#anyway that’s another story; all about personal growth and development

[wolfblood-of-anubis]

Nina Martin, daughter of Hades, god of the dead, and ruler of the underworld.

Fabian Rutter, son of Athena, goddess of wisdom, warfare, and battle strategy.

Amber Millington, daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, and passion.

#ok so look nina took me FOREVER #she was almost a child of apollo too #she was also almost an athena child but that’d make fabina… yknow lets not go down that road #but listen it makes sense Hades is her godly parent; death has surrounded Nina her whole life and her chosen one powers are similar #her parents died when she was a kid; she sees ghosts (sarah; the frobisher-smythes; senkhara; victor sr.) #she has a fear of skulls (and thus death if you wanna think harder on it) i also read an analysis by someone here ab that fear #i like to imagine that while she is a child of hades she is absolutely TERRIFIED of what that entails #she’s afraid of what kind of power lingers inside her because she already doesnt like it; she does NOT want to embrace it #anyway that’s another story; all about personal growth and development #fabian is a child of athena #he’s the brains of group (so is nina but you get it) and in s3 he is left in the brains of the group category solo #amber’s is perfect are you kidding she’s the first one i made #house of anubis #nina martin #fabian rutter #amber millington #hoa

[controversial-blorbo-bracket]

Controversial Character Tournament Round 2: Alois Trancy from Black Butler vs Eichi Tenshouin from Ensemble Stars

(remember that these characters are fictional and your fellow tumblr users are real. i will block you if you harass others in the notes, please consider sending your unhinged harassment to my inbox instead)

Propaganda under the cut, may contain spoilers:

Alois Trancy:

LOVE:

- "everyone wants this guy dead. he is the villain of his narrative for the simple hubris of wanting to live and be loved after surviving traumatic events one after another for his whole childhood, and in the end the narrative kills him for it. being an anime-only character, many fans dislike his character as well, seeing him as unnecessary or controversial/contradictory to the well-established lore of the main storyline. he's gotten rejected from other poll tournaments, even, for his backstory containing a Lot of controversial and dark material (so yeah heads up for that). i personally care very deeply about his character, because someone i am very close with in my real life relates a lot to him, and has experienced similar traumatic events. in the end, he just wants to be loved, but he is bound to the hatred of his fellow characters, of the writers and his universe itself, of the fans of his series, of... everyone but a select few people clinging to him. which is to say, he is broadly hated, but i think the balance of the few that truly and deeply want to break him out of that fate and love him with the fervor of a thousand suns.... i think that makes him a great candidate for this competition."

Eichi Tenshouin:

LOVE:

- "Eichi is so silly… he started an entire war for his crush… then “killed” said crush in public (it was a metaphorical killing). He’s responsible for ruining the lives/mental health of SEVERAL if not dozen of people. He doesn’t know about the concept of “love.” In all honestly, I just see him as a very naive person with too much money to spend (he’s extremely rich if I didn’t mention it). People either love him or hate him, though I feel like the fandom has been coming around to him lately, especially in the past few years, so he may not win the poll, but the discourse around him has left such a strong impression on me that I HAD to submit him. Personally, I love him he’s one of my favorite characters; I have a plushie of him :)"

- "Okay first of all I don't love or hate him I'm actually pretty neutral about him BUT I will defend him til the day I die because people who hate him hate him for like. the wrong reasons. Okay he started an idol war like he was 16 and wanted to change the idol system at Yumenosaki and none of the teachers did anything to like. actually turn these kids into idols and Eichi took things into his own hands. This guy is a rich chronically ill nepo baby and gay as hell which is incredibly important to the whole narrative and I still stand by the fact that like. if the adults at the school had done their job this wouldn't have happened and Eichi has shown a lot of growth and self reflection in the time since then (even though he is......essentially creating an idol factory to mass produce popular idols. anyway) and he regrets a lot of his actions during the war but also. objectively at least for one of the characters, if someone didnt do something about what was going on in that unit it would have ended incredibly badly (Shu Itsuki and Ex-Valkyrie which is another long story I am not going to get into but you can read Marionette if you want to know more about it and even as a Shu Producer I think it was necessary for his own character arc and development, as well as Nazuna and Mika's arcs. Anyway this isn't about them this is about Eichi) he's very complicated and I think people who hate him just because of the war are missing whole pieces of his character, yknow? He was just a kid with ideals and a lot of money and drive to create change and nobody was around to guide him in the right direction. I still don't understand how the teachers at this school have jobs if they just allowed four kids to get metaphorically executed on stage though."

- "i love him very much he’s kind of a bitch though so like i think he’s divisive enough to win it"

- ""how controversial can this idol gacha game boy possibly be" I have seen people unironically censor his name it's so funny. his haters are so. they hate any complex morally grey character and none of them can be normal about it. the amount of people I've seen making jokes about his terminal illness and how they can't wait until he dies is something else, and I've seen soooo many people unironically call him irredeemable and evil and that enstars would be better if he wasn't in it (as if eichi isn't the single most important character in enstars' plot like. literally most of the cast would never have met and bonded if it wasn't for him) and etc etc. his fans are also kind of rabid and hardcore but I respect that. he gives me brainworms too. I think the controversy might maaaaybe be largely only the western side of the fanbase...? bc his merch is still some of the most expensive in the entire series lol. an expensive boy few can afford... literally the character of all time. please appreciate him in this cat hoodie: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ensemble-stars/images/5/5d/Eichi_Tenshouin_Namja_Town.png/revision/latest?cb=20200109223739"

- "He is my special little guy my blorbo my funny little war criminal however he very much did commit a lot of crimes and people rightfully do not like him for it. However. To me, personally, he is my poor sick little meow meow. He is so fucked up and I love him for it. Men who were born all alone in a wet cardboard box am I right ?"

#poll #round 2 #alois trancy #eichi tenshouin #ensemble stars #black butler #1 submission #5 submissions

[yourqueenb]

So I finally took the player survey. It took me a while to complete because I ended up writing a lot more than I intended to 💀 But I wanna comment on a few things that stood out to me here…

I found this question in particular interesting because global traits were not something I had ever considered, but they could potentially mitigate the issues they have with the constant rigid, innocent, and socially/intellectually inept MCs. At least we could pick how we want to play our MCs, right? However, I find the 3 example traits they were able to come up with concerning, especially given that the majority of their players are women and the fact that we’ve been asking them to give us MCs outside of those boxes. Anyway, I’m curious to know what everybody else put for this. I think I selected 2 or 3, can’t remember which.

I also wanna know what everybody put for the questions under number 9 because to me a lot of them seemed to be related to changing the app’s interface or adding monetizable features. And things like that aren’t really important at all imo. (Or at least not as important as the story development and gameplay changes they need to make). I actually like the interface the way it is and would rather they not clutter it with all of the extras they mentioned.

