag strap. Another one tries to knock the books out of his hands. Billy flares up immediately bc who the fuck are these guys and what are they doing to his brother?

He gets out of the car, walking around to greet the group right as they’re talking about Jonathan being a “drugged out freakazoid” who’s “probably queer and just using Nancy as a beard.”

Billy leans up against the Camaro and clears his throat, fully ready to throw hands.

“Hey, assholes. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

And the boys are very clearly freaked, but they try to keep it cool.

“Oh, you need Hargrove to come to your rescue-?”

“Hey.” Billy demands, smacking his gum in the most intimidating manner possible. “It’s Hopper, dipshit. And either you shut the fuck up or I kick your teeth in. Your choice.”

The boys grumble, and nearly run away. Jonathan has his head down, trying to slink his way into the Camaro while Billy asks:

“Do they always fuck with you like that?”

“C’mon, as if you didn’t know-”

Billy doesn’t like that answer. He grabs Jonathan’s wrist before he can open the door and gives him a serious as hell look.

“Hey. I didn’t.”

Jonathan pauses for a second before rolling his eyes w/ a small sigh and getting into the car, but the conversation is far from over.

“I’m serious, how many dickwads are saying that shit to you?”

“It doesn’t matter?” Jonathan says it like a question.

“Except it does. They shouldn’t be doing that-”

“I know you think you care but-”

“Shut the fuck up, Jonathan.” Billy is adamant but not harsh. “You’re my brother now, alright? We’re family. And that means I’m not letting dick wipes like that treat you that way. You don’t deserve that shit.”

Jonathan doesn’t know what to say but he gives out another sigh and looks out the window and thinks about when Billy didn’t care to get involved w/ Jonathan’s life and how much simpler it was then. but how this feels a tiny bit warm so maybe it’s fine.

And the following day at school, and for the rest of the week, and then the rest of the month, and then the rest of the year, Billy starts hanging out with Jonathan at school. When Jonathan isn’t w/ Nancy, of course, bc no one fucks w/ Jonathan when Nancy is around. But sometimes she can’t be there, so Billy takes her place in those times.

And at first it kinda feels like a duty; like he’s Jonathan’s body guard and Jonathan hates it. It feels like even more of a target on his back. Billy fucking walks him to class and to his locker and to his car and to lunch and will even sit w/ him at lunch if Nancy can’t. like, just imagine Billy strutting down the hall next to quiet, small Jonathan, fucking snarling at anyone who dares to give Jonathan a mean look. It’s just???? Weird and exhausting and Jonathan wants to be left alone.

But eventually, it becomes a lot more normal. Bc eventually, they become actual friends. They’re talking about concerts they wish they could see and the homework from last night and that new music video that was on MTV over the weekend. They talk about books and good weed and even better alcohol that Billy is always trying to convince Jonathan to try but that Jonathan keeps refusing bc he doesn’t really drink.

And Billy used to leave when Nancy would come by, but he’s started talking to her more and more and now they talk about the books they had to read for class and really, it’s just Nancy giving Billy the plot bc Billy was too anxious to sit and read it. But Nancy eventually ends up forcing Billy to read his own books and they actually have pretty in depth debates on the ethics of the characters. And then, when Tommy and Carol are being dicks, Billy will find a home at Nancy and Jonathan’s table for lunch where they talk about what the next John Hughes movie might be or how that episode of Family Ties was last week and what the new one will be tomorrow and no one fucks w/ Jonathan again and if they try to Billy growls at them and Jonathan is T i r e d but he’s tired w/ a smile and that’s all Billy needs.

Bc now he doesn’t feel bad about flicking Jonathan’s arm and goading him to “work out, you look like a twig.” with that smarmy smirk that makes Jonathan so exhausted

#billy hargrove #jonathan byers #nancy wheeler #the most unlikely of frieeeeends!#bratty billy #♥#love that bratty bitch #i know it's kind of a weird friendship #but i'm a big ball of fluff who is 110% serious about this #Billy becomes friends w/ all of them #Jonathan is Billy's brother #Nancy is Billy's brother's girlfriend #he gets on good terms w/ them bc he wants/needs to #stranger things #ask #anonymous

72 notes · View notes

ladyloveandjustice · 5 years

Text

Winter 2019 Anime Overview

I enjoyed every single one of the five anime I watched this season: Dororo, My Roommate is a Cat, Mob Psycho 100 II, The Promised Neverland and Kaguya-sama: Love is War.

So here are my reviews! I’ve cut back on the anime overview a lot, so these are shorter reviews than usual (though not quite as short at I’d like. someday I’ll be able to restrain myself)

Since I liked all of the shows, these aren’t in a strict worst-to-best order or anything, but the ones I found most impressive ARE nearer to the bottom. So let’s dig into last season’s anime.

My Roommate is a Cat

Premise: An antisocial writer in his early 20s adopts a cat and they both get their worlds expanded as they bond.

My take: Much like the kitty it centers on, this show is super cute, sweet and fluffy. If you’re a cat-lover and want to bask in some kitty adorableness, I encourage you to check it out. At first, I was afraid the main character Subaru’s grumpy misanthropy might be too much- I could certainly empathize with being socially isolated and avoiding people, but the way he was just rude toward others was grating. Fortunately, his character development is swift, so he quickly went from misanthrope to anxious-introverted-mess-who-awkwardly-muddles-through-social-interaction-for-the-sake-of-his-kitty, which I found EXTREMELY relatable. Subaru is coping with the loss of his parents and the fact he took them for granted while they were alive as well, so there are quite a few heart-string tugging moments.

