#but i think the more serious parts of his character are actually really well developed in canon (bless hori for that)
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Headcanons for Neito Monoma?
yup here you go! tagging @fabpops1 because she also asked for Monoma headcanons
no coloring today because the one i made two years ago sucks and i don't feel like remaking it :'D honestly i feel like Horikoshi and I both half-assed his casual clothing sketch lol
him and his parents were all born in Japan but he has some relatives in Belgium, whom he really enjoys visiting. it's the main reason why he seems so interested in european culture (his profile page states he likes french cuisine and franco-belgian comics)
he can also speak french very well thanks to that
he's also fluent in english (though he has trouble understanding Pony sometimes - he's much better at reading and writing than he is at listening) and has a basic knowledge of several other languages. he doesn't really expect it to come handy at any point in the future, he just learns them because he finds it fun
besides that he also likes history, classic literature, theatre... yeah this guy is a huge humanities-leaning nerd and i don't accept criticism
nor do i accept the fact that he's supposed to be a bad student in canon?? like, he's so smart and also competitive, no way he isn't top of the class... he may not be as good in science and math as he is in japanese and history, but nothing an all-nighter can't fix
in middle school he was part of the drama and debate clubs. and while hero course students aren't supposed to join clubs because they should focus on hero work, he managed to argue his way into the same clubs in UA by saying that his theatrics and speeches are an important part of his hero persona. Kuroiro joined the drama club alongside him (didn't contribute to the argument at all, just nodded wisely every time Monoma presented a point)
class 1-B's culture festival performance being a stage play was actually his idea! it didn't really go the way he intended (he did NOT expect it to turn into a four-way crossover more ambitious than infinity war) but he greatly enjoyed performing in it anyway! maybe even too much
his knowledge of quirks rivals Midoriya's. he researches them a lot mostly to help his copy quirk but also out of genuine curiosity
he often helps his classmates with training their quirks and comes up with new techniques to try out. he's particularly good at it because he can actually try other people's quirks himself, which gives him a better understanding of how they function and what their limitations are
^ which is why i believe he'd make an awesome hero course teacher!! (in all might's role - i don't think making him anyone's homeroom teacher would be a good idea, he'd be just as biased towards his class as he is now lmao) it's definitely one of my favorite "future" headcanons
he praises his classmates' quirks a lot and says he considers them all great, but he does have preferences when it comes to copying them
his favorites are Yanagi's poltergeist (somewhat boring, but easy to understand and very versatile both in battle and everyday life), Tokage's lizard tail splitter (he almost died when he copied it for the first time because he barely managed to put his body back together before his quirk's time limit ran out, but that didn't stop him - he always found Tokage's quirk very fun and useful, so he put a lot of work into fully figuring it out and now he uses it pretty often), Shoda's twin impact (Monoma's physical strength.... leaves a lot to be desired, and the second impact always being significantly stronger than the first helps make up for it) and Kuroiro's black (you can move around very fast and it's fun :) )
quirks he does not like copying Honenuki's softening (fun, but quite difficult to control and avoiding collateral damage with such a destructive quirk is a pain in the ass. Honenuki understands that perfectly) and Shishida's beast (just... really not his thing lol)
for some reason i see a lot of people headcanon that he has pet ferrets, and you know what? i agree. he does seem like a ferret person
prefers smart clothing, a polo shirt is the most casual he'll go. he only ever wears tshirts for exercise (which he hates doing lol) and probably doesn't own a single hoodie
in general i think he has a good eye for elegant design... his dorm room is very stylish and nicely coordinated too. i think one of the light novels also describes it as "vaguely french" and yeah that fits
while he tries to keep his room neat and tidy on the outside, all his drawers and cabinets are horribly messy
he's that one kid who has like 17 different allergies and is completely useless if he forgets his meds on a spring day (spring is his least favorite season due to this. i think winter would be his fave)
luckily he is not allergic to dairy so he can eat as much stinky french cheese as he wants 👍
speaking of food i think he's a pretty good cook actually
prefers listening to older (and mostly foreign) music and is a huge snob about it
honestly he probably acts the same about movies and books too
arguing with people on the internet is one of his favorite ways to spend his free time. if there are no 1-A students around, you can always show off your impressive vocabulary by bullying random internet strangers with bad taste in movies!
