#also I LOVE all the analyses

[sentientsky]

good omens fanartists, i love u most ardently. good omens fic writers, i would commit arson for you. good omens shitposters, i cherish and adore u. good omens angst meta-analyzers,,,my therapist knows your names

#this is a lie bc apparently I can’t properly submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known EVEN IN THERAPY #hi alex. hi fells. hi emma. hi zoey. hi ineffableteeth #i love/hate u all. I’m simultaneously high fiving u and also chucking u into a volcano #other meta analysers this also includes u i hate u and love u and would fight god for you also #crowley #good omens 2 #aziraphale #aziracrow #go2 #ineffable lovers #ineffable husbands #ineffable wives #good omens #good omens season 2 #good omens meta #good omens fanfic #good omens fanart #michael sheen #david tennant #crowley x aziraphale #aziraphale x crowley #gomens #neil gaiman #ineffable divorce #azicrow #gomens 2 #good omens spoilers #good omens shitpost #shitpost

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

This is an analysis of Kaveh and Alhaitham’s argument posted on the Port Ormos bulletin board!! Because it is crazy actually!!

I think this exchange of theirs out of the three posted throughout Sumeru is particularly interesting, and this is due Alhaitham openly expressing that Kaveh does not understand what Alhaitham is really trying to say to him: “I have never denied what you meant, but you don’t understand what I am saying to you at all.”

This exchange is relevant in various ways in exploring the motif of communication. As according to their usual rapport, the two disagree over their differing philosophies, as in sensibility versus rationality, however, Alhaitham’s particular concerns in Kaveh spending his money on “nonsense” highlights the underlying reason for this exchange. From this comment, the argument is recontextualised through Alhaitham’s intention for getting involved, as Kaveh prompts the workmen to take his money in order to help them out.

When Alhaitham states that this is a meaningless action due to the inevitability of people rising or falling on their own accord, rather than solely critiquing Kaveh’s “impulsiv[e]” altruism, as Kaveh interprets, Alhaitham is directly contradicting his own comment – as he is interfering on Kaveh’s decisions.

As concern is evidently the intention behind his interference, Kaveh cannot perceive this, and instead attempts to critique Alhaitham’s perspective in return, although Alhaitham states: “Make no mistake. I have never denied what you meant…” This response asserts that Alhaitham does not deny, but rather agrees with, Kaveh’s statement of “mutual assistance, fairness, and righteous anger” driving the world.

In lieu of this, rather than continuing the argument, Alhaitham claims that there is no point to it, as Kaveh does not understand what he is saying, as in, Kaveh does not understand that his intentions in interfering are out of concern. He follows this up, regardless, by criticising Kaveh’s handling of his budget, as, evidently, Kaveh has offered to give his own money to these workmen, and refuses to pay for Kaveh’s drinks for that month.

For Alhaitham, Kaveh’s lack of self-prioritisation leads him to impulsive altruistic acts which serve to jeopardise his own position, particularly regarding money. If Kaveh can afford to give away money, he can afford to pay his own tabs, is the takeaway from this exchange. Although, similarly to the exchange between them posted in Puspa’s Café, this applies to one particular month, insinuating that Alhaitham will continue to pay for next month’s tabs of his own accord.

The main argument, as well as the disagreement over the speaker of Kaveh’s quote, serves as a humorous exchange, but as a motif for communication it acquires a new meaning. The two hold perspectives which contrast the other which puts them on unequal footing, demonstrated within the argument over the speaker of Kaveh’s quote. Although it is not disclosed who is actually in the right, both are convinced of their respective viewpoint. There is an element missing here, a potential solution to this problem, and it lies within the idea of “correctness” established within A Parade of Providence.

The omission of there being an objective, correct answer to this particular debate serves as a parallel to their conflicting viewpoints, with the basis of their exchange being to “prove” to the other their “correctness” – here, it is in regard to Kaveh.

However, “correctness” being the basis of their exchange, and thus, relationship, is challenged with Alhaitham shutting down the initial debate due to Kaveh’s misunderstanding of his meaning. Correctness, then, and its importance, is called into question within this exchange, with Kaveh being the one to chase it; his last message being that he would “prove” himself to be right.

At the core of this bulletin board exchange is the idea that Alhaitham harbours an alternative ‘meaning’ than the one that Kaveh assigns to him: “… you don’t understand what I’m saying to you at all.” This is a meaning which Kaveh cannot perceive due to his current understanding of Alhaitham. This represents the standing of their current relationship, where Kaveh believes Alhaitham holds him in disdain, although this belief is incongruous with Alhaitham’s actions which show his care for Kaveh.

In these instances of communication through the Bulletin Boards, it is interesting to note that Kaveh is revealed to have been drunk and “scribbling” on these notice boards, and hopes that Alhaitham does not know.