The show’s central gimmick is that events will be told from Subaru’s point of view and then we’ll get his kitty Haru’s side of things. Yep, the cat narrates part of the show, which is how I knew I was in it for good. And Haru’s a very good cat! She’s adorable without being cloying, and at least realistic in how most of her thoughts revolve around food. Seeing her warm up to her hopeless human is just as sweet as seeing Subaru warm up to her. As a former stray cat, she has a rough backstory, so if even a restrained depiction of kitty death is too much for you, look out for that part. This show isn’t afraid to bring the feels, but it keeps things positive overall. Subaru’s friends are supportive and help a new pet owner out, and we even get a cute doggie in the mix. Overall, if you want a relaxing, nice watch with a simple, sweet story, you could do a lot worse than My Roommate is a Cat.

Dororo (Episodes 1-12)

Premise: Thanks to his father making a deal with demons, Hyakkimaru has to wander Japan and fight monsters to get his body parts back. He meets up with a young thief named Dororo.

My take: Dororo is a very loose adaptation of the 1960′s manga by Osamu Tezuka, who’s known as the godfather of manga. I was familiar with Dororo thanks to watching the live action movie for an article when I worked at epicstream (it must not have left an impression bc I remember very little) so I was curious to check this out. I ended up reading the manga too, and overall, I find it pretty impressive as an adaptation. It does a lot to make a really dated and incomplete-feeling manga more palatable and cohesive for a modern audience. Maybe I’ll do a full post expanding on those thoughts sometime, because the changes really are worth examining.

Dororo is definitely not for everyone- it’s a grim, dark show with lots of death and destruction.The story is especially not kind to women, who tend to die or be demons. The exceptions to this (such as a lady demon actually being presented as sympathetic) are mainly anime-original. Actually, while the anime eschews the original manga’s cartoon-y, jokey tone to be more serious, it actually has a much lower body count and more hopeful tone than the original, a contrast I find pretty interesting. But “more hopeful” is still not very hopeful. The story has pretty strong anti-war undertones and criticism of how authority exploits people, and there’s a lot of “these are the horrors of war” scenes and even a scene where Dororo witnesses a woman engaging in unhappy, reluctant sex work.

The premise of the story, a guy made up of mostly prosthetics on a quest to get his body parts and senses back, is also a dicey one in how it treats disability. The anime does at least make updates to the manga that lend the story a little more complexity on that front. In the manga Hyakkimaru can basically hear and speak through telepathy already and he’s portrayed as simply joyous whenever he gets a body part or sense back, despite not having a practical need for them.

The anime wisely jettisons the telepathy thing, meaning that Dororo and Hyakkimaru have some difficulty communicating, something that adds an interesting layer to the story. It means we find out about Hyakkimaru’s personality in bits and pieces alongside Dororo, going on a journey of discovery with him. And Hyakkimaru getting senses back is treated in a more realistic mixed-bag way- when he gets his hearing back, for instance, he has difficulty adjusting to it and experience serious sensory overload. It’s not really clear how he feels about a lot of things, much less the changes he’s going through.

Dororo himself is the heart of the show, really, and I find him to be really endearing and engaging as a character. His boundless energy and chattiness balance out the aloof Hyakkimaru, but he never gets overbearing or obnoxious. He’s been through a lot himself, and has a good heart. One thing worth keeping an eye out going forward is how Dororo’s gender will be handled. Dororo is afab, but in the original manga very vehemently lets everyone know he’s a boy. The anime also lets you know Dororo’s afab halfway through, but hasn’t really done much otherwise in exploring Dororo’s gender identity. I do think it’s unlikely we’ll get a handling of it as bad as the manga’s final chapters (Manga Hyakkimaru had a lot of strong, intrusive opinions about what Dororo “really” is that I think his anime version is unlikely to have based on his restrained characterization so far), but who knows.

Overall, Dororo is a nicely animated and well put-together dark action series so far. I’m not sure I would have ended up watching it if I wasn’t so interested in examining it as an adaptation, but the ride’s been pretty okay and worthwhile.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War

Premise: Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya are the top students at their prestigious school, and heads of the student council. They also have a crush on each other, but both are too full of pride (and nerves) to make the first move, so they come up with schemes to trick the other into confessing. Hijinks ensue.

My take: Kaguya-sama is a wildly funny rom-com about two idiot smart kids who don’t know how to say how they feel. It’s mostly a really good time. There’s a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. The characters are a lot of fun, especially Kaguya’s friend Chica, who is pure chaos in human form and has some of the best lines in the show. The animation and direction of the show are also impressive and lavish, elevating already good gags into greatness. The finale also does that thing where it’s all suddenly surprisingly emotional and hits you really hard with all the feels, showing a little depth and true friendship among all the characters involved.

However,there are a few “yikes” moments, and the most uncomfortable one and likely the biggest deal breaker was the “Kaguya gets sick” arc, which happens roughly the last half of episode 9 and the start of 10. In it, we’re treated to tropes that are both really tired and really uncomfortable, like Kaguya being sick and her friend, for some reason???, tacitly encouraging Miyuki to take advantage of her in her weakened state. Miyuki does not, but Kaguya pulls him into bed and he falls asleep due to sleep deprivation (which is admittedly relatable) and when they wake up she believes for a time he did assault her and throws shit at him, at which point he whines about being villainized even though he “held back”.

During the next episode, Kaguya is ~secretly kind of upset he didn’t assault her because doesn’t he find her appealing~, a trope that really needs to die bc the myth girls “really want to be assaulted” is dangerous. There were a couple okay moments in the whole thing, like Miyuki deciding he should have shut the whole thing down more firmly and apologizing for an infraction, and since Miyuki didn’t cross a significant line it doesn’t ruin their relationship or make them impossible to root for or anything, but the whole thing is tired and gross and unnecessary and not all that funny. I was able to handle it because I got warned ahead of time, but it was a chore of an arc, so here’s my warning.