I was also gonna put what I wrote in the additional feedback box here in case anyone was interested, but some of it got deleted from the original draft of this post. So I’ll just put a few of the major points I touched on below:

“Additionally, we should have the option to opt in or opt out of the appearance of hookups, ending stories in romantic relationships, and romancing certain characters, especially if a book is not classified as erotica or does not have a content warning. Unwanted sexual propositions and descriptions of sexually charged situations can be uncomfortable or even triggering to read, even if the characters aren’t real! For example, the “I’m in a dark mood” scene with Ethan in Open Heart book 3 and the hookup options in Laws of Attraction book 1. Players who have little to no romance points with one character and the majority or all of their romance points with another should not be getting propositioned by or receiving romantic dialogue and narration from/about the former so late in a series. And either less sexually charged lead ins before scenes or the choice to opt in to hookups outside of the main romance(s) from the beginning should be incorporated into the stories. Additionally, if choice is going to be taken away by only offering one LI option, we should at least have the choice to be single by the end of the book. Not all romances have to end in relationships!”

“Outside of romances with love interests, there needs to be a lot more care and development given to MCs. Players spend the most time with and are in the heads of the main characters; yet, it often feels like they’re the least important parts of the stories and experience the least growth. We also rarely see MCs with character trait combinations outside of innocent, incompetent, and new to their field/interest or (occasionally) mildly competent, brash, and uncouth. There should be more diversity in set traits, the choices we can make to shape our characters, and dialogue options/how our characters can react in certain situations. In game personality tests (like in TE and PM) or some kind of point system might help with this issue as well.”

“Lastly, if you don’t listen to any other feedback, please (for the love of all that is holy) retire the new MC body sprites that appear in Unbridled, Hot Shot, Guarded, etc. With flat torsos and legs and disproportionate arms/oversized heads in comparison to the lower bodies, they are very unflattering and unsettling to look at. And what makes them worse are the ghastly pale, sickly looking skin tones. Skin coloring is something you guys never mastered as the Black MCs (with the exception of 1 or 2) have always appeared ashy and as if they were given white/gray undertones - not to mention the minimal hairstyle options and straight roots on textured styles - which is quite irritating and offensive. However, now all of the MCs have skin tone issues in certain books. So players are only left with options that are painful to look at and difficult to enjoy customizing and playing as. MCs with richer skin tones, more flattering hairstyles options, curvier body types, fuller lips/noses, and more unique facial features in general would make gameplay a much more enjoyable and immersive experience.”

#choices #choices stories you play #playchoices #choices app #I also talked about how they should add more character - plot - and relationship development to romance books specifically #and how they should focus less on collectibles/paywalling plot in other genres esp mystery #I feel like there was probably more I wanted to say but I forgot it and honestly wrote enough as it is 💀💀💀 #why do I always do this #they never listen anyway 😭 #pixelberry studios #pixelberry #long post

[antianakin]

Okay, another dumb Star Wars comment I heard in my journeys in Star Wars YouTube. I was reading through a bunch of comments people had made hating on the Kenobi show (and that show is my entire heart so I was mostly doing it to entertain myself by seeing the terrible Jedi takes) but aside from all the unfortunate hate for the show I came across one person who claimed that it should have been Luke if the show was going to involve one of the skytwins, because Leia doesn’t react when Obi-Wan comes for her in A New Hope, and because Obi-Wan and Luke “SEEM TO KNOW EACH OTHER PRETTY WELL LATER ON” so they should’ve talked about how they became close.

like…… did you not WATCH A New Hope?

That’s…. That’s how they become close. 😭 (also Leia was super excited when she found out he was there so)

I think you can make a solid argument that it might've made more sense for it to be Luke instead of Leia just by simple logistics I guess. Leia doesn't really SEEM to know Obi-Wan super well within ANH, it's Luke who grieves Obi-Wan more openly and Luke who yells out Obi-Wan's name on the Death Star right before he dies, etc etc. Luke is the person that Obi-Wan has been most connected to at this point while Leia's knowledge of Obi-Wan seems to have primarily come through stories told to her by Bail and little else.

And while obviously ANH is supposed to stand on its own in building Obi-Wan and Luke's relationship, they really only get a few days together and a lot of Luke's connection to Obi-Wan seems to come from this desire to be a Jedi and the connection to his father he craves so desperately as well as just the fact that he loses everything else so his only real option IS to go with Obi-Wan. It's a different kind of connection than the one we see built between Obi-Wan and Leia in this show that feels more personal. I LIKE Obi-Wan and Luke's relationship well enough, but I am brought to literal tears by Obi-Wan and Leia's. So for people who like Obi-Wan and Luke more than I did and picked up on the extra emotional depth of the relationship given to Obi-Wan and Leia, I can understand the wish for it to have been applied to Luke instead of Leia, to bolster the already existing relationship rather than creating a new one.

So I GET IT. I don't feel the same way, the Obi-Wan and Leia relationship stole my whole heart and was a large part of why I loved that show, but I can see the reasoning for why people might feel that way.

That being said, Luke's had his turn to shine. He got an entire trilogy of films dedicated to HIS STORY and his growth into being a Jedi while Leia was primarily there as a supporting character in his story. The Kenobi show HIGHLIGHTS Leia and the growth that allowed her to become the person we know from the OT. We get to see that development happen for her and how Obi-Wan helps jumpstart it. We get to see more of what being an Organa means to her and her relationship with her parents, we get to see her love of ships and droids (clearly inherited from Bail), we get to see her passion for helping people and sparky attitude (also inherited from Bail), and the unbridled optimism she has in the fact that goodness and selflessness still exists in the world and it's worth believing in and fighting for. We got SO MUCH for Leia in this and it's about damn time something in high canon focused on her instead of her brother anyway.

So I think you CAN fit the events of the show into canon relatively easily, especially Obi-Wan and Leia having had this relationship, but I can understand people wanting more of Luke and feeling like the Obi-Wan and Luke relationship was usually more narratively relevant prior to this and was an easy place to flesh it out and explore it more in depth in a way ANH just isn't really able to do.

#star wars #kenobi show #obi-wan kenobi #leia organa #luke skywalker

[zu-is-here]

Why isn't it necessary?

It's explained in the tags, but the paradox is simple: kindergarten was created for parents ٩( ᐛ )و♪

It might be right if any child under the age of five realy needed "social adaptation" ("ó3ò) Like, what is social adaptation for you? Is there any great development in communication with peers about your level?

Still, it doesn't mean that a child can't develop by attending classes with other kids and learning more with their parents who are ready to take care of their growth╰(*´︶`*)╯

In any case, an important role is played by an adult, especially a close one (úwù) And the basic socialization takes place right in the family ♡

As for things that parents don't (want to) notice, what could it be? (・□・；) Misbehavior and food/sleep problems are the main ones that are hard to miss yet are regulated regardless of the kindergarten in a child's life — that's a question to parents themselves (ówò)

Oh! ★ Actually, I don't observe developing reading skills in kindergarten (at least here), cause one/two teacher(s) can't deal with each child... The best they can do is read aloud, right? Parents themselves make a bigger contribution to this, like reading bedtime stories together <3

Nevertheless, I'm sure it didn't make you less successful at school, cause every child comes there to learn new subjects from scratch — on an equal level, in fact!ヽ(°∀°人´ヮ´)ﾉ Whether they know how to read/write/multiply/eat/dress/etc. is a question of their general or individual education.