Although this is a humorous detail, it adds another layer to the unreliability of their method of communication, as Kaveh has no recollection of these exchanges with Alhaitham, and therefore could not have properly interpreted Alhaitham due to an altered state of mind. It is uncertain whether Alhaitham is aware of Kaveh’s being drunk whilst responding to him, or whether he is believed to have been lucid, which creates another element of unreliability in their exchanges.

Alhaitham understands Kaveh’s thinking and the reasons for why he acts as he does, but he cannot articulate his concern in a way that Kaveh will understand, both out of Kaveh’s incapability of receiving goodwill, but also due to his logical manner of expression. Kaveh perceives Alhaitham’s concealed expressions of concern as personal gripes and criticisms of his beliefs, and therefore believes that their relationship is based on the scholarly principle of proving the validity of one’s philosophies.

The Port Ormos Bulletin Board reinforces the core essence of their relationship: Alhaitham is invested in a personal regard, whereas Kaveh cannot see this due to his perception of Alhaitham and Alhaitham’s inability to communicate in a way Kaveh would understand.

(Update: For more analyses like this, the essay this is taken from is now uploaded! It can be accessed here and here as as a pdf <3)

#i have analysed the other two bulletin exchanges as well!! #but this one has stood out to me the most ever since i read it #alhaitham has expressed to kaveh at least twice that kaveh misunderstands him #this occassion and in a parade of providence with: the issue we’re debating has long since moved on from whos right or wrong #or something of that accord #but will kaveh ever hear this if alhaitham doesnt express this in a way that cannot be misunderstood #also i love the incessant mention in all of the sumeru posts that alhaitham pays for kavehs tabs #not just his drinks but everything on a bill #and whenever they have a clash like this alhaitham drops a month and then picks up every other month #kaveh how are you seeing that he really doesnt have to do that #the line: you dont understand what im saying to you at all is so CRAZY to me and it HAUNTS me because isnt that it?? #isnt that the core issue???? or one of them at least plsss they have so many #the essay editing is coming along!! thank you for your patience!! its the longest essay ive written :(( #alhaitham #haikaveh #kaveh #kavetham #haikaveh meta

[kaladinkholins]

Taigen x Mizu mentioned in the The Making of Netflix’s “Blue Eye Samurai”

Taken from the livestream organised by Gnomon

Jane Wu:

Next slide, Taigen...

Brian Kesinger:

Everyone's favourite samurai, uh, Taigen. Uh, so, he was designed a bit over the top. The, the, peak of male samurai, even down to the quite prodigious hair bun, which he doesn't have on screen for much. Uh, but, um, he is the visual opposite of Mizu, right, so it was fun to kinda let her design dictate what his design should be, and, you know, I think that, you know, especially for all you Taigen x Mizu fans out there, I think that might be one of the reasons why he's attracted to her. Um, or in my brain, he's attracted to her, uh, is because she is who she wants to be, and doesn't have to put on airs. Uh, and that's a lesson that he has to learn and he literally, I mean, it's on the nose but, he lets his hair down. And that's the start of his journey of discovery, um, which he needs to go. He's, he's got a lot of growing still left to do. Um—

Jane Wu:

I also think he has a, has a talent—he has like a... sword crush on her right, he has like a martial arts crush on her, yeah. Talent crush, yeah.

Brian Kesinger:

Right, yeah. Talent crush. Yes. Yes, for sure.

---

For context, Jane Wu is Blue Eye Samurai's supervising director and Producer, while Brian Kesinger is the lead character designer. Others presenting for this livestream were production designer Toby Wilson and art director Emil Mitev.

#WE GOT SOME CRUMBS YALLLLLLL #taigen x mizu #mizu x taigen #taimizu #taizu #blue eye samurai #taigen #mizu #fandom.rtf #shut up haydar #EDITED WITH THE FULL SEGMENT OF THIS DISCUSSION #like i LOVE absolutely LOVE how taigen's segment is almost fully dedicated to his relationship with mizu right #because akemi and ringo are their own individual characters #but taigen is not!! he is literally made as a complement to mizu. literally his DESIGN is DICTATED by HERS #literally supporting all my meta analyses about how taigen exists to support mizu. everything he does and is revolves around HER!!! #remember my post where i said taigen exists to be mizu's accenting colour. yeah. that. #also right after this they actually mentioned how taigen's colour is green RIGHT NOW to symbolise youth (ie growth) #trust he's gonna get a colour scheme change into orange eventually #orange = colour of his scarf. colour he wore as a child. complementary colour of BLUE

[thisisadonaldduckblognow]

ik it’s probably a classic case of extrapolating way too much but... the way raph’s character design lines up w his whole arc and role and struggles...

