#and since then he’s destroyed me emotionally and become the most important character to me ever

[sunriseverse]

wang pangzi for blorbo bingo!!

i didn’t manage a bingo but kay sent me the news about the upcoming pangzi novel and when i tell you i YELPED with glee.

#ask #ask meme #thanks for asking!!!!! #when i made my powerpoint halfway through watching sha hai i put him under minor characters #and since then he’s destroyed me emotionally and become the most important character to me ever #(alongside wu xie and xiaoge <3 do not separate them)

[ck-17088]

OPINION: Why I think Transformers Earthspark will be remembered as one of the best Transformers shows of all time.

Long story short, Earthspark spoilers. Don't read if you don't want to be spoiled.

I'm delighted to say that Earthspark has again exceeded my expectations. Honestly, when the show was first announced, I expected it to be a TV show meant to pander to young children. It would either be silly or forgettable.

Nope.

The show has blown all expectations out of the water through its bold story-telling and animation. The characters all feel realistic- they have strengths and flaws, which are most apparent when they face difficult situations. Another strength is that this show is not afraid to tackle issues (war, moral issues- "how far are we willing to go for the sake of peace?", discrimination, etc) that have become a part of our society in the present and past several years.

In the new 8 episodes dropped, the central theme appears to be identity. Mainly about finding your identity (ex: finding an alt-mode), making up parts of your identity (ex: finding the right alt-mode that matches each character), and integrating new experiences into your identity (ex: Megatron's decision to gain an Earth-based alt-mode to earn the Autobots' trust)- those sort of topics. These are all important and wonderful topics to discuss and share in a show. However, what surprised me the most was that the writers were not afraid to show the ugly sides of identity-related topics.

The 17th and 18th episodes- "Home Part I" and "Home Part II"- subtly tackle racism and xenophobia. Robbie, Twitch, and Hashtag are visiting Robbie's friend in a skateboard park. While having fun, they stumble upon an anti-transformers graffiti- "Transformers go home". Twitch and Hashtags are shocked and upset over this. Twitch says "This just isn't okay" because they were born on Earth and have lived there for their entire existence. However, Robbie's friend insists that their existence on Earth isn't "okay" since "Invading the Earth wasn't okay either". He's essentially telling them that they exist because of the war, which was unwanted, so therefore, their existence "isn't okay".

That scene honestly emotionally destroyed me. Before I explain why let me say a few things.

I am Korean American. The experiences/feelings I will later talk about are my own and do not fully represent the Korean American and/or East Asian communities. Our community's experiences are varied; thus, one person’s is not enough to sum them all of them.

Throughout my life, especially in the past couple of years- during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had all of these things happen to me:

- I have been called hateful slurs.

- People have made the slanted eyes gesture to me numerous times.

- A few people have greeted me with "ni hao". (This is offensive because they automatically assume I'm from China because I'm Asian. It supports the idea that AAPI communities are one monolith. Hint: They're not.)

- Many people have asked me if I eat dog meat… (I don't. Never have.)

- Too many times, I have been told to "go back home". (I don't even remember the exact number. That's an indicator of how many times it's happened)

- In college, I have had many academic and career advisors ask if I'm a foreign student. It doesn't appear be an offensive question, but if I were Caucasian, no one would have thought to ask me if I was a foreigner. But no, I am Asian, so there is a huge chance that I might not be American.

The fact that I am Asian, or Korean American, an ethnicity (Korean) not found in the Americas, is enough of an excuse to question my identity and my entire life - who I am, where I'm from, and my own habits. To many, it is an excellent excuse to ensure I feel like an outsider in my own home.

The "Transformers go home" scene destroyed me because it reminds me of the pain that comes from the fact that there will always be people who believe I do not belong in my own country- no matter how many experiences I have had and how ingrained they are in me.

These characters are experiencing that same pain, too, even when they shouldn't be. The insistence from Robbie's friend that their experiences aren't enough to explain their belonging to Earth because they are physically Cybertronian- or transformers- is especially heartbreaking.

However, Robbie stands up for his family and breaks ties with his friend. He refuses to accept the blatant discrimination his siblings are facing and leaves instead. This is significant because while the writers show the ugly side of human society, they also show how to combat it- by refusing to stand by and accept it.

This scene is likely why Earthspark will become and will be remembered as one of the best Transformers shows ever.

It's not just the animation or the stories/plots. It is the show's willingness to tackle issues that are difficult to discuss in real life.

In a world where Anti- Asian, Anti- Latino, Anti- LGBTQIA sentiments and (basically) any hate toward minority groups are on the rise, Earthspark is not afraid to go head-on with these issues. They are willing to show scenes to demonstrate the harm these ideas and beliefs can cause, as well as solutions on how to fight them.

The show embraces the beautiful sides of humanity- friendship, family, love, and hope- but is also not afraid to fight the ugly parts of it too.

Written by: CK17088

#transformers #transformers earthspark #ck17rambles #opinion #tf earthspark spoilers #earthspark #earthspark spoilers #if you read all of this thank you #aapi #Asian identity #if you read all of this I have respect for you #i wrote this at 3am #i seriously need to go to sleep #why am I writing all of these hashtags #transformers have taken over my brain #the flowers in the other episode has annihilated my emotions #I seriously really need to go to sleep #tf earthspark #I love this show too much #honestly if you want share your own thoughts on this scene #just be respectful to each other please

[comradekatara]

hey, thanks, all’s well that ends well. 🙏

I was def struck (and delighted by) your theory! had to re-think things I had always assumed like, wait, was Yon Rhas flashback entirely in his head??

there’s so much interesting fic fodder too: are Hakoda or Kanna the type to tell Katara, or keep that info from burdening her? how would that convo have gone down?

it definitely lends itself to interesting character analysis

another thought to support your theory btw: Katara sees black snow and says “I’m gonna find mom,” so immediately that I wonder if this was something she’d been explicitly instructed to do as a child…

yes! i've never considered that yon rha was recounting that because there was no narration, much like when katara has her flashback on appa and it's clear that she's not speaking, as opposed to sokka's flashback, which he is explicitly recounting to zuko. but even if he was, and that's what katara is responding to, i've always been so certain that they both knew why kya died because it is so key to informing their characters.

katara knowing that she was targeted as a waterbender (the fact that she's the only waterbender in the south pole being a big clue for her growing up, as well) is a huge part of what drives her to travel north, fight for her right to learn, and work so hard that in a matter of weeks that she is effortlessly destroying all her peers, quickly becoming the most powerful waterbender in the world. knowing her mother died for her is what motivates her to be a great bender, a great leader, to take on the qualities she admires in her mother such as her warmth and care and compassion, but also never acting purely selflessly (like she's caring of course, but her own interests are always given primacy in any decision she makes, with the exception of maybe making an occasional sacrifice for aang).

and then sokka knowing that their mother died for katara motivates him to be replicate that dynamic so that katara can remain safe. both hakoda and kanna emphasize how important it is that he take care of katara in their goodbyes, and he is extremely protective over her and ready to sacrifice everything for her and prioritizes her over everything. it's a protectiveness and willingness to sacrifice oneself that goes beyond normal "younger sibling" responsibilities (i should know); it's the sacrifice one would make when someone in their lives is special and important and must be protected at all costs, and you are not special by comparison, you are expendable.

i think that knowing that why their mother died informs their motivations throughout their lives in such a beautifully tragic way, to the point that i can't imagine that they didn't know.

i think katara wouldn't bring it up when talking about her mother because even though she's very open with her feelings and can accept that it wasn't her fault that her mother died, the fact that kya's death was so personal and traumatizing means it isn't something she generally wants to disclose to strangers, especially since they already do already understand the genocidal nature of the fire nation, considering she always discusses her mother's death in the context of bonding with those who have also lost people/homes to the fire nation. i can't imagine any fourteen year old is so emotionally intelligent that they could actually say "my mother died to protect me" without wanting to throw up. i know i wouldn't be able to!

i do wonder though at what point hakoda and kanna had to tell katara and sokka. i feel like they probably would've held off from talking about it at first, both to protect their innocence but also because they hadn't processed their grief themselves, but eventually sokka would start asking questions, like why was kya the only one who was executed in the raid, what prompted their arrival, etc. he's a very curious and paranoid person, and i imagine as a child he would've asked so many questions all the time. so their hand is forced, and they explain to him that kya died to protect katara because she's the last waterbender. and he internalizes that deeply.

you know what, maybe katara didn't know until yon rha told her, or she figured it out when she was with hama and he confirmed it. she would still want to be a great waterbender and emulate her mother and fight for her memory even if she didn't feel guilty about her death, though i think it adds an extra layer to her character, especially concerning her rage in "the southern raiders" and her fury at pakku in "the waterbending master." but there's no way that sokka doesn't know. sokka knows, and believes above all else that it is his duty to die for katara when the time comes the same way kya did. he can no longer see his mother's face that so resembles his own; it has been replaced by katara.

#morepopcornplease #asks #katara #sokka #katara&sokka #katara&kya #kya&sokka #analysis

[wat-the-cur]

Top 5 books!!

Okay, I think it’s important to say at this point, that I am very, very much not well read. After hitting a certain age, I’ve read books in a very sparse and scattered way. It’s something I want to change, but developing new habits is difficult. Because I’ve not read a whole lot, I guess I haven’t found a whole lot of books I could hold up as favourites. I do have one absolute favourite that I could recommend until I’m blue in the face, and a few others that I would not say are favourites, but are still pretty special. So, that’s how I’ll lay this out.

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - Just...Just, uggghhh. I love this book so much. I actually saw the TV series first (which is one of the most perfect adaptations ever, please watch it), and because excerpts from the book were read in the narration, I could hear how beautiful the prose was. Not only is the prose utterly lush, though, for me, it’s very relatable emotionally and spiritually. It is also a book that has grown with me. Each time I read it, I found myself sympathising with a different character. No other book (and yes, like I’ve said I haven’t read many, but the point still stands) has really grown with me like that. It’s very personal, sort of like a home to me. So, yes, even if I do read other great books, this will always be a favourite.

And now, here are some books that I also enjoy and would recommend!

2. Granny by Anthony Horowitz - Now, hear me out. I first heard this one on a library audiobook as a child, and I loved it so much, my mother burned a copy for me. I credit this as being, not my first encounter with horror, but certainly a significant one. The concept of the story is that a significant portion of elderly ladies hate everyone, particularly their own families, and want to cause as much pain and trouble to them as possible. The story follows Jordan “Joe” Warden, as he becomes locked in a terrifying power struggle with his own Grandmother. What makes this story so unsettling, is that while the story has a surreal, absurd feel to it, it also has this odd realism to it. Granny is not a supernatural monster, she has no unusual powers, she is just a very selfish, very sadistic woman. She manipulates, she lies, she attacks, she even kills. The cruelty feels real, and that is a lot for a kids’ book. And for all that, it’s still very funny and a quick, easy read. I definitely recommend it for any horror fan, for some light reading.

3. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - Okay, maybe I was wrong, maybe this is actually a favourite of mine. This story absolutely destroyed me when I first read it, not too long ago. I hadn’t cried over a book since I was about seven, but this one got me right in the gut. This story is very famous, but for any who don’t know what it’s about; Hard working salesman, Gregor, wakes one morning to find he has turned into a giant insect. The story is Gregor’s account of how his family learn to cope without his income, and treat him as a result.

4. The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley - Another very recent read, but one I really enjoyed! The story of a public school boy, Leo, who visits his friend’s stately home for the summer. There, his friend’s beautiful sister persuades him to act as her postman, and deliver letters between herself and a farm worker from a neighbouring estate. What I liked so much about this book, is that it is a very realistic portrayal of the workings of a child’s mind. It portrays the innocence, the arrogance, the petty selfishness, the silly fancies, without either romanticising, or judging them. Something that the story heavily subverts, however, is the idea of the purity of star crossed lovers. By portraying the relationship between the sister and the farmer through Leo, and his appointed task, we see the relationship in a different light than we might have, had the story been told through the couple’s perspective.

5. Scum by Roy Minton - This one is sort of cheating, because it’s actually a novelisation of a film. The 1977 TV film, which was later remade as a cinematic film in 1979, “Scum”. The story of the inner workings of an English borstal, and one boy’s climb to the top of the hierarchy. “Scum” is still a favourite film of mine, and the novel adds a lot that did not make either cut if the film. For a film novelisation, it is pretty well written. Quite simple and cut and dry, but it is fitting for the subject matter. As you can probably guess, being about the realities of borstal in the 1970s, it is a very brutal and gritty read. Major WARNING for rampant racism, violence, SA and suicide.