I believe that a child will grow a harmonious personality anyway if they're raised in a healthy family. Kindergarten is just everyone's choice ☆

UPD:

Ah I got what you mean! (ﾟ∀ﾟ) (reminded me of good old Happy Feet <3)

Comparing your child with others does help to understand how successful their development is going, you're absolutely right ☆ There are also reverse situations when "it's alright", "all kids are different" and "a kindergarten will fix this" though :')

As for boosting independence, kindergartens are a truly good place for that, but it's more like teaching a child how to swim by throwing them in the water x)

It happens as well, lucky you! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*)

This is by no means an argument against kindergarten, but just another special case of kindergarten being not mandatory <3

That's right! ★

I don't force a child to be locked at home and restricted from communicating with any other children, of course no :'D

On the contrary, a child can explore as much as possible under the supervision of their parents, including games and hobbies with other children (๑˃▽˂)(^▽^ )

Kindergarten is just the easiest way for all of that, and it always remains an option for someone, but, as you correctly noted, it's not always easy for a child themself (úwù)

I'm really glad that we can discuss together such topics that may be useful now or in the future ♡

That's a great tactic for such a young age! (≧∀≦)☆ Truly a cool experience with more memories <3

You were really lucky with a productive and safe kindergarten experience, thank you so much for your addition and your kindest words!╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

#updated #thank you guys for such good points! *w* #discussing things with you is really interesting <3 #ask #tip #zu is happy

[trubbishrubbish]

Toko DR1 defense rant. (+ some UDG and Tokomaru hot takes)

I wrote a DR1 Toko defense rant and hot takes on twitter after seeing a DR1 Toko hate post on tumblr, funny that. Anyway, I'm copying pasting that rant onto here becuase it's really important. I will defend Toko with my life.

DR1 Toko haters are the weakest link.

Y’all can’t handle the fact that a woman with childhood trauma, trauma with relationships and has DiD with a serial killer alter is thrust into a stressful life or death killing game would not act very nice and normal 24/7.

If Toko in DR1 made you feel uncomfortable and you didn’t like her moments then that’s completely fine. That’s the point of her character.

It’s a pretty accurate portrayal of how someone with trauma who hasn’t been able to get the help they need would act this way. Her character was perfectly done to serve the story she has. Saying her character is bad just because it’s uncomfortable is dumb.

You can argue that her trauma being played for laughs and is bad taste but that’s more a story issue than a character issue.

Here’s another hot take: If you love UDG Toko but hate DR1 Toko then you don’t actually love Toko, you only love a fanon version of Toko.

A fanon Toko that is gay for Komaru and her obsession with Byakuya and trauma are just “magically gone”

All of Toko’s negative traits in DR1 are still present in UDG. Her sole motivation for coming to Towa city was to save Byakuya. Her reason for sticking with Komaru, encouraging her to not give up when she is at her lowest and helping and saving her, it was all done so Toko could trade Komaru with the enemy so she could save Byakuya. Her being rude and making incest jokes in front of Komaru are aspects of Toko’s character that shouldn’t be ignored. (Although, the incest part is more a product of UDG trying to squeeze as much grossness it can)

The reason why it shouldn’t be ignored is that it makes Toko’s growth in chapter 4 onwards all the more significant. Toko at the start of UDG was calling Komaru “Omaru” and fully wanted to betray her.

Toko in the end of UDG has learned that she likes having Komaru as a friend and wants to fight to save both her and Byakuya. That’s a character god tier arc.

But what about Toko’s obsession afterwards? It still exists because it’s linked to her trauma that she still has not been able to heal from. Komaru is a very important and wonderful person for Toko but she is not a therapist. She can’t diagnose all of Toko’s issues and create a way for Toko to fully heal. She can be the start and encourage Toko, but Toko needs professional therapy. Months of therapy most likely. This isn’t something that can be fixed in a week. DR3 shows that even when Toko has Komaru, she still has her obsession with Byakuya because she hasn’t been able to go to therapy.

I should probably clarify that I don’t dislike Tokomaru content that has Toko healing with Komaru’s help or Toko content that has her over Byakuya. Lord knows

I can’t throw stones in the department because of how I write Genocide Jack lol. But what I am saying is that DR1 Toko is important for UDG Toko to make sense. You can’t ignore DR1 Toko and only think about Toko as she is in UDG. Both Tokos are halves of one complete Toko.

That said, I do take slight issue with people who said that Toko NEEDED UDG to be good. Guys, Kodaka wasn’t thinking about UDG or any future DR game when writing DR1. DR1 was written as if it would be the only thing that could be made of the series. Toko’s arc in DR1 WAS supposed to end where it was. It wasn’t left incomplete so another game could fill in the rest. Toko in UDG is just an expansion of DR1 Toko. She’s already learned how to be braver and fight, UDG teaches her that she doesn’t have to pick and choose between two people. She can have both.

It’s extremely rare that a Danganronpa character has second time in the spotlight to develop more beyond the game they star in. Toko is the sole exception to this.

Also worth mentioning, Toko wasn’t first considered to be the partner early in development. It was actually Haiji that would be the secondary protagonist in UDG. The only reason why they switched from him to Toko was for gameplay purposes. Kodaka wanted the player to have the ability to switch to a super powerful character that can’t die so the people used to visual novel aspect of DR can play UDG without worrying about having to be good at a third person shooter.

Haiji’s power form would have been him taking off his cast and killing Monokumas with a robot arm. But that didn’t go very far so it was decided that Genocide Jack would be that power form.

That means y’all have to thank Genocide Jack for giving you the UDG lesbians. (Btw, if I got this info wrong please let me know.)

Anyway I exhausted myself from talking about Toko. She is a perfect weird girl who is one of DR’s best written characters.

#Kirby's Novel Notes #Toko Fukawa #Komaru Naegi #danganronpa #danganronpa trigger happy havoc #ultra despair girls #Tokomaru #rant #long post

[muthaz-rapapa]

Hirogaru Sky Final Impressions (5/5)

Honestly, what were they going to do with those two weeks after 48 episodes? Have us wait until WonPre's broadcast? Yea right, lol

So the 20th installment of Precure is now officially finished and it feels both great and a little bit sad to say that since the bar has been readjusted quite high, we will probably need the 25th anniversary to get another season as awesome and well-written as HiroPre. [/harsh]

But that will be for something to worry about in the next five years.

So first, that finale!

Pretty much 5(ish) of the 6 last episodes was a whole arc dedicated to the most engaging lore Precure has ever given us to date.

Cure Noble is definitely entering the league of legacy Cures and perhaps as the one with the best story as well. How she went from princess-sovereign to becoming the very first Precure (in this universe, anyways) to helping pave a way for peace with her nemesis to laying out the foundation for the Cures who will succeed her in the future.

