#and they didn't really get character arcs to fight against it either

[alexandersimpleton]

I guaran-fucking-tee you, if any of the plaid princes looked "terrifying" or "ugly" like Gwen, these princesses would have done the exact same thing Frederick did, and it's kinda pissing me off.

#these princesses are calling Frederick a monster for judging Gwen by her appearance and calling her ugly #but i have NO reason to believe any of them (possibly excluding Gwen) would react any differently in that situation #also #they called him a MONSTER #“ah yes #this prince hurt our sister by judging jer by one characteristic and not even bothering to hear her out #lets do the EXACT SAME THING to him #and pretend we have the moral high ground“ #and they didn't really get character arcs to fight against it either #Maria got an arc about seeing Blaine for him #but that was seeing BLAINE for him #not judging people for themselves #grumble grumble grumble #cursed princess club

[nobodyfamousposts]

Do you really think all of ML's problems would be fixed if Adrien never existed?

Good heavens, no.

Adrien isn't the problem. He's just a symptom of a much larger issue. That issue being laziness and poor writing that comes in the form of "tell, don't show", plot threads that go nowhere, and lack of character development or plot progression that leads to a setup of "Status Quo Is God". Removing Adrien wouldn't fix all of that. Heck, it wouldn't fix any of that.

I can't fault the writers for replacing Felix with Adrien. Even if I and others could write out a plot with Felix, that's not to say everyone could or that the writers could. It could very well be that Felix as he was in the PV simply didn't work for the setup they had in mind.

...the issue here is that the setup they had in mind seems to require stagnancy. Where Hawk Moth attacks without winning and the heroes fight off the akumas without really trying to track him as the source and the two leads chase each other around in circles without anyone making any headway in either of these battles. Marinette wants to date Adrien. Chat wants to date Ladybug. It's why all her plans to ask him out fail while his attempts to express his feelings aren't taken seriously. And there is no forward movement, whether in their arc or in the fight against Hawk Moth. There wasn't even build or lead up to the two falling in love. They just started out episode one with crushes on each other and remained having crushes on each other until arguably season 5.

But no good story is stagnant. In this setup, characters need to do things and there needs to be a feeling of forward momentum.

Break it down this way: What is Adrien's problem? What is his goal? What is the obstacle to his goal?

Yes, we could say Adrien's dad being a supervillain and a neglectful jerk is Adrien's main problem, but it's not the problem Adrien is actually focused on in the show. Instead, if we could say Adrien has a problem, it would be that he wants to date Ladybug. And his goal is to date Ladybug. And the source of the problem and obstacle to his goal is...Ladybug.

So his problem, his goal, and the obstacle are all the same thing. This ultimately seems to make his problems Ladybug’s fault then because the problem would be solved if she gives in to his wants rather than by any real effort on his part.

Adrien as he is in the show doesn't do anything. And he doesn't need to do anything because he is at his base a character that things are done for. He doesn't have a goal or direction or drive. He just comes out to deal with akumas as needed, flirt with Ladybug when he can, and then be sad because his life is so hard when he doesn't get what he wants. We don't see him doing anything else. We don't see him making friends. We don't see him engaging in school. We don't even really see how he interacts with the classmates he only recently met. Things happen around him, but he is not a driving force in anything in the show.

But Felix in the PV is a very driving character. He had a problem: he's cursed. What does he need to break the curse? A kiss from Ladybug. What are the obstacles to his goal: Ladybug refusing to kiss him and Hawk Moth trying to kill her. How does he get that kiss? By flirting with her and trying to earn her affections while protecting her and making sure she doesn't DIE against an akuma before he gets that special curse-breaking kiss.

It's the start of Felix's journey. His goal and the various obstacles to that goal that make his story interesting and his growth possible. As such, I see him as a character who would progress in his attempts to obtain his goal as well as one who would progress the storyline...which is also accurate of 3D Felix since that's kind of what he's done more in his relatively few appearances than the series has in 5 seasons.

Adrien didn't have to have Felix's personality. He didn't have to have the same goals or level of drive. But he could still have had things where he grows and helps to push the plot forward.

Adrien...

...just started school. He has no friends, knows no one, and is trying to learn the ins and outs of public education. How is he doing in the different setting with teachers instead of tutors? How is he trying to get along with his classmates? Does he experience bullying? Does anyone NOT like him? What is he going through as a new student who had been homeschooled all his life?

...is friends with Chloe. What's it like learning his "only friend" is a bully? How do people respond to this? Does anyone (besides Marinette) fear him or avoid him because if he's friends with Chloe, he must be just like her?

...is a superhero. He could have been spending time learning the history of the ring and trying to develop his powers. Trying to get stronger? Trying to get to know Plagg? What is he experiencing as a highly known model who is also a superhero and having to juggle those dual identities?

...has a dead mom who died of a "mysterious illness". Given that this loss supposedly occurred about a year prior, he could still be mourning her. Maybe trying to learn what happened to her.

...has a neglectful father. How is he trying to interact with his dad? How does he feel about his dad not being around? What is he doing to try to resolve this?

...has a supervillain father. Like, I cannot stress this enough! His dad is a SUPERVILLAIN! His dad is THE SUPERVILLAIN THEY ARE FIGHTING! People were predicting him finding out and joining Gabriel to try and revive his mom! People were living for the eventual heartbreak of when Adrien finds out the truth! Entire AUs, fan arts, and fanfics were born of this very idea! Going into the drama and struggle Adrien would be experiencing being caught between the "right thing" and the girl he loves and his duty vs his father and his mother and his family. HOW CAN THEY JUST IGNORE THIS?!

But we don't get any of that. Instead, we get Adrien...

...just acclimated with no issues in school and automatically friends with everyone. Good for him, I guess. Wish it was that easy for the rest of us.

...doing little besides occasional comments to Chloe as she is completely horrible for five seasons including Chloe stealing from classmates, getting the entire school punished for something she did, stealing a Miraculous, trying to crash a train, and betraying the city to Hawk Moth. But it takes him learning about something she did to Marinette a year ago for him to finally decide enough is enough and drop her as a friend.

...only goes out to deal with akumas as they come but does nothing to try and figure out his powers and history, get stronger, or try to track Hawk Moth.

...just moves on from dead mom. No relevance here aside from wanting to see a movie she was in or making a passing comment about how she got sick. No attempt to find out what happened to her. No questioning what she may have wanted for him.

...is just sad about his neglectful father neglecting him but seems to get over it rather quickly.

...never learns his father is a supervillain. Okay, I take it back. He learns twice and those timelines are erased with no real repercussions other than trauma for Marinette, so it really doesn't feel like they count. The pieces are all there, though! He knows his dad has the grimoire but never questions him about it! Never asks his dad what the deal was with Tibet! No question about how mom died or what is going on with Nathalie or what he's doing with a hidden mechanism in mom's portrait.

Adrien has potential. He has plot threads and aspects that could be used and goals he could have. But the writing does nothing with him, so while he has a number of things he COULD do to move forward and progress as a character or for the plot, nothing comes of it.

And that all boils down to a problem with the writing.

Adrien was chosen over Felix as an "easier" option to keep the story at a standstill so they could drag it out for as long as needed. That doesn't mean it should have been. There were so many paths that could have been taken, but Adrien was given the personality of a wet noodle, so he acts on none of them because that was what the writers wanted out of his character.

#ml salt #adrien salt #ml writers salt #ml spoilers #ml analysis

[tenebraevesper]

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 1)

Welcome to the first part of my personal elaboration on the topic of why ''Prime!Shadow is peak Shadow!'', or in other words, why Prime!Shadow is one of the best written iterations of Shadow's character.

Will I try to make proper arguments for his character writing? Of course. Will I also be biased as hell just because he's my favorite character? Absolutely!

So, if you can handle both of that, we should dive in!

Before I start, I suppose I should give a brief overview of Shadow's character and how he had been handled through the years. The general consensus seems to be that Shadow was at his peak as a character from Sonic Adventure 2 to Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) (as well as Pre-Reboot!Archie Comics during Ian Flynn's run), being someone who was deeply traumatized by the death of his sister Maria Robotnik, had his memories manipulated to get revenge on humanity, only to sacrifice his own life to save the world Maria cherished, losing his memories in the process and trying to carve out his own path, only to finally solidify his role as a protector of the world, even if his methods aren't always the most peaceful ones.

So, where does the idea of edgelord Shadow come from?

Yeaaahh... let's just say that Shadow's own game, Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), didn't do him any good in the character department, because it seems that all that people remember was that one time SEGA decided to give Shadow a gun and let him deal with an alien invasion. The confusing story routes didn't help either.

In time, Shadow's character went from a complex and layered character to something akin to Vegeta (no offense Dragon Ball fans!), much to the disappointment of everyone who understood character before he underwent this transformation. Also, I'm not counting Boom!Shadow in this because Sonic Boom is a different universe and its own thing, but I won't argue against the fact that Boom!Shadow's characterization as a complete jerkass didn't do Game!Shadow any favor either. That's not even mentioning the Sonic IDW Comics, where Shadow had many mandates tied to him that even the writers found it annoying to write him (although with the most recent arc where Shadow was shown, it seems that the mandates have loosened a little).

Of course, I might be missing out on some information, but this is the general gist of the history of his character. So, when Sonic Prime revealed that Shadow would be one of the major characters, you can bet that I was nervous about how he would be written and I decided to keep a close eye on his characterization; and honestly, I went from genuinely pleased to excited when I realized that Shadow was being written as a very compelling character. Not only that, but he also appeared to have gone through subtle character development over the course of the show.

Starting from the very beginning, I'm certain that you remember how Shadow's first appearance was basically him punching Sonic at the end of Episode 01: Shattered, a very impactful first impression that left us with more questions and headaches. The following episode, Episode 02: The Yoke's On You, gives us more details in regards to why he punched Sonic, seemingly out of the blue.

Shadow's proper introduction kicks off with him searching for the Chaos Emerald... and I have to ask, when was the last time we even saw Shadow genuinely smile? Was in the Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games franchise? I don't really remember.

In any case, being clearly happy about finding the Chaos Emerald, he speeds off, only to suddenly sense that something is wrong and is met with a giant blue pulse of energy (released during Sonic's fight with Dr. Eggman) and a vision of Sonic using the Paradox Prism energy.

''Sonic!''

This expression just screams ''Something bad is going to happen and it's Sonic's fault! I'm going to kick his ass before he does anything stupid!''

We then follow Shadow as he searches for Sonic, clocking him square in the face for something he hasn't done yet. Eh, I'd say that this one wasn't really deserved.

Even before Sonic starts explaining his relationship with Shadow, we immediately get an understanding of Shadow's character. He is serious, works alone, quite fast and powerful, prefers to fight over talking things out, is willing to do anything to protect his home and clearly has a history with Sonic. Sonic proceeds to add how Shadow is his biggest rival, a buzzkill and that he totally roller-skates.

''They're air shoes!''

Did... Did Shadow just break the 4th wall? Did he just make a joke? Dude, not even Boom!Shadow got to do that and Sonic Boom was the epitome of wall breaking!

Yeah, let's just say that my jaw dropped when I heard this, realizing that Shadow's character in Sonic Prime will be different than what we got used to see.

So, after knocking the Rings out of Sonic (I mean that literally), Shadow questions him about what he has done, with Sonic pointing out how Eggman is the bad guy, clearly confused about why Shadow is attacking him.

''You literally shook the world!'' ''That's because I'm good! And powerful apparently! Jealous?''

After a bit of teasing from Sonic, he and Shadow get into a race, during which I had noticed something. While Sonic keeps teasing Shadow (and also having fun fighting him), Shadow tells him to stop and listen for once.

''Clearly you're angry, which is normal,... but I'm supposed to be on a bit of a mission here, Shadow!'' ''What mission?'' ''None of your business.''

Sooooo, have you noticed it too? Because there is something very telling in this interaction. If you haven't, I'll let it play out until the end. Anyways, to continue, Shadow knocks Sonic into a rock, with Sonic confirming another aspect of their relationship.

''Ughh, I know, we're fighting again. Don't worry guys, I'll calm him down.''

We now know that this certainly wasn't the first time they had a fight and it won't be the last time. Sonic points out that, whatever beef they have, they aren't going to settle it this way. While Sonic is right, I will admit, I had to gush over the excellent animation and fight choreography. X3

Sonic then hears an explosion from the cave where the Paradox Prism is and tells Shadow that he needs to get to his friends, only to get punched for his troubles.

''Learn to focus!''

Now that the flashback is over, what exactly is going on between the two?

First of all, the main thing I have noticed is that both Shadow and Sonic seriously have a problem with communication. Shadow knows Sonic is about to do something stupid, and from his actions (aka choosing violence over talking) he is trying to prevent Sonic from doing whatever he was about to do. It does paint Shadow as a bit of a jerk, but Sonic isn't completely innocent here either.

An observation I had made was that Shadow probably knows that if he tried to just talk to Sonic, Sonic would either blow him off and run away or just tease him back, which was confirmed when Shadow asks him on what kind of mission he is with Sonic responding that it's none of his business. I imagine that there were previous events where Sonic was doing something stupid and Shadow tried to stop him from making things worse, and that violence was indeed the answer to Sonic's antics.

If Sonic had explained to Shadow what the deal is, I'm certain that Shadow would help him out. Perhaps Shadow could've told him about his vision, but going by Sonic's behavior, Sonic would probably not listen to him.

This brings me to my second point - this moment establishes that, if there will be character development for Shadow, it will be mainly through his interactions with Sonic and them learning to work together and listen to each other, something I'm really excited to talk about in later episodes.

The flashback continues in Episode 03: Escape From New Yoke, where Sonic does the old ''Hey, look behind you!'' trick and Shadow falls for it, hook, line and sinker. Sonic knocks him into a wall and speeds off to where his friends are fighting Eggman, leaving Shadow to recover and follow him.