almost everyone in 1-B considers him a friend despite his... anti-1a bullshit, because he's just really nice and helpful to people he likes + he's a great leader! however he's closest to Kuroiro (friendly drama king rivals! they're constantly arguing about dumb shit using the fanciest words they can think of and they're always trying to outperform each other in the drama club meetings they both attend, but they love each other trust me <3 also Monoma helps Kuroiro with studying because he sucks at school), Pony (when he's not trying to trick her into insulting 1-A he can be pretty helpful with japanese, he also likes listening to her talk about her home country), Honenuki (he's Pony's best friend, so you usually befriend them both at once, but Monoma thinks he's also interesting to talk to by himself) and Tetsutetsu (they don't share many interests but Monoma hates exercising so he has Tetsutetsu force him to do it. his positive energy certainly helps a lot)
ever since they got to know each other during their joint training fight, Monoma's been using 100% of his persuasion skills to convince Shinso to join 1-B instead of 1-A. Shinso is conflicted to say the least
aaand that's all i have for him! hope you enjoyed these!!
#most of these are really “casual”#but i think the more serious parts of his character are actually really well developed in canon (bless hori for that)#so i dont really have much to add haha#anyway thanks for the ask and sorry that it took so long#bnha#class 1b#neito monoma#monoma neito#tikto's headcanons#bnha headcanons
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HANG OUT WITH THEM
i. part two: hang out with these characters (part one)
ii. gender neutral. reader | unedited version (lmk if I used any gendered terms!)
iii. cw: spoilers in manga (chrollo's part), mentions of death, massacre/slaughter, torture, trauma, and violence. stealing, fluff & semi-angst (?)
iv. characters: gon freecs, killua zoldyck, kurapika kurta, chrollo lucilfer, feitan portor.
GON FREECS
You hang out with the boy a lot as the two of you develop a rapport with one another and grow closer. The two of you would often be perched on top of a tree branch as he casts his fishing line into the middle of a swamp. He would ask you questions about your past, how you lived in YorkNew City, and even about yourself constantly while he was fishing.
Talking to Gon is comforting, although he is extremely enthusiastic. You might find yourself baffled as to how he appears to be fulfilled while not harboring any unwelcome feelings or thoughts. But naturally, that wasn't the only thing. He would take you around the town's outskirts. And to pass the time if you were in his place, you two would play a variety of board games.
KILLUA ZOLDYCK
When Gon wasn't allowed to practice Nen for two months because of his injudicious decision of fighting Gido, you and Killua trained together without Nen because Killua don't want Gon to be left behind. Since neither of you was particularly talkative throughout your training session-unlike Gon, who frequently emits a lot of commotion when the three of you are together-it was really awkward and silent.
You're just reluctant to approach him because you two weren't really close. But even so, he would give you advice on how to grow more powerful and tell you about what you should concentrate on. As an outcome, the more you two trained together over the course of the two months, the closer you two grew.
The two of you are hardly alone together unless it involves training, combat, etc. The three of you traveled to Whale Island after leaving Heaven's Arena to meet Mito Freecs, Gon's aunt, and Abe, his great-grandmother. They were quite friendly to you, and his great-grandmother told you and Killua plenty of stories about Gon. Gon once left the two of you because his aunt asked him to go get some supplies she needed to prepare later.
You offered your assistance to Aunt Mito with the laundry. Killua was watching you as you washed the clothes since he isn't really sure how he can help you or do things like that. He would speak about his experiences and escapades as an experienced assassin, a member of the notorious Zoldyck family, and the future heir to the family to keep you entertained. However, it wasn't all that entertaining to hear about how he was actually tortured as a baby.
You also shared your stories with him when you were younger. Being from your typical family, you didn't find it particularly interesting. To your surprise, Killua laughed and thought you were humorous when you were younger because of both your foolishness and your intrepid nature. You attempted tossing him your left slippers, but he deftly sidestepped it. Indeed, the day was enjoyable.
KURAPIKA KURTA
(Prior to the massacre of the Kurta Clan)
He would come and see you in your leisure time and encourage you to read in the neighborhood library with him. You would undoubtedly concur that it is Kurapika after all. You two would sit side by side on the couch in the serene library, and before starting a new book, he would offer that you execute an exchange. For instance, he may recommend a book to you and vice versa.
The majority of the novels he read are far more serious than you may think. He always recommends history or biographies of philosophers who lived a century ago, as well as crime, mystery, and science fiction, works. Despite how much you like it, you feel a little ashamed about the works you're recommending to him since they seem so plain to him. [Unless you have the same taste w/ him]
Most of your hangouts are just solitude and calm, but you like that tranquility. Along with Pairo, the three of you are going to stay in the forest as you three would for an adventurous hangout. You would capture fish or other creatures that are suitable for human consumption.