like the fact that he is so so so much bigger than the others. raph is big, raph is strong, raph is steady and sturdy and he can literally pick up his entire family and carry them all at once. 

and like, when raph is so big and so strong and such a reliable thing. when raph is the protector, the one calling the shots on missions, the mother hen, the first point of authority. when raph is there, overprotective, when raph (for all that his brothers poke at him not being good under pressure) always always ALWAYS comes through at the end of the day when things are serious, ALWAYS gives it everything he’s got. 

his design and his learned role/behaviors in this family are just the perfect storm of why it took up to the season finale to drive home the issue.

so much of the series carries the default energy of “raph will handle it.”

raph will hold up the ceiling above you. raph will throw himself over you and take a hit and get back up and keep fighting. raph has a power that makes him even bigger and draws more attention and makes him able to carry MORE. raph will be the substitute parent. raph will be put into the mentor role through leo’s leadership arc. 

and raph is big. he’s built to carry heavy loads. raph is strong. raph is bold and loud and always ready to try to push on. even if he doesn’t know what to do or what he’s doing, he won’t give up and we’ll all pull together and things will turn out okay.

(his room is full of teddy bears. he dipped out on a mission to try to take a picture of a pigeon carrying a slice of pizza. he’s terrified of being alone.

he’s just as much of a kid as his brothers are. he’s just as new and inexperienced with the things happening to them as his brothers are. but for him, for some reason, there’s like this double standard where that becomes a huge glaring flaw.)

idk this got very sloppy and uncoordinated. i’m very in my feelings about raph right now though.

#rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt raph #rise raph #rottmnt raphael #honestly i could go on forever and ever about the double standard thing where raph is concerned #like. w movie leo especially leo is learning lessons raph also had to learn in the series! making very similar mistakes! #but you never see analyses or essays pointing to those bad calls as signs that leo isn't up to the task... #(i mean there are some clear Reasons why that happens.) #(its the reason why raph and mikey are the bros who get the least content by a MILE. but. not the point of this post.) #the whole point is just the idle subconscious assumption and associations of it being fine to let raph carry everything #literally physically sure but also metaphorically #and the plight of the child who seems to Need Nothing (all children need; some sadly learn not to appear to need) #even my tags are incoherent rn clenches fists i love him so much is all #like there is a reason it takes to the series finale for him to have a proper breakdown and get actual support from his bros #and i am still mad we never got real good content for him and splinter #considering how similar their arcs ARE.... #thats a whole other thing whatever

[5hrignold]

reminder

#rewatched this sneak peek for the first time since i first saw it and ugh. UUUUGHHGGHHH. #it hurts me a lot I’m ngl….. like to see charlie be so critical of something pim likes #except this time it’s even more painful because it isn’t just that pim likes it he also thought charlie would like it too and he literally #took him out and did this just for him because he thought he’d like it. he thought charlie said something so he went out of his way to #organise something to show to him to make him happy. and also how like… expectant? charlie is acting in the clip #like the way he just kinda frowns at pim whenever one of the dudes says something particularly out there #and it’s like. dude what the fuck #ive Said it once i’ll say it again i think charlie needs to lose pim during an episode or something. itd humble him #i mean that KIND OF happened with the finale but look where they are in s2 #as usual what i always say. absolutely no actual complaints. if anything i Love this because it’s very clearly like #im so excited for this particular episode because you can just TELL its gonna be such a good one for their relationship #like looking into it analysing it n stuff #literally anything with them together has me screaming and cryjing they’re one of my fav duos ever #ok my hands are shaking bye #smiling friends #💝 #smiling friends spoilers #also this is just Such a cute clip. the way pim runs and how charlie slugs on close behind him looking all grumpy #and how happy he looks to be calling him his best friend… actually peak i fear this is the peak of the season (joke

[sometipsygnostalgic]

“Signals” is still the funniest episode of She-ra.... frankly it embodies the strengths and weaknesses of the show at this stage...  

Rebellion story: Ridiculous scooby doo shenanigans. It turns out the GHOSTS were HOLOGRAMS!!!!!  Everyone realises their friendship is the thing that mattered. Bow misinterprets an incredibly plot important signal for a glitch on his tracker pad. This glitch is interpreted correctly as a signal later... entirely offscreen. 

Horde story: Threatening political intrigue as Catra claws her way to power, is at constant risk of death, and gets accidentally usurped by a sunshine gremlin with no self preservation instinct. How? She was the only one brazen and dumb enough to tell the Evil Supreme Overlord that his electronics were below the standard of a middle school student. Somehow this is an incredible plot twist with huge implications for the rest of the story and for Catra’s psyche. 