I do like how Shadow just shakes his head here. Even if he doesn't say much, you can clearly see what it is going through his mind. He's angry at Sonic, but acknowledges that this is just typical for his blue rival.

in Episode 07: It Takes One to No Place, we see that Shadow manages to reach the Paradox Prism cave, just as Sonic is about to shatter it.

''Chaos Control!''

Unlike Sonic's friends and Dr. Eggman, Shadow manages to use Chaos Control, preventing him from being shattered just like the others.

''Sonic!''

Instead, he finds himself floating in The Void. I'll leave what happened to him in The Void for the next part, but what is important to note is that he cannot enter the individual Shatterspaces, but he can communicate with Sonic every time the latter gains enough speed to use the Paradox Prism Energy.

''Sonic, it's broken! It's all broken!''

Sonic is at first freaked out, thinking he's just hallucinating. I suppose that explains why Sonic keeps ignoring him in any subsequent appearances, despite Shadow trying his best to contact him and trying to explain him what to do, like telling him how he's lost in The Void and for Sonic to keep moving and to not stop (which also leads Sonic to find out how he can travel between Shatterspaces).

I suppose this can also be interpreted as ''Sonic leaves Shadow on read''. X3

Once Sonic accidentally gets out of No Place in Episode 08: There Is No Arrgh In Team, he is confronted by Shadow, who is absolutely furious. Not that Sonic notices, given how he had a really rough day himself.

''Shadow? Ugh, I don't have time to deal with whoever you are. I just wanna go home.''

''Home? Home doesn't exist anymore BECAUSE OF YOU!''

Considering what Sonic had done, yeah, this punch was definitely deserved.

As I said above, the first eight episodes are here to establish Shadow's character, his relationship/rivalry with Sonic and his own flaws (mainly the lack of communication on his part, choosing to fight Sonic instead) and it is clear that in order to overcome those flaws, he will have to work with Sonic (calm down Sonadow shippers, we didn't get there yet), something I'm excited to explore in the second part of this analysis.

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 2)

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

#Ten's Thoughts #sonic prime #sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #sonadow prime #sonadow

[zeevoidlight]

what's the deal with these two...

Seriously. Why is the suspicion and joking of their bromance even a thing that exists (outside of just shipping for shipping's sake and ppl making every male friendship a secretly frustrated gay relationship). Is it even a thing?

Do I ship Goku and Vegeta?... yes.. yes I do, I confess myself as part of the problem. But I feel is fair that in a show like Dragon Ball where there's sexually mature references and themes at times I can give myself the freedom to wonder. So i'mmana talk about two pivotal moments that marked a before and after for both of them together as a team: their Majin saga match and the fusion.

//////

As far as the show goes, there's not really much to go off of. They clearly both have their wives whom they both love very much, children, they love to battle and test themselves, they are bros (now at least), rivals for life, they better each other by challenging one another to get better.

On the other hand my autism tells me that that's not the whole story. Because I normally don't like to take things at face value when i can see more.

Is interesting to see how both, Goku's compassion and respect for Vegeta, and Vegeta's (albeit unhealthy) obsession over Goku, the fact that they were also the last of their kind and the only ones that could compete with each other to fight between themselves and against others (discounting Gohan since he always slacked on his training and wasn't really interested on fighting), the only ones that could understand how the other felt as being pure blooded, that Goku had a living example in Vegeta of his true origins to learn more about himself (like a walking Saiyan enciclopedia), that Vegeta had in Goku a new purpose in life (until he realized what he had with his family as well), all of that with time combined to create a dynamic where they both felt comfortable with each other. They famously became companions, with time forming friendship/friendly rivalry and some could even see them now being akin to brothers. Something that as much as Krilin was Goku's life long friend and will be forever he could never really fulfill all that Vegeta came to develop with Goku. And in a way I don't think anyone can either.

But there's also an important note to make about this relationship/friendship. Vegeta is the one that gives it more meaning than Goku does (at first). I feel like Goku is simply being his loving caring happy free self, while Vegeta takes it personal and takes so much weight on what Goku says and does and how it affects him. As he later puts in words in Super (Granola arc i think), Goku is an egotist while he himself is an egocentric. And that difference is important to get to the point because from now on for a while the question is "Why does Vegeta".

Why does Vegeta put so much weight in their fight in the Majin Saga that he's willing to kill innocent people again just to have a match with Goku (going with the latin dub again since is more accurate to the original japanese one). And it isn't just about his ego, is about what he doesn't say as well.

Why is Vegeta the only character that is so against fusion, with Goku specifically because he has only fused with him and we don't know how would he react to fusing with someone else if it's needed.

Why is Vegeta so averse to touching Goku. At least after their fight and after him dying in the Majin Saga and once he is allowed to go back to Earth.

Why on the brink of the universe destruction was Vegeta acting like a cheated on girlfriend when he discovered that Goku had a new transformation and didn't told him about it (I would be mad at him too to be fair but i also understand why Goku wouldn't want to do so and he did it to not hurt Vegeta's feelings and have a good time under fair conditions. he gets half a point for the sentiment).

The Majin Saga

From all the examples people like to pull up when trying to argument sexual tension between these two there's only a few that I feel have some significance. And I can tell you when did it cooked enough to be a possibility. And that is right when Goku announced he was going to go back to Earth for one day and one day only, presumably forever. That's where something started, but it was brewing since Goku died to Cell and Vegeta lost Goku, his purpose, his obsession, his will to fight, and entered a depressive episode that lasted 2 years (aprox, since Bulma tells Chichi that Vegeta had been training for the last 5 years in the 7 year time skip).

Once he knew Goku was coming back he just had to do anything in his power to fight against him again, no matter what it took (he looks so excited too, that's cute). His entire meaning as the person he perceived he was and his meaning as a warrior and Goku's foil depended on it. But after realizing that they might not have their match because of Supreme Kio's pink menace, nothing else mattered, not Bulma, not Trunks, not the Earth or the universe or everything he had been building for so many years without Goku. Goku was the single catalyst for his relapse. Like... how is it possible that fighting with him and proving his worth is more important that it's been a rock in his boots for years now. But ok, he's a warrior so I can understand why, also because he was going through a Major (with capital M) identity crisis where he's trying to negate his newfound value in his family and new home while thinking that is what was making him weak, though he never really believed that since he knew Goku never needed to be cruel to surpass him, it was just a jolt reaction to not knowing how to handle it, and Goku could see through that very clearly by asking him if he really believed that bs about feeling good by being cruel and being a slave of his own mind.

But the thing is that during their fight it is clear that more than winning (which he would have enjoy to no end if they finished their fight and Goku didn't had a new plot convenient powerup hiding under his eyebrows again, though that wouldn't have helped him to grow), both were very much enjoying the act of fighting (since Goku said he wanted to end the fight soon so Buu doesn't get the energy but he didn't because he could have used Ssj3 and end it quite fast), Vegeta fighting against his previous rival now companion Kakarot. Sparing with him in perfect synchrony in an equal fight because what Vegeta actually wanted with the Majin Magic was to close the powergap and convince himself he had an excuse to not feel remorse because of the magic. And i say that because before Goku dying to Cell he really saw him as competition, but after he lost him i feel that alongside his remorse and embarrassment for the disaster that was that saga, in part because of his gigantic ego, he must have felt alone, now truly being the last pure blooded Saiyan alive and not in condition to call himself a warrior anymore under his own standards. And although he had Gohan, which he respected a lot because of his courage and his immense power, it was not the same since Gohan is a pacifist and didn't had the same passion for fighting like a pure blooded Saiyan so he wasn't even training. So by the time of the Majin Saga and once Goku came into the picture again I think he subconsciously regarded him differently and he ends up realizing it during their fight (although he doesn't vocalize it).

During their fight there's a specific moment. After Goku throws Vegeta to a cliff side and he makes a hole in it to liberate himself, Goku comes to him and they both get very close just floating in the air and powering up, looking at each other. Vegeta is beyond pissed, Goku taking the fight very seriously. Then Goku smiles to Vegeta challenging him and showing he's enjoying their fight, and Vegeta relaxes for a moment changing his attitude and showing a smile back to him in empathy, sharing to him that he is enjoying it too and wants to challenge him back as well.

This whole fight is Goku's way to show Vegeta how much he actually cares about him and his well being despite what Vegeta might have believed up until then, how much he respects him as a warrior and an equal too, even risking Earth and Majin Buu's return. He did the unthinkable and menaced Kaio Shin with death if he dared to stop their fight, which Vegeta sure noticed and even reacted with complete disbelief.

I know a lot of people joke about Vegeta being a repressed homosexual because of his obsession with Goku, and i'm not saying he is, but this fight is charged with sexual tension, mostly on his part, among other things of course. And is interesting that Vegeta, ever since the Namek experience, is the most emotionally fragile of the bunch and an unstable character. He feels everything very intensely and reacts in the same way while trying to hide under a curtain of pride, ego and his title of Prince.

Goku knew what he was getting into by agreeing to fight with Vegeta. He wasn't going to just let them set the score, he was going to give Vegeta the most intense therapy session ever by letting him discharge all that literal energy and anger, guiding him through his feelings, playing by Vegeta's rules. Help him overcome whatever he had been brewing in his mind since they day they met thinking on where was the moment everything went wrong for years, so he could move forward...

And then... this happens...

... I don't think anyone expected something like this to even be a thing that he could do as a power that we will only see one time ever in the entirety of the show and is in here, lol. And not long ago I watched a semi abridged semi analysis commentary video on the fight and yeah, we coincide that there was something else going on here at the same time. Vegeta got a little too excited... The same way a football player suddenly gets rock hard without realizing because they got too much adrenaline from a very exciting match. And I didn't mentioned it but being that Saiyans were a warrior culture there exists some real life relation of warrior societies (like greeks, romans, spartans, norse, some aztec societies) and homoerotic practices as part of that philosophy. Fighting is everything and everything revolves around fighting. And finding a brother in arms could develop into something else out of admiration, or from hypermasculinity with the purpose of dominating the other and demonstrating power. And i'm not saying that that was part of Saiyan culture, just that there might be some similarities with what we're seeing.

There's a fine line between pain and pleasure, hate and love, fear and excitement, rivalry and attraction. And in moments of intensity where both opposite feelings collide can produce an equally intense and confusing response. And here Vegeta is going through a rollercoaster of emotions and given that he is the most emotionally charged character it can go all places.

So, Vegeta tells Goku if he pretends to defeat him quickly as he said, Goku responds that he's trying to do that, and Vegeta asks if he thinks he can do it *slap slap* (the disrespect). He's trying to provoke him but the way he does it is kinda similar to what you'd do in a sexual encounter since he's not really hurting him too badly (which is really funny). And I'm pretty sure he wasn't thinking about anything sexual, just pure anger towards our buddy Kakarot so that doesn't change the fact that he did just lost his marbles to blind rage and wasn't thinking at all, just feeling intensely and acting freely on it. "Listen... don't you think this is enough humiliation I got from your part *hit hit punch hit*. This attacks are not enough to set the score. How is it possible that a Prince of Saiyans, that possesses such a big pride, was humiliated by a warrior like you (In the English version there's a series of flashbacks with dialogue but that's not a thing in the japanese and latin version). What saddens me the most is that you saved my life, worm (i don't remember if he's referring to Cell because Gohan saved him there, or way back in the saiyan saga when they first met since for a warrior is way worse offense to get their death in battle denied since he now has to suffer all what he's been through). You deserve to die! I'll break you to pieces right now! I'll start with the arm...".

Unfortunately for Goku Vegeta didn't share the safe word and he had to free himself so he wasn't actually dismembered by the intensity of Prince Vegeta and they continued their fight, once again Goku leveling the field into a in a less emotionally charged more equal fight all things considered. They talk again and Vegeta admits to him that he understands that he's never going to surpass him because Goku is more skilled at fighting, now getting into the real meat of the matter with him and his frustrations. We get to Vegeta almost breaking in tears again, torn by the realization of his situation confessing all about how he wants to be who he was and how he cannot cope with his new life on Earth having all this new feelings for his family and being passive that make him feel like he is not himself. Which tells a lot about how he still doesn't know how to function outside of conflict and his deeply rooted self image since childhood, and to me it says that it almost feels to him like he's afraid of disappearing as an individual if he cannot go back to being something he recognizes and is familiar with as he doesn't recognize himself being something else, a who that is completely opposite to what he has ever known. Is something some people that had lived through a deeply traumatic upbringing experience. On top of it being a Saiyan it must have been really confusing and difficult but Goku is the only one that could probably understand that in some capacity as pure blooded Saiyan.

And i love how Goku doesn't give up on him though after everything and he is still willing to listen and help. Without his help here Vegeta wouldn't have confronted and put into words his reality to later internalize it and fully embrace his love for his family, fully embrace his feelings, giving Trunks later his first hug. That was all Goku's doing.

Of course things happened since they were still in the middle of total annihilation at the hands of the strongest pink ball of bubblegum. and from this fight and his explosive sacrifice/ acceptance of his destiny and for who he was, going forward Vegeta actually starts acting a little different. A lot more relaxed with Kakarot, more open and sincere, more focused on helping than competing, more agreeable and no longer ignoring or being embarrassed of his feelings for his loved ones (like we see when he gets convinced by Goku to do the fusion using Vegeta's love for Bulma). And I'm pretty sure he felt grateful and in life debt to him. Not only for his help with unjumbling his feelings during that fight but for everything he's done for him since the day Goku spared his life way back in the day. A real true honest best friend/rival for life. (Though he still was being a bit stubborn about wanting to fight Buu himself in the anime, but in the manga he just doesn't charge head first into trying to battle him, he just doesn't like the idea of fussing with Kakarot).

Then the fusion thing...