(After the massacre of the Kurta Clan)
You feel much closer to your childhood friend now that you've seen him again. He lost his positive outlook since, as you are aware, criminals killed the members of his clan. If you were in his position, you wouldn't have any optimism at all. Therefore, you are always at his side to lessen his sense of isolation and provide him with emotional support. A conversation with him may be quite intense and passionate. He would often speak to you late at night about his unsaid emotions, his grief, his trauma, his enmity, and the survivor's guilt.
He's still a huge book nerd, so you two would borrow books from the local library and read them together while relaxing in the calm setting. You are just brought back to the past by it.
CHROLLO LUCILFER
(When you were still living in Meteor City)
Chrollo introduced you to Father Lisores, the owner of the church that you saw. (First chapter) And now, you're affiliated with him because you look like you're on the verge of death and he pities you. In exchange for your assistance with his charitable endeavors and your assistance each time there is a mass for children and other Meteor City residents, he provides you with a place to live, food, and other requirements.
Furthermore, you got to know some of Chrollo's friends. They all treated you well, but Chrollo is the one you get along with the best. Despite the difficulties of his life, he is bursting with positive energy. He frequently stops by the church and enjoys bringing you unusual items.
Most of your time together would be spent in the church's rear chamber, where he would show you other items and instruct you in speaking Gelman. (In the universe of Hunter x Hunter, probably English). His discoveries and his astute thinking never fail to captivate you. He frequently blushes when you praise him, but in all honesty, he kind of craves it since he wants to impress you.
Chrollo requested you, Sarasa, and Pakunoda to voice dub a Mighty Sweepin' Power Cleaners VHS tape into your mother tongue so that the kids in Meteor City could watch and understand the episode. It gave you an immense thrill to voice-dub the role that was given to you, and it warmed your heart to see the children moved and enthralled.
(Phantom Troupe / After the slaughter of Kurta Clan)
After Sarasa's death, Phantom Troupe was established with the intention of exacting retribution. You presently hold the fourth rank and are a member of the Phantom Troupe, a group of malevolent thieves. You two don't spend much time together since Chrollo is so busy keeping up his leadership role, looking for items that can be of great use to the group, or if he wants to steal a particular item. In fact, it only happens once in a blue moon.
But you can't blame him after all. Though when all of you are gathered up for a meeting, he would give you pieces of jewelry, books, and others that you love, which you presumably think that he stole, it feels nice that he's thinking about you.
While waiting for the remainder of the members to arrive, you would speak with them about significant topics and share what you had learned from your mission. His responses to you are brief since he is still engaged with the book he is reading. You feel sort of sad about it but chose to not complain.
FEITAN PORTOR
While the troupe was in York New, he would pay you many visits at the gaming shop where you work, and would practically gaze at you as if you were a ghost or something - well, he's waiting for you to end your shift. You can't concentrate on your work due to his scary glances, and he physically stares at everyone that walks into the shop.
You would advise him to cease doing that after your shift, but he would act unaware even though he understood what you meant. You two would saunter through the Saloma Mall, only glancing at the merchandise in the storefront windows, not bothering to go inside because you're saving up your money.
But there was a time when you spotted a bracelet that piqued your curiosity, but it was so pricey that your wage wasn't sufficient to pay for it. Feitan was aware of this but remained silent. After dropping you off at your flat, he goes to the shop where you spotted the bracelet you like and snatches it violently.
He handed you the bracelet the next day. Unaware that he had stolen it, you were perplexed by how he was able to purchase it. When you questioned about how he was able to afford it, he just said that they were confidential.
Feitan isn't a particularly chatty person, and neither are you, but whenever he comes to see you while you're at work, you strike up a conversation with him, and honestly, talking to him is much more comfortable than talking to other people because he's direct and doesn't sugarcoat his words, which is what you like best.
He just listens to your rambling while paying attention to what you're saying, but he obviously won't be overt about it. The two of you would play video games in your flat after your shift. Because he has a strong sense of competition, he usually defeats you. He constantly invited Phinks and Shalnark as well.
#hunter x hunter#hunter x hunter x reader#hxh#hxh fanfic#gon x reader#killua x reader#chrollo x reader#kurapika x reader#headcanons#feitan x reader#reader insert
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NATLA Episode 2 Debrief (by yours truly)
Hi again! Here's episode 1 if anyone is interested. This is going to be another outrageously long post, just a tw
I absolutely loved the ominous start and then it's just:
They really captured the Zuko/Iroh dynamic the cartoon had in this scene. I hope they keep this sort of thing throughout the show. Also, side note, but for whatever reason Zuko seems a LOT more violent in this version. This child needs some serious therapy.