Yeap, Ellee-chan may have gotten a nice age-up bonus so that we can see her embrace her destiny and actually converse in something other than baby talk.

But it's more accurate to say that Ellee-chan/Cure Majesty's character arc is really Princess Elleelain/Cure Noble's instead.

Which is totally fine with me. Not only was Elleelain super interesting as a hero/protagonist in her own era but Kaiserin was...dear god.

Dear god, when have we gotten a twist that was this good and this dark by the series' standards? I felt we haven't touched this level of grim writing since Heartcatch and that was my first Precure season ever.

But seriously, it's impossible not to sympathize with Kaiserin and appreciate how much she contributed to the plot as well as this season's message that power is not what makes a hero, but the strength of one's heart that does.

Even her traitorous tutor, Skearhead, said she had what it took to become a hero (and maybe even Precure? oooh~), which just makes her fall into darkness more tragic.

But thankfully, she never lost her kindness and compassion, which was what ultimately allowed her to not only be saved but her wounds to finally heal after hundreds of years of suffering from the pain of betrayal Skearhead had inflicted on her.

And that her generals, who all turned over a new leaf, came back to the Undergu Empire to loyally serve her and make sure she isn't alone...

Good! This is so satisfying, I couldn't have asked for anything better! Kaiserin deserves her happiness after all she's been through!

But of course, that's not all because no Precure finale is complete without the last episodes dishing out the best combat scenes of the entire season and did it deliver, alright.

Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-HUH!

The animation was absolutely stellar and not so overdone that it'd look more gaudy than cool. coughDeliPaPrecough

Moreover, the teamwork is what really sold the animation. As it should because Precure is all about that team effort brought on by personal growth, not a one-man show.

I loved how Wing, representing wisdom, was the one everyone trusted to get that barrier back up because it is a mechanism that he researched and developed to help everyone. It proves that boys don't need to fit into a specific mold of masculinity or genius to be a hero because in the end, those things don't matter. It's being true to yourself, your beliefs and your dreams and what you choose to do with those abilities that counts.

I loved how Butterfly, who is physically the strongest in the group, always takes on the tougher tasks such as facing the army of tedious mooks to let those younger than her forge a path ahead. She never forgets her responsibility as an adult to protect the kids but she also encourages them to move forward because she fully believes in them like a good adult would.

I loved how Majesty comes to understand that though she's meant to inherit Cure Noble's will and power and position as Skyland's princess, it's not her destiny to inherit Elleelain's loneliness. And the whole reason that she started out as a baby but was able to grow and become Precure was because she was surrounded by the right people who brought out that potential in her. For Ellee-chan, being with her friends and fighting alongside them was the bigger, more important destiny than her duty was.

Finally, the star duo of the show.

Sky was given stronger MC vibes than the other cast members but you can't deny that she wouldn't have gotten this far without Prism by her side.

Sora's idea of what it means to be hero expanded a lot because she became friends with Mashiro.

She has come to treasure Mashiro so much that when she was on the brink of losing her best friend, she let Skearhead corrupt her in order to have enough power to save that best friend. She was willing to sacrifice herself for someone important to her, which in a way, can be seen as an act of heroism (but only as a last resort, plz do not attempt).

And even then, Sky kept resisting from being taken over. Prism didn't even flinch when Sky aimed a punch at her. That's how much Mashiro believes in Sora, in the hero that Sora is. That even if Sora accepted darkness into herself to do the right thing, she won't ever let that darkness consume her into doing the wrong thing.

And the fact that it was Prism who had the ability to not only purify Sky but also heal Kaiserin's centuries-old wound. She's come a long way herself from the girl who used to think she was talentless, who didn't believe she had anything special going for her.

"You are good as you are now, Mashiro-san."

What Sora said was true until the very end. Mashiro didn't ever need to change. She was already good enough and she was always going to become even better than how she started out because she was always being inspired and supported by those around her and challenging herself to do things she initially hesitated on doing.

Now she's continually drawing new stories, even winning an award for one. Even her Prism Shot evolved and multiplied as an attack and it's all because she learned to believe in herself because all her friends believed in her.

This is essentially what sets Precure apart from the others, what makes it the major name it is in modern day mahou shoujo.

I cannot begin to describe how glad I am that the staff at Toei reinforced those aspects of friendship as well as the celebration of individualism in a milestone year. But I can definitely say with confidence that we can expect to see more well into the franchise's 30th anniversary as long they don't forget these two very crucial things.

As for me, I think this will be the last time I blog Precure on a "regular" basis.

I'll still continue to watch cuz hey, there's no reason for me to stop yet.

(and all the more reason to not stop if Satoru and Daifuku become the next two male Cures in WonPre OMGI'MSOGONNAJINXTHISAREN'TIBWUAHAHAHAHA!!!)

But my priorities have shifted so I gotta tend to those foremost. And as much as I enjoy the show, I feel like I'm always saying the same stuff over and over again anyway, just in different variations of it.

(also, something about WonPre tells me the next four years will be filled with hit-or-miss seasons so meh, I'd rather just follow it leisurely than get too invested and then disappointed)

On another note, I do have some personal rankings that I'd like to post some day. I was going to do it for the 20th anniversary but didn't have time to cuz life got way too hectic and busy but yea, eventually I'll have them up.

Just for fun, y'know.

Ok, that is all.

Thank you, my hero girls and boy! You made this season so wonderful hahahaha, good luck, WonPre for me and I can't be grateful enough for it.

Thank you for a beautiful anniversary! Let's aim for the next!

25th year with 100+ Precure!

Let's gooooooooooooo!!!

#hirogaru sky precure #cure sky #cure prism #cure wing #cure butterfly #cure majesty

[mymarifae]

hey it’s the writing anon from a while ago ^_^ read your thread on akito and kashika and i’d like to say THANK YOU for recognizing that kashika doesn’t have to be read so literally when looking at akito as a character 😭

it is genuinely a little jarring to see people go “oh he canonically wants to die hahaha” and leave it at that when he’s really been on a path of healthy growth for a while as of burn my soul … please!! he’s found a way out of the mindset of survival and desperation, he’s grown to love what he’s doing without so much of the fear of being left behind and his storied “future” is more within his grasp than ever, because he’s let his partners in and is more willing to lean on them, growing alongside them

i’m not saying we should disregard what he’s gone through in the past but i’ve also noticed it’s a bit of a trend within people interpreting akito to attribute his past actions to his current self— like i STILL see people bring his actions in main story and use that as their baseline for how he is as a character when it’s…. just not that true anymore. yes he’s kind of an asshole but he’s also learned that he has a place within vbs and that he loves his groupmates and they love him :(

anyway thank you :) your thread was a very good read!

omg hi again !!