The thing about the fusion is that Vegeta usually never wants to do it because he's embarrassed by the dance (which yeah... that's absolutely fair) but this is not the metamoran one, is the Potara, and they don't need to dance. His usual complains then change to "I just don't like to be fused with him" or "I don't like the idea of uniting bodies with him" when they have to do it later (either in canon or movie). And I don't know how doing a fusion with someone would feel like but the Potara at least has two ways it can go. For the Kaios just one person becomes the main, getting some physical characteristics and power of the other, and the other becomes dormant, just one person gets to be conscious. But for mortals, both actually remain conscious and they both "live" inside the body of each other as one new combined persona who is a combined identity, mixing mentally and physically, sharing memories, thoughts, feelings, everything in unison either the other wants it or not because when they are fused they are cooperating in a single brain so they think the same under this persona even if later they have separate thoughts on the same thing when they de-fuse, even better actually if they are rivals because they get the rival boost. Is not too crazy to think that some would consider it a very intimate act, even more because is permanent (until the retcon), which Goku is so considerate to tell Vegeta at the very last minute and he's like "WTF!" and Goku is just down with it while Vegeta is regretting ever meeting this guy but does it anyways.

And we have seen other characters combine but they don't think much about it, Trunks and Goten specifically just find it fun because they are best friends and just think about having the time of their lives beating up the bad guys. But I think Vegeta specifically does feel like it's something too personal and intimate that requires a lot his will power to do. His concept of it is different for a lot of reasons that all derive from being a very reserved person in general in many aspects. But ultimately and reluctantly agrees for the sake of his loved ones and saving his new home.

Goku certainly didn't thought much about it, just another way to become even stronger by cooperating with someone in a new way. Better if it's Vegeta because the power boost is much greater to save the Earth and he considers him a real friend at this point. He's so excited when Vegeta accepts because it means so much, it's the demonstration to Goku of his turn to an actual good guy, fighting for others and not just himself, and he's so proud. And the result is this very playful, sassy confident and cocky warrior that we all know and love because is the best thing ever and I don't have Vegetto favoritism.

But something did changed in both of them after the fusion. I know is an anime only thing for better pacing (at least until Super came and made it a thing again in small ways of its own), but after the fusion thing Goku started to unnecessarily get into Vegeta's personal space more (I mean, I don't think there's anything more intimate than fussing and you'd have to get a level of trust and understanding with that other person like with no one else ever afterwards regardless). Like, I like that when they do the cheek to cheek attack, which again was completely unnecessary, Vegeta feels dirty about it, even muttering to himself "He's an opportunist (as in like, Goku taking advantage of him), I would have preferred the fusion" and Goku asks him is he's finished blasting Buu bits and Vegeta recoils and yells "Don't get close to me!". (In the manga there's not really that much fuss about it when they separate, they just get to work and directly from separating to Buu's brain). The fusion represents the pinnacle of their growth together as partners. Probably even more than that at this point for how much they share as rivals and how much they understand about each other above any other person, including their own wives in some regards for all they have gone through on things only they can share between themselves like their love for battle.

And if they both were friendly before while still keeping their cards up, now is when they start to act more like brothers and cooperating. Goku with his power and techniques and Vegeta with his strategic planing at the end of the Buu saga. Goku even becomes more playful with Vegeta, even sharing funny moments together. And as pointed out, I believe the fusion made them know the thinking, memories and intentions of the other to a degree.

This is the turning point for Goku as well regarding accepting his heritage as Saiyan. Because from then on he also accepts the values of the Saiyans as warriors and accepts feeling pleasure in having a good fair honorable fight without aid and relying only in his strength and talent just for the thrill he gets of it (much like what he felt as a child/teen), which he demonstrates by breaking the second pair of Potara earrings while Vegeta responds by telling him that he's so proud of him for going into the fight the Saiyan way. Also from then on others start to recognize Goku fully as a Saiyan.

Now, about Vegeta with the fusion, if he wasn't too sure about the fusion first, now every time the fusion is required he almost feels violated by the suggestion (which right before the kid Buu fight he actually didn't mind fusing again and kinda wanted it in the anime while this wasn't in the manga but ok). And of course, if he didn't had much thoughts on getting close and personal with Goku when battling because it meant nothing (like the arm riding in the Saiyan saga and their bondage session prior), now he recoils from him in certain situations (it also didn't help that the first time they fuse they went dick first...).

And onto Super, they made this thing about Goku asking Vegeta to grab his hand in order to instant transmission but Goku knows very well that's not necessary, he could have said to Vegeta to grab his shoulder like others do but he wants him to grab his hand, and Vegeta gets all flustered and nervous every time as if people are going to make fun of him for being gay or something (since we are told by the Pilaf gang that holding hands is very romantic and a sign of being a couple, and something to be embarrassed about, although from a childish perspective of course but this information was set up for the audience when Trunks wanted to hold hands with Mai). Like... Goku, do you have something to share to the class as well?

They later spent 3 years in the hyperbolic chamber at Goku's request... 3 years together just sparing in a void where there's nothing but infinity and them (which again, it wasn't really necessary because as Vegeta points out that wasn't going to make much of a difference in terms of power because they are at their limit of what their bodies can achieve by just fighting). And Bulma even got jealous/angry about Vegeta accepting the invitation.

It's become such a well known thing that there's something going on that even in official material (not canon exactly but official) acknowledges it. Maybe Goku knows something we don't since the fusion happened but it goes a little beyond just a joke from his part XD. And i haven't talked about it but Goku has no shame or filter. He does seem to display asexual tendencies but he's either oblivious to sexual stuff at times and how it affects others, or does it on purpose because he feels not much about it but does know how it affects others.

In GT there's actually not too much, they just remain companions and friends for life... Vegeta again reminiscing of everything they've gone through and accepting his role in the powerscale and being very freaking cute with Bulma, being such a dad and all. The highlight is the fusion again though, where Vegeta is the one that says he wants to do the fusion to which Goku just laughs saying that he feels happy because is the first time Vegeta asks him to do it, and Vegeta is just averts his eyes and says he hates him, lol.

Of course, the bromance tones might be just fanservice (I didn't knew that in shonen is actually very common). But either if there's something or not I don't really care much about that. Because as characters I have seen them grown so much and they have learn so much about themselves and each other it might as well be just another aspect they allow themselves to explore if they're down with it, with whatever canon or the anime presents us to see and guess, just like they have with their own families, wives, form friendships, discover new feelings, ways of thinking, how they have become stronger and how they have change the people around them, meta speaking as well. Either they are just friends, honorary brothers or something more I'm happy with who they have become thanks to each other. And the trust they have for each other is what is beautiful to see reflected. I'm so proud of them and what they have achieved. Now they are inseparable as the best duo in history.

And I'm my conclusions I would say that Vegeta might feel something towards Goku for how much he has helped him and how he has come to admire and respect him in levels unimaginable... in a spartan kinda way if you like and if he ever was down with it. And Goku is just Goku. He loves in a storge kind of way because that's what he does. He knows Vegeta to a T, knows what he needs, and wants him to be happy as well and become the better version of himself, to feel comfortable and feel loved too because he admires him as well, and if he can help him he will do so. Is not really a physical sexual attraction (which doesn't mean it cannot derive on one) but there is attraction and love in a different way.

#dragon ball #goku #kakavege #vegeta #character analysis #my autism is greater than the page limit #long post

[theflyindutchwoman]

Do you think Tim has been acting OOC lately? Breaking up with Lucy, what he did in the army and lying to Grey and West so easily : I can't help but think it came out of nowhere. Old Tim would never have done that. What do you think?

Old Tim would never have done that. I disagree. Not only would have Old Tim done exactly that, we know he actually did - @makeitastrength and @roguetwelve made some very good points on that subject yesterday. The difference is that we didn't see it play out in details like in 6.06. But Old Tim lied to IA about Isabel's addiction. That was why Detective Murphy was so gung-ho against him in 1.16 : he knew about her addiction but didn't report her. He covered for her to protect her. Just like he didn't immediately warn the detectives about the kilo of drugs in Isabel's apartment after she confessed. He was even ready to steal that piece of evidence for her before he came to his senses and realised that it wouldn't help her in the long term. And it definitely wasn't the first time he lied to Grey. Remember that time he went rogue (with Lucy) in 2.14? Granted, there was no IA inquiry but he still officially lied on a report and to Grey's face (with the rest of the team). Or that time he made Lucy lie in a report after he instigated a fight with the bikers or by not mentioning Isabel?

Also, not to be that person, but the man has mentioned several times that he did some work with the CIA in the past… and, well, no offense, it doesn't get shadier than them - which is kind of hilarious when you think about it, considering how black & white Tim is. Let's not forget that Guatemala op too : it was never sanctioned to begin with, they used a black-op branch of the DIA and it's pretty safe to say that they covered it up after getting Angela back. The biggest difference is his motive. Tim claims that he did what he did back then for his career, which sounds far less noble than saving his BFF or fighting for his country. It would be interesting to see if that's true though or if it was the self-loathing rewriting history. But either way, he has done some shady things in the past and we knew about it.

As for Tim breaking up with Lucy… It is very much still in-character, unfortunately. This is the same man who decided to divorce Isabel because he thought that it would help her, not because he wanted to. He was terrified of being a walking reminder of her addiction and didn't want to hold her back. In that regard, his decision to break up for Lucy because she deserves far better (his words, not mine) is not that different. So, no, I don't think Tim was acting out-of-character. If anything, that's what makes this storyline so painful. Because it feels exactly like something Old Tim would have done. Because it feels like he just took a huge step backward, practically erasing his growth. And for me, that what makes it so real and interesting. Personal growth is rarely linear. Sometimes you take a step forward and sometimes you take a step backward. Sometimes you need to touch rock bottom before you can get better. Life is messy that way. We thought Tim was doing better - and in many ways, he was. But he never really dealt with his trauma. He simply tried to move forward and forget. Only now, his past has caught up with him and he's stuck in this self-destructive mode.

I fully understand disliking this arc. I also fully understand being frustrated by that 'regression'. But that doesn't mean he was written out of character. Because, unfortunately, that was the most Tim Bradford he ever did. Like the man said, he is "a man of principles and contradictions".

#thanks for the ask anon :) as always this is just my perspective - I'm not trying to change your mind or say you're wrong #ask & ye shall receive #the rookie #chenford #tim bradford #6.06

[rebo-chan]

Sorry y'all this one's gonna be a long one lol fun analysis/theorizing/headcanoning whatever the fuck this is under the cut :)

So, lately I've been really thinking about Lambo and Tsuna's relationship, Lambo's connection to Vongola, and Lambo's spot as the Lightning Guardian. I know as a fandom, we tend to disregard Lambo because he has like.. two fights in the whole series or wish that someone else was made the Lightning Guardian because that boy is Literally Five. And I won't act like it wouldn't have been cool to see another character as Lightning Guardian (My Haru Guardian fans rise up where are you) but I think what Amanos done here is really fun too from an analysis perspective.

To start with, Tsuna's family is not really a..traditional Mafia family or even a traditional Vongola family either. Let's look at this here, he's got his Two Best Friends(TM), his crush's big brother, the leader of the Disciplinary Committee at his school, a criminal, a half dead girl, and the aforementioned five year old as his guardians. This is FAR from what's likely expected out of the Vongola family, even when you date it back to Primo AT LEAST PRIMO HAD PRINCES, PRIESTS, SAMURAIS as his guardians. (Though he gets away with having One Best Friend (TM) as his guardian.) Yet somehow, their family makes it work!! They survive the Mafia world, multiple times throughout the series and when it's not working they get stronger as a unit and they fight for each other and make it out together. And I think that's the beauty of their specific family.

So then you have Lambo, who Tsuna would do anything for just to avoid Lambo having to experience a fraction of the shit they go through. And Tsuna actually SUCCEEDS at this, he doesn't normally succeed when it comes to being avoidant of Mafia stuff but this was something throughout the series that he was so genuinely adamant against. He only let Lambo fight when he truly had to and even then he very minimally let the Mafia world wrap its greedy paws around Lambo. Kokuyo arc, Tsuna didn't even sort of kind of a little bit consider taking Lambo with them (which would later help keep Kyoko and Haru safe), Varia arc, knowing that this would disqualify him, Tsuna decided he could not allow Lambo to keep fighting.

Future Arc, Tsuna kept Lambo out of the fight as much as he could, allowing the non-fighters to take care of him and I-pin. Shimon Arc, Tsuna felt real regret at the prospect that he allowed Lambo to come.

(And Arco arc where Lambo was hardly present at either, which I'd like to imagine that if Lambo was involved in Arco arc then Tsuna may have just absolutely fucking died)

Tsuna to Lambo is not his guardian (Frankly, he doesn't view any of his guardians as such, they are his friends, his pride, his comrades, and those he has traded blows with and knows they can be trusted.) Lambo to Tsuna is his little brother. This five year old was sent on an assassination attempt that was absolutely in no circumstance meant to actually succeed and the Bovinos know that. To send Lambo to assassinate the strongest hitman was a death mission. So, Tsuna took this child in (or rather this child stuck around bc his Mom makes banger meals) and immediately Tsuna assumes the role of his brother. Lambo and Tsuna are the closest out of all the kids. (Ofc Tsuna loves I-pin and fuuta too, but I think it's safe to say Lambo is his dumb little brother)

Now, I don't think that Tsuna is ever going to see Lambo as anything but his little brother. I actually theorize that the way TYL Lambo is the way he is because Tsuna never really got out of the habit of babying him. He's calmed down since he was a kid and developed a more nonchalant personality with the occasional tantrum because you can't tell me Tsuna DOESNT STILL view TYL Lambo as a non-combatant. When Tsunas 15, he looks at 5 year old Lambo and goes no thanks that boy is never touching a weapon in his life. When Tsunas is 25, he sees 15 year Lambo and goes that is STILL a child he is never touching a weapon in his life. And yes he's completely unaware of the hypocrisy in my head.

This is a spoiled little brother no one can tell me otherwise.