The Promised Neverland

Premise: Emma and her friends Ray and Norman are orphans being raised in the happy, idyllic Grace Field House. They’re never been outside it though, and there’s a wall they’re never supposed to approach. When Emma discovers the truth behind the orphanage, a tense thriller begins.

My take: I was looking forward to this one based on word of mouth, and mostly it doesn’t disappoint! The writing hooked me enough that I’ve picked up the manga to continue the story. This a rich story. It’s an intense game of cat and mouse between genius kids and unscrupulous adults where the stakes are super high. Emma and her friends pull out all the stops to outwit and escape the ones holding them captive, and the twists and turns of the narrative are delivered well. There’s also some social commentary buried under its horror to add some bite. This essay goes into how it comments on forced societal gender roles, for instance.

A thrilling plot can only shine thanks to its characters, and Emma is great protagonist. Her determination to save her family and unpredictable nature make her fun to follow. She’s a rare and refreshing example of a female shonen protag, and she sells that power of friendship stuff pretty well when she has the brains and skills to back it up. The three main kids balance each other well, with Ray’s cynicism and pragmatism contrasting Emma’s stubborn idealism, and Norman stands in the middle as someone who’s inclined to think like Ray but WANTS to be more like Emma. Despite the many conflicts and differences between them, these kids are ride and die, and the show does a good job selling their familial-friendship. A lot of the moments between them are truly heartwrenching.

The story has a big glaring flaw, though, and that’s Sister Krone and the racism regarding her. It’s not my lane, so please read Jackson P. Brown’s essay here for more info. The anime not only replicates the problem with her design but makes things arguably worse than the manga by making her personality a caricature as well. The anime portrays Krone as far more unhinged and exaggerated than her vindictive but more controlled and canny manga counterpart, even adding this weird thing where she rants at and beats up a doll. This review on episode 8 talks about the author feels the anime failed with sister Krone and his feelings on Krone as a black character well, it’s definitely worth a read.

While I have those issues with the anime’s choices, I was impressed with how the last few episodes were directed. They hit it out of the park, leaving me breathless, emotional and wanting more. Thanks to that, I’m now reading an enthralling adventure manga! This anime was definitely flawed but I can’t deny I’m interested in seeing how the second season will shake out.

Mob Psycho 100 II

Premise: Season 2 continues to tale of Mob, a ridiculously powerful psychic middle schooler. He’s in the employ of Reigen, a con-artist who has fooled many (Mob included) into thinking he has legitimate psychic abilities.

My take: Holy wow. Mob Psycho’s first season had some incredible animation, atmosphere and direction, but season two fires on all cylinders. I’m glad I caught up in time to experience the show with everyone else these last few weeks, because it was always a treat- a visual feast full of heartpumping action and lots of sincere emotion.

Mob Psycho is an animation extravaganza, with some sequences that wouldn’t feel out of place in a high budget movie, dripping with atmosphere, artistry and aplomb. But the story and characters are really solid too and it has some nice themes and messages at its core. Mob is one of the goodest good boys in all of anime and he grows a lot throughout this season. At the core of the show is the idea that no one is worthless and also no one is more “special” than anyone else, that having power doesn’t give you the right to put yourself above others, that no person is inherently superior or inferior to any other, that even if you’re born with some super talent, you still need to try to improve yourself, value other people and the things they can do that you can’t and work hard to live a balanced life. Being powerful or born with a talent doesn’t mean you have the answers or know better-so it’s all about striving to make good, compassionate choices and taking control of your own life.

There’s a lot of stories that pay lip service to themes like these without really doing much to back it up, but this show sells it with an earnestness that few manage. Mob is a quiet and gentle boy, and you genuinely believe it when he says he doesn’t like fighting or using his powers on other people, and when he breaks down in tears because for all his power he can’t figure out how to set someone on the right path this time, your heart aches. The fact that Mob actually has difficulty coming up with the right answers and will sometimes gets overwhelmed by emotion and loses control, but keeps striving for honest communication, makes his approach come off as a lot more believable than the typical shonen-hero-converting-bad-guys-with-a-confident-friendship-speech bit.

The character relationships in the show are also good stuff, particularly the relationship between Mob and Reigen, which develops a lot this season with Reigen having to grapple with how yeah, he’s been kinda terrible and dishonest, especially with this kid he cares about and there’s a point where people have enough of it. There’s a lot of nice growth there.

All together, Mob Psycho is just Good with capital G. I do wish there were more girls in it, and there is a dark skinned character who’s caricature-ish in his design (he barely shows up in this season iirc), but otherwise it’s a quality rec and breathtaking example of the truly transcendent heights anime can reach.

#winter 2019 anime #anime overview #Mob Psycho 100 #my roommate is a cat #the promised neverland #dororo #kaguya sama love is war #kaguya sama: love is war #kaguya sama wa kokurasetai #my reviews

63 notes · View notes

labyrinthus-magici · 5 years

Note

🔥!!!

Was looking at my muse list to think of something that stood out but since I couldn’t pick one I’ll just go w something that affects a lot of them but anyway like

As an autistic person I personally thing the large majority of the magi/snb cast is autistic coded! The fandom as a whole (although it’s not just the magi fandom tbf it’s kind of all of them I’ve been in) ignores that a lot!

I have seen autistic Judar before which is VALID but it’s really frustrating when Judar and Morgiana are the only two you see (and Mor as an afterthought) bc they’re the ones with the more “stereotypical” traits (i.e Judar being antisocial/struggling with empathy which is probably due to trauma and not even his autism considering that. studies show that it’s allistic people who lack empathy for autistic people usually and not the other way around but I digress!) and I’ve been told that other characters who are autistic coded can’t be bc they’re like idk??? competant lmfao??? I don’t get when allistic people say a character can’t be autistic bc im like lmao good to know you know every autistic experience and trait! Maybe you can educate me on my own disorder that you don’t have bc you clearly know so much about it that you couldn’t possibly be overlooking something!