yes it really seems like a good chunk of the prsk fandom struggles with like... acknowledging character development. i'm not entirely sure what it is, but it's insane to see how many people treat these characters like they're static figures. it's one thing to revisit past events and explore avenues colopale didn't take, and build upon the things they neglected (or just re-build entirely where they fucked up). it's another to look at everything akito is doing Now and respond to it with "he's about to overwork himself and go into another long spiral isn't he. oh look he got a line in beyond the way with the word 'die' in it he must still be suicidal and struggling with his inferiority complex oh no 😱" LIKE

akito has come so, so, SO far. his development means the world to me !!!! it has been so amazing to see this scared, self-conscious, bitter, traumatized kid grow into someone who is Confident and Passionate and Excited and Bright. he's grown!! he's learned!! we see him reaffirm multiple times in other events that he's not going to go down the same path he did in SBD - other characters will see him still practicing or about to go for a run or whatever and check in on him and he always tells them he knows better now. because he does! he's not just saying that !!!!

it took him some time to adjust, but he knows vivid bad squad has his back. kotaro has his back. ken-san has his back. ena has his back. hell even arata and tsukasa fucking tenma have his back. he knows he has a support system now ! these are people who want him by their side, and no they're not going to leave him when he stumbles and falls behind; they'll simply pull him back up and they'll just keep moving forward. Together.

and citing kashika as confirmation that he's (still) suicidal is crazy because that's not what the song is about? it's about him reflecting on his past and all the shitty things he went through that caused him to develop that bitter inferiority complex he struggled with for so long. and how he's starting to feel ready to move on from it all. even from haruryo's perspective, in which all the lines about wanting to die are literal, kashika is still a very, very, very positive song !! it's still about moving forward and allowing your love of music (or [insert personal Love of choice here]) to help you through dark times. it's not a song about wanting to kill yourself; it's a song about wanting to live.

idk this all is just super important to me because i am all about stories about growth and healing and recovery. and it's frustrating to glance at the prsk fandom and see people squandering these beautiful stories for... i don't even know what or why 😭

#say it with me kids: a character doesn't lose what makes them interesting just because they go through a period of immense positive growth #it's okay to let them display that growth when you write and draw and talk about them #and if you find yourself not liking a character after a period of growth and you cling to their pre-development self #you probably never actually liked that character in the first place. and you should go sit with that for a bit #mailbox

[carefulfears]

heey :) i always enjoy your meta and your responses to questions and there’s something i never really understood so i thought i‘d ask your opinion <3 what do you think about mulder‘s brain disease during s7? i just can’t make sense of it like at all .. how would he have hidden it from scully? and why? like even if he‘d tried his best to hide it i feel like she would have noticed? and how would mulder be able to completely suppress it when with her?

imo this story development is unnecessary and just sad. why did they have to put that in there? for my personal canon i’ve decided it’s not true and mulder never was ill. but i am open to another take and would actually love to make sense of it so i thought i’d ask you since i enjoy your writing so much :3 thanks in advance!

god this is just so sweet of you to say, thank you so much. i really appreciate you reading my page and thinking of me, i always love to chat these little questions with you guys. as far as the brain disease goes, it is unnecessary and sad. on a wider scale, it’s obviously something they didn’t put much thought into, and just needed to use as a plot device retrospectively. but also…it colors season seven in a different light. i think that’s one reason why people don’t like it: it takes something. season seven is “secret sex” and movie nights and flirty mornings. it’s going to LA or kansas city just to see the sights, between monster hunts. it’s “there is so much more than this.”

when you drop a secret death sentence onto that, it takes something. it questions what the source of that peace was. i understand why most people choose to leave it.

i know i’m in the minority, but honestly, i don’t mind that questioning. it’s uncomfortable and it’s sad. but there has always been something in mulder that the audience or those around him is rarely let in on, and sometimes its fatal.

i always think about this fic:

She’d been dying once, too, and she’d told him before she told her own mother. Once, he had done everything he could to keep her alive, to find a cure, and didn’t he know she’d have done the same thing for him? She’d asked Skinner that, on one of the bad nights. Called him up in the middle of the night to ask. There was a long silence, and then Skinner just said, “Maybe he didn’t want to be saved.” He said it like he had been thinking about it for a long time. Like he’d been practicing how to tell her. In the moment she’d blanched and hung up the phone. When she came into the office the next morning, she could tell that he hadn’t slept either.

and i really recommend reading the full story, because it conceptualizes the situation so well emotionally. scully is pregnant with their miracle baby and she buried him and he was going to die, anyway, whether she knew it or not. i love the way this fic ponders...but he'd been happy, right? was he happy because they were together, or because it was almost over? it's unnecessary, it's sad, but it's also uncertain, it leaves questions.

i loved this thread trish had on twitter the other day:

thinking about mulder by scully's side through her cancer. him desperately searching for a cure. the way he clings to hope he doesn't really have because he's watching her die. when he gets his brain disease, he doesn't tell her. he hides it and looks for a cure on his own. he doesn't let that man eat his disease because he doesn't want him to suffer more. he gets abducted in scully's place.

mulder is "professionally in denial." he looked for 27 years for someone he would never have been able to save. he "refused to believe" that scully was dying, barely acknowledged it or talked about it, as she worked to her deathbed. he never told her about diana, even as the woman was in the backseat behind them. i know no one wants to think he would choose to die alone, without telling her, especially with his growth in season seven...but, it makes you question? it makes you wonder. and maybe he could.

#that's how i make sense of it at least #my answer is basically...i LIKE unnecessary and sad. lol #for those of you who don't you can totally pretend it doesnt exist it makes no difference #but i dont mind it #i could rationalize anything this show said i think skjdfh #thank you so much again darling. this was really sweet #asks

[eurydicees]

Random ask, who are your top 5 (or top 3) fav characters from Haikyuu? And why do you love them? Also, what are your top 5 fav moments from the series? Thanks if you want to answer....

oh i would LOVE to answer !!! sorry it took so long to get to this!! this was sooooo hard to do. it's not in any particular order because i can't bring myself to do a favorites list like that, as i have so much love in my body to give to the world and also haikyuu specifically. under the cut because this got long!! there ARE manga spoilers in this post!!!

top 5 characters

oikawa

yeah we all say this one coming let's be honest with ourselves here. his growth as a person genuinely makes me crazy. he's so well developed and he's truly such a fascinating character. his arc is beautifully tied in with the MCs and beautifully ended. the way it all ties together and comes together with him at the end...chef's kiss. i have a whole theory about the way it all comes back to oikawa that i have ranted about on discord but i have not posted it...oops.

bokuto

my beloved............he means so much to me. he's so special in my heart. adhd representation fr. he's so much smarter and has so much more depth than people give him credit for--which drives me crazy and i hate it--and he genuinely has such an impact on the narrative that doesn't get appreciated enough. i love him so much.

atsumu

i really don't know how to put this into words but i'm so obsessed with him. he's so important to me. it's smth about the drive and hunger to get better at what you love, the absurd confidence in yourself that is earned rather than a facade, the way he never sees another option but putting all of your heart into what you love and want to do....he means everything to me.