#also: other characters? what other characters? the show is struggling enough to get even 3 or 4 of each side in each ep #especially at this part where the horde is kind of bloated with 5 major characters #while the rebellion has barely got time for best friend squad but apparently uses that time on scooby doo plots #yeahhhhhh they were not interesting in s2 at all im sorry #thus mermista perfuma and frosta were ENTIRELY ABSENT #she ra #spop #i love analysing these things i can tell why they did most of this #its not quite like owl house while i scream begging them to stop giving us kikimora

[just-an-enby-lemon]

I'm having sad thoughts about Jacques again. About how he only seems like someone who has things figured out and is put together because we are seing him by very biased lens.

We are seing him by Lemony's eyes. The eyes of a man who idolized his older brother, who wanted to be like him. The eyes of someone who tends to either be extremely judgy or see everyone as better than himself and idealize them (often both at the same time).

We are in a different level seing him by the eyes of the Baudelraies. But they know little of Jacques and what they know is mostly that this is a man their parents knew, that promises answers and more important an adult that for the first time looks at Olaf in disguize and sees Olaf. Their view is biased at best.

We are also seing him by Quingleys eyes. But for Quingley Jacques was the man who found him lost in a tunnel alone and confused, griving and in danger and gave him something. That gave him some answers and food and a place to stay even if it was the abandoned house of one of his dead friends.

And even by everyone else Jacques is a Snicket, the Snickets are very competent and mostly loyal but also a bit weird. And Jacques is all that. But in comparrison to his sibblings? He has his life put together.

That's to say that Jacques is likely tired, overworked, traumatized and failing apart. But he can keep himself suave, well-read, well-dressed and calculating. He isn't taking obvious risky behavior like Kit. And he certainly isn't just a blurried bunch of trauma in a fedora like Lemony. So he appears to be someone that is fine. And that we shoudn't worry about.

#and that is because I refuse to write about Violet feeling like she has to be put together to protect her sibblings #and the huge amount of responsability her parents placed on her #and how it's breaking her in the mist of an already traumatic situation #and since I'm not thinking about my girl as to not cry #i have to go to the other characther with a clear oldest sister syndrome on that book #and we now have Jacques trying to keep it all together because he is the model volunteer and someome has to be the example #because for lemony and kit to be abble to be more wild someone has to be there to keep peace and to make sure they will be loyal #jacques is the one who analyses the risks #he is the one that fixes things that exists in his place via denial repression and the feelings one of them has to #is not a surprise that while they clearly loved him kit and lemony didn't include them in their failed revolution in ATWQ #but is also not a surprise that without him they didn't calculate the risks and it ended as it did #jacques snicket #asoue #a series of unfortunate events

[crazy-fangirl2524]

No you guys don’t understand. Neil was playing as a way to try to live and how he wants to try actually living instead of surviving. Winning against the ravens doesn’t matter to Neil, winning against his father does. But the books don’t end with Baltimore. It ends with the raven game. But this game means more to Kevin than it can ever to any other characters. All for the game. Neil can survive without exy. He can run away and start a new life. But kevin day does not have anything else. This entire series is for kevin day

#yes yes ofc ik Neil also cant survive without Exy it’s his way to live BUT technically he can still run away (after trk ofc he cant hes in t #too deep but if you think about it this entire series starts and ends because of Kevin day #Neil josten May be the protagonist and Andrew minyard May be the love interest but Kevin day is the whole point the center of this entire se #series #this series wouldn’t have even happened without Kevin day if another team seeks out neil josten he wouldn’t have joined he only joined for k #Kevin and the series ended with neil bargaining for everyone’s lives including Kevin #Kevin is actually the main character #if you think about it the series could have make sense with Kevin day as the protagonist too #I’m so deeplg ingrained in aftg sm I just urgh I just I love them so much #this reread might take longer than I thought because of how much I’m stopping to analyse everything and post about it lmao #aftg #all for the game #tfc #the foxhole court #aftg series #andrew minyard #aftg fandom #neil josten #andrew joseph minyard #aftg incorrect quotes #aftg reread #aftg trilogy #aftg kevin #kevin day #aftg neil #aftg andrew #aftg andreil #tfc incorrect quotes #incorrect aftg #incorrect aftg quotes

[pasta-pardner]

When Mortimer learns Manco is a fellow bounty killer...

He smiles softly, hinting that he's already considering asking Manco to become his partner.

Manco, on the other hand...

...comes to the same realization with a sour grimace. He enters full blown this-town-ain't-big-enough-for-the-two-of-us mode.

Manco repeatedly tries to instigate a fight as he attempts to kick Mortimer out of town. He steps on Mortimer's boots, punches him in the face, and-- of course-- shoots his hat.