I guess this is their version of the map joke, huh? Low-key disappointed but not as mad as I thought I would be.
I'm not sure how I feel about the writers prolonging some of the conflicts that were resolved back in the SWT into this episode. I guess it makes sense that they would have to extend the drama, but I'm a little disappointed these thoughts didn't make it into the first episode. I'm glad they're included, but I think at this point team avatar had started to feel like family already in the cartoon, so it's kind of annoying and misses the mark a bit.
Yes I'm so glad they put GranGran's blessing back in! I was really mad when they took it out, but this honestly feels more meaningful than it did in the cartoon. It's a precious cultural artifact rather than just a couple of blankets. This is similar to what I was mad about with extending SWT conflicts, but I don't have nearly as much of a problem with it, as it seems like they're carrying a little piece of home with them rather than just extra drama.
The burial scene was very sweet and sad. It gave us a bit more insight into Air Nomad culture, and a sense of closure the cartoon didn't really give us. A+ for Gordon's acting as well (he is perfect for this part, even if he does still need some more acting experience)
Zuko has officially mastered the "my uncle dragged me here and I'm an agnsty teenager" face. A+ to Dallas for this entire scene. I am absolutely LOVING the Iroh and Zuko dynamic. Never change (jk I wish you a wonderful redemption arc)
Suki looks just as beautiful as she did in the trailer. Unfortunately can't say the same for the Kyoshi statue (I wish it had been made out of wood), but there is something to be said for the little shrines to the avatars instead of a few big ones. I actually kind of like that they changed that element, and I hope they explore it more in future episodes, because I assume some of the spiritualism surrounding them would have to be changed. Side note: but I've seen nothing of the spirit world so far and I'm getting a little nervous. I guess I wouldn't mind if they decided it was some long-lost avatar trick or is introduced in the NWT, but if they get rid of it altogether I'm gonna be pissed.
I'm glad they decided to make Kyoshi Island a matriarchal society instead of having a male leader. It just makes sense based on the lore and I like to see more strong adult women than in the cartoon. Also Suki got a mom! Maybe she'll get some development too!
This Aang speech was very in-your-face storytelling, but I feel like the whole show is gonna be like that so I'm just accepting it at this point. I think it stayed true to his character while getting the point across, and it also kind of helped his character compared to the cartoon. He's very emotionally open and has a charming nativity about him, but he's clearly trying to help. Loved it.
He's so awkward I love it. This whole interaction was really cool, because it expanded on their relationship in a cool way. They're both struggling between doing what their parents expect of them to help their respective villages, but are being faced with a pull to the outside world, Suki with her "big heart" and Sokka with his need to protect Katara. Thishonestly gives more depth to their relationship and I don't mind the writers dragging out first episode conflicts if this is how they're choosing to explore them.
Aww look at these cute little siblings. I like that the writers are giving them more time to progress from strangers to besties. Their interactions seem more natural, and Aang's grief more realistic. It's also great to once again see Katara growing more confident and powerful in her abilities. I love the smell of some good character development in the making.
Look at her face! She's like,"I'm so good at flirting. Mother would be proud." Meanwhile Sokka's scared of her. Anyway I'm living for their scenes and they're making me giggle. (Despite Sokka's sexism being toned down it still exists to a lesser level and I love to see her beating his ass while he tries to flex)
I love the new subplot! I love that flashback! I love this conflict! It gives more credence to his fears as a prodigy. Whatever writer came up with this deserves a hug.
AHH the ship is sailing! I love Sokka learning to be more open minded! I love Suki learning to be more open-hearted! I love when characters in romantic relationships learn from each other! This is giving Suki and Sokka development in ways the cartoon did not without trying to play Sokka's sexism off as a joke and also giving us more screentime and when I say I love it I mean I am doing a happy dance right now!