akaashi

i don't know if this one will come as a surprise to people, but he's fr one of my favorite characters. he's so interesting. his mindset is really interesting and i absolutely loved seeing him in the fukurodani v mujinazaka game--it's about how he recovers, how he learns to keep trying as best he can no matter if he's worth it or not or strong enough or not, how deeply he loves his team and how deeply they love him, how he learns to love them rather than try to control them. it's just like. you and those you love being the most important people in the world, the protagonist of your own story and life, but also not being afraid of losing. not being afraid of trying, even if it means you may fail. give me your 120%. i know you can. man. i don't even know. he makes me crazy.

kenma

oh man. his journey and arc makes me...i don't even know. it means so much to me. the promise to make him say something was fun or frustrating--then nekoma's loss, and him saying it was fun anyways. oh my god. crying about it tbh. his development as a character: not particularly remarkable at first sight, but cunning and smart underneath what he looks like, learning to put every piece of himself into a game, learning to have fun while playing even if he loses. man. yeah. kenma.

top 5 moments

tanaka's mediocre me monologue (chp 263)

aaaaaaaa. this idea that you may be mediocre but that doesn't mean you can't risk it all and push yourself further and be the best. it's the whole POINT of haikyuu. don't limit yourself because of your insecurities or because someone tells you that you can't do something. you don't have time to waste by giving up or doubting yourself, because there's so much you can do. this is the moment that solidified tanaka's character for me; i hadn't super loved him before this moment and then i got to this and went. oh. yeah. ok. that's really good actually.

nekoma's loss to karasuno (chp 324)

oh my god. this makes me crazy. i don't even have words for it. don't make me think about it. i'mc rying.

kiryuu's monologue (chp 334)

it's just. the idea of this top 3 ace who doesn't have enough confidence to believe in himself learning to "channel your inner narcissist." AND ITS BOKUTO WHO INSPIRES IT. CRYING. and like just this idea that well, you may not have confidence in yourself, but other people believe in you and you believe in them, so don't let them down by talking down to yourself. and like..."it takes everything i have to keep up with this man, it takes everything i have to play volleyball" and playing anyways...i'm biting things .

oikawa's volleyball is fun moment (chp 373)

oh my god ok. this moment means everything to me. it's about the burn out it's about the passion it's about the rediscovery it's about the fun it's about the love it's actually the point of everything it's what matters it's one of the best chapters in the manga, one of the best pieces of development for oikawa, one of the best pieces of development for hinata, i'm going crazy i'm so insane about this moment . i actually cried reading this for the first time. tears streaming down my face. i have a more in depth post about this moment here!!! but like genuinely as someone who experiences artistic burnout so easily and so often, the reminder that what you love is fun is so important to me. easily one of my favorite moments in any piece of writing ever.

the ending (chp 402)

i'm not gonna include the whole monologue but it makes me fuckign wild. i just. yeah. yeah. yeah. haikyuu. it means so much to me.

honorable mentions for top moments:

"if i'm here, you're invincible" don't touch me i'm crying

NISHINOYA FOOT RECIEVE

yamaguchi's failed serve and the way karasuno recovers & yamaguchi's six points & tsukki and yamaguchi's serve and block panel with the shield and spear. going insane.

"when oikawa is backed into a corner, he'll set to iwaizumi" i'm actually crawling up the walls about this

the last point in the second aoba johsai game. enough said.

tsukki's Moment TM . you all know exactly which one i'm talking about.

kenma calling yamamoto tora

"volleyball is a sport where you're always looking up".......garbled screaming at this

HINATA PERFECT RECEIVE

tsukki's "if i could stuff this now i'm sure everyone would go crazy, but i can't, so...you better be there hinata" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the last inarizaki point. the reflection in kita's eyes. the flashes of we don't need the memories. this angle, this position, it's perfect. the parallels to the last aoba johsai point. speed isn't invincible...those two understood that a little better than everyone else. oh my god. shaking.

can you tell that my favorite game is the inarizaki one. because really i should just say my favorite moment is that entire game.

kenma's "it hurts. it's painful. i don't ever want this to end." & "don't give up on me now hinata"

the kenhina knife fight. oh my god. i feel deranged with the way i talk about this panel.

"someone even better will find you" oh my god kageyama my sweetheart

#ask #haikyuu #haikyuu manga

[stillthewc]

Komi Theory - Kometani has a crush on Manbagi

Hello internet, welcome to Komi Theory! The only post on Tumblr that attempts to ship two characters that likely won't even end up together in the narrative!

While Wakai/Manbagi seems like endgame at this point, Chapter 414's left enough openness with the pairing that anything can happen to it. And, despite not doing much right now, I'm convinced Oda has Kometani in his back pocket for their upcoming arc.

Anyways, this post's gonna be pretty long, so I'll cut it for length. Otherwise, let me explain my reasoning!

At a glance, Kometani getting a crush on someone like Manbagi seems far-fetched. He's the type of person to snark at everyone around him, and even admits in Chapter 286 that he prefers "a reliable girl", pointing to Isagi as the girl he likes most.

However, exactly two chapters later, there seems to be a wrench thrown into his response. As a recap, this is the one where Manbagi and Kometani ended up partnering with one another on the trip to America. And, while most of it's spent explaining why she screwed up the rigged partnering, the framing between the two's... strange.

Additionally, this marks the second time we see the iconic Kometani Smile™️, something that's instigated by hearing Manbagi's ridiculous way of getting cold feet. Considering the first time it was shown was during a smiling competition, and even their group's usual hang-out sessions didn't get so much of a grin out of him, this seems pretty big imo.

It should be noted that he knew about Manbagi's feelings for a while, so that makes me wonder a couple of things. Is this reaction to her something he developed specifically during this moment? Has he liked her for a while but refused to say anything? Keep in mind that Chapter 286 had Naruse disingenuously claim he liked Komi more than Ase, so it's entirely possible Kometani did the same thing.

But obviously, he serves more as Manbagi's wingman after he reveals how much he knows, going on to help clear the church Manbagi planned to confess in during Chapter 293. However, the Valentines arc seems to hint at something, particularly due to one little easter egg.

As a bit of set-up, Naruse proposes to walk with the boys after school's over, with Tadano rejecting for school council duties. Notably, Kometani declines as well, which is treated as a small aside.

Long story short, Rumiko blows her chances of being with Tadano due to her big-heartedness, with the entire class coming in to comfort her over it. And hidden away from the audience, we can see a certain someone attending.

This seems to be a very deliberate choice since, despite being a huge wingman for Rumiko up to this point, the narrative never once focuses on him consoling her.

This arc also has a more ambiguous piece of evidence to this theory: someone rejects going to Manbagi for karaoke with the class. And, while the message lacks the asterisks at the start of the sentence, the stoic manner of speaking matches Kometani perfectly.

This is a super small detail that Oda didn't need to add, making me think the reason for this rejection will be established later down the road.