Despite Manco's repeated attempts to provoke him, Mortimer never escalates the confrontation. He only reciprocates gestures that Manco introduces. When Manco steps on Mortimer's boots, Mortimer reciprocates. When Manco shoots Mortimer's hat a comical number of times, Mortimer reciprocates. Mortimer doesn't punch back, and he doesn't take the opportunity to injure (or kill) Manco-- even when Manco is at a range disadvantage.

This is noteworthy, because earlier in the film, Mortimer remarks:

"Why should a man walk around with a pistol and then let himself be insulted?"

Mortimer goes through most of his encounter with Manco wearing a calm, curious expression. Manco, meanwhile, seems enraged by Mortimer's very existence.

Why is Mortimer so unperturbed by Manco's antagonistic behavior?

Well! Though Manco clearly views this interaction as a skirmish against a rival... Mortimer views it as an opportunity to court a potential partner.

His smile from the earlier scene indicates that he wants to work with Manco. That's why Mortimer reciprocates actions instead of escalating them.

Mortimer's goal was never to "beat" Manco in their quasi-duel; it was to convince Manco that he was worthy of an equal partnership.

I believe that Mortimer began the night already fully intending to invite Manco up to his hotel room for the partnership proposal.

He just needed to shoot a hat to make it happen.

#for a few dollars more (1965) #for a few dollars more #mantimer #mancomer #dollars trilogy #im back at it again with another super surface level meta analysis ! #im trying to get back into the swing of writing analyses again #and ''mortimer wanted to befriend manco; not beat him'' is a fairly simple thesis to argue. #his motivations behind wanting the partnership are comparatively more open to interpretation #like... did mortimer want manco as his partner.. #...because manco was far more impressive than previous partnership options? #...because mortimer spent years pursuing revenge by himself and he got lonely? #...because indio his band really are too powerful to take on alone? #(personally i think mortimer wanted to fuck tmwnn in addition to all the previously listed motivations but shhh) #mortimer's deeper motivations for initiating the partnership are ambiguous. but regardless.. he DEFINITELY wanted it. #and i think their confrontation scene shows that mortimer didnt want to risk offending manco too harshly #but he also didnt wanna risk being seen as inferior. #hence: the compromise of reciprocating but not escalating #anyways im love them #tmwnn #manco #douglas mortimer #clint eastwood #lee van cleef #westerns #🍝 #🤠 #pardner posts

[xxseason3xx]

I think one of my favourite things about warrior nun is that it’s brought the old Clexa fandom back together. Like I see all the same accounts who used to make candle jokes and invented a different metric system making gif sets and art about Avatrice now and it was ridiculous but it brought me so much joy and I thought I’d lost that forever. the energy right now feels like 2015 on tumblr but we’ve all grown up

(I think most of us were in the Supercorp fandom but after that everyone kind of split off into smaller fandoms and I haven’t felt the sapphic internet this united in a very long time)

#and it brings me so much joy still! #people are so insanely creative #I love all the theories and everyone analysing all the details the energy is just fantastic #also very nice that this time there is no 'enemy' het ship trying to make us feel delusional #it’s just a bunch of queer people having fun #the showrunner and actresses are supportive #it’s such a healthy environment the only thing missing to make the stress go away it a renewal for season 3 #warrior nun #avatrice #clexa #lexa #the 100 #supercorp #supergirl #lexameter #may we meet again in this life or the next

[chloeseyeliner]

oh my god.

i am never getting over young royals.

#like #ughhhh #it may sound weird or silly #but i woke up some hours ago #and i realised once again that it's over (i haven't watched the doc yet but the story is over) #and i loved it. i love it. i will love it forever. yes. #but #it was much more than a show #not only for me i know #just i for one 1. fully realised and embraced my identity through yr #2. had comfort and company during the worst times in my life #3. fell in love with the writing of all the characters and the acting and. EVERYTHINH #and i know it couldn't have been any other way the story was written for three seasons #but i believe i am allowed to miss all of the above and also the fandom #the fandom and their wonderful analyses and silly memes and everything in between #it's all so bittersweet #and i wouldn't have it any other way #<333333 #**imagine simon's song playing in the background** #thank you lisa ambjörn #and everyone #they are fucking stars #young royals #anyway #ignore me #i am almost twenty mourning the loss of my favourite show #as if it's not going to be there #(which is nothing to be ashamed of in general!!! i specifically am just embarrassing from head to toe) #disclaimer: i am on my ✨period✨ so naturally i have been crying at random times since yesterday

[seventh-fantasy]

dramas and movies are never gonna be good again huh.