Anyway my muses that I intentionally play as autistic and some of their main traits are bellow the cut bc it’s lengthy (The others I’m probably going to accidentally autistic code bc I. am autistic and it affects my writing but ahiodfhg)

Morgiana: Mor is a pretty obvious one, although I do love her autistic coding! So like most of these characters but with Mor esp you have to keep in mind that she canonly has c-ptsd (post traumatic stress disorder but when it’s not a single traumatic event but living long term in a traumatic environment such as an abusive home or any other variation) so that affects how many of her autistic traits present themselves. I do think that she’s become very good at masking (i.e hiding autistic traits) due to them being punished and because of that she is exhausted because masking is very taxing. I think that she started to unlearn this considerably once she joined the caravan with Leila’s encouragement but it was subtle bc while she did become close with Leila and Sahsa she didn’t open up entirely.

Once she gets to Sindria though and starts opening up I think that she’ll relax a lot because she can see others with the same traits who don’t have to hide them. Masrur especially points out that it’s important for her to stim and because she’s not the only one who deos this, everyone is understanding and accommodating at times when she’s non verbal/not able to speak.

One thing that really stood out to me about Mor is her hyperempathy. Because she doesn’t talk much, it’s hard for some people to pick up on, but Morgiana often has strong feelings of empathy for others. At first this is something that she struggles with, because it’s something that others have taken advantage of and used to hurt her, and because she’s afraid of her emotions as a whole. Later though, she learns that this can be her strength. Morgiana’s most powerful moments (in my opinion) like when she rescued Nadja, when she confronts Alibaba about the consequences of what the fog troupe is doing, and many other instances, are very emotionally charged. She’s also the first to empathize with the pirates that Madaura has brainwashed, and is able to get the others to empathize with them too.

Morgiana was my first favorite magi character (the reason I even got into magi in the first place tbh) bc it was so empowering to see someone with many of my traits in an empowering role of a hero because of those traits and not just with them as an afterthought!

Masrur: I’m going to focus on snb just because that’s what I’m more familiar with as I haven’t read the parts of magi that Masrur is spotlighted in in a long time although honestly all of this stuff applies to Masrur later but it presents itself differently because whilst autistic people never grow out of their traits, just like anything in a person, it changes and becomes more nuanced as a person gets older and gets more experience.

But Masrur is another autistic coded character! A lot of his traits can technically be explained away by canon/plot details however in this house we don’t think that because there’s technically an argument against autistic headcanons that it’s at all valid so ANYWAY

To start we have the way he sees himself as different from others, the way he goes to sit by himself because he feels like he can’t fit in with everyone, how he’s not like them, how he’s just a monster with a single purpose that’s already been fulfilled. Normally, I wouldn’t count this exactly as an autistic trait however Hinahoho is the one that comes to talk to him because he can relate to this experience which is autistic coded so! One thing that’s a common experience in autistic people is feeling quite literally inhuman, usually in the form of an alien, fairy, or fictional character (as it was in my case). This is becuase of the isolation that we normally face in childhood. For Masrur, he feels different from the others, like who he is isn’t someone that would be wanted and that’s something that I can relate to quite strongly. It’s not until he comes to the Sindria trading company, a place full of Neurodivergent coded characters (the ones that aren’t autistic coded are coded as other disorders as well such as ADHD and BPD among others I don’t think there’s actually one person there who’s neurotypical considering that. The entire theme of the Sindria trading company is that they take in people who are outcasts and in need of help and usually those people tend to be ND.) that he comes to realize that he does belong and that he is valued.

In addition to that we do see him stimming or doing stim like behaviors at times, he sometimes is talkative and others seems mostly or entirely non verbal, he tends to misunderstand social queues, struggles with subjects that he’s not interested in, etc.

I think it’s super important to take into account Masrur’s autistic coding because Masrur gets to be HAPPY. Like, yes, he does experience a lot of traumatizing things, but by the end of Magi he still has his family, he’s happilly married and a good father. These are things that people think autistic people can’t have or don’t deserve, and we never get to experience this things in character’s that are canonly autistic. So for me seeing an autistic coded character with such a positive development was something really positive, it’s the same way for a lot of these characters, seeing so many autistic coded characters getting the development that the deserved was what drew me to magi inittially if I’m perfectly honest. I didn’t know it at the time bc I had no idea I was autistic until last year (coincidentally from autistic friends also from this fandom!) but it really was what drew me in.

Hinahoho: Oh God where do I even START with autistic icon Hinahoho? I think, out of any snb characters Hinahoho is the most heavily autistic coded. Like there is literally no other explanation for his character I can think of whenever I see him I get so happy bc I’m like!!! Yes!!!! Autistic dad!!! I love him!!!

His backstory first and foremost focuses on his separation from the rest of the people in his tribe because he has unconventional interests (art!!) and that he isn’t able to pass the test and become and adult at the proper time. To start, being a “late bloomer” in things (or alternatively doing things too soon in some cases) is a common autistic experience. A lot of us due to many reasons (mostly due to ableism and lack of accommodations) we aren’t able to do the things that our peers do at the same times like drive, attend college, or move out of the house etc. This isn’t a lack of competence just that we aren’t able to go about things in a way that we are able to thrive in, and this is exactly what Hinahoho’s development highlights! He never does pass the warrior’s test in the way that is most traditional, instead Sinbad (whose an Adhd ND icon if you ask me but I haven’t added him to my muse list yet so aidofhg more on him and the other adhd icons in this series later ahidofhg) mentions how there’s multiple ways to be strong, how he doesn’t have to do things the same way as everyone else to be worth something.