Skipping a bit later, when Wakai's arc starts out proper, you'd assume Kometani isn't central to it at all due to the obvious pairing Oda's trying to do. However, Chapter 345 has both him and Katai end up befriending him, which goes on to be a small side friendship in the following chapters.

While normally I'd say this is just a small subplot to give the boys from the Komi-Tadano harem, Naruse's absence makes me think there's significance to it just being these two.

Katai's inclusion is pretty obvious, since he's mistaken for Manbagi's boyfriend and shows off his character growth. Kometani, meanwhile... noticed him pass out. He doesn't even use his fourth-wall-breaking-shenaniganry to deduce Wakai can't talk to girls.

And, sure, there's enough credence to the idea that he's being set up to be a matchmaker again, but I don't think Oda forgot about Chapter 288. Specifically, because this moment from 413 exists:

Sure, this is just a subtle little gag and everything, but he's clearly oggling her chest, c'mon. He's at least attracted to her physically.

This chapter's also the one directly before Manbagi shooting down Wakai's confession for the time being, meaning that Oda knew exactly what he was doing.

With all of this together, I'm being painted the idea that Kometani has some level of interest in Manbagi, but is keeping it subtle enough that it doesn't get in the way of her and Wakai. However, with Wakai and him becoming friends, this aspect will finally come to the forefront in some shape or form.

As for why this is being played so subtly, I personally think Kometani realizes he likes her, but is trying to avoid his feelings due to "the narrator not interfering with the story" or something, resorting to matchmaking her with people instead.

But regardless, we'll see if anything happens with this in canon! For now, that's just a theory. A Komi Theory! Thanks for reading!

#komi san #komi can't communicate #komi san wa komyushou desu #i've been itching to write this since the valentines arc easter egg #and despite manbagi getting an actual love interest oda's left me enough breadcrumbs that I finally decided to go for it #hopefully my theorizing is coherent lol

[itsclydebitches]

Honestly, I think most of the issues in this season exist because they clearly planned four seasons. Ted was supposed to go through a flop era, where he'd be checked out and his divorce and overall shitty situation with Michelle (the therapist thing) would have bitten him in the ass, and he'd struggle with his own positivity. It's crucial for Ted as a character to be critical of his life in Kansas, otherwise his character doesn't do anything but serve as an enlightened american spiritual guide to a bunch of brits (NOT a classy plot line and not a good move, especially since most of the brits are either queer or poc). I swear to god, if they make Ted go back to Kansas and end the series with him returning to the status-quo, I'll riot. His story was clearly about trying something new and brave for the wrong reasons, and finding himself in the process! He was not happy in Kansas! He has built himself a life in England that he never had in Kansas (otherwise we'd see him missing his friends, not the never-ending loneliness).

But it's a season long arc, and a recovery process that would last them another season. I was sure they would stop after the fourth season, not the third!

I think they might have decided to wrap it up early, either because of the impending strike, or because Sudeikis got bored.

Sudeikis has come out and said (on a couple of occasions I believe) that the show was pitched as a three season arc, not four. However, as a fellow writer who always needs about 75% more time/space than she originally planned for a story, I can easily picture how a perceived three season arc could actually need four seasons once you're in the nitty-gritty of writing it. I also don't know enough about the inner workings of Apple TV and Sudeikis' creative process to guess at how everyone was originally conceiving a "season." Certainly the 7-10 episodes of today are a far different beast from the 24 episodes of decades past. If Ted Lasso was still three seasons but with season 3 clocking in at 19 episodes... that would make a hell of a difference.

Regardless, I do think this season needed more time and that the issues there are seen more clearly in "International Break" than anywhere else. Nate quitting his job from one episode to the next, Rebecca suddenly being able to laugh uproariously with Rupert, even Roy having this 'aha' moment about being with Keeley... it's not that I think the show hasn't been building towards these things (it has), but rather that the final push feels sudden and, though not out of nowhere, not what I was expecting to happen just yet if - as said - the show had more time to develop these complex moments of growth. Also, though I'm a big fan of the show's sprawling cast and I think that's integral to its overall messages (you need that diversity in characters and their relationships), there was a lot of 'filler' I think this season could have cut to better focus on those key dynamics. For me, Keeley is the most egregious example in that regard. Shandi and Jack added little to her story imo - beyond a without-a-doubt queer confirmation and a little growth in terms of being a boss - so I would have rather had more of the focus be around Roy and her company more broadly.

Anyway, yeah, HARD agree about Kansas. I've already written about how disappointed I'd be in that ending. Personally, I don't think I'd want a whole season of Ted's "flop era," especially since that's where he started out: the presumably useless American "wanker" who is driving the team into the dirt. The shorter arc we got this season where Ted struggles, doubts, and then makes a tremendous comeback worked well for me. What would I have given Ted instead to fill that time... I'm not sure, which is one of the reasons why I think the show does benefit from that three season structure. There's only so much you can do with the concept of "Presumed failure is not a failure after all and actually is supper successful" before you're forced to backtrack (which undermines the message) or just sit in the boring "They're great aren't they great everything is great" ending. So Ted's football arc works for me, we just need more time for all those relationships. Keep the basic structure we have in terms of overall plot, but add in episodes to fully take the characters through the conflicts Season 2 introduced: How does Nate possibly redeem himself in Rupert's clutches? How can Ted come to terms with Michele dating their therapist? Why is Beard still 'happily' dating Jane after Higgins' intervention and his violent night out? How does Roy overcome this all-consuming belief that he's holding Keeley back? What in the world is going on with Rebecca and this maybe baby? How is Trent going to confess his love for Ted?

As said, the season IS answering all these questions, it just feels like the short structure has landed us with, "This is a problem, this is a problem, this is still a problem, the characters are acknowledging it's a problem... oh look the problem is now solved off-screen/in one scene! Happy days."

#Ted Lasso #Ted Lasso spoilers #I feel like this ask makes it sound that I'm disliking the show a lot more than I am #like you can tell this season is rushed in many respects #but I still think the moment-to-moment writing is REALLY good #like do I care how messy Keeley's arc has been #if it gets me drunk bonding with Mae? #...I mean yeah I care but not nearly as much as I would have if there wasn't Mae bonding lol

[mppmaraudergirl]

Oh yes I do have thoughts and questions about ATTSS!James, and I'll send the ask now so it's ready for when the spoilery discussion starts tomorrow :)

The fic is very focused on Lily, probably more than your other stories, and for a very good reason: this whole experience is incredibly alienating for someone like her, because she has a complicated relationship with the concept of soulmates and once life proves her wrong she not only has to deal with the heartbreak that comes from being rejected (or ignored) but she's also trying to make sense of this monumental change. She feels isolated, which makes her isolate herself even more. James has the complete opposite experience: as I mentioned in my comment on AO3, I feel like soulmates are his faith, his religion. He sees it in his parents, he wants it and he's never questioned it. And then, boom: Lily! Even though you haven't described it, I can see how difficult it was for him. He was torn between these growing feelings (that only intensified the more he got to know her) and the probability of meeting his soulmate. And he kept his cool, and never let Lily see this internal turmoil. When they do get together and he finds out he's her soulmate, he feels betrayed by fate (or his faith).