Wow, this was longer than I thought it would be! Thanks so much for sending this ask, buddy! I hope that it is at least a decent read.

#asks #lists #books #reading #book recommendations

[noveratus]

People really wanted to see me talk about Oswald, so here it is. Honestly, what is there to say about my favorite character of all time?

Oswald is such a complex character and I know that he is super popular in the fandom of Gotham (not so much in DC), but I still think he is underrated? Because, here is the thing, when people talk about Oswald it is generally because nygmobblepot, and don't get me wrong, I love that ship. It is also my favorite ship of all time, but Oswald is so much more complex than that? Oswald is both feral and a gentleman, a strategic mastermind and an emotional man that wears his heart on his sleeve. He is the definition of Lawful Evil and he is such a tragic character too, because, had Oswald not been born in Gotham, he would have been a good, caring person. People talk a lot about the duality of Joker (Jeremiah/Jerome) and Batman (Bruce), but not enough people talk about the duality between Jim and Oswald, because they are both prideful men who want what is better for Gotham, Jim believes that the only way to achieve that is by following the law while Oswald was taught since he was a child that the only way to get what you want, the only way for you to be loved and respected is for you to be feared first, and so that is what he does. He is obsessed with power in the early seasons and this arrogance is what leads to him ultimately losing the person he loved the most, a loss he never truly gets over and it is a shame that the show went how it did in season 3 of Gotham, because I don't think that Ed and Oswald breaking up then was a bad thing, I just despise the way that they did that. Neither Oswald nor Ed were ready for a relationship then, but this is about Oswald, so allow me to get into more detail when it comes to him. In season 3 of Gotham, Oswald loves Edward. That is true, the problem is that Oswald doesn't know how to deal with this love. He is shy at first, insecure and then he is plain out selfish. And no, this isn't about Oswald killing Isabella, he was justified to do that (within Gothams context), but he wasn't justified for was rushing Edward regarding his loss. Edward was heartbroken after Isabella's death and he was justified to be, regardless of how long they were together for. He cared for her. Oswald had no right to pretty much tell Edward to "hurry up, get happy so I can date you." This is selfish and cruel of him, but again, I can't be too mad because he isn't used to loving, he only knows the love of his parents who loved him unconditionally and hatred from everyone else he has ever met. I don't think he deserved what he got in season 3, especially considering Jim's actions in that same season, Oswald was emotionally ignorant in his actions, Jim was not. Jim knew very well he didn't have to kill Mario, he knew he was sick and he still chose to murder him in cold blood, but when Lee becomes infected and nearly destroys the whole city for it and buries him alive he is willing to let her go. Still not as bad as his crimes in season 4 which he should have been arrested for, but I digress. Oswald Cobblepot is the perfect flawed character who has the perfect character arc as a man who starts off thinking that power is the most important thing in the world to then realize that power is nothing without someone to share it with.

#gotham #batman #dc #penguin

[linkspooky]

I actually find your take of “Maki is in the bad place right now” really refreshing and honestly relieving.

Since I personally also believe that as well. However, a lot of people tend to take the comparison between her and Toji in a way where she would surpass him in a way that she would be mentally and emotionally better/a better person than Toji.

And I’m a bit baffled by that statement, since Maki murdered a whole clan. If anything I personally think that the comparisons are a negative foreshadowing since it should not be a good thing she is becoming more like Toji.

People take the massacre as a symbolic way of Maki destroying the patriarchy and misogyny, which I’m honestly find it hard to believe. Since if mass murder can reform society Gojo would have killed the higher ups in the beginning. But he stated how it’s pointless and does nothing. Thus, I believed that Maki didn’t destroy the patriarchy, she just made her mental and emotional state worst by not confronting her trauma of losing Mai.

I did remember hearing an argument that she is supposedly already better than Toji since during the Kyoto vs Tokyo arc where Maki and Megumi are against Hanami, Maki corporate and knew her limits. Thus switching to Todo and Yuji. Stating how she doesn’t get lost in her cockiness like how Toji does. I’m honestly not too sure if I’m restating that argument correctly, but that’s how I took from it.

However, I found that a bit inaccurate, since Toji actually did know his limits thus he tend to act cleaver and smart to gain a more upper hand. He only died due to his pride getting into his head. And honestly that’s a similarity that Toji and Maki have, in my opinion. They are both too prideful to admit their vulnerabilities. Both try to distance themselves from those who are important to them (Toji with Megumi, and Maki with Mai), and both ended up regretting it.

Both have definitely not emotionally mature to deal with their trauma, and the argument as if Maki is more emotionally better than Toji is incorrect. Since if that was the case, she should have mended her relationship with Mai during the Kyoto vs Tokyo arc. Where Mai was right there! Telling Maki how she felt abandoned and just wanted to know if Maki still loves her. But rather than Maki reconnecting with her twin and reach an understanding between the both of them, Maki instead put her pride before her love for Mai, and left her alone once again.

I honestly can’t really blame anyone for all this though, since it tend to be a common belief within the fandom that Maki supposedly left the clan in the first place for Mai’s sake… Even though, it personally doesn’t make sense to me, but… okay. Not only that, the manga didn’t even really show the negative repercussions of like… killing a whole bunch of people. So I guess I can understand how people are assuming that Maki is in the “right” path.

I definitely believe Maki need an intervention to be in an actual good place, since she is definitely not right now.

Hello, thank you so much for this ask I loved reading it. However, it is a long ask so I am going to do my best to reply to it bit by bit.

I talked about this in a previous meta, but yes I have let's say dissenting opinions on most of the fandom's takes on Maki's character progression so far. In the meta I spoke of the fact that not only is Toji a bad example, because one while being a victim of the cycle of abuse he very much continued the cycle of abuse not only to his own son, but complete innocents like Rika. Toji is not a role model in any sense of the word. Of course, part of that is obviously Maki does not even know who Toji is, she just saw him appear during the fight against Dagon and to the Zenin Clan members present, he was the only one who seemed to be free of any restrictions at all.

Maki only sees him as someone who was powerful, and therefore someone she wants to reach the same heights as, but that's the problem in and of itself. Maki's desire for power at this point is empty. She has no need to want to be stronger, because if she was fighting the Zenin to make them a better place for Mai (and that's a big if because it's not really her original stated reason in the Kyoto Battle arc, it seems like she either changed her mind or Gege decided to take her in a different direction / added that in to make Maki seem more aggrieved when Mai died) then her primary goal is lost. If she wants revenge against Mai, well she has that now. Maki has the vague goal of getting stronger, with a big "FOR WHAT?" stapled at the end. You could say she wants to help her friends, but it's a little bit inconsistent to have her murder tens of people in then just go back to everyone else like "I want to help my friends" completely emotionally healthy and fine.

Which leaves us with Maki is gettig stronger, because she has nothing else left after losing Mai, for it's own sake, or for the sake of her pride... and that is exactly why her becoming more like Toji is wrong because Toji at some point gave up on everything else including his own son and fight basically just for himself and his own selfish reasons. He formed his whole identity around taking jobs and sorcerer killing for money, because he had nothing else and when he had something in Megumi he deliberately decided to throw that person away. Toji is strong, but that's all he is.

The comparisons between her and Toji read like negative foreshadowing, because Maki herself is not doing anything to really differentiate herself from Toji. She admires him for his strength, wants to be strong, and that's about it. She has the vague notion that she also wants to be free, represented by the birds taking flight. A really common take I read is "Unlike Maki, Toji didn't want to make any positive change in the world or reform anything" but like Maki has not expressed any desire to reform things either. She doesn't have ideals besides "be strong."

Megumi and Yuji are characters who are also constantly seeking to be stronger, but they think about the world around them and try to form ideas of right and wrong. Maki killing the clan also wasn't because she believed the Zenin was too corrupt and needed to be wiped out, it's very specifically a vengeance killing to avenge Mai. She did not do it because she wanted to affect positive change in the world, she did it out of her hurt feelings for Mai. People also say it's wrong to compare Maki's mass killing to Geto's mass killing, but like... why is one murder of a lot of people any more or less moral than another? The whole reason that Geto killing the whole village is so wrong and such a destructive turning point for him was because not every single person in that village was responsible for locking Nanako and Mimiko in that cage, and it wasn't just about revenge for them it was also about Geto's increased disillusionment with all the humans around him. We can't be one hundred percent sure if every single Zenin clan member Maki killed was even guilty, besides several of the people were people without cursed technique in the Kukuru unit they were probably treated poorly and looked down upon in the clan too.

There's nothing moral about Maki's actions, they are a response to the trauma of losing Mai, and the thing is I don't think Maki is past the point of no return there is still every chance in the world for her to claw her way back and deal with her grief for Mai in a more healthy way... but murder ain't it.

This is something I was addressing earlier, Toji either acted with no pride and fought for completely empty reasons (money) and at the same time for prideful reasons. Maki wanting to prove herself to the clan is more about her pride because she would have hated herself otherwise, and that's understandable but like I said there is not much else left to her now, she is only getting stronger for the sake of that pride because she has lost any other objective.

Which is exactly the same pride that got Toji killed. If Maki's objective was to destroy the Zenin, well she has gotten it, she's won. There's nothing wrong with her wanting to be stronger, but once again we reach this big question of "Why?" she has lost Mai, completed her vengeance against the Zenin, she can't verbalize any reason why she would want to be stronger now so the only thing left is pride. There's nothing more than self-affirmation left for her.

THe only thing Maki verbalizes is that she's not satisfied with being like everyone else, and wants more to reach the greater heights, but once again... and then what? What does she want to use that strength for? What is the purpose of this other than to prove that sorcerer society was wrong about her? 

The only thing I can glean from Maki’s self reflections during the Naoya chapters was she wanted to climb to greater heights, because at least that’s... something. 

 mean this is me neglecting to mention the fact she just killed upwars of like, fifty people and seems to express no regret for it or emotional reaction whatsoever.

She's clearly not processing her feelings in any healthy way, she even casually mentions she stabbed her own mother in the back and then is like... "...Well, moving on." And like her mother is one of her abusers, Maki has every right to loathe her mother, or even strike back against her and yet at the same time like I said Maki doesn't really verbalize or consider how she feels about it, it's just... well she's dead now moving on.

Yeah, I think number one a common fandom perception is that Maki killing the clan was some kind of move for political reform or to rid the jujutsu world for corruption when it was not... it was motivated by revenge. It is also literally the opposite of what Gojo said that they should do, he spends an entire chapter saying why they can't just slaughter everyone on the top.

My entire point about Maki is if she had positive character development like people seemed to think she has, or if she was in an emotionally healthy state, just like you said Maki would have been able to just talk about her feelings and process them in a healthy way. She's so bottled up she doesn't really think about her feelings. Maki has the vague goal of "Freedom" and yet, she is technically free now, no more Zenin Clan, has she moved on? Has she stated what she wants to do next?

I honestly think the Maki wanting to reform the Zenin clan for Mai's sake, may have either just been Maki changing her mind because of what Mai said to her in the Kyoto Battle, or even a retcon to make Maki look more sympathetic before Gege had her kill a bunch of people. If Maki was doing it for Mai's sake, why not just tell Mai that she wanted to help Mai make the Zenin better for her? Why not just tell her sister she still cares and is doing this for her sake and Mai is clearly distraught and begging her to just give her any sign she still cares.

Maki saying "I didn't want to hate myself' is the response she gave her, which indicates what he true motivation was, her pride over her sister and while it's udnerstandable why Maki wants to be able to love and respect herself in a clan that abused her at the same time it's a pretty consistent character flaw she has. She also has to have a character flaw or something to work on because the manga is not over yet, and if you're going to focus on a character then they need to grow and change in some way.

Also like I said yeah, framing. Geto is at least clearly framed as in the wrong when he kills the people in Mimiko and Nanako's village. No one even mentions Maki murdering the Zenin clan, and no consequences for it have hit her yet.

#askspookies #maki zenin

[marriedmyfandom]

Wednesday in a QPR for season 2

Okay, this started as an idle thought because someone said that aroace Wednesday would destroy her emotional/social character arc which is just ???

Like first off, you can definitely develop your social skills and how to check in with your emotions by just... making friends. Wednesday staying a single aroace but learning how to make and maintain friendship would still be character development.

But for the sake of the argument let’s pretend that you subscribe to the allo monogamous notion that for everyone there is this one (1) *special* person out there. So let her be in a QPR!!! Is my main argument for this that I finally want QPR representation, especially in mainstream media? Yes, but that doesn’t make it any less important. I  mean is that really too much to ask?