There’s also the ableism that he faces from others in his tribe. In addition to judging him for not having become a warrior yet, he is bullied by others and treated like a child when he shouldn’t be. The others are so unkind to him for being “different” and “weird” and having “a personality like a fish left to dry” (WHATEVER THAT’S EVEN SUPPOSED TO MEAN LMAO I STILL DONT GET IT) that in his introduction he starts sobbing bc Sinbad said thank you to him like. Like God can I relate to this, honestly his experiences though not exactly the same as my own deeply resemble how I was before I found out that I’m autistic.

Then, after he learns to love and accept himself and marries Rurumu (Oh!! That’s another thing, people acted like he was unlovable but Rurumu always loved him. He never had to change who he was or mask his autistic traits and that’s SO important because honestly I can’t even imagine someone who isn’t also autistic wanting me romantically especially when I see shit about people taking autistic people to homecoming and calling it “inspiring” and “selfless” and a “learning experience”) he then turns around and teaches others to do the same. I noticed that he becomes very close to both Drakon and Masrur who are both autistic coded and he helps teach them to love themselves like??? LIKE???? and with Masrur he literally points out that he can empathize so points for hyperempathy again. I’m loving how many magi characters have hyperempathy that is ultimately good. Bc it’s usually a weakness in character’s that have it.

Drakon: Honestly once again idek where to start when his entire development is deeply autistic coded but we’ll start with his backstory. So to start there’s the power imbalance between him and his (neurotypical) siblings. Whilst he is the youngest, I think that the reason that he’s unfavored in the family and is the one always catching shit is because he’s autistic. This is something that happens so often is that when an autistic child has allistic siblings the allistic one is favored or if not favored they definetely get treated better because autistic children are particularly vulnerable and easy to manipulate. With Drakon’s childhood, although again the circumstances in my case aren’t exactly the same, I really am seeing my past self.

He was from a young age branded as a prodigy, told he was already basically an adult even though he was still a child, and this is so common with autistic children who show a semblance of talent in something. However, he isn’t praised for this in a healthy encouraging way, instead he’s given the responsibilities and expectations of an adult already. In addition to that, he is conditioned to mask his autistic traits, in addition to being taught to devote his entire self to his cause. The fact that he internalized everything so deeply that he had a breakdown when he realized that he wasn’t wanting to die for his cause, that he thought he had to follow everything to the letter all the way down to his deepest feelings, is in my opinion an autistic trait as I showed exactly the same traits for other matters, internalizing things at the same intensity. He social scripts quite a bit, meaning that he has a strong sense of “this is how things SHOULD be so if they AREN’T this way then everything is in RUINS and we have to fix it IMMEDIATELY” he has the roles he’s been given and he strongly believes that everyone else has a role. This does become far more healthy once he’s unlearned the toxic things that he was taught but he still does it, but in a healthy way. Everyone has a role to fulfill, and he’s strict about this, when people aren’t doing what they’re supposed to be becomes irritable and struggles to keep functioning as normal.

Then there’s the fact that his entire development is learning as a teenager that he’s become a monster, literally in this case, learning that he is hated so much that he resolves to leave his humanity behind, only to gain love and acceptance and learn to love himself in the form that he takes. While I don’t think every monster is autistic coded (as that would be problematic for obvious reasons) developments like this resemble our experiences so well? It’s a perfect metaphor for what it’s like, honestly.

One reason I think that it’s important for me personally to acknowledge Drakon’s autistic coding is because he’s a strong leader and people think that autistic people cannot be leaders, that we’re incompetent. So to see a character with my traits be someone noble, to become king even, and to thrive is something super positive for me because again it’s something that people think we cannot do that we cannot have but we really can.

Leila, Sahsa, & Nadja: With these three it’s mostly projecting just because we don’t see enough of them for them to really be that autistic coded HOWEVER tis my blog and you get to hear all my hcs asdfgh. I like to hc these three as autistic 1. bc Leila and Sahsa’s relationship is beautiful, and to contextualize that as a romance between two autistic women is really nice for me who as I mentioned before struggles to ever see myself having a love like that. 2. Leila and Sahsa take to Morgiana and encourage growth in her and I like the idea of them helping her to relax a little on hiding her autistic traits. 3. Because as an autistic person it’s difficult for me to interpret characters as not autistic (where not autistic is other’s defaults for me autistic is the default, so it would be more accurate for me to say I have some allistic headcanons rather than autistic ones lmao) I actually started headcanoning Leila as autistic by accident because I wrote a fic where she had a shutdown (which is when there’s too much stimulants i.e sound or sights etc. and we have to go lay down and rest and shut out the stimulants that are bothering giving us sensory overload.) and was like oh!! Time to make both her and Sahsa autistic bc who’s gonna stop me lmao.

Also one headcanon I have for Nadja (in addition to her joining Leila and Sahsa’s caravan with her family) is that after Morgiana rescued her she developed a special interest in adventure and heroism which is really cute on one hand bc she always wants to learn stories of heroes from the locals of the places they visit and her parents are like aw she’s talkative sometimes! She’s making friends!!! But on the other hand she tags along on Leila and Sahsa’s “oops lmao just fought an entire band of thieves again” adventures and is that “Let me see what you have!” “A KNIFE!!” “NO!!!” vine so ahidfohg be careful u fuckin superb lil baby.

Myron: Hers is a bit shorter since we don’t have a whole lot of her in canon, but her strict following of perceived social standards and social scripting makes me headcanon her as autistic. I also like the idea of her being autistic because so often people think that we can’t be proper or socially conscious but more often than not we overcompensate, the deal is that we struggle to understand neurotypical social cues not that we hate socializing.