So we know Tsuna just sees him as his kid brother and not a real guardian. But then you have Lambo's feelings about the whole matter. We know that Lambo doesn't really consider Tsuna a boss but as his big brother, but I don't think that changes a lot for Lambo. While fighting is scary for Lambo, he still desires to follow alongside Tsuna and his friends. He doesn't want to be left behind and makes Tsuna promise him he'll take him wherever he goes. He sees Tsuna freaking out about him being a child in a battlefield and he goes, "No you don't understand, I want to be there."

And that? That right there is what fucks me up after everything. Lambo as a concept for a Lightning Guardian feels really unique because of this. He's the youngest one. He's always going to chase after the others, trying to keep up with them, to walk alongside them. One day, he wants to catch up and be considered a rightful Guardian like the others. And that is so... Tsuna and him would be batting heads over this because I cannot see Tsuna relenting on Lambo staying out of the battle. I cannot see Tsuna ever feeling like Lambo's ready. Not because he thinks Lambo is weak, but because Lambo's his baby brother and Tsuna needs him more away from the battle or else he can't focus.

While Tsuna doesn't react outwardly in this frame, I do think it's not a coincidence that he could focus on fighting the battle and not be "impatient" as Reborn put it, the moment he saw Gokudera and Hibari on the battlefield. He could focus easier knowing his friends were running around saving Lambo and co.

Okay, so you have the Big brother who wants to protect his little brother from seeing the same stuff he does, from fighting the same battles he does, and wants him to grow up as a regular kid (a right which he had been robbed off the moment a certain hitman showed up at his door). Then you have the little brother who wants wholeheartedly to be there, desires to catch up to his big brother and know the world that his big brother knows.

How does this difference in value get addressed? well it doesn't because Lambo is still 5 and Shounen jump are cowards for ending Amanos series when they did <3 B U T we have this.

We all know this scene for when we rewatched Reborn for the first and went "..wait.." because that was some actually sweet foreshadowing from Amano. Okay, so. We have a Lambo who finally did it. Finally is someone worthy of being called the Vongola Lightning Guardian. And Tsuna and co are implied to have just been... Gone. All of Tsuna's efforts to raise this kid in a regular life are ripped away because something happens to HIM, not Lambo. And from Lambo's perspective, he's caught up finally but the person he was following isn't around anymore. He didn't think he'd see him again. I think it's safe to assume that this scene either implies that something happens to Tsuna in his 30s (since we know he wasn't actually dead TYL) OR 20yl Lambo is from a parallel world where Byakuran had actually won and actually took Tsunas life.

And I think that's some real meat to bite into for these characters. A little brother who will lose his big brother if he doesn't do something, get stronger in time. A big brother who won't let him join the battle because he's afraid of losing HIS little brother. A Vongola Lightning Guardian who wants to be a shield for his Boss, and a Boss won't let him be a shield.

And that? That's a good concept for a Vongola Lightning Guardian.

Thank you for reading this far if you did :] this is a bit of a ramble but I was thinking about it and I felt it nice to share. I hope maybe I shared some of my brain worms with you <3

#katekyo hitman reborn #khr #sawada tsunayoshi #lambo bovino #ough this was a long one #why cant i make regular haha funny one liners #whys everything gotta be a thesis paper i s2g

[opbackgrounds]

You didn't really answer my qustion though. What can you name that should be edited out? For example: which warlord do you cut out? Which arc they brought do you feel is unneeded and should be taken out? I promise I'm not being mean or snarky, it's just I've heard the 'too many randoms' all over, but nobody can actualy point to an actual character they find should be cut out so it kinda sound like 'just make it better'. And unless wiki is wrong, Tama is Koruzumi, not Kozumi - the fact you mixed it up kinda shows it didn't really matter, though I would argue it is important from narrative perspective of showing Koruzumi were not 'evil by blood' despite all names one being villains. Also: Zoro's lineage was also released trough SBS and I don't see people break up about it? Again, I'm just honestly curious about what you think.

my point is not invalidated because I misremembered a name, and Zoro’s lineage is another thing that either should have been in the manga or not been a thing at all. If Oda wasn’t going to do anything with it, he should have kept the connection between he and Wano be through Kuina. The Zoro lookalike characters during Yamato’s flashback only set up expectation in the audience that wasn’t followed through with. I understand that Zoro doesn’t give a fuck, but if that’s the case then don’t make it a thing in the first place.

But to answer your question let’s look just at Wano. The Nine Scabbards should have been reduced down to a more reasonable number. I love them both dearly, but you could easily combine Dogstorm and Cat Viper into one character. Raizo doesn’t do much after Zou, so replace him there with someone else—I’d say Izo, since that’s the character who could have used some time with the main cast to make their ridiculous death more impactful. You could say after Marineford they were trying to get back to Wano and stumbled upon Momo and the rest while traveling. Shinobu can handle being the main ninja character, and no Raizo means you don’t have to have earlobe guy so now there’s no meaningless 25 chapter fight.

With Izo reintroduced thusly, there’s no reason for Marco to show up at all. In fact, he has a built-in reason for not showing up by protecting Whitebeard’s homeland. This will require some rewriting of the arc, but imo he ended up taking away too much valuable hype from more important characters to really justify his presence, so get him out of there.

It was clear Oda was having a hard time finding a purpose for Drake, and Hawkins, and Apoo. Of those three, you could easily get rid of Apoo and not lose anything. Have a quick flashback of him dying epically in the Kidd Pirate Alliance battle against Kaido. It would have been a better showing than he gave in the arc itself.

And that’s just off the top of my head. I haven’t done any rereading of Wano since that chapters were released. If someone went over the arc more carefully there would be more (like, does Carrot really need to be there? Do any of the other Zou characters?) I really think you could get the Scabbards down to 5 characters if you tried, but I’d have to figure out how that would fit with the rest of the story.

My problem with One Piece isn’t the number of arcs, it’s that the arcs themselves are too long. Enies Lobby was epic in scale and had a lot of different factions to account for, but it didn’t take three years to get through. Theres going to be some ballooning in size as the crew has gotten bigger, but even that could be worked around. Have more tag team fights like on Thriller Bark, for example, so the enemy crews don’t have to have so many people. Reduce the roll of side characters and give their feats to the Straw Hats who haven’t gotten enough love after the time skip. There’s lots of things Oda could have done, but he hasn’t.

#sarc talks

[remember-digimon]

Next up is my favorite, Matt!

Wow what a cool guy.

So, Matt is usually described as a loner, Tai's rival, and the Angsty Cool Guy. None of these actually describe who he is, so let's dive into that.

1. Loner. Matt isn't a loner, he's lonely. Big difference. He keeps others at a very long arm's length as a self-preservation mechanism; due to his parents' divorce basically breaking his little heart at a really young age. He learned then that other people could hurt him by leaving, and decided from then on he wouldn't give them the opportunity to hurt him. His loneliness is so deeply rooted that it's interpreted by others as aloofness, while he is only 11 years old. Like damn wtf

2. Tai's rival. Outside of the Cherrymon incident, which was just good ol' manipulation to get the two most powerful Digimon in the group to fight, Matt was really only considered Tai's rival in early promotional stuff that had a little bio for each character. Matt likely gets interpreted as Tai's rival because they fight a lot, but it's not that simple. Matt doesn't want to compete with Tai, he doesn't want to be the leader. He butts heads with Tai because they're basically opposites. Matt is acutely aware of the group's feelings and needs, while Tai remains laser-focused on the goal at hand. This dynamic isn't like Ash vs Gary, where they're actively competing with each other. Matt gets frustrated with Tai very easily, and he feels things so intensely that he can't really help but blow up.

3. Cool Guy. Let's get one thing straight, this kid right here is not cool. This was more of a thing in the dub iirc, but regardless, his attitude is just a cover to keep people from getting too close. Hell, it takes Gabumon a few episodes longer than the other Digimon to really get close to Matt; before that point, Matt certainly isn't a total dick to Gabumon, but he isn't fully trusting yet either.

Matt's relationship with TK is an interesting one. He feels like it's his sole purpose to protect TK, not just from monsters but from anything unpleasant in life. All of the familial love and affection he gets comes from TK so it's understandable why he would feel this way.

One complaint I often hear about Matt is that his breakdown in the Dark Masters arc when TK gets kidnapped by Puppetmon is way overblown, that he wouldn't normally react that way. He left TK at the amusement park during Weregarurumon's Diner, and when he couldn't immediately leave he didn't break down like that.

The difference in these situations is obvious if you pay close attention. First of all, from the time the kids get up on the day Bakemon raid Odaiba to when they're back at the digital world and split up after talking to Homeostasis, is all one day. It feels much longer because of how many episodes that is, but they're all on at least 24 hours without sleep or taking a break. Also, keep in mind that Matt woke up earlier than the others, before sunrise, as his dad got him and Gabumon to the warehouse to keep them from getting abducted by the Bakemon.

Second, in that span of time the kids have all realized what they're up against. They've lost Wizardmon, Chuumon, Piximon, and Whamon in quick succession, the last three to the Dark Masters. Learning that his little brother has now been captured by one of these Dark Masters would lead Matt to fearing the worst.

Then there's the big fight he had with Tai just prior to the breakdown. He accused Tai of being obsessed with fighting and ignoring the others' grief at the loss of their Digimon friends. By the time he and TK are in the tree with their Digimon, he's already showing signs of wanting to break away from the group, saying that they don't need the others.

Matt also feels that his growth is stagnant compared to the others; this is untrue, as Gabumon would not be able to digivolve to higher levels if Matt wasn't growing and changing. But his self-image is so damaged that he always sees the negative aspects of his personality when comparing himself to his peers.

And of course we have to talk about the Dark Cave. Because of how the Digital World operates, Matt's depression materializes and manifests as a cave that he can't escape until he comes to terms with it. Obviously this quick recovery from a depression spiral is not based in reality, but this is an episodic kid's show so I'm surprised we even got this much.

Matt's experience in the cave is one that a lot of people who have dealt with depression and loneliness can relate to. He says he wants to be alone, but Gabumon calls him out on that and makes him realize that isn't what he wants, actually. He wants to be more open with people, he's just under the impression that he's not really important, not wanted, so it's better off to just not even try. His relationship with his mother is highly strained because of the divorce, and because he has an overwhelming sense of loyalty he probably feels he has to be cold to her for his father's sake.

As for his father, Hiroaki is at work more often than not. Every time we see Hiroaki and Matt interact, Hiroaki is either brisk and business-like or even annoyed; when Matt meets up with him at the TV station, Hiroaki is angry that he didn't stay hidden. Obviously this is out of concern for his son, but still. A moment later, when TK shows up, suddenly Hiroaki is much softer in speaking. So I imagine that this dynamic would also have an impact on Matt's mental health; his dad is almost always at work, and when we do see him with his dad, Hiroaki is a bit tough with him.

But it isn't all sad times and angst with Matt. He loves music, later forming a popular band in middle school and high school. Once he realizes that he can open up to people, and they won't intentionally hurt him, he's able to create real, lasting relationships that aren't based on the cold exterior he uses to protect himself. It's clear that he needed to learn to let others in, and once he did learn that, he becomes much happier and more willing to open up and let those walls down. Even if it's just a little bit.

#matt ishida #yamato ishida #digimon #digimon adventure #character analysis

[loverboy-havocboy]

Hi there! I've been having a rough week and I feel the need for comfort characters.

Can I request your aliit au Thorn/ Echo/ Fives with either the sleepy kiss or crying kiss?

my goal for this was 800 words, because I really want it to cheer you up a little 🥺 it ended up being almost 1200.

here's sleepy/crying kisses with aliit au echo/fives/thorn

(warning for a ptsd related night terror)

---

Thorn wakes suddenly to the flailing of three half-limbs and one incredibly strong arm, accompanied by the frantic, shouting voices of his lovers. He's sitting up in a flash to see Fives holding Echo by the shoulders, tears glinting on both of their faces in the moonlight.

“We have to get to the shuttle-” Echo gasps out, “to escape the Citadel!”

“Echo, you're home! You're in Keldabe, you're okay,” Fives tells him. He's trying to be firm, Thorn can tell, commanding, but his voice shakes and cracks, coming out pleading instead.

“No! I’ll go first-” Echo says, trying to push Fives off.

Thorn joins Fives in his attempts to restrain their cyare, pinning one of Echo’s thighs under his own leg and lacing his fingers through those on Echo's remaining hand. Echo is still struggling against them, still warning Fives they have to move before it's too late.

Thorn watches Fives try to ground Echo with his touch, the sound of his voice, and promises that he's alright - but his assessment quickly becomes that rather than pulling him out of the terror, Fives' presence is only immersing the man further into it. So Thorn uses his other hand to take Echo by the back of the neck, making his lover face him instead.

Fives protests, grabbing for Echo with a whimper that kicks Thorn right in the ribs, but he shakes his head. “I need you to trust me, Fi. Can you trust me?”

He looks unsettled, desperate, but even so, Fives doesn't fight him anymore. When Thorn can turn his attention back to Echo, he sees that the man's brows are pinched together as his expression shifts from fear and urgency to confusion.

“You know me, ‘Yayah,” Thorn tells him, mustering every ounce of his Commander's voice for it, pushing through the way it comes out sleep-rough. Echo shakes his head, wide eyes darting over his face, but Thorn just nods, insists, “Yeah, you do. I'm Thorn. You didn't know me before the Citadel, but you know me now. Because the Citadel is in the past.”

“The.. The Citadel..?” Echo mutters. He tries again to turn his head to look at Fives, but Thorn holds him steady, just in case, by sliding his palm to rest over Echo's prickly cheek, locking their eyes.

“Is in the past. You know me. You put my hair in these braids a few hours ago-” and slowly, recognition dawns on Echo's handsome face, “-even though you're mad at me right now for handing you sugar for your eggs at breakfast.”