Now, I know Enid is the most prominent choice for Wednesday’s QPR and I hear and support you but may I propose Tyler...? Hear me out:

I know him saying she was sending him signals got some mixed reactions to say the least. But most people at some point deluded themselves into thinking their crush was sending them signals when their crush very much did not. And also, it’s not as if Wednesday sent anyone else non-platonic signals because she’s probably aroace. Add to that Tyler might be aroace himself but in denial so all he knows about romantic/sexual relations is what society and media taught him and the whole situation gets even more confusing

So why Tyler? (let me preface this by saying this is gonna include some self-projection but isn’t that the point?)

It’s very clear that he cares about her and is very intent on clear communication. Wednesday would always know where she stands with him and we know he has the nerve to ask her where he stands with her and is respectful of her boundaries. Which is important in any relationship but especially in a QPR. Also the fact that she kissed him shows that she felt comfortable enough to explore her own limits with him and trusts him to stop when she shows signs of discomfort because his previous actions were proof that he does.

Of course there is the issue of the Hyde but the more I think about it the more adamant I become that this is not his fault. Like he was groomed/manipulated/traumatized so much. We know he did not intentionally start everything and I would not be surprised if he  actually did not enjoy any part of it. But he was told that he did over and over again so he finally deluded himself into believing that because it gave him some sense of control. (honestly, how many groomed ppl during the relationship think that they actually want this only to later realize that they very much did not). Especially given how emotionally vulnerable he was in that entire situation.

But why should Tyler be in a QPR? I’ve stated before (on Twitter) that I believe both Tyler and Wednesday are queer. I don’t care if you call it mlm/wlw solidarity, bi4bi, QPR, ... there’s something fruity going on between these two. Now this is where the self-projection is getting heavy. The whole Hyde thing will probably cause an alienation between Tyler and his body because so much happened to his body that he had absolutely no control. And as someone whose body does a lot of stuff I have no control over because of my physical disability, let me tell you that it makes intimacy with other people complicated to unappealing (now, I have no way of knowing if I’m simply on the ace-spectrum or if sth caused by my anxiety about my temperamental body. But since I’m generally interested in it but then end up worrying myself in a frenzy about my body’s movements during something as simple as a cuddle session even though physical touch is my primary love language I’m leaning towards the latter). So Tyler would also need to be in a relationship with someone who is aware and respectful of his physical boundaries.

And that’s why I think they should be in a QPR together and will now delude myself into thinking that the show is giving us signals that it will happen even though it’s absolutely unrealistic.

#wednesday #wednesday addams #wednesday and tyler #qpr #tyler galpin #wyler #aroace

[anti-dazai-blog]

If you answer this ask, answer it privately if required, since I'm afraid that answering this publicly may give certain pussies sensitive people a personal grudge against your blog.

I am glad for the valuable service you render to the fandom. People who sincerely consider this a rabid 'anti blog' make me laugh. Instead you're providing crirical thinking to the BSD fandom, which should come naturally to those who are really invested in it, but such practical views are surprisingly lacking in 90% of this fandom.

Anyways, tho i dont agree with just 2 - 3 of your points - i agree with many many of them. Thank you for having eyes and noticing the obvious red flags in Dazai's behaviour. Lol I still ship Dazatsu for certain stuff, but earlier when I was in a bad place someone pointing out its toxic aspects ruined my mood. But now im in a good place and mentally tough, so I realise that this toxicity will actually give Atsushi incredible, very important character growth where he learns to stand up for himself, be wary of red flags and become independent and find actual beneficial people to rely on.

Hi anon, I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog!!

I don’t mind answering publically, especially since this touches on a subject I’d like to cover here. 

I really do appreciate this ask, but I don’t have any problem with people who disagree with the Anti-Dazai Series.

I just wanna make it clear — this blog is only my opinion, not a moral standpoint. I don’t consider it right or wrong to agree or disagree with the takes I post here, and there are more than one valid way of interpreting a character. Of course, I agree wholeheartedly with everything I post, but it really is just a matter of opinion. 

So long as someone can cite the sources [in this case, quote the manga I guess] to back up their viewpoint, it’s 100% legit and valid. And to be honest, I don’t think it would be too difficult to make a valid case in Dazai’s favor. I’d go as far as to say that I can easily make a “Pro-Dazai Blog”, where I’d show the most positive interpretation of all of Dazai’s actions. Sure I’d disagree with it all, but I doubt it would be too difficult to make.

And to touch on the subject of shipping: I’m not into shipping, and don’t ship anything from any fandom (I’m more into found family dynamics than ships). But I don’t consider it wrong to ship something that would be toxic or dysfunctional irl— the whole point of shipping is to explore two characters’ dynamics if they were in a relationship, right? I don’t really see a problem with people going “hey what would these two be like together? Oh, they’d mentally and emotionally destroy each other? Neat.”

I’ve mentioned this before but I’ll say it as many times as I can: The media you consume isn’t a moral standpoint*. If you wanna see what it would be like for certain characters to be in a relationship and you go read some fanfiction of it, you’re not a horrible person if the relationship is bad. I mean, my main is a Classic Lit/ Shakespeare blog. Obviously it’s not full of posts about characters in happy, functional relationships. 

[*Nuance!! There are exceptions but I don’t feel like getting into them right now!]

Anyway. Sorry if this came off as critical. I don’t mean any of this directed at you specifically, I just wanted to make my stance on this stuff clear. 

And thanks again for agreeing that I’m not a “rabid hate blog”— I think that take primarily comes from people who read my URL without reading what I post

#Anti dazai asks #I have absolutely no problem with people disagreeing with me- #I do however have a problem when people harass me because I don’t like their blorbo

[sserafimliya]

why gon isn’t a typical protagonist and what’s his difference. ( based on anime) spoilers

it’s hard to say, what exactly made me think about that gon isn’t a protagonist, but rather his opposite. I think, comparing him with other protagonist of other titles, I saw a lot of inconsistencies in the image of the "typical main character".

in the beginning we see gon as a child with an aim, who is ready to do anything for her. and for the whole story the author showing us that’s he’s really would do anything to get it. even to sacrifice himself or their friends, which is not inherent in other characters of such a psychotype.

In his interview in 2018, togashi said that he originally conceived gon as the "typical good main character", but when he started writing the first chapters, he changed his mind, made gon more realistic, and this is the most important thing for us.

gon isn’t the central character of hunter. at least, he shares this role with killua, and this is already one significant difference from other works where there is a main character and a group of friends who’s supporting him.

the main task and idea of hunter is understanding what morality is, what good and what bad is, and where it ends. by exploring this issue through gon, togashi forces the character to reconsider his views, placing the typical hero senen in realistic survival conditions.

gon is a kid at the beginning of the story, and he has a clear division into black/white and bad/good, but not true/wrong. his friends are good, but people, who cause hurt or other stuff, are bad. but at the same time, gon doesn’t have an analysis of actions as right and wrong in relation to any person because of his selfishness. he divides people into good and bad based not on their actions, but rather on personal gain and the benefits they can give him.

also I want to note the hisoka’s influence on gon, which is hard to miss. at the beginning of story they’re rivals, who is interested in each other. throughout the story, hisoka influences gon, and by the end of the arch of the chimera ants, we can see what this has led to (not only this, but also the circumstance and the arch of gon’s changes itself). gon hates weakness and hates being weak, and having stronger opponents like hisoka only stimulates his development.

thanks to hisoka, the dark side of gon is revealed and it becomes stronger due to next events. gon is selfish, not only because he’s a kid, it his own character. and it lets him move as he wants, do whatever he wants and how he wants. he sacrifices even his closest friend, killia, his well-being, in order to avenge kaito.

we see how the basic arch of the main hero breaks already in the third or fourth chapter of the anime. gon initially seems good for us, and because of this he has nowhere to grow, both due to the absence of events that break him, and the age at which gon has poorly developed self-reflection and a clear analysis of the feelings of his own and others, unlike the same killua. in the end of at the end of the arch of the ants, we see and are greatly surprised how, instead of morally and emotionally growing up and analyzing what happened, gon slowly destroys all the good things that were in him for the revenge.

since he has never experienced a real loss before, it is the loss of kaito that becomes the trigger for him and a sign that he has the right to take revenge, and that this is "good", and the murder of kaito itself is "bad".

for me also their relationships with killua means a lot. killua has found the man, who considers him just a kid and a good friend, and not a killing machine, as he used to think. killua genuinely cares about gon, which is clearly seen in the arch of the ants and the final battle. unfortunately, I cant say the same about gon — he remains devoted to himself, despite his closeness with killua and does what he needs, following only his ideals.

in conclusion I wanna say that gon is really an amazing character, who has to go through the arch of "healing and self—reflection" to realize what he did and why, but tagashi perfectly showed us how the cruelty and dullness of the world affects the child's psyche and what it leads to, gon's psychological arch came out wonderful.

#hunter x hunter #gon freeks #gon x killua #killua hunter x hunter #hxh killua #hxh gon

[bunchofstraydogs]

Dazai Osamu character breakdown as I understand him

Meaning that this might be inaccurate and your opinion and visage of him might differ from mine, which is just fine. We perceive the world and the people around us through our experiences and expectations. I'm curious to know how you guys see a complex character like Dazai, just please respect everyone's opinions.

Warning: Manga plot mentions, s2 spoilers, BEAST light novel spoilers, Dazai Osamu

Dazai Osamu was introduced into the scene of Bungou Stray Dogs at 14 when Mori found him.

Even at that young age, Dazai had suicidal tendencies and had been wrapped in bandages similarly as he is in the present. Already dealing with too much trauma for a child his age, the fire is fuelled as he was forced to bear witness to the death of the Port Mafia boss at the hands of Mori, the person that took him under his wing. To use him; which was becoming very apparent to Osamu if he hadn't been aware since the start. Now, I'm not saying that death of the previous boss left a particular scar on Samu, he even agrees with it and is something he himself would have done. But that that is the scene that bore fruit of the following quotes:

"Or could it be that you're afraid, Mori-san? That one day i will slit your throat and take over as the boss?"

followed by

"Everyone seems suspicious to those who have an axe to grind."

This tells us right away that he can tell what type of person you are just from the way you perceive your surroundings, which is logical, but not something many think too deep into.

Even less who have their evaluations of others on point like he does. And he has to, since Dazai's plan is always to understand his allies, his enemies, possible allies and possible enemies. He also takes into account important neutral parties that can still, in one way or another, affect the outcome of his plans or decide to align with one side out of common interest. After comes realising the main goals, along with side achievements (just in case some of those maim his allies or ruin the future plans he made) of every party. Taking in their morals and motivation, and being familiar with the ground the confrontation will happen on, he now has the view of the whole chess board and it's pieces in his head. He moves his allies in the right places, knowing how they'll react in the situation to come, and awaits the enemies with open fire arms. He was tought to think like that. At all times. Mori made sure of it. You know how specialists never really stop thinking in their areas of expertise, like doctors, for example, will naturally notice people's posture and look for scoliosis or whatever? How your foot hits the floor, if you're walking straight, your knees and shoulders, etc. Same for Dazai. His brain maps out person's expressions, reactions, choices, personality, etc. in great detail. I'm pretty sure he has eidetic memory, if his conversations in manga with Fyodor are anything to go by.

Another thing his brain does is think of worst possible outcomes.

Not in a fear of what if things go wrong, but as a possible route. He uses it to determine how big of a threat the opposing force is and what steps they'll have to take to achieve that. Knowing that, he'll know how to intercept them. Also, like everything else, it's not something he can control since we're talking about thought process here and that's just how his brain works. Can't magically turn that off. It's especially annoying to him when he's genuinely enjoying himself with, let's say, ADA members and then his brain goes brrr.

•"A lot happened recently and we're a torn in many people's eyes." *Tanizaki and Atsushi drinking punch* "There's a possibility, while a small one, about 8% at this very moment, but as time goes on will increase, that an organisation outside of Yokohama decided we're an unavoidable threat and poisoned the drinks. Don't drink that. Nothing will happen, they'll wake up tomorrow in pristine condition don't drink th-"

Yeah, i feel bad for him too.

He has PTSD and insomnia, besides the hectic brain,

so he's not getting proper amount of rest. Actually, he drinks almost every night by himself at home. Pretty sure it's canon as well, because if you search for a picture of him in his room, you'll see him surrounded by multiple bottles. Two of the PTSD symptoms are hallucinations and night terrors (no, that is not the same as a nightmare). What people usually do is use opium to cause hallucinations in a safe environment so that there's little chance of them happening uncontrolled. He's probably using alcohol to numb himself while he's reminiscing, since if he does still have hallucinations after years having passed by (which isn't impossible), they're probably few and far between. Not saying there's no chance he isn't using opium. He would know where to get what he needs, after all.