Okay, so just a quick word on shipping besides Sukka because as Zutara trash I am legally required to do this:
It seems like they are keeping the zutara hope parallel intact, with Katara and Zuko both finding hope in the avatar but in different ways. However, I don't think this really changes anything. So far, there's beven nothing to suggest they're going with ZK instead of KA, and I'm a little worried that they're trying to parallel Sukka and KA wwith the way they're setting up both girls as kind of a "teacher" to the boys in a way and giving both ships a huge amount of screentime in the same episode. Also, and I hate to say this, they might be attempting to fix KA by toning down Katara's anger and her "dark side". She didn't get angry to break the iceberg and they're eliminating her entire waterbending scroll plotline. They're trying to make them a better match for each other by watering her down and therefore increasing her connection with Aang and decreasing the chance of a future connection with Zuko over their anger and shared trauma. It's sad news that I didn't want to deliver, and I've seen spoilers that there is another ZK moment later down the line, but at this point, I think KA is a lot more plausible than ZK. *cries*
In slightly less depressing news, they're inserting the avatar state plotline a lot earlier. This makes sense with the condensed timeline, and I think I like the way they're going with it so far. I hope they keep the concept of avatar guide intact, though, and I'm worried that they're going to play into more of a connection to all of his past lives instead of just Roku. I kind of hate Roku but I do think that's a major concept I don't want them to get rid of, and his inaction during a time of adversity mirror's Aang's own challenges with confrontation. Their dynamic is a good one, and I wouldn't be opposed to changed but I really hope they don't entirely throw it out.
Scratch whatever the fuck I said before. I'm back on my shipping bullshit I can't believe we got a BONUS FIGHT! Also kudos to whoever decided Zhao should burn the village instead of Zuko. I was always so pissed at him whenever I rewatched this episode and now I can sleep easy knowing it was that military dipshit instead of him
I love Kyoshi to an unhealthy extent but I kind of wish Katara had been the one to go off on him. It would have seriously fixed things.
COUPLES THAT FIGHT TOGETHER ARE THE BEST COUPLES CHANGE MY MIND
Also, side note, but I love the hair these in fight scenes:
Most action movies hairspray the shit out of them but these actors are allowed to look a little disheveled while they kick ass. Huge thank you to whoever decided that more natural hair is superior cuz they are 100% correct
THE BONUS FIGHT SCENE IS NO LONGER COOL I REPEAT THE BONUS FIGHT SCENE IS NO LONGER COOL
I think this was the perfect conclusion to Sukka (for now)! Sokka learned something so much more valuable and impactful than in the cartoon, in my opinion. His masculinity is handled very well in my opinion, and even if I would have liked to see him wear the warrior outfit, there's something really great about the way he continues to embrace protectiveness, a masculine trait, while having rid himself of toxic masculinity, such as not being able to learn from others. He's leaving a more open minded and humble person and I love the way they portrayed it.
Okay the speech was a little on the nose but I liked it. One of the best things about ATLA was the way they executed Aang's childishness ending up beneficial for the world. I think the new conflict is expanding on that nicely while staying true to its roots. *pats writers on the head*
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH IS THIS REAL I LOVE IT SO MUCH AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
IM TRYING SO HARD NOT TO THINK ABOUT THIS LINE AND HOW IT COULD BE ANOTHER PARALLEL TO K/A I HATE IT BUT I LOVE IT AT THE SAME TIME LETS JUST FOCUS ON SUKI SAYING SOKKA HELPED HER AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Also the fan was so cute. That last scene on Appa really wrapped everything up nicely. I like the way they tied in the conflicts between the siblings while engineering growth for Sokka.
Daniel Kim delivered in his two seconds of screentime. Zhao was such a bitch but idk what else I expected. Can't wait to see more of these two bastards in future!
Anyway, to recap:, things I did like:
Aang's new conflicts
Sokka's mini arc
SUKKA
Expanding on Katara's PTSD
Zhao burning the town instead of Zuko
Zuko and Iroh's dynamic
Things I didn't like:
Katara's characterization
Lack of Aang's actual avatar guide
K/A hints and lack of zutara implications
Postponing the Zhao and Zuko agni Kai
Overall, I have to say I think that they're playing into the core themes very well while expanding on the characters. If it weren't for the whole Katara debacle this would be a 9/10 episode, but with the Katara debacle imma give it a 7/10. Still, I can at least understand why the writers made their crappy decisions, even if I don't agree with them. Hopefully certain things are fixed in future episodes, but as it stands I think I'll live (barely)
#natla debrief#emmie babbles#zutara#sukka#aang#sokka#suki#zuko#katara#avatar the last airbender#natla episode 2
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hello! I’m writing for TF141 and I especially want to write for Gaz. However for some reason I keep just lumping him with the same personality as Soap. Tips ;-;??