Thorn can see the moment Echo's brain catches up and accepts that yes - he knows Thorn, and no - Thorn wasn't at the Citadel.

“I am mad at you,” he says roughly, voice thin as the last of his fight drains out of him. “That was disgusting."

“And you still invited me to stay the night,” Thorn points out, breathing easier now that he sees Echo doing the same.

Echo's lips almost quirk upward, but then they fall into a frown and he laments, “Probably wishing you'd gone home right about now.”

Thorn just shakes his head. “I thought ARC Troopers were supposed to be intelligent,” he quips, unable and unwilling to stop himself from smiling.

“Results may vary,” Echo fires back, nodding down at his three missing limbs.

Thorn's laughter is joined by Fives', though the other man's is a wet, fragile kind of laughter. Thorn doesn't stop Echo from turning to his husband this time. He releases him completely, in fact, backing off to give them a moment. Fives pulls Echo immediately into a firm keldabe kiss, breath hitching.

Thorn isn't surprised by Fives' tears; the Citadel is still fresh for them, the way Scipio is still fresh for him. Some things take a lot of time to heal, and some things just stay raw.

Fives infiltrating the Citadel side by side with the love of his life and leaving only with his charred bucket in hand, Captain Rex finding Echo alive - just barely - in an enemy encampment, the pain of watching Echo struggle to pull himself back together - all those things will need more time before they stop feeling like a knife through the heart whenever Fives is reminded of them.

So he's not surprised when Fives shudders out a sob as Echo kisses him. Now that the rush of adrenaline has faded, a lump is forming in his own throat. He's only had a fraction of the time with them that they've had with each other, but their pain is still a tangible thing to him. His intimate familiarity with that type of grief plays its part, but Echo and Fives also just deserve peaceful nights that they don't get to have.

If anyone deserves fucking peaceful nights it's these two.

Echo rasps out his name, wiping his face on the back of his hand before beckoning him closer. As he shifts back toward them, Echo brings him in with a hand on his jaw, the last of his tremors fading now to nothing. The kiss he receives is chaste, and tired, but so unbelievably warm.

“This might be a really bad time to tell you,” Echo murmurs, breath puffing over Thorn's lips, “but Fives and I - we love you. I love you, Thorn.”

Thorn pulls back a little, heart in his throat, to search Echo's eyes.

“You don't have to say anything, just..” Echo clears his throat softly, brushes his thumb over Thorn's cheek, “Just thought you should know.”

Like hell he doesn't have to say anything. Unfortunately, the thing he manages to say as his thoughts race isn't ideal, but he supposes it's not the worst thing that could've come out of his mouth, “Even though I'm a Corrie, huh?”

Echo does manage a smile now, a beautiful one, even as he rolls his eyes. “We’re willing to overlook it, yeah.”

“Unless you keep rubbing it in like that,” Fives chimes in, moving into Thorn's space with his husband. Fives' forehead falls onto his shoulder sleepily and Thorn scratches his nails through the man's wild curls.

“I’m afraid our love is highly conditional,” Echo informs him regretfully.

“That's okay,” Thorn grins, “I think I'll take it anyway. I love you, too - even if you are Rex’s mir’shebse.”

“Fighting words!” Fives hollers, toppling them over all of a sudden, knocking the air out Thorn's lungs along with a bright laugh.

“Fight him tomorrow,” Echo yawns, rubbing at his eyes, one at a time. “Fight him whenever you want now that he's stuck with us - just not when I'm tired.”

After muttering something about Echo always being tired, and promptly saying, “Nothing!” when asked to repeat it, Fives curls up at Thorn's side, tugging Echo against the other demandingly.

Thorn presses his lips to each of their heads sleepily, feeling warm and content beneath the combined weight of two cuddly ex-ARC’s.

#echo/fives/thorn #echo/fives #cloneshipping #aliit au #aliit dominos #my works #clone ship #wreaking havoc #ask havoc

[velvetvexations]

"if Kristen fell into a time quangle during the Night Yorb fight and landed in the last few minutes of the epilogue, her character growth, her entire arc, would be 100% identical to how it was in canon"

Feels like a shame to single out Kristen when that's basically true of all the PCs. Murph got in a just under-the-wire character arc that was largely unrelated to anything Riz actually experienced. (I feel like Murph and Brennan went into this season with opposite ideas of what Riz's arc should be.) And every other character remained essentially the same. They went through some external changes (Fabian got a girlfriend and Fig a new god). But those can hardly be called arcs. At least Ally took some wild swings at the beginning, even if they never amounted to anything

Riz is a very insightful point, he was such a non-entity this entire season. He basically existed just to do nat thirty investigations like an HM slave in Pokemon. Even in the epilogue, it's like "hey his mom reminded him to relax sometimes and he said okay" and like. That's it. That's literally it. NOTHING was solved.

I still feel like Kristen is different, though, and most obnoxious to me, because she so central to the narrative and the epilogue is more her victory lap than anyone else's. Like Riz had nothing happen to him all season but then also didn't have anything happen to him in the epilogue either. With Kristen it's like, woo! You're the president and this is inexplicably, against all conceivable logic, something we expect you to be good at! Cassandra apparently forgives you for literally almost neglecting her to death! Your religion has started picking up followers for, I don't know, Reasons I guess, I don't really know but I sure know it wasn't because you put any effort into proselytize one single time this entire season! Your ex left her highly successful religious movement and broke up with that dumb bitch slut who's probably evil I bet so now you've got another shot!

So like, at least Riz's epilogue doesn't act like he's gone through any real change or earned anything the way Kristen gets handed a trophy for every time she blinked this season. Everyone else, I feel, had something, even if Adaine's ended in the middle of the season.

#dimension 20 #fhjy #kristen applebees #riz gukgak

[sapphic-agent]

Let's Talk About the Sports Festival

*Note: this is a long one so strap in*

Oh boy, here we go.

I did touch briefly on this in my first ever post on here and I mentioned it a few other times. But I've got a few thoughts and I think this arc deserves a little exploration as it plays a crucial part in setting up our characters for the rest of the series.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Sports Festival overall. I think it does well for some characters, not so well for others. I'd like to take some time to break down how some characters benefit and how others don't and really evaluate the arc as a whole.

Uraraka

I think Uraraka's a great place to start. Now, in my Bakugou analysis I did say that I was unhappy with the match, mostly because it panders to Bakugou to make him seem better than he was. And I stand by that, the narrative was trying to shove a "positive trait" of his down our throats since all we had seen from him up to this point was all negative. It was Horikoshi's first attempt at subverting expectations, I think.

However, I actually do think this fight was good for Uraraka as a character.

Uraraka isn't the fastest or strongest or smartest in 1A and previous to this that was fine because being those things wasn't her goal. She wanted to be a rescue hero and provide for her parents, she didn't set out to be particularly ambitious like Izuku or Todoroki or her other classmates. However, this proved to be somewhat of a hinderance to her succeeding as we see in the Cavalry battle. She pairs up with Izuku because she needs to rely on him if she wants to stand a chance of winning. And because of that, she feels like she can't fend for herself.

I think pairing her up against Bakugou was a good thing. Not because he treated her with "respect" or as a serious opponent (because he didn't), but because it pushed her to her limits and forced her to think outside of the box. She refuses Izuku's help because she knows she can't use him as a crutch going forward so she devises her own plan. And even though she loses, she still gets to shine and prove herself (we'll get back to this point with a certain character later). It also acts as a hallmark for her character, that she has to really push herself if she wants to be able to stand with (or even against) her stronger classmates.

Now, whether or not this setup pays off later is for another post, but I think Uraraka is one of the only characters this arc really does justice.

Izuku

If I'm being honest, the Sports Festival is far from the worst arc in the series for our beloved main character.

The race was great, of course. Because he can't depend on his quirk like everyone else, Izuku has to put all his critical thinking skills and strategic prowess to the test. The race is actually one of my favorite parts of the show because a kid from the bottom of his class (at the time) rises above everyone else and absolutely no one (including us) saw it coming. He has a major disadvantage and still comes out on top. It really ties in well with All Might's advice to stand in front of everyone and say, "I am here."

Now, the Cavalry Battle is a different story. To be fair, I don't think it really hurts or helps Izuku's character all that much. He has to think on his feet and strategize carefully, but he already did that in the race. His leaderships skills aren't really displayed all that much either (it's present, but Bakugou, Todoroki, and Monoma take much more of the limelight here). They could have taken more time to develop this role for him, but it's nothing really major to complain about.

The tournament is a little different. Obviously, Izuku couldn't win because if he had it wouldn't have been realistic. But his fight with Shinsou shouldn't have happened. The only reason they're matched up is for Izuku to break out of his hold with One For All. It doesn't do anything for his character (I might even say it hinders it because Ojirou specifically told him what to do and he ignored it) and really only serves as Shinsou's introduction, which could have been done with any character.

(Bakugou should have gone up against Shinsou. It would have humbled him; he would have lost to an "extra," one of the very people he talked down to. It would have also taught him that having a strong quirk or a weak quirk isn't what makes a hero and that power isn't everything)

However, the Todoroki fight does do Izuku's character justice. Because Izuku has always put helping others over winning or being the best. It's what makes him a true hero. He still makes Todoroki work for it and gives his all in the fight, but he does it with the genuine intention of helping. And that's what it means to be a hero. If the race was showing off his skill, then the tournament was showing off his heart. Those are the two sides to being a hero after all.

(If only the pro heroes had any semblance of sense to realize that)

So overall I am split on if this arc is good for Izuku or not. It does well with some things, poor with others. However, I do think that if Horikoshi had kept a similar approach with him throughout the story, it would have done him a lot more justice.

(At least more than whatever Dark Deku was supposed to be)

Iida

I don't have much to say on him other than that I think it would have been beneficial to showcase his skills a little more. He's supposed to be the second most intelligent in 1A and he got fourth on the quirk apprehension test. It would have been nice to show him off a little more like they did with Todoroki and Bakugou.

However, I do understand that his performance in the Sports Festival is meant to take a backseat to what's going on in his personal life. And for the most part that is done pretty well. The tension build up his actually really good and it sets him up to shine in the Stain arc.

I also appreciate his approach towards Izuku. He respects him and sees him as a friend, but also knows that Izuku is still an adversary. It's a unique approach to rivalry in anime and also sets up his role in the Stain arc well.

So it's not a terrible arc for Iida, but it could have been better for him too.

Bakugou

I know, I know I don't want to either but let's just get through this okay?

Obviously above I said what I said about how he should have fought Shinsou. And I stand by that. The Sports Festival was the best way he could have been humbled and taught humility. Having Bakugou fight Shinsou and lose could have aided his redemption in the long run.

Now, one thing that bothers me about the Sports Festival is that it seems like the narrative constantly goes out of its way to make him look better. Oh, Bakugou meets his match from a student with a copying quirk who rightfully calls him out and catches him off guard? Let's have him overcome the (truthful) assumptions and beat him and still qualify even though he was completely focused on the wrong things. Oh, the crowd thinks Bakugou is being overly harsh on someone who clearly isn't on his level? Let's have Aizawa vehemently defend him and tell everyone he's showing her respect when he obviously isn't (and even doubles down after the fact). Oh, Todoroki has just embraced a part of his quirk that's more than enough to beat Bakugou? Nah, let's have Todoroki throw even though he just had an epiphany about how his power was his and not his father's.

You see where I'm going with this? No matter what, this arc absolutely bends over backwards to portray Bakugou in a positive light. Where our other characters lose, struggle, and get put through the wringer, Bakugou is handed a win (literally and figuratively) multiple times. It's part of what pushed me from genuinely enjoying the Sports Festival to somewhat disliking it.

Bakugou is never allowed to struggle unless everyone around him is struggling too, most of the time worse than he is. This is a pattern that persists throughout the series. And it started in this arc.

Todoroki

You know how I said that Uraraka was one of the characters that this arc did justice? Well, Todoroki was the other one.

His set up in the Sports Festival is fantastic. Before this arc, we knew he was important. He was strong, aloof, and the only one who could intimidate Bakugou. The way they ease us into his character is very well done from his little mannerisms to revealing his backstory.

I know most of us agree that he should have beat Bakugou. However, him winning or losing the final match never really mattered. What mattered is that he made peace with his quirk and his trauma. And through Izuku he opens himself up which not only leads to him being a loyal friend, but also makes him a better hero in the long run. He is undoubtedly the character that develops the most.

(It's also through Todoroki that we get a bit of world building. Endeavor is the first example of a corrupt hero we see and we're introduced to the concept of quirk marriages)

Unfortunately, like Uraraka, this setup doesn't pay off that well later, but again that's a story for another day.

Yaoyorozu

An unfortunate flipside of Todoroki is that Yaoyorozu's character goes through the opposite.

A pattern with Yaoyorozu is that Horikoshi seems to fluctuate between wanting to treat her as a serious character and going out of his way to screw her over. In the race, she's a victim of Mineta's perversions (there's also the cheerleading bit, but that happened to all the 1A girls so it doesn't pertain to just her; it's still shitty though). She's barely present in the Cavalry Battle, only serving as a support prop for Todoroki's team.

And then the tournament is the final nail in the coffin. Yaoyorozu before this was shown to be calm, collected, and intelligent. She also- by the Quirk Apprehension Test results- has the most control and prowess over her quirk in 1A. So it's odd that she lost to Tokoyami so easily.

Not to say that she necessarily should have won, but for her to not realize what Tokoyami was doing was out of character to say the least when she was shown to be very observant. And if Horikoshi was going to add this insecurity aspect to her character in the Sports Festival, she should have gotten more attention beforehand. At least then it would have made a bit of sense. But to give her this vaguely hinted emotional moment out of nowhere was... weird. She has barely any screen time and no growth or development to lead us into this point. And she barely gets any after this moment. There's almost no payoff or point to this.

(*cough* maybe focus less on Bakugou and give other characters a chance to shine *cough*)

Yaoyorozu might have been the character screwed over the most in this arc.