Osamu's haunted by his own actions as well, not just by trauma caused to him.

At an uncountable amount of occasions, he found himself looking into a mirror and not really comprehending his image. It was like dissociation. Looking through a fog at what's supposed to be your carbon copy, but not knowing all of your features perfectly, so whatever you're seeing could only be an impostor, yet you're not sure because that would take comprehending physical proof of your life to the fullest and how it works and he just... can't. He can but he doesn't want to. He already knows he's despicable and broken, doesn't really feel the need to see just how much. He can't, for all his perfect memory, remember the faces of the people he has killed. He hadn't even seen all of them, but he was responsible for their demise. Causing havoc and misfortune in general through other crimes besides murder as well. We've seen his expression when he listened in on Atsushi talking to Kyouka over the earpiece how the 35 deaths don't matter anymore. He knows they do and he knows that the change of heart won't justify what he's they've done. Ango thought him to value each life. But he also knows that even murderers can change and become good. Oda did that. It's also what's keeping him in the agency.

When Oda died, his last words mentioned that Dazai doesn't care about good or bad and that was correct for Dazai Osamu back then. I genuinely think that his present self does mind the difference.

He believes in necessary evil and will do dark shit to get the good outcome he's envisioned.

He doesn't separate outlaws and lawful people, however.

He knows that generally speaking, the line is thin and easy to cross and that many were born or forced into the situations they are. Those that fight the life thrown at them are an exception, not a rule. That's also why he likes Atsushi, probably the main reason. The boy has every right to hate the world and yet. Dazai is envious, he doesn't really have the same capacity.

I want now to talk about why does Dazai Osamu do what Dazai Osamu does.

The reason he attempts suicide, joined the mafia, made friends at all, is because for all his intelligence and observations, ability to understand others, he doesn't really understand himself.

He doesn't understand his worth. He doesn't understand his purpose. In all of that confusion, he finds no reason to live. He laughs but can't get the high, he bruises but can't fully heal. In all of the things people find happiness in he can't feel joy from. He is emotionally stunted. He thinks too logically. He doesn't understand actions out of emotions because to him, it doesn't make sense. Emotions cloud your mind and when you're not thinking straight, you make mistakes. Plain and simple. He just accepts it, that most people simply cannot control themselves and prefer lashing out instead of methodical approach. All the better for him, he has leverage. Even when he does act on impulse, which is incredibly rare and not as explosive and dramatic, his brain rationalises it as to why his actions were a good way to go. And if his reaction was one that bore fruit, than it was a tactical one.

"If you place yourself somewhere close to raw emotions, where you're exposed to raw violence and death, instinct and desire, you can brush against man's true nature. I though that way i could find a reason to live somehow."

From this, i can tell that he was hoping that, in a situation where he's pushed far enough, he'd realise what's important to him, what he wants to protect or destroy, what's one thing he wouldn't want to leave unsettled before dying. What is that one thing he'd regret dying before achieving? What should he fight death for. What is worth living on for? To him, it doesn't matter if that something is good or evil as long as he gets to keep it in his life.

It seems he hadn't found it exactly, but is satisfied with what he has for now, in the agency, to just keep going. But he still tries to commit suicide, hoping that one day, when the clear picture of the world around him is fading away, when he's becoming light headed from the lack of oxygen, when he's loosing control over his body and thoughts don't seem to flow well, there will be one thing, anyone, screaming at him to fight it. New day new chances. It didn't happen today, better luck tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomo-.

Now, like Mori, Dazai feels the need to, at all times, be in control of the situation. Including people.

That means no one, but perhaps Ranpo due to his own abnormal intellect, is aware of their own role. They know their mission, but they're not expecting to be given that particular one because they'll come across an obstacle they would react to in a way that would satisfy Osamu's plans.

Dazai Osamu is more of a chemist, than a chess player, if you ask me.

Throwing different people into the mix, under different conditions at different times and is noting down their reactions in safe surrounding if possible, so that when the time calls for it, he'll be able to make a perfect concoction for the predicament. A chemist and his substances; A chess player and his pawns; A puppeteer and his puppets. Now, Dazai is meticulous and never rash, but like everyone else (except effin Lovecraft what is he even) he's only human and he bleeds when he falls down and humans aren't perfect. He isn't always right. That means he makes mistakes. The issue with big shot players that control the board is that, when they fall down, everyone on their side crashes and burns as well. So the day Dazai fucks up everyone else will follow because of lack of insight on their part that's completely out of their control. All it takes is for him to underestimate or overestimate one person and chaos ensues. There is no such thing as happy little accidents small mistakes for someone like him. I have crippling anxiety and a sole thought that one hiccup could blow up in everyone's face... damn. I would try committing suicide myself. But it's his fault, he brought upon himself an obligation and pressure like that. To be fair, it was Mori that drilled that type of thinking where no one should know what you plan because they can't ruin what they don't know If they turn against you, they can't stop you.

For his own sake, and everyone else's, Dazai needs to learn how to show his cards and share the burden.

Again, going back to the emotionally stunted guy that has commitment issues (where he either can't commit or can't let go) trope.

He never outright does something good for someone where people would acknowledge it, he uses his underhanded tactics here as well.

He casually makes himself look like a bad guy, an asshole, to conveniently move attention from the inner turmoil a person is struggling with to a present problem at hand that they can fix and let their frustrations out on. But he hopes that, one day, someone just might notice his intentions for what they are and do the unspeakable- see through him.

"I'm a very private person. You don't ask, i don't tell."

Yes, and your whole existence is just a huge cry for help. He wants to be asked. He's begging for attention. A specific type of attention. One that will see him without making him feel imposed on. One that will understand his sins without making a big deal out of it. Accept him as a person he is, makes him feel like one as well. Makes him feel alive. Makes him feel... period.

The day he finds that thing is the day he completely turns his life around and fully dedicates to it. It's where the part of not being able to let go commitment issue ensues.

Since Oda's death he's been secretly keeping an eye out on possible ways to bring him back. If you've read Beast AU you know that when Dazai gets his hands on the book, he'll create a universe where Oda doesn't die. Should he find an ability user that can bring back the dead, just tell him what it will take, he's ready to destroy his own soul for it and if that isn't enough, well, he'll have no hesitation ruining theirs. After all, BEAST!Dazai Osamu never actually met Odasaku, he just had the memories he'd gotten from his canon self and that was enough for him to do everything he did.

He's incredibly selfish and has a weird come in but the door is a wall dynamic he rolls with in his self imposed solitude.

It's like the walls of the space in my brain are ugly and terrifying, so i closed off the entrance to keep myself in. I'm doing you a favour but please break the wall down and tell me it's okay to come out i don't want to be here-

Happy little thoughts woah woah yeah~

That's what i got from what I've seen of him. I may have missed some things, some things might prove to be wrong as the series progress further, but yeah.

There is, however, one more thing i want to put out here. Since Dazai was already like this before Mori found him, that begs to question as to why? What happened to him?

Now, since the characters are based on real people, is it crazy to say that Dazai Osamu has had a horrible childhood because of his father? Real life Dazai was terrified of his dad and was very intimidated by him. He always tried to stay in his good graces out of fear of punishment. Neither of his parents felt like a parent to him, actually. His father didn't care and his mother was often ill, but did care for him when she could. Both of them died eventually.

This could be the plot Kafka based Dazai's background on, but we'll have to wait and see.

#dazai osamu #bungou stray dogs #bsd #meta #dazai osamu headcanon #dazai osamu headcanons #hc #hcs #psychoanalysis

[poisonousquinzel]

i dont get when ppl call harley a lesbian, like, she is literally a walking bisexual flag also poison ivy is right there and and exudes the biggest mean lesbian vibes imo

!!!!!

Like at least with Ivy I understand the reasons and personally I agree with them, as a bisexual lady I headcanon Ivy as a lesbian, but like it's 1000% not the same with Harley's character???

She wasn't in love with Joker because of comphet or cause the writers/DC suck and just refuse to admit she only likes women because that'd piss off dudebros.

Not only does she have (important and telling) history in past/current relationships with people of Both sexes, but like being bisexual is not a lesser level version of being a lesbian???

She's just as valid identifying as bisexual, that doesn't change anything.

It's like they don't think she's "good enough rep" because they're just "pasting" the bi label on her for clout and brownie points and they're cowards for not telling her just be a lesbian. That ig her being bisexual is them sexualizing her in front of men??

Like that's literally not It, buddy. It's just fucking biphobic.

Bisexuality is not a stopping point on the way to one or the other side Nor is it something just to be forced into a character's arc for the sake of the male gaze.

It's a real and valid identity.

And honestly, I feel like the minimalizing of the nature of Harley's story and her feelings for him are kinda insulting considering:

Harley's relationship with him is based off a real life woman who survived this.

Like her relationship with Joker has a meaning, it's not just them putting her with a dude because they think it'd be hot or something.

It's supposed to be there to show the toxicity and tragedy of domestic violence and the awful impact it has on a woman to fall in love with a master manipulator and to be lured head first into that dark abyss of horror.

Just because Joker doesn't love her doesn't mean that it wasn't real for Harley. It doesn't mean she didn't love and adore him with everything in her.

She loved him so much that it destroyed her. It ruined her career and her life.

It's one of Harley's canon flaws throughout all incarnations of her. That when she falls, she falls hard and she's loyal to a fault, even if that person doesn't deserve loyalty.

Hell, it's one of the moments with Harlivy in the HQTAS that annoyed me the most tbh

This part.

Cause at this point this isn't Platonic Harlivy dealing with Harley ditching her for Joker in season 1. This would have worked if it was the season 1 confrontation.

But this is late season 2. This is long since Joker's death. Since he murdered Ivy.

This is far and deep into her emancipation.

And while, Yes, Harley is impulsive and unhinged in life. She's never been shown to be that unreliable when it comes to her lover.

The entire reason her relationship with Joker went on so long was because of this.

Hell like, think about the dozens of times she and she alone has broken Joker out of Arkham while he time and time and time a-fucking-gin has abandoned her to be arrested and locked up.

Ivy's well aware of how loyal Harley is, she's terrifyingly invested to the person she's in love with.

And Harley's just confirmed that she's in love with Her.

She wouldn't up and leave on a dime unless Ivy was acting like Joker and she needed to leave.

And they didn't really address it again?? Like I get it but also like I don't really feel like it works at this point in their relationship?? Skfjsks

(hopefully we'll get more emotionally charged scenes in the future, it was late in the season skdjsk)

Sorry for the random ramble, anyway, to wrap it up

It's genuinely insulting to minimize the entire incredible, heartbreaking journey she's had in the past 25+ years to become more fearful, independent and detached from her abuser to just insist her arc before Harlivy as just "bad writing" and them "just refusing to let her be a lesbian".

like any-hoo,, sucks for y'all ig but Harley Quinn is still a glowing, beautifully designed bisexual and she's chilling with her plant goddess girlfriend 😌✌️

(this is the convo that this stemmed from for anyone confused)

#not to say that her arcs have always been handled well #I've talked about my issues with their treatment of her long time PTSD from the abuse (or aka the almost entirely lack there of.) #but the concept and groundwork has been there since the beginning. regardless of my feelings about the comic #the Mad Love episode was heartbreaking and terrifying and done perfectly #tw abuse mention #♦️ asks ♦️ #harley quinn #harleen quinzel #dc comics #poison ivy #pamela isley #harlivy #me? rambling in detail about Harley? yup yup

[hologramcowboy]

I have a question which you don’t have to answer, but when did you first decide that you didn’t like Danneel and when did you realize that their marriage is off? I’m not trying to be rude or anything I’m just genuinely curious.

it's okay anon, i'm a curious person too so i get it. this is going to be a pretty long answer so sorry about that but it's not just one thing but several so click the read more link for the full feels.

since jensen hooked up with danneel his attitude started getting very arrogant so that was the first thing that clued me he was maybe seeing someone less than ideal. then i found out that she had cheated on riley and one day left him out of the blue after years together and after his mother got her into showbiz, paid for her fake boobs, got her opportunities, they were engaged to be married but she cheated and then one day left shocking him and his family. i later found out that not only did she cheat on riley with jensen but she got jensen to cheat on his then gf.

so she stole her happiness by destroying two innocent people's lives. years later she had the guts to say that she's "that bitch" or 'the queen' for stealing jensen from another woman. you can find receipts for this on the antiblogs.