Titus: Oh man I shouldn’t have put him so far down on my muse list bc this one is going to be lengthy. There’s a reason whenever I info dump about my son to people that I always call him Autistic Gay Icon Titus Alexius.

I’ll start with the fact that he struggles in social settings, i.e Sphintus thinking he’s so fuckin awkward at first. (Even tho I hc Sphintus as autistic too but like I said autistic is the default for me ahidfg) He has a special interest in magic, evidently, and is very info dumpy about it as times (though not as much as notable autistic icons Yamuraiha and Ugo). Also his best friends are Sphintus and autistic adhd icon Aladdin so like. Convenient. that the three most autistic coded kids at school becomes besties. asdfgh. Also none of the 4 magi are allistic tbh.

ANYWAY that aside and glossing over the whole separation he feels from the others (which I could go into length but it’s similar to Drakon and Masrur’s and Hinahoho’s deal and this is getting so long already oof) can we just talk about how fucking POSITIVE his Hyper-Empathy is for his character and the story?

Okay so like. Let’s start with the 5th district, how after just a little while there he immediately jumped into action with LMAO TIME TO BLOW A HOLE IN THE SKY IM BUSTING EVERYONE OUT LADS. Like. Was it dumb? Yes. Was it noble and valid? YES! And he STILL SHOWED UP TO CLASS READY TO FIGHT THE NEXT DAY. He also tried to call out Mogamett how many times? And still stood his ground with the 5th district, even when Mogamett tried to manipulate him by saying he only cared out of his selfish desire to befriend Marga, he immediately analyzed himself critically and came to the conclusion that no, he really just wanted everyone there to be safe and happy.

Then, when he goes to Reim and Just. Hhhhhh HE’S SO GOOD. AND HE HAS SO MUCH EMPATHY. The fact that he immediately begins changing things, is firm in that, but his main motivation is that he so desperately wants everyone to be safe and to live happily, the fact that his people’s problems are by extension his own because he feels real pain when others feel it. That’s hyper empathy and though it’s something that can be manipulated he doesn’t let that happen, he uses it for good!

When he gives his speech about why they need to abolish slavery in Reim asap, he begins to cry and exclaims that any one of them could die tomorrow, that they need to priooritize the people that are in the now who are suffering that they have the power to help their people and to liberate their country and appeals to everyone’s emotions that way and breaks through. Also the other changes he makes?? Like making the Colosseum into a LARPing spot? That’s so fucking good? What a nerd? I love him????

I can go into more detail with Titus but for time reasons I won’t but. We stan Autistic Gay Icon Titus Alexius here.

If you read all of this I love you sm thank you for reading this rambly mess. ahdiogfg

#Outside Of Destiny《OOC》#this is so LONG #though none of the stuff under the cut is negative or a rant #it's just me rambling abt how valid all my autistic muses are #ahdifoghdfg #but anyway yes Im an autism if u don't like that like #sucks to be you I guess lmfao #saeiqas

2 notes · View notes

codename-bewareofthefangirl · 6 years

Note

Any headcanons how would horror movie marathon go with MatsuHanaIwaOi? :3c Who pretends not to be scared, who freaks out all the time, who is bored, who leaves in the scariest moments bc he 'has to pee' or 'can't watch movies without popcorn and they just run out of it' and absolutely not bc he's scared (bc he's not. Not that others believe him)? And what's next? How do they sleep (if they sleep at all), who sees things in the dark? Etc. :3c

Hi dear! How’s going? I hope you’re holidays are going well.

I’ve received a hard blow and lately I don’t feel really good in general, just…very stressed and sad under the surface? But I’m fighting it and writing is one of my ways! So I answered this ask because I LOVE MATSUHANAIWAOI and writing about them make me smile. (sorry for the selfishness) These dorks. I hope you’ll like it too.

MatsuHanaIwaOi, Horror Movie Nights Headcanons

-Let’ start with the kind of horror-watcher they are:

Iwaizumi usually prefers the ones leaning more toward the thriller side and doesn’t like the supernatural ones; however, he watches everything his boyfriends ask. He is sort of impossible to scare off, the worst they have seen him do was clenching his fists; it’s just that, in his mind, they are fictional, so there’s no reason to be afraid and consequently he’s not.

Matsukawa is the horror lover! He enjoys every type, even the most shitty and splatter ones. He freaks out at the right moments during the movies, but he loves the thrill and the adrenaline. He also likes to comment under his breath and talks with the characters.

Oikawa is the “I fake I’m not afraid because I’m too proud but I’m actually freaking out” type. He refuses to admit he’s scared, every time. Even if he knows they know he’s lying, he insists he can take it. And then he spends the movie trying to flee during the scary scenes with different excuses until the others reach their limit and block him down.

Hanamaki is terrified and has admitted it from the start. He hates horror movies. He protests and tries everything, from the puppy-eyes to the steamy kisses, to persuade them to choose something else; he gets scared easily and screams loudly, holding onto them or hiding under the blankets. He’s not embarrassed about that, he’s a man who can admit his weaknesses, not like somebody else…

-Every movie night, in a rotation, one of them chooses the movie. 99% Matsukawa chooses a horror movie. Iwa agrees easily, Oikawa pales and stifles a smile, Makki glares. Then, the latter two tries in a (not really) subtle way to make him change his mind. They bribe or threaten him, propose other movies or activities and, when nothing works, they make up excuses to go to their room and do something else.

-The problem is that Matsukawa and Iwaizumi love when they freak out and get all clingy, so they punctually force them to watch it. They literally drag them on the coach.

-“I’m not scared, Iwa-chan. I have homework to do!”

“You have already finished them for the entire week, you can’t take a break.”