#it's one of those days #have been having tough luck with the stuff I've been watching lately #but also i should stop watching those videos analysing how wuxia and xianxia genres are dead #like yeah fuck you're right i know that and it's depressing #rewatching things is all I have now but I also desperately want to fall in love with new things #my posts

[pbnmj]

Ur tags about how Miles and Pavitr are the ones who say "I can do both" because it IS quintessential spiderman thinking AND because they're too young to have seen that devastatingly not work yet. BUT the thing is they are RIGHT but only if it's "we"! Spiderman's mythos is inherently a lonely one reinforced by Miles and Gwen's isolation and by every. single. intro. reminding us that every spider person is the "one and only spider person"! And yet!! These films are just about relationships (1/2)

YES YEAH YOU GET IT !!!! and (quite recently rewatched it and mentioning it here cause i can't believe i forgot to mention it in the post you're talking about) it really gets me that gwen also says 'i was doing both' in regards to protecting miles and protecting the canon event, and i love that the phrase was reflected like that, even tho (at this point of the movie) miles and gwen pretty much oppose each other in views/priority !!

it also absolutely kills me the way that gwen begins (like you say) atsv quitting the band and isolates herself, and then throughout the whole thing she finds something/someone that she wants to take that leap for, all over again :') she (and the entire spider-team!!) is willing to bet everything on miles and is ready to fight for him, and i really just love the idea that miles just is a force that inspires good !!!! IT REALLY IS ALL ABOUT LOVE!!!

#and . i dont think she would have done this without reconciling with her dad and that entire speech. #i do think that acceptance and love meant everything to her when she was at her lowest and it pushes her to do more + #AND it shows her canon events arent necessarily end alls. and it reflects in how she tells miles parents how much he loves them #just feel like. gwen now believes that love he has couldnt ever be bad. and it shouldn't have to make the world end... #and she believes it wont. AUGH #also been thinking that it's such a fun way to reflect that 'parker luck' #where yknow . where peter just cannot balance his two identities #and usually a spider-man success means something in his personal life goes badly #and idk i love when things are acknowledged to be like. the RESULT of being spider-man . #its fun to me. perhaps i am analysing media wrong. but tragedy magnet spider-man is so fucking depressing on many levels #and that opens up barbie dreamhouse levels of fun to me #generally superheroes creating their own enemies on accident . like ssm's venom was a goldmine to me i enjoyed that interpretation so much #i dont think miguel was right tho . fate of the multiverse/anomaly/etc I DONT CARE OLD MAN. UR OPINION WAS OVER WHEN U STARTED BEEF W MILES #and so sorry this took forever to reply to omg i adored reading this meta !!!!! #answered #disinherits #long post #sorry everyone the floor was open for my deranged takes again

[the-darklings]

What is he if not Lord of unanswered dreams and hopes?

Honestly, it pains me so much that Dream always fails to recognise his own value. That he knows his meaning to the Dreaming, but can’t he see his worth apart from his function. That killed me in the TV series and it kills me here. How often had somebody said something like “you have to do this” or “you don’t have a saying in this” for him to only believe himself worthy as a king for those who sleep instead for a being that deserves to love and dream as well.

I agree, and it's one of the first things I truly appreciated about his characterisation.

To be honest, it's a question that could be argued in many different ways. Past experiences are the first point that pops into my mind. The idea that all past attempts to have something more, to live for something other than his function, is beyond his grasp. Yet, more often than not, if you analyse Dream's pattern, the relationship is either doomed from the start (and he fails to see it/accept it), or he is entirely incompatible with the individual, to begin with. Dream's own inability to form meaningful change is, arguably, half the issue here, if not most of it.

It's clear that Dream is lonely. That he dearly desires something more but has been burned too many times to try and shoulder the potentially another failure. He has such responsibility placed on him that he instead chooses to - as Corinthian aptly puts it - "feel nothing". I think it's easier for him to focus on his duty because the depth of his own loneliness might undo him. Again, it's not a lack of love or even care. It's too much love. Dream is cold not because he doesn't feel but because he loves too much, too quickly, too intensely.

But he is also oh so proud. All those failed relationships and connections are felt so much deeper, even if he's not verbal about them.

#this is why with tibyim i took such slowburn/platonic focus #half the fic is arguably platonic. there are no concrete romantic feelings between them at least until 5. #that thousand years was both about them mutually having a constant but also learning to value of connection #when you really analyse dream's past relationship they were all very sudden and intense #wanderer and dream /grow/ together. they are there for each other without need for anything physical. they learn to care #about each other as people first and foremost. love grows from that care/trust/connection #that's why it simmers so deeply. because it's been nurtured. bruised. then grows stronger with each test. #dream doesn't need another lover just for the sake of having something physical. he needs someone who would love him #for him. but also not be afraid to challenge him. like wanderer says in 10 /because of respect/ not from lack of it. #when i was trying to really analyse them as individuals and potential couple it was important to me that they could stand individually #but make each other better when together. and I don't mean erases each other's flaws but inspire the other to best version #of themselves #byeee sorry about the rant sdjghsdg #asks #fic: today i bury you in me

[lord-squiggletits]

I wish to love and appreciate idw optimus more too. But I also don’t want to read through the entirety of IDW 1.0. Can you please recommend me any specific issues/parts?