So James' journey is a foil to Lily's, and even without the last revelation (James hearing the symphony when he meets her at 7 years old) I still think they're complementary to each other. There's so much more to a person than their souls, and as always I love the emphasis you put on James and Lily choosing each other. It all comes down to that, honestly. The people we are, the people we grow up to be are a product of the choices we make.

There really isn't a question here lol but still, I'd like to know if this is what you were aiming to do 💜

First off, hi hello!! thank you for the thoughtful message. I am going to try to not write a whole damn essay about this.

For months, I'd gone back and forth on whether to expand this premise and to make it into an original work, but every time I got started down that path, it just kept screaming at me to remain a Jily story. I've felt that because the core of this story and this love, is choice which I find to be an integral part of their canon love story.

Obviously the beginning of this story was the easiest to draw the parallels and show the growth in a way that (I believed) could be a muggle equivalent: Lily and Snape as young friends, them banded together against James and Sirius, the building animosity, James' jealousy (what do you see in him anyway?), an off-screen SWM, then a cordial relationship developing as they became Heads. Obviously in canon it evolves into a romantic relationship at this point, but I think we all know why that happened in canon so I won't rehash here.

Ultimately, though, I don't think you can talk about canon Jily without talking about choice. James knew what was happening in the world outside of Hogwarts. He knew that Lily would never be able to sit idly by in a world that protested her very existence. Being with her was signing up for war. He could have largely avoided the fight as a Pure-blood wizard by not making any waves. He could have married another Pure-blood witch and lived to be one hundred and ten. He didn't want any of that at the expense of being with Lily. She was his choice when he had every opportunity to chose otherwise. And like I said, Lily never had much of a choice: fight for her place in the magical world or run back to the muggle world (which she no longer belonged to), but she could choose who to fight alongside, who to draw strength from, and James is that person for her.

I apologize for rambling about something unnecessarily, but it was this canon frame of mind that frame this love story. It's the importance of James choosing Lily in both universes, even when everything/everyone (even himself at times!) is telling him it's not supposed to be that way. And Lily, who doesn't have the luxuries in life James had as a Pure-blood, now in this context, comes from a family that has had to worked for everything they have, even love. Their upbringings are vastly difference, their views on love come from different places, which was a loose parallel to the rich Pure-blood/Cokeworth Muggle-born canon lives.

Additionally, the way I created the lore factors into the development of their feelings in this story. As Mary tells us: You hear the symphony playing in your head after your soulmate introduces themselves. 'In some instances, a strong bond develops rapidly, while others report the development of feelings happening gradually over time. All report a strong almost overwhelming desire to be near the person as one of the first responses as well as their deepest feeling of connection during intimacy in comparison to previous partners.'

That strong almost overwhelming desire to be near the person is a direct result of hearing the symphony, the first symptom, if you will. James heard this at 7 and Lily didn't hear it until 21ish and how crazy did it drive her in just a couple of years (albeit with feelings already developed for him)?

Now imagine poor baby James who's just so focused on a girl who wants nothing to do with him and he doesn't know why. It doesn't get any easier to fight off this desire, but he learns to live with it after so long, especially when she wants nothing to do with him. But then they start talking more and he's right back there, fighting for her attention and time and he gets it as friends in uni. This time, he distracts himself with sex and relationships that he knows are doomed to fail, but it's better than remaining so focused on the heartache. That is, until they sleep together. This is a game changer for James. Every ounce of energy he's put into resisting her is strained to the max now that he's been with her sexually and experienced the deepest connection he's ever had.

The emotions Lily felt in that moment were not unlike what he felt. The pain she put herself through to distract herself from James' rejection were not unlike what James had experienced for all of his teenage years. The difference was, despite Lily's growing feelings for James before the symphony, it was logical to connect that the intensity of her longing was related to the discovery. Whereas James just knew he loved Lily, and every bit of research he'd done about soulmates made him confident he had one and she couldn't be it because surely she wouldn't have hated him like she did if he was.

I'm rambling beyond the point of comprehension at this point probably (lol), but all of this is to say that yes, them being soulmates was never going to be enough because loving someone is always a choice. Even with the immense amount of love for each other, they both still experienced so much pain. It wasn't until James let go of what he'd built up in his head and accepted that he and Lily could have something real that he was able to unguard his heart after spending years locked down. He needed to let go of this hypothetical immediate soulmate love he'd been expecting to find one day in order to accept that the love he's had for Lily was and will be better than anything he could ever have with anyone else.

#and then the symphony starts #attss spoilers #hopefully this makes sense lmao #I thought I'd be less tired than I am rn

[breakingcatbad]

Anime Time! Again! Today, I wanted to talk about another show that I have an undying love for: Mob Psycho 100. For a little context, Mob Psycho 100 is about a psychic middle school boy who tries to live a normal life and while he keeps his powers (strengthened by emotion) under control. Initially, I thought the show was really weird, and I figured I'd just find it weirder as I progressed through the first few episodes. Little do I know, I lacked any sort of personality what so ever. Anyways, the further along I got in the show, the more I fell in love with the characters and was able to apply the skills they learned in the show to my own personal abilities.

In my opinion, the main character himself makes the show. His personal ability to strive for improvement and his humility are qualities I always strive for in myself. He's a very mature protagonist who still has a lot to learn and grow from, which makes him both relatable and while giving him room to grow throughout the story.

Mob is the perfect character because he doesn't fall into the stereotypical tropes of a self-insert character. He's not particularly attractive or popular, but he finds his group of friends through his commitment to self-improvement and his positive traits, which he has built up through discipline and hard work.

The final message of the third season, where Mob finally decides to accept himself, is one of the most powerful things I have ever seen on television. This message of personal development and growth through consistent effort and the challenging of oneself is something I find incredibly relatable in life (just see my Bojack Horseman essay). Because of this, Mob serves as essentially a perfect model for what one should strive to do in order to improve themselves in the world. Another aspect that further this idea is when Mob gets rejected by the girl he likes at the end of the story. Rather than following the trope of him getting what he wants in the end, he ends up not actually getting what he wants through hard work alone, which is somewhat bittersweet yet somewhat happy. Mob is able to handle the loss, not without any tears of course, but he is able to handle it, empathize with the girl, and understand her feelings, using that as an excuse to truly move forward as a person. He was able to truly express himself by asking her out, and that's all he needed to do in the end. He achieved his goal and grew and developed because of that and that's a philosophy I believe that we should all strive for in life.

Because of stuff like this, I feel like the show, and more specifically Mob, is a stellar example of a character that people can learn and grow from.

Basically, I love this show because of how the main character grows and changes through the work, and how one can then apply those ideas to themselves as a means of personal growth. And that's not to mention all the other fantastic aspects of this show that go on and on. Anyway, thank you for listening to my rant.

#mob psycho 100 #mob psycho shigeo #mob psycho reigen #mob psycho anime