“Well, unlike liar-Tooru here, I simply hate them and, yes, I’m scared so- ISSEI PUT ME DOWN!”

“Sorry babe, I watched your tooth-rotting rom-com last Friday and even went to buy a muffin to comfort you after the heartbreaking end. You can endure this for me, don’t you?”

“Sly devil…”

“I’M NOT SCARED!”

“Then you don’t have problems watching one, right Tooru?”

“…right. Don’t bother me when you’ll have nightmares!”

-The positions are: Iwaizumi on the left, near the light, switches ‘cause he’s the only one enough brave to stand up and switch them on after the end; Oikawa beside him, hugging a pillow and fidgeting nervously; Makki between Oikawa and Matsukawa, wrapped in blankets, and using Matsukawa’s arm as a shield.

-Oikawa waits exactly five minutes before saying they need popcorn to enjoy the movie properly, and it takes him like ten minutes, instead of three, to make them. Then, he has to go to the bathroom. Check his e-mails because maybe the professors needed something! Or he needs to walk a little because is legs have fallen asleep…at this point, Iwaizumi traps him by his side and prohibits him to move until the end.

-Actually, Mattsun and Iwa are not all that cruel and, when they think a scary or bloody scene is going to happen, they promptly cover their boyfriends’ eyes.

-Iwaizumi has the habit to make pragmatic (or cynic) remarks about surreal or absurd aspects of the movie, especially if it’s a supernatural one.

“A normal girl would have called for help instead of opening the door, is she retarded?”

“She had heard screaming!”

“Exactly.”

-Oikawa, since he thinks he has a pride to protect, doesn’t scream or tremble. He just tenses and pales, clenching his teeth hard to not let a sound escape. He also uses the excuse of Makki being scared to wrap himself around him and when he thinks nobody is looking, he hides his face in Makki’s neck.

-At this point, Mattsun and Iwa usually join the pile and hug protectively the two scaredy-cats.

-Makki empathizes easily with the characters and this ends with him mumbling or screaming at them.

“Wait! Don’t go! Oh shit she’s gonna die, isn’t she?”

“Hiro, please, she-”

“I KNEW IT! YOU IDIOT! Why are you this stupid?”

“Well, she was playing around with guys instead of studying so-”

“Really, Iwa-chan?”

-Oikawa and Hanamaki aren’t allowed to keep the popcorn because both, in different occasions, had thrown them in the air due to a jump scare. Iwaizumi isn’t allowed either since he finishes them in less than ten minutes. Matsukawa is too lazy for that, so they put the bowl on the small table in front of the couch.

-No really, Iwa loves popcorn. They have to slap his hands away before he ends up with a stomach ache.

-Movie nights require being in pajamas for three reasons: 1) PJs are cute and comfy 2) afterward, they don’t want to spend time alone to change 3) sometimes they fell asleep directly on the couch.

-In bed, they sleep with Matsukawa hugging Oikawa who snuggles Hanamaki who’s being hugged by Iwaizumi, but in the morning they end up huddled on each other in a hot mess of limbs.

-Hanamaki has the horrible habit of asking if that shadow is really a shadow or if they had heard that noise? during the night. And it’s incredibly creepy. Half of the times, Oikawa breaks down and kicks Iwaizumi off the bed to go and check everything is fine.

This happens more than once. Some nights they don’t fall asleep until the morning. (Dorks.)

-Mattsun usually starts wondering aloud if is it possible in real life to break into an apartment like that or if a demon infested their house what would happen? in a completely serious voice. And this is creepier than Hanamaki, so Iwaizumi has to shut him up before things escalate (Or Oikawa kisses him because he really can’t take it anymore)

-Hanamaki sometimes has very vivid nightmares, who makes him scream or waking up in the middle of the night covered in cold sweats. Luckily, his boyfriends are there for him to whisper fond and reassuring things in his ears as they lull him back to sleep. Oikawa is especially good with his words, while Iwaizumi’s arm around the waist screams safety. Matsukawa usually hums soft lullabies or songs, and he has an incredible calming voice.

-The first times, Mattsun hadn’t understood how scared Oikawa was, even if he hid it, and used to play pranks on him. Until one night, after a movie about demons, Mattsun jumped out from the closet while the boy changed, wearing a monster mask, and scared him so much he started crying. It broke Matsukawa’s heart and he swore he would never do it again (and he also cuddled him a lot to make up for it).

Hanamaki scolded him either way.

Next day, Oikawa had his revenge by putting salt instead of sugar n Matsukawa’s coffee and everything went back to normal.

-Sometimes, Makki stress-eats sugary treats to chase away the fear and it’s one of the funniest scenes: Wrapped in blankets like a burrito, eyes red and pale skin, cheeks full of ice-cream, box and big spoon pulled to his chest as if they were an anchor.

Oikawa whines to have some too and Makki spoon-feeds him just to have him shut up.

-One time, Iwaizumi literally growled “Alright, you two stop whining. Always fawning over my arms and now you don’t believe I can protect you from a puny assassin? Shut up and sleep. I’m here.” To calm Oikawa and Makki.

His three boyfriends fell in love all over again. The next morning, they teased him mercilessly and he was deeply embarrassed by his cheesiness.

-Halloween Horror Movie Night is Oikawa and Makki’s worst nightmare. However, Matsukawa gets so excited about it they can’t find the heart to crush his plan. He’s a dork.

-Iwaizumi and Matsukawa don’t like when their boyfriends watch horror movies with someone else. That clingy cuteness should be only theirs. They always go grumpy and pouty if they do.

-The most absurd thing is that Oikawa is not scared of alien movies, no matter how bloody and scary they are. His boyfriends still don’t understand how it is possible.