My best friend and fellow IDW Optimus lover made a post compiling all the comics with major story beats involving Optimus. Her list has a lot of the same things mine does, but also a lot more specific issues because she actually knows which specific issues of which series you can read specifically for ones focused on IDW Optimus. We don't agree on everything (I love some comics she dislikes and vice versa), but I would recommend her list simply because it's the most well-documented and thorough. Link I also have a lot of far less coherent but still genuine posts about IDW OP on my #idw op love tag.

As for specific parts I would recommend... since you don't want to read through all of IDW1, I'll go ahead and recommend you things based on in-universe chronological order rather than story release order, but if anything here interests you then I would recommend reading IDW1 in release order so that you get a better grasp of the story's context and how new lore was given out over time:

Chaos Theory and Police Action by James Roberts (The Transformers 2009 issues 22-23): I love love LOVE the way JRO writes Optimus talking to Megatron during the present day, it's very IDW-Optimus flavored because of how blunt, abrasive, and snappy Optimus is. There's a part in the comic where Megatron claims that he "knows [Optimus] better than anyone else," and he's right, but it's also true that Optimus knows Megatron well enough to see that he's bullshitting and it's very entertaining watching Optimus slowly lose his patience with him. I love the dialogue especially, no one (canon or fandom) has ever quite written the same IDW OP who's in this set of comics. It's also the most MegOP comic of all time because the sexual tension and the subliminal imagery of them doing BDSM together is unreal, plus it really captures their dynamic of two old soldiers who snap together with chemistry despite (or perhaps because of) being such long-time enemies. They just UNDERSTAND each other so well. Also, as a bonus point, Chaos Theory is where the pre-war lore for IDW1 began being published, so if you read Chaos Theory then the context for future pre-war lore makes a little more sense.

Shadowplay by James Roberts (More Than Meets the Eye issues 10-11): More pre-war lore that picks up where Chaos Theory/Police action left off. Important because it establishes a lot of IDW OP's character relationships, especially with "the Senator," Roller, and to a degree Ratchet and some minor side characters. I don't really know what to say about this besides it's just really fucking fun to read and features IDW OP getting to do cool shit like fight bad guys, investigate conspiracies, and do heists while also establishing one of his key character traits: being disastrously gay for suspicious men that he places entirely too much trust in to tell him what the right thing to do is.

Spotlight: Orion Pax by James Roberts: Okay, I'm really sorry for recommending JRO's stuff because it feels like favoritism and I don't even think JRO does the best version of IDW OP, it's just going in in-universe chronological order means that a lot of JRO stuff ends up first on the list. This one doesn't really have much of consequence in it and is honestly one of the weaker Spotlight issues, but like Shadowplay, it involves Orion Pax doing fun action shit and having way too much trust in a suspicious man (a new one from the suspicious man in Shadowplay).

The Autocracy Trilogy (Autocracy, Monstrosity, Primacy) by Chris Metzen: Oh my fucking god this is THE IDW Optimus to me, this trilogy is literally what made my ears perk up to even start liking IDW OP because it's what took me from "Optimus Prime, that's the guy who's the super awesome leader that everyone likes and is a paragron to everyone, yeah I know him" to "Oh.... holy shit this is such a good plot/worldbuilding, Optimus has so much CONFLICT and DRAMA with other people." It covers one of my favorite periods of the general Transformers formula, namely pre-war and early war plot events as conflicts come to a boiling point, there's political conflicts and personal conflicts, the planet is falling to shit and everyone is trying to escape and things are as depressing and scary as you would expect for a war that's literally about to consume a whole planet. I found the general plotlines to be gripping and intense (Autocracy is the weakest in this regard, but the writing gets better with each book) and I really like seeing how Optimus grapples with leadership. Especially the negative parts where people hate/fear him because of his association with Zeta's regime (the previous Prime, who Orion worked for), call his judgment into question, refuse his calls to action or waver in their faith in him, and so forth. I found it to be a really nuanced yet sympathetic view of IDW Optimus that made me fall in love with him. Because really, the thing that humanizes a character the most is making them flawed, and Autocracy trilogy Optimus is so incredibly flawed and conflicted. And also it shows him being shit on by other characters in a way that's well written in a plot that makes sense and doesn't feel like the entire plot is conspiring to shit all over him.