Shinsou

Wasted potential. Like I said before, having him take down Bakugou would have really hammered in how dangerous his quirk can be. It shows him as an actual threat. Having him get ringed out by Izuku in the first round doesn't do anything for anyone's character. It makes his entire introduction lackluster.

Final Thoughts

So yeah, those are my thoughts on the Sports Festival. Good for some characters, not so much for others. I always like to read fics where it gets rewritten because so much could have changed for the better. What do you guys think? Did I miss anything?

#mha critical #bnha critical #anti bakugou katsuki #sports festival arc #sports festival arc critical #long post #anti bakugou #anti bakugo katsuki #momo yaoyorozu deserves better

[epickiya722]

Hello, I'm new here, I would really like you to answer my question, I really like your thoughts. What bothered me most about this chapter 261 of jujutsu is that it doesn't make sense that Yuta came back in Gojo's body, this took away the weight of Itadori again in the story, it seems like a fanfic written by a fan. 2. this chapter took away all the weight of gojo's death.

Hi, right back at you, Anon!

I could see how this chapter bothered you. I seen some people even mentioned how "Yuji is going to be sidelined again".

I already written a post about 261 here, and I'm going to mention a few things I already said in that post.

Now, this may seem to be shocking to some people when I say this because y'all know Yuji is my favorite. But... I can see Yuta on the frontlines but just for this moment. I also have a second outlookto this. I don't think this is going to be a Sukuna VS. Yuta battle.

It feels, just a little at least, like a tag team of Yuji and Yuta VS. Sukuna part 2. It's just that this time, Todo is here in the place of Rika.

In my post, I mention how it feels like Yuta may be showing up at this particular time to save Yuji from losing that bit of humanity he has left. In a way, he is taking the weight off of Yuji. That burden of turning yourself into a curse to kill a curse.

Also, I just thought of this. The audience knows Yuji has awakened. We seen him hitting Sukuna with those back-to-back Black Flashes, whooping Sukuna's ass. Yuta hasn't.In a more realistic sense, with Yuta being out the fight for some time, during that time I can imagine he also worried about Yuji and the others like "I gotta get back in the fight, I gotta help". So pack that panic onto possessing your teacher's body.

I know to some, this indeed feels like a "Yuta is here to take Yuji's shine" moment, but again to me it's just feels like someone coming to help after taking an inhumane risk.

Gojo told Yuta to take care of Yuji and the others if something ever happened to him. And yeah, this is him doing that.

There's also the fact that neither Yuji or Yuta actually care to show out against Sukuna, they just want to kill this guy. There's not even a sense of rivalry between them.

And even if Yuji is out of the fight for a while, this is a rhetorical question for other Yuji fans, would that make you see him any less of a great character he is?

Because even during the Culling Games, he wasn't in that arc much but it didn't make me think of less of him because before, during and after he has moments that I still find great and honestly when he's not onscreen, just makes appreciate him more as a character.

I don't think screentime should determine how great a character is. Just the time they have shown should count for something. That during that time onscreen, they showcase what makes the viewer favor them.

Whatever happens next, isn't going to make me think of Yuji any less.

But enough of that!

Okay, for Gojo's death... okay, I can see why people would feel upset about Gojo's body being used like that after dying.

But I think that's the point. It should make the audience sick to their stomach because none of the characters are happy about it either. Except maybe Sukuna, he seems thrilled.

People are currently slandering Shoko for not trying to convince him against it, but uh... in the same breath Gojo expresses indifference about it even though it is his body. "Who cares what happens to one's corpse?" He takes no regard about what if he does lose and says "well, I'll admit I don't like my body being used like that".

Didn't do that.

To me, Gojo... I'm not going to say "okay"... was nonchalant about it being he states "he won't lose, he won't die" verbally to hide that even if he does he's accepting to it. He accepts he dies this time around. He finally is no longer tied down to that life of being a weapon. And maybe... this is also him kind of... punishing himself for what happened to Geto's body.

Geto died and Gojo didn't properly dispose of the body because he probably couldn't make himself do it. That lead to Kenjaku getting his body and using it as a weapon.

So, how does Gojo make up for it. Well, Yuta is the one to end Kenjaku so Gojo, still probably feeling not feeling satisfied and guilty, decides "well, if I do lose, they can use my body as a weapon".

Gojo's life is a tragedy, but his afterlife, being there with Geto and the others he lost, just may have been his mercy. He's finally in a paradise where he can feel happy, truly happy and whatever goes on in the real world, he can let go, including his body.

But that's just me.

#kiya answers #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk spoilers #jjk manga spoilers #jjk 261 #okkotsu yuta #yuta okkotsu #yuuta okkotsu #okkotsu yuuta #gojo satoru #satoru gojo

[purpleheartskies]

Kreese, Johnny, Robby, and the cycle of generational trauma

This post talks about Robby's ultimate goal of breaking the cycle of generational trauma that is being passed down to him from Kreese and Johnny. The post goes into Johnny's Hero's Journey a bit. (The Hero's Journey is a story structure and a character transformation arc in a story. I want to do a proper post about Johnny's Hero's Journey, but I may wait until after s6 to do so. Explanations below that are about certain stages in the Hero's Journey are in blue font.) Note, the post contains spoilers for s6!

Since s3, I've been really interested in the Kreese-Johnny-Robby storyline because it's about most of the generational trauma that is in Johnny and Robby's story. (s4e4 also touched on Johnny having his bio dad's things after he had abandoned Johnny and on Robby mentioning that Johnny once leaving behind a VHS movie was the only reminder he had for months that Johnny existed.) The ending of s3 also seemed to open up the possibility of Johnny starting to truly redeem himself. Now, if you follow my posts, you know that I believe there is a difference between writers not knowing how to do storytelling versus writers making decisions that I don't like for characters and characters' journeys. Yes, I did not like where the writers have gone with Johnny and Johnny's story, but I also don't believe that that means the writers don't know what they're doing as storytellers. These are just the decisions they have made for his character. They didn't have him start growing in s4 or s5. Instead, they had him stay the same in general and get worse wrt Robby. Anyway...

At the end of s3, Johnny started the Ordeal stage in his Hero's Journey. About the Ordeal:

Things go wrong and added conflict is introduced. The hero experiences more difficult hurdles and obstacles, some of which may lead to a life crisis. Usually involves looking in a mirror, literally or metaphorically. Can include being pushed to their limit until their identity is shattered or they face death or their greatest fear, and their essence (greatest flaw) is revealed. The hero also faces his shadow (his greatest villain) and reaches his goal. The goal itself does not satisfy the hero's deepest need.

Johnny faced his "shadow" (greatest villain) Kreese and looked in his "mirror" Robby. He was confronted by both his past/present with Kreese and his past/present with Robby. Kreese had inserted himself into Robby's life behind Johnny's back. Of course, Johnny's knee-jerk reaction was to blame Robby, "Robby, what are you doing here?" when he found Robby with Kreese, despite knowing that Kreese is a manipulative brainwasher. Kreese then told Johnny that he wanted them to become the 3 generations of Cobra Kai, and Robby told Johnny to listen to Kreese because Kreese wants what's best for Johnny. Kreese would always tell Johnny that he wants what's best for Johnny when Kreese is trying to manipulate Johnny. I've always believed that Robby wasn't manipulated by Kreese in this moment but was just playing along with Kreese. After all, Robby didn't trust anyone anymore and knew when he met Kreese in juvie that Kreese was using different manipulation tactics against him. (Robby's responses to Kreese in that scene indicate so.) Anyway, Johnny attacked Kreese after Robby said this. Their fight escalated. Johnny picked up a weapon, and Robby told him "don't do it." Johnny dropped the weapon, tackled Kreese, and started punching Kreese repeatedly while he was on the ground. Robby pulled Johnny away from Kreese, and Johnny tried to tell Robby to listen to him and not to trust Kreese. Robby responded by comparing trusting Kreese to trusting Johnny, indicating that Robby didn't trust either of them. Robby then told Johnny that all those years Johnny wasn't there Robby blamed himself, that Kreese is right that Robby can't be his own worst enemy, and that Johnny can be. Robby then attacked Johnny, who tried his best not to hurt Robby, but Johnny accidentally did. While Johnny was checking if Robby was okay, Kreese attacked Johnny and started strangling him. Daniel then arrived and kicked Kreese off of Johnny. At the end of the fight, after Daniel was stopped from doing more damage to Kreese, Johnny stood next to Daniel, opposite to Kreese, and said that Cobra Kai's gotta go. This was Johnny shedding his identity as "Cobra Kai". Kreese then offered a deal that they settle things with the avt, and Daniel and Johnny accepted. Robby then came out and stood next to Kreese and told Johnny and Daniel to leave. They were simply disappointed and didn't try to stop Robby from staying with Kreese.

What's important about these confrontations for Johnny is that earlier, because of his conversation with Ali, he had decided to move on from his past and focus on his present and future. He decided to move on from Ali. Later, because of these confrontations with Kreese and Robby, Johnny also decided to move on from these relationships as well. It's why in s4 he didn't do anything for Robby and did everything he could to hold onto his relationships with the Diazs, which he now considers his present and future (as he also indicated to Chozen in s5e9). This is also why Johnny dismisses or shuts down any mention (especially by Robby) of his failures with Robby. Johnny wants to move on from the past for his own benefit and believing that he can't make up for it.

In s4, Kreese was easy going with Robby, which Robby knew was to get to Johnny. Silver also made note of this. He knew that Kreese wanted to share his legacy with Johnny and Robby more than Kreese wanted to share it with him. Silver noted to Kreese that Kreese had struck first against Johnny and took his son. Silver also noted to Kreese that he didn't have everything under control, including Robby. Silver decided to take matters into his own hands in s4e8. Silver took advantage of Johnny's weaknesses wrt to Robby. Kreese had figured out in s2 that Johnny neglects Robby, but in s3, Kreese saw for himself that Johnny refused to fight Robby. As viewers, we can doubt whether Johnny actually cares about or loves Robby, but Kreese and Silver do keep trying to use Robby against Johnny. (Although Silver did mention that Miguel would see Johnny's bruises and get thrown off balance, that didn't happen. Instead, Miguel got thrown off balance because Johnny said "I love you too Robby". Also, Silver was trying to use Johnny against Miguel, not the other way around.) Anyway, on prom night, Silver went to the Keene's home, gave Robby his car to borrow, gave Shannon cash, and offered her a job. Shannon recognized this as a red flag and went to Johnny. At first, he focused more on the fact that Robby was going to prom than on what she was saying about Silver. She forced Johnny to pay attention to the Silver part. She told him what Silver had done, why she didn't like it, and that Johnny needed to handle it because it's related to Cobra Kai.

Johnny then went to the CK dojo looking for Silver. Silver called the dojo and taunted Johnny over the phone. When Johnny told Silver to keep his cash and cars away from his son, Silver pointed out that Johnny didn't even know that Robby was going to prom. Silver said that as long as Robby was with him, Silver would take care of him. He also commented about Shannon being a beautiful woman. Silver then lured Johnny into a trap, blindsided him with an attack, and fought him. When Silver got the upperhand and wanted to show Johnny no mercy, Kreese stopped him from doing more and they left Johnny there. By the time, Johnny made it home, Johnny was drunk and in a broken state. No doubt, the experience was an insane one for him. Johnny's turmoil and grief were focused on what he has never been able to do for Robby. All Johnny has wanted to do is be a father to Robby and protect him, but Johnny's traumas and his reliance on his coping mechanisms (his addictions to alcohol and to the validation he feels in his relationship with Miguel) have really impaired his ability to do so. Sadly, despite this experience with Silver, Johnny still did nothing to get Robby back from Silver and Kreese.

I believe the prom night was part of Johnny's Ordeal. (Though, I'm still playing with the analysis of Johnny's Hero's Journey. Because the series is structured like a very long movie, some stages in the characters' Hero's Journeys can span more than one episode, as with Robby's Hero's Journey.) The Ordeal stage takes the character to their lowest state and also reveals the character's greatest flaw and Johnny spoke about some of his flaw: him not being able to be a father to Robby. In s4e7, Johnny had also spoken about how he is passing down generational trauma to Robby:

Johnny: "... I didn't have a male role model growing up. Till I met Kreese, and you know how that went. And I didn't want to be like him. Or Sid. Or my own dad. And I took all that bullshit I felt from them and I put it on Robby's life. I can never fix that."

In s4e10, Kreese and Johnny did talk at the avt, and Kreese told Johnny that Johnny didn't know what Silver was going to do. Kreese told Johnny that he could have been with his "real" son. Johnny said that Kreese doesn't care about Robby any more than Kreese cares about Johnny. Johnny then reminded Kreese that he had forced Johnny to fight dirty and sacrifice his soul so that Cobra Kai could stay number one. Kreese said that that wasn't true and that he wanted Johnny to be number one. Kreese said that Johnny was about to beaten, he was down 2-0, and Kreese knew it would take Johnny into a downward spiral and had been right about that. Kreese went on to say that it does matter whether you win or lose and, if he can help Robby win, Robby will remember it for the rest of his life and maybe Robby can keep Cobra Kai going. Johnny said that that's never gonna happen because Cobra Kai's gonna die that night.

Cobra Kai didn't die that night, though. Kreese had also been wrong about Robby. Kreese had wanted to pass down his legacy to Robby and even tried to, but Robby rejected it soon after he adopted it fully in his fight with Kenny. Robby went to Johnny after the avt and also quit Cobra Kai. Johnny of course had done nothing to protect Robby from Kreese in the first place, nor the whole time Robby had been with Kreese.