211 notes · View notes

treeplays · 7 years

Text

spoilery Batman: The Telltale Series thoughts below….

With the Wayne family plot twist I like that they’re doing their own thing and not just rehashing for the billionth time. But at the same time they kindof… are… just rehashing for the billionth time. The only scene we have with young Bruce interacting with his family is this same scene we’ve seen every other Batman incarnation ever that everyone is sick of by now. So why not show other scenes in Bruce’s life with his parents or even give the player control over Bruce in these scenes? They drop the twist on you and then that’s just kindof it.. you see a tape w Thomas Wayne being evil and you hear from other people how he’s evil but that’s it. I actually WANT to feel invested here guys! It’s like with the other characters, I feel like I’m expected to automatically care about them just bc of who they are and not bc of actual interaction with them. Batman is hot for Catwoman bc she’s Catwoman, Bruce cares about Alfred bc he’s Alfred, Bruce broods about his family bc he’s Batman, etc etc etc. Like yeah ok I get it, but I want to care about THIS Alfred, I want to be conflicted about THIS Wayne family. And there wasn’t as much set-up as I’d have liked for the big moments to really matter as much as they should have.

I liked the thematic element of the Batman vs Bruce choices, also makes lots of room for divergence in the plot but then again they ran the risk of being repetitive by constantly repeating the same choice of Go as Bruce or Batman, and ofc we have the old problem of branches that don’t actually make a difference in the story. I’m probably repeating myself here but imo it’s fine and understandable for these types of games to be somewhat railroaded but the problem is when your “tailored” story is only actually “tailored” in one branch and super clunky and awkward in the other, it’s painfully obvious which route is the one the creators were expecting to you to take so the opposite route just feels purposely wrong. And I feel like this wouldn’t be a difficult problem to fix if closer attention was given to the flow of dialogue in relation to all previous choices and not just the one that the writers try prodding you into doing. (Which btw is a separate issue from bugs like Alfred chewing you out for supposedly beating up a guy you barely touched lmao. ughhhggggg)

And I’m a bit iffy on this repeat of The Wolf Among Us-style “good cop or bad cop” thing, I mean, it totally fits but it just feels so been there done that. And again irritating that just like in TWAU the game treats you like you’re being a ‘monster’ even when you’re not, regardless of whether it’s a case of bugged dialogue or just the feel of the plot in general. So by first episode’s end when I realized this was the road they were going down again where people are going to treat u like a baddie no matter what then I mean fuck it I’m going to brutalize the mobster anyway since that’s apparently the only valid choice, I just didn’t care anymore so it was just like screw this. And that sucks bc it just ruins the whole thing, the illusion of choice just gone and my investment goes completely down the drain.

I get that it makes for more drama or whatever and normally I would gladly comply, but not when the only difference is characters being pissy with you for a bit and then continuing on with no noticeable difference in the plot. In TWAU it worked better for me because there were situations where they make you genuinely WANT to give in and go the “bad/violent” route, but here it’s different. I don’t want to go around beating the shit out of mentally ill people lmao! Especially when it feels like TTG is actually putting more time and effort into villains’ tragic backstories than the terrible things that they’re doing right now. Idk maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention I just wasn’t convinced that these people I’m supposed to want to beat up are actually that bad, I guess I just didn’t see the evil things they did because the entire time I was po’d that there was no “Hey Oz has a point!” option. It’s like Telltale is expecting you to be so invested in the “I’m Batman” role that they expect you to step right into the grimdark beat-em-up version without giving you a reason to.

I guess I have to give credit where it’s due here tho bc I did appreciate that we can also be compassionate like telling Harvey to talk to his therapist and chances to empathize like in the scene with the Vale kid, the Episode 5 Harvey confrontation, and in the end battle. I guess it’s really Oz here that I’m mostly thinking of, they just didn’t give me enough to reason to resent him as much as it seems you’re supposed to and there are barely any options to be nice to him. He’s introduced as an old friend and the conversation goes fine but suddenly in the next episode I’m supposed to believe that he’s a terrible person and I hate him? It just feels odd especially since the Wayne family plot twist comes so early that you know he’s right the whole time and yet you’re supposed to be all offended that he’s badmouthing your family when he’s actually 100% correct????

I actually really like the idea of interacting with the Joker before the whole arch-enemies thing, him and Bruce meeting each other before they interact as hero and villain is an interesting dynamic and gives a lot of meaning to their potential future encounters. I didn’t especially mind the plot convenience there bc i Mean, he’s the Joker lol. Although I have to admit I kindof facepalmed at the fact that he’s still just hanging out in Arkham even though no one knows who he is or where he’s from lol. That’s Arkham for you I guess.

I found it weird how in episode 5 Catwoman’s “betrayal” is treated like some big reveal but then shrugged off immediately and she just hands back the device to you no problem. No fight or quick time event and it was just a repetition of their previous interaction I felt like it was more anticlimactic than anything tbh.

Also kindof odd how Harvey becomes Two Face even when you choose to save him. I’d assumed he would just get the scarring another way but instead he gets the behavioral issue without the actual look which is a little weird when at one point the tv reporter refers to him as Two Face even tho his face is fine lol.

And there again, the issue with the “tailored” story being only tailored for one branch, all the foreshadowing indicates TWOFACE INCOMING or BATMANxCATWOMAN HERE so it just feels anticlimactic when that doesn’t happen, and the plot line continues on very similarly anyway so it’s just like ok what’s the point then? That imo is what Telltale needs to work on most here, making their multiple storylines more cohesive and not so obvious which works best and is intended as the ‘default’ or 'right' choice.

#telltale games #ttg #batman: the telltale series #batman: the telltale series spoilers #telltale batman #telltale batman spoilers #queued

1 note · View note