The Death of Optimus Prime by James Roberts and John Barber: This comic is basically the transition from phase 1 to phase 2, it establishes the branching plotlines of MTMTE and exRID, so this is another one of those comics that will help you understand IDW1 better if you want to read for more than just Optimus. Anyways, DoOP is great because it has a similar vibe to the Autocracy trilogy in that society is chaos and full of people who fucking hate Optimus' guts for the role he played in the war. You can also compare/contrast the way OP was before the war and early in the war versus the way he is after the war and see how much the war changed him (Chaos Theory also kind of is like this but it more shows bitchy Optimus specifically in his dynamic with Megatron). It also features a fair amount of Optimus Heroic Moments, Optimus Brooding, and Optimus being so fucking depressed he's literally sad when he wakes up and realizes he's not dead dude get some fucking therapy please I'm begging you--

Punishment by John Barber: This skips ahead quite a bit in the story but I think stands decently well on its own without having to understand the wider context. It's one of Barber's best-written stories and one of the only ones I've come back to reread for its own sake. It features Optimus trying to solve the murder-mystery of a bunch of Decepticons, featuring really cool plot conflicts like Optimus trying to navigate post-war society and the tensions that still linger from the Autobot-Decepticon war. I really like this one because it has that whole "not everyone loves OP and a lot of people hate him for justified reasons" thing that makes IDW OP a much more 3D character, PLUS it has some politics with the way Decepticons are treated post war. And I think it does really interesting things with Optimus in terms of showing how he DOES have this idealistic, merciful side that wants people to choose peace and letting go of vengeance, but of course it's not so easy to expect that of people after a 4 million year war. So when people inevitably choose violence, Optimus gets frustrated and angry and lashes out in a way that feels very real and understandable. It's a really good example of a comic that shows IDW OP in a nuanced way, showcasing both his virtues and flaws in a complicated situation that shows that there's no easy solution to these problems and no way for Optimus to escape without getting his hands dirty. Unlike future comics which involve OP being in complicated situations but instead the plot is super contrived and seems to overwhelmingly shit on OP without ever mentioning the very obvious ways that he could be defended, creating a story that's conceptually fascinating but incredibly mediocre in execution.

If I had to recommend any single one of these to read, I would recommend the Autocracy trilogy the most because it's literally the story that made me love IDW Optimus and made me realize "whoa, this guy is super nuanced and not what I expected of him." That's not to say that no other Optimi have depth and nuance, but I think the Autocracy trilogy was great for me personally as one of the first IDW1 comics I read. It struck a really good balance between "uh Optimus was part of some bad things that warrant being shit on" and "Optimus is struggling to overcome those bad associations he did, succeeding with some people and failing with others" and "Optimus is an optimist who has faith in others even when they don't have faith in themselves." Also, as a bonus, the Autocracy trilogy also features cunty murder-husband Megatron, an interesting character arc for Hot Rod, and the Dinobots as really interesting supporting characters (including their leader, Grimlock, having a cute veteran-rookie dynamic with Hot Rod that I wish we got more of).

#squiggle answers #idw op love #also the blog of that post i linked has a lot of meta posts on idw op. they're really good analyses #and also explain lore and connect dots in ways that i don't do as well because i don't have as fine of a grasp of the lore #also like. just as an aside. i would recommend reading the transformers 2009 because that also features a good idw op #featuring him being an action hero but also tired and frustrated and very human #another note: JRO is a good fun writer but i find his IDW OP is a bit too...whitewashed in a way? #he's very interesting and fleshed out and sympathetic but JRO clearly puts OP on a pedestal and doesn't fully get into the bad parts #barber imo is the opposite where he's more critical of OP in both good and bad ways but his writing uh #barber's writing isn't uh. i think it's very hit or miss tbh #and metzen i just adore because i knew his writing from being an old world of warcraft fan #and he was responsible for the period of lore that fans generally consider to be the core of the franchise #but also keep in mind there are ppl with completely different opinions from me #i've found that even among idw op fans people have slightly different takes on him and interpret his character in different ways #where like. we all came to the conclusion of loving idw op but with different reasonings and favorite story moments #so YMMV but IDW OPTIMUS IS AN INCREDIBLY SLEPT ON OPTIMUS PLEASE TALK TO ME MORE ABOUT HIM

[santicazorla]

#happy birthday🥰 #here’s the content i love and deserve.. #first of all why has he taken almost all of his clothes off in front of carlos hm 🤔 i’ll tell you why #then ‘my boi’ obsessed with u carlos #also he always uses purple hearts which i love #anyway.. enough analysis (i’m still analysing in my brain) #nikita kuzmin #carlos gu