as for their marriage being off, it's pretty obvious from the beginning that it was simply staged for press, look at the pictures, almost no one is looking at the bride. most attendees are gossip columnists and the whole think screams superficial and fake and jensen looks drunk (he truly was according to this groomsmen or so i am told, you can find receipts online), i wasn't there so I don't know but i do know a gossip columnist for a very important magazine that was there and was thoroughly unimpressed. plus, danneel kept bullying and threatening people online during that time and calling fans fat, crazy etc at cons so her character was shady to say the least. couple that with always posting on social media only to show she's "the bitch for landing jensen", didn't land him by the way, she destroyed two people and made him cheat to "land him" and did so while filming a movie together where she was naked most of the time so she was easy to get.

in other words, he had a girlfriend and she has a fiancee that had invested everything in her but she played the naked easy bimbo to make it easy for jensen to jump into bed with her and then build a whole persona around all of that slowly shifting her identity to "jensen's wife". she took on his name to garner more fame hoping it would shift her career but industry experts can see through her act and know she does not represent the same values Jensen does. hence why she barely gets cast and when she does it's because the person she is sleeping with got her in, or her friends did tiny or slightly "bigger" projects and gave her a part to milk the ackles name.

if you check her past interviews you will see her timelines never make sense, she contradicts herself and changes stories and also she pretends her family was important, they weren't she grew up in eunice on pecan grove. but she self-aggrandizes each chance she gets especially using the ackles name. since marrying her jensen has little to no contact with his real family and seems to have become a surrogate of her own...something's just off about the whole thing. during past interviews she attacked other women with catty, unnecessary comments and just generally displayed a level of self importance that does not match her z list status.

plus, jensen when he is around her is either drunk, dead tired and always, always chronically depressed, emotionally overwhelmed, he has all the signs of someone experiencing narcissistic abuse. she constantly demeans and devalues him and if you pay attention to her body language during lives with him you'll see how much tension there is. remember the one where she was trying to make herself look more special than a nurse? jensen had to yell "calm down!" look at her social media, you can;t see past posts anymore because she made sure that her slutty pics were removed but her whole identity on IG isn't even a identity, she has no personality it's all aimed at showing off and crushing others. her entire attitude is about demeaning others including jensen and the most offputting thing is using the kids as a trophy. to her, jensen is the prize that gives her the status she could never reach on her own.

unfortunately for her, her obnoxious personality reveals her true self no matter what she tries to portray, because underneath any off her comments if you break it down, she's making someone less. ever since they started making online lives i knew things were worse off than ever, because she chose to do those in response to rumors and someone who is happy doesn't live in response to rumors. if you tune in and really detach and look at their body language, you will see what those who have analyzed their red carpet appearances have, all is not well with their marriage and there is very little essence to them anyways. but don't take my word for it, go and experience things for yourself. never let others think for you, especially celebs, who's main interest is turning you into a source of revenue.

as far as i know, she takes everything from him and gives nothing back, she isolates him, devalues him and makes everything about her, even promoting misha, it was to show what a "loving" friend she is so she threw her own husband under the bus, knowing full well he hates destiel, just to raise her own profile. to understand her you have to ask yourself "what does she gain from doing this?" if you look back on it, even her interacting with ted casablancas, it was to raise her own profile and ride the ackles to success, as always.

i guess the absolute answer is: i knew when i noticed jensen suffering and going against his own values, love has nothing to do with suffering so i knew she was toxic, i guess i just hoped he would see that and get himself free but it seems something is holding him back. i hope he finds peace.

anyway, that's just my perspective, you have you own and it might even be different, so feel free to inbox me your response.

#anti danneel ackles #anti danneel #anti elta #anti elta graul #anti jenneel

[south-park-meta]

why do you think cartman is abusing stan? they get along ok

I think Cartman's abusive towards everyone with Kyle and Butters getting the worst of it. But I have come around more to the way Cartman's abusive to Stan than when I made my initial analysis of their relationship. I said there that Cartman attacked things that mostly Stan's not bothered by, and some of that's true. Like, attacking him for caring about animals isn't something that affects him very often.

But with that said, there IS a core of attacking Stan for (lacking) masculinity and that actually does seem to be something he's anxious about...just not to Cartman directly. Cartman regularly calls him a pussy, gay, weak, seeming like a girl. The Cissy is probably the best example of the name-calling because it encompasses basically all of it

Do you know your girlfriend's going around tellin' everyone that you're gay?! [Stan looks around] Oh yeah! She's got the whole school believin' that she's attracted to girls, but she's dating you! So what does that make you, Stan?! A girl! STAN-AN'S A GIR-RL! You'd better curb your dog, Stan! You'd better curb your dog before people start ripping on you!

He tells Stan he's too weak to control his girlfriend, that he's gay, and that he's a girl all at once. Stan actually has a reaction (looking around, looking nervous, and he does end up talking to his dad and Principal Victoria. Cartman GOT a reaction, just not one he wanted).

The thing is, Stan's masculinity IS the thing he's most defensive of, and is his 'weak point' in relation to Kyle being Jewish, Kenny being poor, Butters being naive. He gets nervous about seeming gay and has to overcome it. He does get ripped on/ name-called/dismissed for not being manly enough or seeming gay by both his uncle, who he looks up to, and his dad, who he does (for most of the show) have a mutually loving relationship with. MOST of the 'Stan has a moment of character growth in the way of accepting who he is' comes down to him being okay with shirking stereotypical masculinity. Cartman is a master at honing in on weaknesses and he ABSOLUTELY has Stan's down.

So, then, why doesn't Cartman really tear the shit out of him more?

The thing is that Stan doesn't rise to the bait in angry outbursts. Kyle does. Kenny does, sometimes, too. Butters is specifically dismissed as a Kyle punching bag replacement because he doesn't. But Cartman also can't just casually abuse him constantly the way he does Butters, or put Stan's dick in his mouth while he sleeps, or give him a poop moustache, because Stan would up and leave the friendship, or actually physically beat him up. It has to be a verbal or emotional, non-physical attack. Stan doesn't get ripped on by Cartman more because he doesn't tend to take the bait in a way that would be fun and would let Cartman continue to feed off of it and really tear him to pieces.

So why doesn't Stan take the bait? Is he not upset by it?

The thing is he DOES get upset about this kind of thing. He just tends not to confront it directly. Instead he tends to want to compensate for the accusations. He tries to force Sparky to be straight. He doesn't play along at the wild west show because Wendy's there. He shoots and kills Skuzzlebutt. He becomes hypercritical of Gary and chews him out for Mormonism. And in each and every one of these cases, the best choice is consistently for him not to worry about seeming like anything except what he is. I think The Cissy is a step forward for him in, instead of outright denying who he is, he just sits down and questions it instead. Personally I think there hasn't been another comment on it since he came to the conclusion he is a boy (I know there're nb headcanons for him and I won't pick at it too much because I don't think it runs contrary to his character per se, I just don't agree with it. I see it as more of another masculinity introspection than really specifically a gender one), but I think it's a step forward for his character growth. He has multiple times gone through an arc of 'hide who you are, then realize who you are is really an asset', and sometimes that gets to a point of 'fuck what people think' but often it just kind of is what it is and he doesn't really do anything with it. He still cares about not being manly enough, and often the lesson of it is 'yeah you ARE kind of a pussy but it's fine, people will like you anyway, or being a pussy is beneficial to helping people'. While the recent seasons have made Stan more depressed and miserable, he's also FINALLY starting to get to a point of-- instead of worrying what makes other people like him, what makes him an asset to other people-- 'What makes me like myself? What makes me who I am?'

ANYWAY with all that said, the reason Cartman doesn't get much out of moments like this is that Stan often doesn't have a reaction, period. Sometimes it's because he probably literally doesn't care. He doesn't always value Cartman's opinion, and he does seem able to let a lot of comments go as just being bullshit. The other thing is that if it actually gets to the point of GETTING a reaction, it's not one that would be fun for Cartman. Literally the only thing that's ever come out of Stan reacting to the insecurity that Cartman harps on (whether because of Cartman or not) is that he either suppresses or questions it, and decides he likes himself more as he was to start with. Like he very consistently has improved himself through being criticized on this very point.

So does he have a point that Cartman can hurt him on?

Absolutely, and that point is Kyle.

Stan consistently has stronger, more hurt, more violent reactions to Cartman when it's Kyle that Cartman's going after. When Cartman makes a comment that Kyle's going to die, Stan tells him not to say things like that (even though people regularly die or talk about death around them). When Cartman's treating Kyle unfairly and Kyle can't do anything about it himself, Stan rights it. Even when Stan and Kyle aren't getting along, multiple seasons after Stan told Kyle that he was destroying the last thread of friendship they had left by siding with Cartman in the GOT arc, he still takes tit-for-tat revenge on Cartman in Band in China for Kyle's sake.

The way to get Kyle to respond in a fun way is for Cartman to attack Kyle.

The way to get Stan to respond in a fun way is for Cartman to attack Kyle.

I think it's noteworthy that when Cartman checks out on the 'broship' it's after Stan has checked out on Kyle, and pointedly stayed out of Kyle's fight with Cartman even after Kyle asked him to get involved with it. It's not worth keeping Stan tied in to the group because he's not coming to Kyle's defense, so there's no fun to be had in Stan hanging around. It's ALSO noteworthy that Kyle is equally blindsided by both of them.

But, okay, Cartman is nice to Stan sometimes. He's probably nicer to him than he is pretty much any other character. I think Cartman was playing a balancing act and lost.

He wants Stan and Kyle to be friends, because their friendship is important to get them both riled up. But he wants himself to be the most important to both of them, and that means he HAS to knock them down a peg in each other's opinions. They need to be friends with each other, good enough friends that Stan wants to defend Kyle when Cartman's mean to him and Kyle can't defend himself. It's no fun if Kyle's literally defenseless and Cartman gets jack for a reaction. But they have to be best friends with Cartman, because Cartman has a massive ego. This is a pretty damn hard line to walk.

But here are some nice things that Cartman's done for Stan:

-He came and hung out with him on Tegridy, and had solo activities bonding with him through board games and things like that.

-He helped Stan with the drug ring in Hummels and Heroin

-He saved the pangolin

The first two things are a clear spit in Kyle's face. Kyle is the core group who seems most disconnected from what's going on on Tegridy. Cartman is very clearly trying to take Kyle's place as Stan's go-to. Around(ish, keeping in mind the show's internal timeline) the same time, through the GOT arc, he is focusing his attention on bonding with Kyle.

Likewise, Kyle tells Stan outright he's not going to help with the Hummels problem in the second case. Cartman gets involved because Stan says he 'needs' him. He's willing to help because it puts him in direct competition with Kyle; he's helping Stan when Kyle told him to figure it out himself. He is weasling in on the best friend role.

In the last case, I think it's because he still wanted the 'broship' to work, and like I said I think he did up until Stan gave up on his friendship with Kyle. Stan's having a complete mental breakdown, which would cause issues and not be enjoyable on Cartman's end, so he'll give him a bone and let him maintain his sanity so Cartman can keep having fun pitting Stan and Kyle against each other while being besties with them both. He just flew too close to the sun and lost with it because Stan was teetering on the edge for the friendship since YGO and the next episode pushed him over.

In conclusion, Cartman's actions with Stan are 100% meant to manipulate him and emotionally destroy him. It just happens that Stan takes attacks on himself pretty internally and might even come out stronger for it. So for the most part if everything else is going fine, he's a tough nut to crack. The stuff that really fucks him up and tears him apart mentally is attacking Kyle, or attacking his friendship with Kyle.