In s5e7, Kreese tried to convince Johnny that everything Kreese had done had been for Johnny and that Johnny could still get Cobra Kai back and carry on the legacy. Johnny then said that that is Kreese's legacy and that Johnny's in this fight to erase everything Kreese did, every mark Kreese left, and every memory of Kreese. However, throughout s5, Johnny continued to pass down Kreese's legacy---the generational trauma due to the dysfunctional relationships and the generational trauma due to Cobra Kai. Johnny didn't treat Robby well at all and continued to pass down trauma to Robby due to Johnny's continued dysfunctional behavior with him. Also, although Johnny taught Miguel Kreese's Cobra Kai legacy as well as Johnny's own Cobra Kai legacy called Eagle Fang, Miguel has used this legacy primarily on Robby since s1, attacking him more than once, and this has added to Robby's traumas. Robby's life has been affected negatively by the school fight the most, especially with the consequences and aftermath of the school fight continuing to add to Robby's traumas and to have lasting effects on his relationships, reputation, and present and future prospects. In s5e5, for his own benefit, Johnny told the boys to use a "Johnny classic", aka Cobra Kai, method to resolve the rivalry that is essentially Miguel's rivalry with Robby. Robby clearly didn't want to fight but did so because Miguel agreed to it. Miguel "struck first" and drew blood first. They both "struck hard" then. In the end, Robby stopped fighting back, and Miguel "showed mercy". This fight was meant to mirror the school fight.

Robby has been experiencing the generational trauma through Johnny's behavior and through the Cobra Kai teachings. Kreese's captain had used the teachings on Kreese. Kreese has used the teachings on Johnny. Johnny, through teaching and supporting Miguel and knowing that he uses the teachings against Robby, has essentially been using the teachings on Robby as well. In s4, when Robby used the Cobra Kai teachings on Kenny, Robby immediately regretted it and turned completely against the Cobra Kai teachings. Later, he didn't even join Eagle Fang but chose to join Miyagi-Do. Robby is the cycle breaker! Since Daniel's lessons about finding balance in s1e8 and s1e10, Robby has been trying to overcome his "hate"/trauma and trying to "find balance". He tried using the Miyagi-Do way from s1e10 to s2e10 but failed. He tried to use Cobra Kai to channel his hate into fighting from s3e10 to s4e10 in order to find balance. But, fully adopting Cobra Kai led to him hurting Kenny, which he doesn't want to do. He doesn't want to be like Johnny. He wants to be better than Johnny, like he told Johnny in s4e4. Robby wants to break the cycle of generational trauma, and he has actually been trying to. Whereas Johnny only focuses on how the trauma and his failures with Robby have affected Johnny himself, Robby wants to work on overcoming his trauma so that he doesn't affect others with it.

In s5e10, the juxtaposition of Johnny's and Robby's fight scenes, the parallel of Robby not fighting back against Kenny in the brawl to Johnny not fighting back against Robby in s3e10, and the line that Johnny will screw up another kid---and essentially continue the cycle of generational trauma---are very important.

The only line that acknowledges the reality of Johnny becoming a father again is bookended by these two editing cuts, one of the many subtle, visual reminders throughout the series that Robby is Johnny's son. The statement itself literally tells the audience what to expect if Johnny were to become a father again: Johnny will screw up another kid.

Johnny had left Robby with Johnny's abuser, and that's yet another irredeemable thing Johnny has done to Robby. Robby is a cycle breaker, while Johnny isn't. In s5, the last statement made about Johnny becoming a father again is that Johnny's going to just screw up another kid. Robby in contrast was shown to do more to get Kenny out of Cobra Kai and warn him of the potential dangers of Cobra Kai and Silver. In s5e4, Robby himself went to Kenny and told him that Cobra Kai would turn him into a someone him doesn't want to be. In s5e8, when Kenny approached Robby angrily, Robby discouraged him from giving into his hate and encouraged him to use a Miyagi-Do way to solve his rivalry. In s5e9, Robby went to the Cobra Kai dojo and told the students in front of Silver that Silver is their enemy. Robby looked right at Kenny and said that he has not gone beyond the point of no return and that there is another way (Miyagi-Do). In s5e10, later that day, Robby took part in the plan to take down Silver and made a point to keep trying to talk to Kenny before, during, and after the brawl. Robby didn't try to fight back against Kenny when he attacked him, and Robby also gave Kenny a meaningful look while the video of Silver's confession was playing. Although, Johnny did by chance find Robby with Kreese and tried to tell Robby not to trust Kreese (s3e10), Johnny had done nothing to prove himself or be there for Robby up until that point. Johnny had not built a relationship with Robby and didn't have Robby’s trust. When Robby attacked Johnny, Johnny didn't fight back until he instinctively did and hurt Robby by accident. Johnny did immediately regret it, but he soon after gave up on Robby pretty easily and left Robby with that mark on his head and with Kreese. In all of s4, Johnny did nothing for months afterwards to get Robby away from Kreese. That does indicate to Robby that Johnny as always truly doesn't care about Robby and/or Johnny was lying to Robby about Kreese. Although, because of Kreese's arrest, Robby does now believe that Kreese is bad, Robby still believes that Silver is the worse of the two. Robby still doesn't know about what Silver had done to Johnny on prom night. Though, Robby is also still unaware of Johnny's full history with Kreese, so Robby is still unaware that Kreese has strangled Johnny twice: first, when he was Robby’s age; second, that night at the CK dojo with Robby lying unconscious a few feet away.

The s5 finale started with Kreese saying that his best student, who was like a son to him, told him that every mark he made and every memory of him would be erased. The finale ended with Kreese escaping prison. With Kreese out in the wild and with s6 being the last season, this storyline between Kreese, Johnny, and Robby should/will now be focused on and resolved. After all the writers have always talked about the premise of Johnny's story being that Johnny's relationship with Kreese has affected Johhny's relationship with Robby. It's important to note that, in canon, Kreese and Johnny both blame Johnny losing the avt for Johnny's life falling apart, but the root of it is Kreese strangling and abandoning Johnny. That is also what makes their confrontation in s3e10 so important. Johnny relived the worst moment of his life but has never really confronted what that means for him and how that had affected his relationship with Robby. Instead, Johnny chose to just move on.

All this leads me to a thought I had for s6. Of course, this is just a musing on my part...

A few spoiler pics since s6 production resumed this year have confirmed so far that the "joint" dojo will just be named Miyagi-Do. I have believed since s3 that Johnny would become Miyagi-Do. (I talk about it a bit in this post.) It has been the trajectory of his journey from the start. The biggest indicator of this was in s2e10 when Robby told Johnny that Miyagi-Do had helped Robby and that Johnny could learn from Daniel. Robby wanted Johnny to become Miyagi-Do, like Robby was trying to become Miyagi-Do. Since then, Johnny himself chose to ally himself with Daniel at the end of s3 and then officially joined dojos with him in s5.

Marty Kove has said that Kreese will be on the warpath. Also, at an event soon after production had stopped last year due the writers' strike, Billy Zabka mentioned that they had filmed the first episode already and that it had two mega fights in it and that there's character development. Now, the thought that I had, which is pretty bleak, is that Kreese will go after Robby. Kreese has played this game with Johnny before, and Kreese knows that one of Johnny's weaknesses is that Johnny neglects Robby. Kreese told Johnny in s2e7 that, when you have a weakness, you let your guard down and it makes you vulnerable. I have mentioned this in general before, but now I wonder what Kreese could potentially do to Robby if Kreese were to approach or confront Robby in s6. What if history will repeat itself? What if Kreese confronts Robby, maybe even about his second place trophy and saying that he is weak just like his father? What if Kreese somehow ends up strangling Robby? Of course, Robby survives, but what if this were to happen? Maybe Johnny will be the one to save Robby? Would this be the wake up call Johnny finally needs? That Robby live through what Johnny has lived through? In terms of passing on the trauma, Kreese has gone to Robby directly before. Robby has also rejected Kreese's legacy, like Johnny has. Most importantly, Robby is Johnny's legacy. This bleak thought occurred to me. On the one hand, I dismiss it. On the other hand, I think it is possible. Kreese strangled Johnny in kk2, and Kreese strangled Johnny in CK s3e10. Could Kreese strangle Robby in s6? I know that people suggested this might happen right after the s4 avt, but it may be a subversion if it happens now. Of course, this is just a thought, and this likely won't happen.

As I mentioned in my post about Robby's Hero's Journey, Robby's and Johnny's Hero's Journeys are converging. The Ordeal is the 8th stage of the Journey, and the Resurrection is the 11th stage, This stage is the climax and is also known as the "dark night of the soul":

"At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level. By the hero's action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved."

Robby and Johnny should/will both go through their "Resurrection" stages in s6. Each will have his moment of transformation (which doesn't have to be literally associated with a death and birth, but could just be metaphorically) after which each will start to resolve his central conflict and obtain his "need". Robby will start to find balance the correct way that is not detrimental to his mental health, and Johnny will start confronting his past with Robby and atoning for it.

I know everyone has given up on Johnny's redemption wrt Robby, but I'm entertaining the notion that the writers are going to bring this storyline of Kreese-Johnny-Robby home. They will resolve it. s5 was Johnny's Reward stage (the 9th stage). Johnny got his "wants", but the Reward is not meant to satisfy the character's internal "need". Johnny's "need" is him needing to start to resolve his relationship with Kreese and his trauma due to Kreese so that Johnny can start resolving his relationship with Robby and atoning for his failures with Robby. Johnny has to grow in order to be redeemed.

About the Reward stage:

"It is here that the hero receives the object of desire they have been pursuing in the story thus far. But it cannot be enough to fulfill the central conflict in the story. That's because your hero must have an internal need that the object doesn't satisfy." "The hero can also be too easily satisfied with the Reward, leaving unresolved conflict. This sets up an even more shocking twist later when the Shadow rears its head again, shattering the false comfort provided by the physical Reward."

Johnny's shadow (greatest villain) is Kreese. That's why Kreese's escape at the end of s5 and Johnny's promise to wipe out Kreese's legacy were left unresolved at the end of s5. It was pretty obvious from a story structure standpoint that s5 was the false victory as part of the Reward stage. Johnny for sure has yet to have his final confrontation(s) with Kreese, as I assume they will have more than one confrontation across the course of the season, at least one of which may be in ep 1 and one of which may have something to do with Robby. We'll have to see... Regardless, Robby should succeed in his goal of breaking the cycle of generational trauma. This trauma has been been Robby's main rival throughout the series.

(I'm aware that, earlier this year, after production had picked up again, Xolo mentioned in one his and Jacob's podcasts that episode one had been rewritten. We don't know to what extent, so we don't know if what Billy had said about episode one is still true. Given how much producing an episode costs and Jon commenting last year about episode one being wrapped and not being redone after the strike(s) end, it's possible that just some and not all of it has been written. There was also a recent spoiler that indicates something important about Tory that I won't say here. If you follow the spoilers, you'll likely know about it. I'm keeping all this in mind while sharing this thought for s6.)

(Regardless of what will be in s6 or what payoffs we'll get in the story, this is an analysis of what is in canon so far. Please don't reblog or reply with any dismissive comment or tag expressing negativity towards the show writers, the writing, or the serious aspects of the show. Such comments/tags minimize the contents of the post, which discusses the serious topics (such as trauma, bullying, neglect, and abuse) that are explored in the show and should be respected.)

#cobra kai is robby's story #robby keene

[runawaymun]

if you don't mind me asking, what's wrong with kataang? i haven't watched avatar but i know the plot through osmosis, and wanted to hear your thoughts on that

Ah okay! Let me try to explain...

Caveat 1: this will probably be a bit rambly Caveat 2: it has been a long time since I watched either At:LA or TLoK, but I have watched it both as a kid (teenager, really) and as an adult multiple times.

My problems with kataang is kind of split into two categories: problems with the ship based off of who they are as characters from a writing/themes/narrative arc/messaging standpoint, and problems presented by how the creators of At:LA and TLoK - Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konieztko (not Aaron Ehasz you're doing amazing sweetie) treat the characters and seem to think about the characters, based off of choices that they made in the telling of the story, especially how the characters are treated in their endgame scenario in TLoK (which, notably, Aaron Ehasz didn't write for due to creative differences).

TLDR: IMO Kataang ruins the character arcs, they're bad for each other, and the writers did a disservice to Katara in favorite of their pet meow meow -- which hurt both character arcs and legacies, ultimately.

My chief issue is that Katara and Aang are bad for each other, romantically. They bring out the worst in each other. They're bad at holding healthy boundaries, bad at communicating, and the ship itself is very unbalanced. And I wouldn't have a problem with this if it was recognized by the narrative or the shippers, but the narrative treats them as a great love story when really it's anything but. I won't get into age differences -- because by the time they marry a two-year age difference is very negligible and I don't really think it's a good argument against the ship (even if I do think that shipping a 12 year old boy with a 14 year old girl is insane like what 14 year old girl WANTS to date a 12 year old boy. 12 year old boys are gross haha <3) -- but let's talk about it from a thematic and character growth standpoint.

Aang's arc is fundamentally about not running away from his problems, and learning to step into his role as the Avatar. He struggles with responsibility, struggles with emotional regulation, and struggles in the tension between being very much a 12-13yo kid, and being the Avatar, who has to save the world. His arc is beautiful. It's done SO WELL. And he manages to stay true to himself and I love that for him.

Katara's arc IMO is fundamentally about learning to fight for herself, and not just for others. Katara is very maternal. She has had to grow up extremely quickly in the face of losing both parents at a young age, and understanding that she has to live in constant fear of being murdered for her waterbending abilities. She constantly has to stand up for herself, and has a bad habit of suppressing difficult feelings in lieu of helping others work through theirs. This culminates in Katara taking several seasons (iirc) to actually properly talk to someone about her grief and the burden she is carrying, and to learn to set healthy boundaries -- to help her friends and to grow into a strong warrior and work on herself.

The problem here is that the narrative, over and over, forces Katara to emotionally regulate Aang, and this is never really addressed. They have really poor boundaries and she's always mothering him -- Aang is not a partner for her. He doesn't often reciprocate the same level of support that she gives to him -- mostly because he is twelve. Katara, narratively, acts like a crutch for Aang to lean on. Aang actively holds Katara back from setting healthy boundaries and growing into her own person.