#long post

[its-miichan]

TGCF criticisms

Spoilers and unpopular/critical opinions ahead! Beware! I tried to like this, I really did, but this novel really makes me frustrated. It clearly has so much potential, but so much of that potential was wasted on pandering romance and shallow caricatures of main characters. Overall 1.5-2 stars because it gets worse the more you think about it. CHARACTERS: 1. The main character, Xie Lian was wildly bland and boring. He is presented as the kindest, purest, most selfless person in the world, but really he was just a bland white lotus. With Xie Lian, his personality can be described in just a sentence or so, while the author's other two MC's (Wei Wuxian and Shen Qingqiu) are both charming, funny, and deep with their own motivations. Xie Lian just walks around in the story with no purpose and he says that he wants to help the common people, but he really hasn't done that! He's barely helped anyone at all, and those times he did help people are quickly followed by flirting with the ML and forgetting all about the people he was supposed to help. Honestly, in the past, Xie Lian was also the biggest jerk ever. He gave up his own friends and family's well being for his own sense of justice and was stubborn to a fault and refused to listen. What's worse is that none of these flaws are actually addressed, and the story just lets him roll with it and never actually calls him out on it. If you want to see all the reasons why he's a poorly written character, check out this reddit post: https://www. reddit. com/r/MXTX/comments/j2l9ye/why_xl_is_a_poorly_written_character_in_my_opinion/

2. The ML, Hua Cheng, is equally as bad. He is extremely shallow and such a static character, with his development in the present times being nonexistent and his development from the past to the present being wholly nonsensical. His personality is very cliche and his motivations and thoughts are left entirely up to the reader's imagination, which significantly reduces character depth. He could've been such a great character, a ghost king who rules over hell and is morally grey, but instead he is dumbed down to a Xie Lian fanboy. Everything about him not related to Xie Lian is thrown at us in a few paragraphs if at all, and what little motivation and thoughts about him we do get always fall flat. [Like apparently this guy saved him once, and he fell in love with him and became devoted to him for 800 years? Like people get saved all the time and we don't see them going 800 years and 3 deaths for a guy they've barely talked to] Also, he is wildly unlikable. Of course, this is purely subjective, but he is irritatingly smug and lords over literally everyone he meets. It doesn't help that he's an insufferable Mary Sue with an endless array of powers, intelligent as hell and knows literally everything, really good at painting, sculpting, woodworking, and on top of that the richest, most powerful, most handsome, and most charismatic man in the book. His biggest flaw is supposed to be his insecurity and inferiority complex, but that barely ever comes up and 90% of the time he is arrogant and smug. More information on why he's badly written here: https://www. reddit. com/r/MXTX/comments/iskkp5/why_hc_is_a_bad_character_in_my_opinion/

3. The side characters in my opinion are written far better, but obviously quite underdeveloped. They are all three dimensional and have their own thoughts, emotions, and feelings as well as a believable backstory, but so many of them are quickly offed to make way for the main couple, some of them not only not becoming better, but actually getting quite a whole lot worse. Qi Rong, who was supposed to be super strong demon that is one of the 4 great evils becomes a comedic relief gremlin who just shows up for some comedy and then leaves. Feng Xin and Mu Qing, the MC's childhood caretakers disappear for like 100 chapters after we're given their backstories and then once they reappear, they don't do anything either. Shi Qingxuan, who in my opinion is by far the best character in the book, has his arc left open with no ending at all, only to be forgotten about for 80+ chapters only to reappear completely the same with no character growth at all. All of this is because the main couple take up so much of the book, and the rest of the side characters and their character growth is sabotaged for the author's ego so that the main couple can look better and get more screen time.

4. I lost interest in the story pretty quickly due to the bland characters and their out of place romance and how unlikable they were. A lot of this novel was very surface level, and it's pretty on paper, but when you think about the characters a bit longer, the more bland and shallow they become.

PLOT: 1. The plot was... There was no plot. It was just a collection of monster of the day arcs that aimlessly meander about and then everything returns to the status quo once they return to Xie Lian's temple/home. Obviously books 4 and 5 were a lot more to my taste because the writing was a lot more concise and the pacing was less slow and pointless, as well as actually incorporating fantasy elements and shaking up the status quo. However, the other 3 books, especially books 1 and 2 had way too much fan service, pointless romance, and plot lines that don't go anywhere and don't contribute to the story.

2. The past plot line, or the flashbacks were pretty interesting, except for how b*tchy the MC was. Book 2 has a lot of important information and some action, but a lot of it was boring fluff that didn't really contribute to the story other than introducing the villain and showing how XL and HC met. The rest, we're literally told already and there's no new information. Book 4 was supposed to be suffering heavy, and I agree that the character development was alright, but it was too brooding and oppressive. In the end, I just stopped feeling bad for Xie Lian because of how bad the story was trying to make you feel for him. I was not invested in him, and although he was significantly more deep in this book than in the other 4, the bad logic is still there. [you wanna kill people but then someone gives you a bamboo hat and you're all sunshine and rainbows again?] The suffering is excessive in my opinion, and although it's supposed to provide contrast to the romance, it just feels done in poor taste. seriously, 20 chapters straight of suffering is not necessary, and the pacing and tone suffers because of this. The flashbacks really don't contribute too much to XL or HC's character development, but is just there to be angsty and cryp*rn.

3. The final battle was the most unbelievable thing I've ever read. All the gods got together and the first part seemed pretty epic as we got to see all the side characters finally showcase their powers.... Until the MC and ML show up. The MC and ML show up, and instantly the background extras—excuse me I mean side characters, go back into hibernation as the main couple show off how cool and powerful they are. And then we get to the final confrontation, which has our MC, ML, and MC's two friends face off against literally the most powerful being in the freaking universe. I thought it would be a tense fight scene with lots of close calls, but I was so disappointed. Instead the ML is so OP that he breaks the spells binding MC's powers, and MC becomes so overpowered and slams the big boss into the wall with the power of love while his two friends just stand there doing nothing.

4. A lot of what happens in the flashback is directly Xie Lian's fault, but the book never seems to register it? I won't go into detail on this point since it's already covered in the first Reddit thread, but basically because of XL's s*upidity and refusal to listen to anyone else, the people around him suffer.

WRITING: 1. The writing wasn't great. It was very choppy and as I said previously, very monotonous and monster-of-the-day. Yes there were great scenes which got to me, but most of it was really boring and descriptions and dialogue dragged on and on with no end, and with the bland MC, it wasn't even interesting such as the dialogue in MDZS was. Side arcs were introduced with no warning and ended with no warning, leaving the reader wondering "Why was that even there in the first place if it was just going to be forgotten about?"

2. The water demon/wind god arc. The opening and most of the middle of this arc was extremely good, the logic and mystery was written well, and Shi Qingxuan's (the wind god) antics were funny. But after the big reveal and the tense climax, the story just... stops. Like it's literally forgotten about. [The MC gets dragged out by his all powerful lover, they romance some more, and forget all about Shi Qingxuan who is literally left in the hands of the second or third most powerful demon ever who is also his mortal enemy]

3. The incessant flirting really got on my nerves. The tension and tone of the entire story got completely ruined because of the MC and ML flirting and the MC blushing and giggling while the ML teases him and everyone else is literally fighting for their lives. This felt very fan-service like, and it felt like the author stopped trying and just fed us dog food after an emotionally taxing arc so that she wouldn't have to close out the arc properly, completely destroying the tone. Speaking of the tone, the tone whiplash was just... wow. You're fed fluff and romance during or after a high tensity and highly emotional scene with no connection at all, and you're just supposed to accept it instead of wondering what's happening to the characters you actually care about.

4. Romance and side arcs quite disconnected from the story. Quite frankly, most of this book is just romance with the plot and characters put in second place because "lOOk hOw CuTe the COuPLe iS!" You could literally take out all the side arcs and the story would literally be no different. The romance overtakes the entire plot and becomes the main point of the story. With her other two books, the romance is like the icing on the cake. With this book, the icing overtakes the cake and becomes the cake.

5. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons I was uninterested through most of the book was due to the lack of tension and suspense. The flashbacks were better in the sense that Xie Lian was helpless and couldn't figure anything out, which was why he was just as likely to get hurt as anyone, making the stakes significantly higher. But in the present, with the existence of Hua Cheng, that tension is completely gone. This is because HC knows basically all there is to know, and what he doesn't know he can figure out in seconds. Additionally, he is super powerful to the point that anything that can harm XL can be one shot K.O'ed by him. At this point the conflict becomes trivial to the point where I'm just asking "why are we solving this mystery anyways when HC can just blast it into oblivion?"

6. The fact that HC does the bare minimum in arcs frustrates me. If you're going to include a character with powers that will basically deem any threat against them null, then actually use them at least! HC's apathy does not feel like a coherent part of his character, but an excuse for MXTX to drag out plot lines and make things unnecessarily long and winded. Additionally, his apathy is contradictory. On one hand, he is super overprotective of XL and wants to make sure he won't get hurt a single bit, but on the other hand, he has this advanced ideology of the 21st century that he believes XL is capable so won't constrain him as much. If anything, they should start out with HC as this overprotective follower and have a dysfunctional relationship, and end up with XL teaching HC that he is able to do things and doesn't mind doing them, and that HC can live a life outside of him as well. That would've introduced some narrative stakes and romantic tension, but no, MXTX just had to make these characters perfect in every way.

ROMANCE: 1. The logic is so flawed here. The reason that HC started loving XL is literally because Xie Lian saved him once as a child and therefore he will devote his entire life to XL, not caring about literally anything else. The reason that XL started loving HC is even more so. The thing is someone like say Shi Qingxuan has done every bit as much for XL as HC has, but we don't see XL fall in love with SQX, do we? HC literally listens to him talk and XL falls in love with him, and although it does make sense due to XL being lonely for 800 years, how low the bar is set really bothers me.

2. The constant blue-balling was annoying. At some point, the ignorant MC became annoying and self indulgent instead of cute, and having it be drawn out over nearly 200 chapters makes it even worse. The MC is supposed to be super intelligent, but he literally misses all of the super obvious hints the ML drops at him, which is so weird.

3. It felt like MXTX (the author) went overboard on the romance here. Like she tried way too hard to the point where it was obvious she wanted to make this "the most romantic CP ever". The aesthetics went so overboard with butterflies and flowers as romantic themes, thousands of lanterns, the red string of fate (which didn't even do anything in the actual story), poetry, etc.

4. The romance could almost be described as kind of creepy. Like the ML obsesses over the MC for 800 years, isolating himself from the world and not taking any side of the story besides MC's is supposed to be romantic, but it really isn't. The ML carves thousands of statues of the MC, which is sweet in a way, but also really, really creepy. To quote someone from NovelUpdates who put it 100x better than I could: " They don't feel like equal lovers, HC obviously worships XL to an unbelievably amazing degree while XL only knew he existed from only a while ago (Is this obsession? Stalker-ish? I know his stalker-ish tendencies are usually played for laughs, but realistically?) HC very very very rarely calls XL by his given name but with GeGe or CrownPrince, dude has a name you know. I know you feel lower than XL, but seriously man, the guy's your life partner. HC would destroy the world if XL said to. He'd probably try to talk to XL first, confirm things, but if at the end XL really does want it, HC would do it. He lives for XL, he has no other reason to do something aside for XL. No reason to say NO for himself. They're not equals in which one wanna do something bad, the other would stop him because they have their own convictions. You can't tell me one only lives for one person's sake, will do anything for that guy, and has no attachments in the world aside from that guy, is a healthy person. It may seem romantic, but when you actually think about it, it becomes uncomfortable."

5. The romance was really cheesy. There were some powerful moments, but it was mostly flirting and "he fell on top of me" or "he needs mouth to mouth". Most of it was just the ML flirting with the MC, which you may like if you like this kind of stuff, but I really didn't enjoy it. Overall, I was desperate to love this novel, but I couldn't because of the shallow characters, unlikable main pair, and the constant abandonment of great plot lines in favor of the shallow romance. It felt like MXTX was constantly trying to one-up MDZS in angst, drama, and romance, but at the same time it felt like she didn't know what to do with the characters and world, and therefore fed us fan service and took the easy way out. This review is purely subjective, and if you want to read this go ahead, but I'll be seeing myself out.

#tgcf criticism #tianguancifu #tgcf #mxtx critical #xie lan #hua cheng #ok but this kinda sucks

[fakeikemen]

Katara's Grief

(This is my first attempt at a meta post and I know that this has probably been already done but I just needed to get it off my chest and go on a little rant and it kinda got long so bear with me.)

A lot of the hate on Katara stems from the fact that she keeps on mentioning her mother's death at every chance she gets and invalidates other people's pain to assert that her suffering is the worst of the lot.

And even though everybody is entitled to their own opinions, I'm gonna point out why I think the aforesaid claims are not exactly correct.

First we'll take a look at; Katara's Backstory:

We know that Kya is killed in a fire nation raid and that Katara had been the last person to see her alive before she leaves the tent on her mother's insistence. Only to come back a few moments later and find her dead body. This, in itself is a traumatising event.

So yes, her mother died. Other people in the story go through far worse. You're not wrong when you say that.

But what is more important in Katara's story is the aftermath of her mother's death.

As Sokka says while talking to Toph in "The Runaway" in B3 Ep7:

Sokka: When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life. Our family was a mess, but Katara? She had so much strength. She stepped up and took on so much responsibility. She helped fill the void that was left by our mom.

As an eight year old, she had to force herself to grow up to step into her mother's shoes and raise herself and her elder brother and simultaneously look after the entire village after her father left to fight in the war. She had to do all of it by herself.

In face of all her responsibilities, she never really had the chance to simply be a grieving child lamenting the loss of her mother. She habituated herself to caring more about others than herself (We see this trait in the entire series as she acts as the stand-in mom friend for the entire Gaang with an exception of Suki and Zuko). She ended up bottling her feelings of grief, resentment, guilt and rage deep within herself.

She had to give up an extensive part of her childhood where most children focus on figuring themselves out, to become a mature and responsible person who was working as the immovable pillar holding up the family and even the whole village not much later.

She put up a strong front to help others and pretended to be fine even though she was hurting inside the whole time.

She could never find any closure from the situation. She never got over it.

Moving on to the criticisms:

1. Katara keeps on mentioning her mother like a broken record:

Here are the number of times Katara mentions her mother's death (not sure if that's all of it, lmk if there are any others):

1. In her first scene with Sokka

Katara: Ever since mom died, I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!

2. A short while after she meets Aang

Katara: Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people.

3. A short while after she meets Haru

Katara: I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her.

4. A short while after she meets Jet

Katara: Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation.

5. In the swamp after she sees a vision of her mother

Katara: I thought I saw Mom.

6. In the Crystal Catacombs with Zuko

Katara: I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally! The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.

7. A short while after she meets Hama

Katara: We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid.

8. Repeated mentions in The Southern Raiders episode

(Most of the episode basically)

The first mention with Sokka is in the middle of a siblings' spat where she tells off Sokka for trying to act as if he were superior when it was obvious that in the face of the gaping hole that was left by Kya's sudden death, Katara had shouldered much more responsibility.

When she tells it to Aang, she uses it as a proof that the Fire Nation is capable of immense cruelty and destruction.

The Gaang travel all around the world and meet different people affected by the war in different ways. So when Haru, Jet and Hama narrate their own stories, Katara sympathises with them and talks about Kya's death in lieu of "I understand, the Fire Nation hurt me too."

After they got separated, Aang, Sokka and Katara each had their visions and after they get back together, they all mention their visions and so does Katara.

When left alone in catacombs with Zuko, whom she considered as the face of the Fire Nation— the same Fire Nation that had her mother killed and forced her father to leave to fight in the war, she has a meltdown where she rightfully accuses him of all the bad things he's done and then breaks down while talking about how the war has cost her i.e., by causing her mother's death.

The Southern Raiders is the episode where Katara hunts down the man responsible for her mother's death. If you think mentioning Kya repeatedly in this episode is uncalled for, then I don't know what to tell you.

In all the incidents mentioned above, Katara mentioning her mother's death is a very natural occurrence is the respective conversations. She mostly talks about Kya's death to either extend her sympathy or to use it as an example of the ruthlessness of the Fire Nation.

Another fact to be noted is that 70% of the Gaang's storyline is followed via Katara from a narrative point of view. Plus, being the mom-friend, she acts as the spokesperson. Considering that Kya's death is a major event that played a huge role in shaping Katara's life and is also the source of her severe, unresolved trauma, which acts as the driving force of her story, it is only natural that she brings up this topic whenever she is engaging in a deeper conversation.

It is us as the viewers who have seen her from the start and already know about her mother's death and we see her talking to multiple people about it. Which is why it might come across as repetitive to some people.

While, Kya's death is not necessary information that everyone needs to know, Katara talking about it never comes across as a forced or unnatural.

2. Katara invalidates others' pain because she thinks she has suffered the most:

First of all, if anything, Katara is the most empathetic person of them all. As the mom-friend of the group, not only is she their constant moral support, she also helps them untangle and sort out their own feelings. She is also able to tap into issues that aren't said out loud.

Instances of Katara helping and supporting Aang, emotionally are uncountable.

She is the first one to notice Sokka's sour mood in B3 Ep4 "Sokka's Master". And even though his insecurities seem baseless, she validates him (by saying "I'm sorry you're feeling so down" instead of something like "That's a dumb thing to say") and knows exactly what to do to cheer him up.

In B3 Ep7 "The Runaway" she has the insight to understand that Toph's unruly behaviour is caused by the mixed feelings she has about her parents even though Toph's herself never talked about it.

She even reaches out to Zuko in B2 Ep19 "Crossroads of Destiny" even though she used to think of him as the face of the enemy.

But then there's The Southern Raiders.

Ah yes, that episode where Katara is extremely OOC and a total b*tch.

Agreed that she said some things that she definitely shouldn't have said. But like, she's just 14?? And has been hurting on the inside since she was 8?? And pretended to be fine just for the sake of other people?? Like, there's a limit to how much she can have her shit under control?? And she did a real good job of Sokka's upbringing and taking care of the village and taking care of Gaang on her own?? Some people out there are really willing to forget everything she has ever done just because she was mean for 5 minutes?? A traumatised 14 yo shouldn't be villianised and called toxic because she got mad and lashed out at people that one time??

But here's my take on the scene anyway:

When Aang gets to know that she's going to go face her mother's killer:

Aang: Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?

Katara: I knew you wouldn't understand. 

Aang is a non-confrontational person who prefers running away from difficult situations as opposed to Katara who firmly stands her ground and is never afraid of confrontations. Katara had approached Aang only hoping that he would understand. But going by his dismissal, he obviously doesn't understand the burning need that she has to confront the man who had single-handedly destroyed her childhood. (Most people infer that what Katara means is that she thinks that Aang doesn't understand the pain of losing people. And so does Aang, I guess)

But things start getting even more tricky when:

Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet.

In all honesty, this is probably the most insensitive thing that she could've heard from anyone right then, let alone one of her closest friends. Hearing herself being compared to a homicidal maniac just because she wants to avenge her mother's killer. (No, I'm not justifying murder but there's a clear difference between homicide and avenging someone's death. And Aang may not be my favourite character but I do love him but this wasn't really a good thing to say either. And he wasn't even mentally distressed in the very least to be completely lacking tact or a filter.)

And then the situation escalates:

Sokka: Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right.

Katara: Then you didn't love her the way I did!

After 6 long years of Katara bottling in her dark feelings and letting them fester inside herself, she is finally letting them out and the first things she faces in a span of few minutes are outright rejection, invalidation of her feelings, comparison to a homicidal maniac and nothing akin to the unconditional support that she has provided to everybody. Her own brother tells her that he is siding with the boy who just compared her to a homicidal maniac.

Yes, accusing your own brother of not loving your mother enough is a very cruel thing to do. But both Sokka and Katara know that she doesn't entirely mean it.

But also, there is one very important factor in here:

In B3 Ep7 "The Runaway", Sokka says to Toph:

Sokka: I'm gonna tell you something crazy. I never told anyone this before, but honestly? I'm not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture. 

Katara overhears this conversation just as Sokka had meant her to.

This dialogue lets us know that Sokka's coping mechanism has made him suppress all memories of Kya and replace them with memories of Katara in order to attain a semblance of normalcy.

Both Katara and Sokka had very different ways of coping with Kya's death. Katara pressed down her feelings and tried her best to pretend to ignore them while Sokka partially succeeded in forgetting her.

When Katara first hears these words she is shown to be crying. But if she were to remember these very words while she was justifying herself infront of her own brother and a close friend for wanting to avenge her mother, it would've had a negative impact on her.

In her rage, she would've thought: "Of course he doesn't want to avenge mom. Because he doesn't think it's worth it and that's because he doesn't even remember enough of her to be mad about her death."

And for someone who has spent each day of the last 6 years trying to fill in the shoes of her mother and experiencing her absence everyday, the idea of forgetting her mother is a ridiculous concept to her.

Her thoughts would have quickly derailed to: "He didn't love her enough to remember her."

In light of these thoughts, saying "Then you didn't love her the way I did" doesn't feel out of the blue.

No, I am definitely not justifying what she said, I'm just laying out a possible explanation to why she said what she said.

Yes, she should've apologized to Sokka for this and I think that they definitely should've had a long conversation about their mother's death and how it affected them. Between Katara supressing her feelings and Sokka supressing his memories, i don't think they ever had this conversation.

But sadly we are given neither of these scenes.

Tl;dr: Everytime Katara mentions her mother, it's with good reason and I don't think it's fair to call a character toxic when they lack a mind to mouth filter for 5 minutes and say some mean things. And considering all that Katara has done for everybody, it isn't fair at all.

Peace out!

#antis really be out there ignoring everything she does to hate on her because of two lines she said #nvm katara is one strong badass girl stan her for good grades and clear skin #katara #atla #atla meta #meta analysis #avatar the last airbender #water tribe #kya #sokka #hakoda #gaang #atla gaang #avatar gaang #zuko #aang #toph #ira's posts

[army-of-mai-lovers]

Jet and Yue’s Deaths: Were They Necessary?

Two of the most common ideas I see for aus in this fandom are the Jet lives au, and the Yue lives au. I’ve written both of these myself, and I’ve seen many others write them. And while yes, fanfiction can be a great way to explore ideas that didn’t necessarily have to be explored in canon (I’m mad at bryke for a lot of things, but not including a Toph and Bumi I friendship is not one of them, even though I wrote a fic about it), it seems to me that people are mad that Yue and Jet are dead, to varying degrees. There’s a lot to talk about regarding their deaths from a sociopolitical perspective (the fact that two of the darker-skinned characters in the show are the ones that died, and all the light-skinned characters lived, is ah... an interesting choice), but I don’t want to look at it that way, at least for right now. I want to look at it as a writer, and discuss whether these deaths were a) necessary for the plot and themes of ATLA in any way whatsoever and b) whether it was necessary for them to unfold in the way that they did, or if they would have been more impactful had they occurred in a different way. 

(meta under the cut, this got really, really, really long)

Death in Children’s Media

When I first started thinking about this meta, I had this idea to compare Jet and Yue’s deaths to deaths in an animated children’s show that I found satisfying. And in theory, that was a great idea. Problem is: there aren’t very many permanent deaths in children’s animation, and the ones that do exist aren’t especially well-written. This may be an odd thing to say in what is ostensibly a piece of atla crit, but Yue’s death is probably the best written death in a piece of children’s animation that I can think of. That’s not a compliment. Rather, it’s a condemnation of the way other pieces of children’s animation featuring permanent character death have handled their storylines. 

I’ve talked about this before, but my favorite show growing up was Young Justice, and my favorite character on that show was far and away Mr. Wally West. So when he died at the end of season 2, it broke me emotionally. Shortly thereafter, Cartoon Network canceled the show, and I started getting on fan forums to mourn. Everybody on these fan forums was convinced that had Cartoon Network not canceled the show, Wally would have been brought back. And that is a narrative that I internalized for years. Eventually, the show was brought back via DC’s new streaming service, and I tuned in, waiting for Wally to also be brought back, only to discover that that wasn’t in the cards. Wally was dead. Permanently. 

So now that I know that, I can talk about why killing him off was fucking stupid. Wally’s death occurs at the end of season 2, after the main s2 conflict, the Reach, has been defeated, save for these pods that they set up all over the world to destroy Earth. Our heroes split up in teams of two to destroy the pods, and they destroy all of them, except for a secret one in Antartica. It can only be neutralized by speedsters, so Wally, Bart, and Barry team up to destroy it. It’s established in canon that Wally is slower than Bart and Barry, and it’s been played for laughs earlier in the season, but for reasons unexplained, the pod is better able to target Wally because he’s slower than Bart and Barry, and it kills him. After the emotional arc of the season has wrapped up, a literal main character dies. There’s some indication at the end of that season that his death is going to cause Artemis to spiral and become a villain, but when season 3 picks up, she’s doing the right thing, with seemingly no qualms about her position in life as a hero. In the comics, something like this happens to Wally, but then he goes into the Speed Force and becomes faster and stronger even than Barry, in which case, yes, this would have advanced the plot, but that’s probably not in the cards either. 

In summary, Wally’s death doesn’t work as a story beat, not because it made me mad, but because it doesn’t advance the plot, nor does it develop character. Only including things that advance plot or develop character is one of the golden rules of writing. Like most golden rules of writing, however, it’s not absolute. There is a lot of fun to be had in jokey little one off adventures (in atla, Sokka’s haiku competition) or in fun worldbuilding threads that add depth to your setting but don’t really come up (in atla, the existence of Whaletail Island, which is described in really juicy ways, even though the characters never go there.) But in general, when it comes to things like character death, events should happen to develop the plot or advance character. Avatar, for all of its flaws, is really well structured, and a lot of its story beats advance plot and develop character at the same time. However, the show also bears the burden of being a show directed at children, and thus needing to be appropriate for children. And as we know, Nickelodeon and bryke butted heads over this: the death scene that we see for Jet is a compromise, one that implicitly confirms his death without explicitly showing it. So bryke tasked themselves with creating a show about imperialism and war that would do those themes justice while also being appropriate for American children and palatable to their parents. 