They have an emotionally imbalanced relationship, and again -- Michael and Bryan really don't ever try to rectify this, and I think also they're just really bad at writing romance idk. Because over and over Aang makes passes at Katara, and Katara never really expresses interest. That could be down to Katara being bad at expressing her emotions, but it really doesn't feel like it. The last straw for me -- from a narrative standpoint, is the episode where Aang confesses his feelings to Katara, Katara literally says "I don't know how to feel. I'm confused." And Aang, without asking, decides that this is the perfect moment to kiss her.

Which, fine. They're kids. Kids make mistakes. They don't do things perfectly. I'm fine with characters making mistakes. But for a kids' show that's pretty intent on helping us all learn good life lessons -- this is never addressed. Katara is never given the chance to say "Hey, I didn't appreciate that." Aang never is made to apologize for crossing a boundary. It's treated as just a big stepping stone toward their incredibly forced romantic arc. And I hate hate hate when stories tell boys that the appropriate response to a girl asking for space to sort out her feelings/being unsure is to oh, just kiss her, to help her figure it out! instead of, I don't know, let her make up her own mind and give her space. "I don't know" is not fucking consent, and they shouldn't treat it like it is. Especially not in a kids' show.

Which-- yeah, that kind of leads well into my second problem with Kataang - which is how the creators of the show treat it. To them, Kataang is endgame, it is in the "DNA of the show" as one put it. Which is very weird to me because it is so, so poorly done, and the writers really seem to care so little for Katara. Why do I think this? Because of how they choose to treat Katara in TLoK.

Katara, in her 80s in TLoK, is relegated to a healer and teacher. She's insignificant to the story when characters like Zuko and Toph get much cooler entrances and scenes. She's stuck being a passive bystander to a war (Katara would never.) She's stuck being a healer (Which, sure, she is. But so much of At:LA she chafed at being put in that box! She's also a fighter, goddamnit!) -- and some people have tried to say "well what do you want an 80 year woman to do?" and I don't! fucking! buy it! Characters in At:LA were badass fighters well into their 80s, like Hama (the fearsome bloodbender), Pakku (the Waterbender), Iroh (y'know...), and most notably, Bumi, who is 112 fucking years old. Don't give me "80 year old Katara sits on her ass at home while the men go out and do things and Zuko, at the same age, is literally riding around the world on fucking dragonback." I won't have it. It's Katara slander, I tell you! Let that old woman be a badass!!!

And the writers even go so far as to erase her from her kids' lives! They never talk about her!!! It is always about Aang! Always Aang! And you just get the impression that Katara dropped absolutely everything to be "The Avatar's wife" and SHE DESERVED BETTER RAUDGAHSGH

She doesn't! even! get! an honorary statue! On the very island on which she should! be a war hero! Aang does! Toph does! Zuko does! EVEN SOKKA DOES. The ENTIRE Gaang gets a statue, except Katara. That is a deliberate art choice! WHY did they leave her out?

They absolutely destroyed her ENTIRE At:LA arc in TLoK, and I am honestly not even surprised because the writers have said outright that Aang is a self insert character, and that Kataang is "that childhood romance that we both wanted as kids". Katara, in their brains -- and idk maybe this is unjust-- but she seems to be just the amalgamation of those 14 year old girls that wouldn't give them the time of day when they were snotty twelve year olds, except they're writing the story so of course Aang gets the girl.

Anyway, this doesn't even go into how there are infinitely better choices for Katara, and how Aang's arc is worsened by having a romantic subplot, and etc. etc. I could go on forever about how much I dislike Kataang from a narrative standpoint.

Literally my first thought when I heard they left the Netflix show "due to creative differences" was: "Oh my god, is it because there's no kataang???" and now that there's confirmed to be no kataang and that they may be going a zutara route instead, I'm convinced that's why.

Because it's "in the DNA of the show, you see" they have broken with cocreators before over their pet self insert ship and the narrative treatment of Katara (Aaron Ehasz), and I don't see any reason why they'd change.

alkdasdlkgh anyway. God. Thanks for the ask! Sorry about the really long anti kataang rant aslkdgh. This got kind of aggressive but I do feel very strongly about the treatment of Katara. My girl deserved so much better.

#anti ka/taang #god help me if this shows up in their ship tag because the shippers are rabid #there are already some notable differences in the netflix show to how they are handling katara and aang that I really appreciate #and i'm only like two episodes in #anyway if you see this kataang shippers this post is not for you

[silenceinternalmonologue]

do you wish to talk about naruto… like I’d love to hear your thoughts on sasuke’s characterization…

oh my god someone asked me about sasuke's characterization. holy shit my time has come. i hope you don't regret this because i'm about to be very annoying

it's such a broad question i didn't rly know where to start so i think i'm going to go through some popular misconceptions people have on various aspects of his character uhhhh

loyalty: not to be all 'sasuke never did anything wrong' but he didn't really do anything wrong. leaving the village and his friends behind was out of a belief that in order to avenge his clan he had to be far more powerful than he was as part of team 7. he was manipulated by itachi (love him tho) and orochimaru who deliberately exploited him as a very young child. he was also given absolutely no support to counteract these influences. kakashi tried to give him a speech, but it was far too little too late

sasuke coped with the loss of his clan by telling himself that being alone made him strong, and being around people made him weak-- because if he had bonds, he would have something he was afraid of losing. and to go after itachi he would have to have nothing to lose. it's not that he didn't care about his friends: it's that he cared so much that he knew they would get in the way of his goal

it's worth remembering that goal was the only reason he had survived up until that point, as he says when facing itachi at the hotel. i have a headcanon that he would have become suicidal if he hadn't fixated so hard on this goal and lived for it, and think itachi also thought this which is why he insisted on getting sasuke to hate him and have something to live for

friendships: a lot of people say sasuke doesn't care about his friends, mostly because he has tried to kill them (specifically naruto and sakura, also karin and he left the rest of taka/hebi behind). again, he does care, to a painful extent. during the fight against gaara's ichibi form, he says 'i won't let anyone else close to me die'. from their very first mission in land of waves, he's extremely protective of team 7 despite convincing himself that caring about people again will be his downfall

although he's already depressed and traumatized by the time he joins team 7, he grows fond of them very quickly and protects them with his life. he also indulges in their shenanigans even though he usually acts like he's above them... but he's just a child too after all. same with taka/hebi: sasuke is supposedly colder than ever by this point, but he helps his teammates and builds a dynamic with them despite always keeping them at arms length

yeah basically people mistake sasuke's quiet exterior and snarky comments for him not caring and use his darkest moments as proof of that. but he's just very introverted, naturally sarcastic and afraid of connecting with people due to his trauma and when he does snap it's because of how much he cares, not because he's a crazy violent murderer

morality: for the vast majority of the show, sasuke is vehemently against killing anyone and even ensures that no taka/hebi members kill either. kage summit arc sasuke is at his very lowest point: konoha had led him to kill the only family he had left after killing an entire clan and traumatizing him for life. it makes sense for him to have a breaking point

it's also worth remembering that here everyone (except naruto) had given up on him and were aiming to kill him. i'm not going to go as far as to say that sasuke fought out of self-defense, but it is clear that he was fighting not in his right mind

sasuke was right to kill danzo, who orchestrated the genocide of all of his people and allowed him to kill his brother who was also a victim of that system. he was also right to want to kill the elders who were similarly responsible. the only goal of his i don't agree with is wanting to destroy konoha which he states at final valley but i'm honestly not even sure how much his heart was in this. i think he just wanted naruto to fight him but that's a topic for another post

basically sasuke did nothing wrong umm anyways on to lighter (?) topics

personality: there's a common trend in this fandom that sasuke's quiet and tough exterior is entirely an act and that he's secretly very soft. i do agree that he's silly (dumb sense of humor similar to naruto's in a lot of ways) and obviously very caring, but i also think that he's genuinely very pragmatic, calculated, and introverted. i think that in a relationship though he would have moments of vulnerability, he still wouldn't be a desperate or submissive type. he shows affection by doing concrete things for other people and helping them even when not asked

his cold demeanor is partially a defense mechanism since he doesn't trust people after the massacre. but it's also because he doesn't place value in pleasantries or hierarchy, and (lovingly) has supbar social skills.

emotional intelligence: sasuke is more emotionally intelligent than people think he is. i think it's easy to see this from the few monologues we get from him, where he's very aware of his own emotions. i think his main issue is putting things into words and communicating his feelings, not that he doesn't understand them

bonus - sexuality: vaguely related to the last point??? but mostly silly, i think because of this emotional intelligence sasuke figured out he was gay pretty early. i mean... he never shows even feigned interest in any women, and no straight person dresses like that COME ON. i think he felt some guilt due to being the last uchiha with a duty to revive the bloodline, but that he also didn't imagine himself living long enough to have a relationship so it didn't really concern him

tldr sasuke is an extremely caring character who loves deeply and desires justice for those people. he's very mentally ill, mainly as a result of a government-sanctioned genocide against his people and being given absolutely no resources to cope with that. he's also incredibly gay. and i love him so mmuch god please put me down before i write anymore

#sasuke #sasuke uchiha #naruto #naruto meta #sasuke did nothing wrong #if sasuke has 1 apologist left it's me #asks #thanks for the ask op i'm so sorry for delivering more than you bargained for

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

missed opportunities

This isn’t meant to be a summary or a translation of the Sunset Savanna event!! I just wanted to share my thoughts surrounding the actual tournament and the characters involved in the overall story.

I felt like??? This event was originally meant to be much bigger and much more elaborate than what we got. Is that just me?? Don’t get me wrong, what we ended up with was… okay. It was serviceable. It worked. I just feel like it could have easily been more, but there had to be significant downsizing for some reason.

One thing that kind of confused me was the hyping up of the Catch the Tail tournament versus what we actually got?? (Loved the tourism part though, hearing about local foods, stories, and customs is fun!) I understand the cultural significance of the game, but a tournament arc doesn't work that well if we're only invested in one side; obviously, we'll be rooting for NRC to win because we know them the best and have spent the most time with them, but... They have no significant rival or opposition to go against (which is at least one thing episode 5 had going for it in the form of Vil vs Neige, and even in the Harveston event when the Seven Dwarves reappear). We don't even really have names or faces to think of as their foes. We aren't really given the chance to cheer for anyone else. Like???? NRC's first opponents get no artwork at all, and then their second opponents are supposedly Cheka's usual trio of guards--except they're just beastmen mobs A, B, and C. What happened to the lore about "most of the important roles being fulfilled by female warriors"?? You really going to sit here and tell me that the people assigned to guard the person who is essentially the future of your country aren't roles traditionally fulfilled by strong "lionesses"? All three of the roles just happened be occupied by easily reused assets? Even the replacement/temporary guards assigned to Cheka were women, and the way the originals were foreshadowed made it seem like they would later be a big deal or the "rivals" NRC had to overcome in their final matchup. They technically were, but they were just your typical run-of-the-mill mobs. They have some investment, being that Kifaji trained them and they are bitter about having won previous years but Leona stood them up for training. It’s basically one big ploy to circumvent Leona not wanting to give the warrior lessons to the winning team, a way to counteract his laziness. It makes sense for the story, but it isn’t very high-stakes.

The other team NRC fought against was even more unremarkable; they cheated just as much as NRC did and didn't even compensate for it with at least recognizable artwork or personalities. In fact, they got NO art at all. If anything, this team should have been the run-of-the-mill mobs from how generically mean they were.

It feels like this event had a handful of red herrings and cheeky lines thrown in to tease at the reveal of significant new characters, only to never follow through on them. I like Kifaji, and it's reasonable that Leona says tourists like the NRC kids can't possibly meet the head of state (Farena/Falena). However, I don't like that a lot surrounding Cheka's guards amounted to nothing?? They even mention they have a member to substitute in that's a retired imperial guard, but that ends up being of no real importance either… (he throws the match because Kalim showed him great kindness.) It’s more like a convenience that lets Leona swap in and cinch the win for NRC). It's so... anticlimactic????? Especially since the competition is supposedly for the best warriors to prove their wits and might.

Another missed opportunity is that??? The competition is supposedly open to anyone, even those from outside the Sunset Savanna. That may very well be just a writing loophole for Leona to easily shoehorn Kalim/Jack, Vil, and Lilia in as competitors, but there's so much more you could do with that idea!

Maybe there are other outsiders come to fight for the title. Maybe Rook shows up as a competitor to spook them if the devs don't want to design that many actual "rivals" with unique designs or new faces. Maybe there are your "non-traditional" fighters as well, people that are very young (just for the lols, imagine a kid Cheka's size kicking butt, using their small size and speed to their advantage) or very old (Rafiki weaponizing his wisdom and experience in combat, idk) but are still skilled enough in their own right to participate. Maybe show us more types of beastmen and how they use their specific animal’s physical traits to their advantage! I don't know how likely it is for merfolk or fae to join (since those races seem like recluses compared to beastmen and humans and merpeople don't do well in arid climates), but it would have been cool to see others throw their hats into the ring!

There were probably just limitations in place due to this being a hometown event…? It wouldn't be fair for the others to only feature one new character while this one features a TON of them, nor would it be fair for this hometown even to be significantly longer or more detailed than the others. Basically only the Halloween events are super extensive. In which case, I get it. I still would have really liked to see this concept more fleshed out and fully realized though!

#twisted wonderland #twst #Leona Kingscholar #Vil Schoenheit #Kifaji #Farena Kingscholar #Falena Kingscholar #Kifaaji #Cheka Kingscholar #Nala #Rafiki #Rook Hunt #Jack Howl #Lilia Vanrouge #Kalim Al-Asim #spoilers #notes from the writing raven #Neige Leblanche #disney twisted wonderland #Neji