The Themes of Avatar vs. Its Audience

So, Avatar is a show about a lone survivor of genocide stopping an imperialist patriarchal society from decimating the rest of the world. It’s also a show about found family and staying true to yourself and doing your best to improve the world. These don’t necessarily conflict with each other, and it is possible for children to understand and enjoy shows about complex themes. And in a lot of cases, bryke doesn’t hold back in showing what the costs of war against an imperialist nation are: losing loved ones, losing yourself, prison, etc. But when it comes to death, the show is incredibly hesitant. None of the main characters that we’ve spent a lot of time getting to know die (not even Iroh, even though he was old and it would have made sense and his VA died before the show was over--but that’s a topic for another day.) This makes sense. I can totally imagine a seven year-old watching Avatar as it was coming out and feeling really sad or scared if a major character died. I was six years older than that when Wally died, and it’s still sad and terrifying to me to this day. However, in a show about war, it would be unrealistic to have no one die. Bryke’s stated reason for killing off Jet is to show the costs of war. I’ve seen a lot of posts about Jet’s death that reiterate some version of this same point--that the great tragedy of his character is that he spent his life fighting the Fire Nation, only to die at the hands of his own country. Similarly, I’ve seen people argue in favor of Yue’s death by saying that it was a great tragedy, but it showed the sacrifices that must be made in a war effort. 

Yue

When we first meet Yue, she is a somewhat reserved, kind individual held back by the rigid social structures of the NWT*. She and Sokka have an immediate attraction to one another, but Yue reveals that she is engaged to Hahn. The Fire Nation invasion happens, Zhao kills Tui, and Yue gives up her life to save her people and the world, and to restore balance. Since we didn’t have a lot of time to get to know Yue, this is framed less as Yue’s sacrifice and more as Sokka’s loss. Sokka is the one who cares for Yue, Sokka is the only one of the gaang who really interacts a lot with Yue on screen, and Sokka is the one we’ve spent a whole season getting to know. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call Yue a prop character (i.e. a character who could be replaced by an object with little change to the narrative), she is certainly underdeveloped. She exists to be unambiguously likable and good, so we can root for her and Sokka, and feel Sokka’s pain when she dies. In my opinion, this is probably also why a lot of fic that features Yue depicts her as a Mary Sue--because as she is depicted in the show, she kind of is. We don’t get to see her hidden depths because she is written to die. 

In light of what we’ve established earlier in this meta, this makes sense. Killing off a fully-realized character whom the audience has really gotten to know and care about on their own terms, rather than through the eyes of another character, could be really sad and scary for the kids watching, but not killing anyone off would be an unrealistic depiction of war and imperialism. On the face of it, killing off an underdeveloped, unambiguously likable and good character, whom one of our MCs has a deep but short connection with, is the perfect compromise. 

But let’s go back to the golden rule for a second. Does Yue’s death a) advance the plot, and/or b) develop character? The answer to the first is yes: Yue’s death prompts Aang to use the Avatar State to fight off the Fire navy, which has implications for his ability to control the Avatar State that form one of the major arcs of book 2. The answer to the second? A little more ambiguous. You would think that Yue’s death would have some lasting impact on Sokka that is explored as part of his character arc in book 2, that he may be more afraid to trust, more scared of losing the people he loves, but outside of a few episodes (really, just one I can think of, “The Swamp”) it doesn’t seem to affect him that much. He even asks about Suki in a way that is clearly romantically motivated in “Avatar Day.” I don’t know about you, but if someone I loved sacrificed herself to become the moon, I don’t think I would be seeking out another romantic entanglement a few weeks after her death. Of course, everybody processes grief differently, and one could argue that Sokka has already lost important people in his life, and thus would be accustomed to moving on from that loss and not letting himself dwell on it. But to that, I’d say that moving on by throwing himself into protecting others has already shown itself to be an unhealthy coping mechanism. Remember, Sokka’s misogyny at the beginning of b1 is in part motivated by the fact that his mother died at the hands of the Fire Nation and his father left shortly thereafter to fight the Fire Nation, and he responds to those things by throwing himself into the role of being the “man” of the village and protecting the people he loves who are still with him. Like with Yue, he doesn’t allow himself to dwell on his mother’s death. This could have been the beginning of a really interesting b2 arc for Sokka, in which he throws himself into being the Avatar’s companion to get away from the grief of losing Yue, but this time, through the events of the show, he’s forced to acknowledge that this is an unhealthy coping mechanism. And maybe this is what bryke was going for with “The Swamp”, but this confines his whole process of grief to one episode, where it could have been a season-long arc that really emphasized the effect Yue’s had on his life. 

In the case of Yue, I do lean toward saying that her death was necessary for the story that they wanted to tell (although, I will never turn down a good old-fashioned Yue lives au that really gets into her dynamism as a character, those are awesome.) However, the way they wrote Sokka following Yue’s death reduced her significance. The fact that Yue seemed to have so little impact on Sokka is precisely what makes her death feel unnecessary, even if it isn’t. 

Jet

Okay. Here we go. 

If you know my blog, you know I love Jet. You know I love Jet lives aus. Perhaps you know that I’m in the process of writing a multichapter Jet fic in which he lives after Lake Laogai. So it’s reasonable to assume that, in a discussion of whether or not Jet’s death was necessary, I’m gonna be mega-biased. And yeah, that’s probably true. But up until recently, I wasn’t really all that mad about Jet dying, at least conceptually. As I said earlier, bryke says that in the case of Jet’s death, they wanted to kill a character off that people knew and would care about, so that they could further show the tragedies of war and imperialism. Okay. That is not, in and of itself, a bad idea. 

My issue lies with the execution of said idea. First of all, the framing of Jet’s original episode is so bad. Jet is part of a long line of cartoon villains who resist imperialism and other forms of oppression through violence and are punished for it. This is actually a really common sort of villain for atla/lok, as we see this play out again with Hama, Amon, and the Red Lotus. To paraphrase hbomberguy’s description of this type of villain, basically liberal white creators are saying, “yeah, oppression is bad, but have you tried writing to your Congressman about it?” With Jet, since we have so little information about the village he’s trying to flood, there are a number of different angles that would explain his actions and give them more nuance. My preferred hc is that the citizens of Gaipan are a mix of Earth civilians, Fire citizens, and FN soldiers, and that the Earth citizens refused to feed or house Jet and the other Freedom Fighters because they were orphans and, as we see in the Kyoshi Novels, Earth families stick to their own. Thus, when Jet decides to flood Gaipan, he’s focused on ridding the valley of Fire Nation, but he doesn’t really care about what happens to the Earth citizens of Gaipan because they actively wronged him when he was a kid. That’s just one interpretation, and there have been others: Gaipan was fully Fire Nation, Gaipan was both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation but Jet decided that the benefits of flooding the valley and getting rid of the Fire Nation outweighed the costs of losing the EK families, etc, etc. There are ways to rewrite that scenario so that Jet is not framed as an unambiguously bloodthirsty monster. In the context of Jet’s death, this initial framing reduces the possible impact that his death could have. Where Yue was unambiguously good, Jet is at the very least morally gray when we see him again in the ferry. And where we are connected to Yue through Sokka, the gaang’s active hatred of Jet hinders our ability to connect with him. This isn’t impossible to overcome--the gaang hates Zuko, and yet to an extent the audience roots for him--but Jet’s lack of screentime and nuanced framing (both of which Zuko gets in all three seasons) makes overcoming his initially flawed framing really difficult. 

So how much can it really be said, that by the time we get to Jet’s death, he’s a character that we know and care about? So much about him is still unknown (what happened to the Freedom Fighters? what prompted Jet’s offscreen redemption? who knows, fam, who knows.) Moreover, most of what we see of him in Ba Sing Se is him actively opposing Zuko and Iroh. These are both characters that at the very least the show wants us to care about. At this point, we know almost everything there is to know about them, we’ve been following them and to an extent rooting for them for two seasons, and who have had nuanced and often sympathetic framing a number of times. So much of the argument I’ve seen regarding Jet centers around the fact that he was right to expose Zuko and Iroh as Firebenders, but the reason we have to have that argument in the first place is because it’s not framed in Jet’s favor. In terms of who the audience cares about more, who the audience has more of an emotional attachment towards, Zuko and Iroh win every time. Whether Jet’s actually in the right or not is irrelevant, because emotionally speaking, we’re primed to root for Zuko and Iroh. In terms of who the framing is biased towards, Jet may as well be Zhao. So when he’s taken by the Dai Li and brainwashed, the audience isn’t necessarily going to see this as a bad thing, because it means Zuko and Iroh are safe.

The only real bit of sympathetic framing Jet gets are those initial moments on the ferry, and the moments after he and the gaang meet again. So about five, ten minutes of the show, total. And then, he sacrifices himself for the gaang. And just like Yue, his death has little to no impact on the characters in the episodes following. Katara is shown crying for four frames immediately following his death, and they bring him up once in “The Southern Raiders” to call him a monster, and once in “The Ember Island Players”, a joke episode in which his death is a joke. 

So, let’s ask again. Does this a) advance the plot, and/or b) develop character? The answer to both is no. It shows that the Dai Li is super evil and cruel, which we already knew and which basically becomes irrelevant in book 3, and that is really the only plot-significant thing I can think of. As far as character, well, it could have been a really interesting moment in Katara’s development in forgiving someone who hurt her in the past, which could have foreshadowed her forgiving Zuko in b3, but considering she calls Jet a monster in TSR, that doesn’t track. There could have been something with Sokka realizing that his snap judgment of Jet in b1 was wrong, but considering that he brings up Jet to criticize Katara in TSR, that also does not track. And honestly, neither of these possible character arcs require Jet to die. What requires Jet to die is the ~themes~. 

Let’s look at this theme again, shall we? The cost of war. We already covered it with Yue, but it’s clearly something that bryke wants to return to and shed new light on. The obvious angle they’re going for is that sometimes, you don’t know who your real enemy is. Jet thought that his enemy was the Fire Nation, but in the end, he was taken down by his own countryman. Wow. So deep. Except, while it’s clear that Jet was always fighting against the Fire Nation, I never got the sense that Jet was fighting for the Earth Kingdom. After all, isn’t the whole bad thing about him in the beginning is that he wants to kill civilians, some of whom we assume to be Earth Kingdom? Why would it matter then that he got killed by an EK leader, when he didn’t seem to ever be too hot on those dudes? But okay, maybe the angle is not that he was killed by someone from the Earth Kingdom, but that he wasn’t killed by someone from the Fire Nation. Okay, but we’ve already seen him be diametrically opposed to the only living Air Nomad and people from the Water Tribes. Jet fighting with and losing to people who aren’t Fire Nation is not a new and exciting development for him. Jet has been enemies with non-FN characters for most of the show’s run at this point. There is no thematic level on which the execution of this holds any water. 

The reason I got to thinking about this, really analyzing what Jet’s death means (and doesn’t mean) for the show, was this conversation I was having with @the-hot-zone in discord dms. We were talking about book 2 and ways it could have been better, and Zone said that they thought that Jet would have been a stronger character to parallel with Zuko’s redemption than Iroh and that seeing more of the narrative from Jet’s perspective could have strengthened the show’s themes. And when it came to the question of Jet’s death, they said, “And if we are going with Jet dying, then I want it to hurt. I want it to hurt just as much as if a main character like Sokka had died. I want the viewer to see Jet's struggles, his triumphs, the facets of Jet that make him compelling and important to the show.” And all of that just hit me. Because we don’t get that, do we? Jet’s death barely leaves a mark. Jet himself barely leaves a mark. His death isn’t plot-significant, doesn’t inspire character growth in any of our MCs, and doesn’t even accomplish the thematic relevance that it claims to. So what was the point? 

Conclusion

Much as I dislike it, Yue’s death actually added something to atla. It could have added much, much more, in the hands of writers who gave more of a shit about their Brown female characters and were less intent on seeing them suffer and knocking them down a peg, but, in my opinion, it did work for what it was trying to do. Jet? Jet? Nah, fam. Jet never got the chance to really develop into a likable character because he was always put at odds with characters we already liked, and the framing skewed their way, not his. The dude never really had a chance.        

*multiple people have spoken about how the NWT as depicted in atla is not reminiscent of real life Inuit and Yupik people and culture. I am not the person to go into detail about this, but I encourage you to check out Native-run blogs for more info!

#jet #yue #bold text #italics #death tw #murder tw