Hi! I'm so flattered you asked me for advice omg :) Well, from what I've noticed in the game, I personally think Gaz is very intuitive. I think he watches from afar and knows what's gonna happen before it actually does, but doesn't give his opinion unless asked. Part of that I think is one, like I said before, his intuition, but also his training and guidance from Price. I personally think Gaz has had the best character development of all the Task Force since the MW reboot, because he goes from this frustrated recruit not knowing what is too much for him and how to handle it when it is too much, to someone so in control of himself that he's gained phenomenal intuition and self control. He's quiet, calm, an observer like Simon, but he actually is quite snarky (hence his cocky little jokes to Laswell and Price in the MW2 campaign). In the first MW reboot campaign I believe it was, where Gaz had to lead the doctor around the mercs from the security cameras I think showed exceptional intuition and self control since he was so sure she was getting out of there alive and what routes to take. I think that also had to do with just him being a good soldier, but he was very confident (even if it was a playable scene and not a cinematic one, we played as Gaz.) Gaz is always calm when he just knows a situation will turn out alright, and if he visibly panics? You better panic too lol. Soap also led Ghost around mercs in I believe the second campaign? Might have been the third but I believe Soap is just handy with tech due to his demolitions training. Both scenes are very similar, but I feel like Gaz works under pressure more efficiently than Soap mostly because of Soap's temper (Like the scene were Soap almost killed Makarov.)
Anyway, that's just me rambling about my pookie Gaz lol, but I would say the main similarities and differences between Soap and Gaz are:
Differences
Soap is impulsive, hot headed, loud, while Gaz is quiet, a man who thinks before he acts and makes sure everyone's on board with a plan before he jumps into action, intuitive, only gives his two cents when asked, a great advice giver and listener (that last one is just from what vibes I personally get from him rather than from observation throughout the campaigns.) And I think he handles pressure and his temper better.
Similarities
Both Gaz and Soap are both witty and silly. They both are able to find that childlike joy despite the horrors they witness. However, they both know when to be serious even if Soap is a bit more out of pocket than Gaz.
I love both so much, and I'm not saying Gaz is a better soldier than Soap by any means, but that they're different, and handle situations differently.
So when it comes to writing Gaz, I would take all of this into consideration such as: How would a calm approach to this situation be?/ How would observing this situation rather than engaging in it affect the characters?/ What advice could be given to other characters from a well thought out point of view (Gaz's pov)?
I feel like Gaz really thinks before he acts unlike Soap.
And if you wanna get more fun with it, I would ask myself: How would two knuckleheads (Gaz and Soap) observe and react to a funny or shocking situation while staying in character?/ How do clashing personalities bond? In this case, their humor is the same, so writing situations where the two of them are together and giggling at something silently in front of whoever they're laughing at I think is the perfect balance between observing and acting on impulse/lack of self control, thus blending their personalities together.
Sorry if that was a lot, I had a lot to say. I love talking about character personalities and actually evaluated Soap's personality for a college psychology of personality final lol (Got an A).
I hope all of my yapping helps at least a little bit!
#call of duty#cod#cod mw#cod mw2#cod mw3#kyle gaz garrick#gaz#gaz garrick#gaz cod#john soap mactavish#john mactavish#soap mactavish#soap cod
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Iron Man (2008)
As mentioned in last post, when I went to Iron Man I literally had no idea that such a superhero existed. (I thought Sherlock Holmes with RDJ came out first but apparently not so I had essentially no knowledge of the actor either.) My friends and I decided to spend the day out at the nearest town big enough to have a book store, craft stores, and a Target, as well as a Drive-In movie theater. I was now a college student and enjoying the freedom of no curfew, rebel that I was.
I'm pretty sure the movie prior to Iron Man was the Narnia: Prince Caspian movie. I mention this because I hated that movie. It bastardized the book something awful and after the first movie was so faithful an adaptation, this was incredibly disappointing. However, this meant I was doubly primed to appreciate the awesomeness that Iron Man ended up being.
I've watched it a few times since then, but usually as background to something else. I decided for this challenge I did REALLY want to watch the movies/shows. No other distractions- just it. I can take breaks (it took me 3 days to finish Iron Man due to various constraints last week) but when I'm watching, I'm JUST watching.
Here were my takeaways this time
The differences in Terrence Howard's Rhodey and Cheadle's Rhodey are always a bit mind boggling and part of what makes Iron Man feel really different from the later films. We're also just starting MCU so while they aren't LACKING budget, it's not the level it would be later. This doesn't hurt the movie at all for the record, if anything I think it meant the story had to be more well-developed and the actors better.
But this first film has a seriousness and a somberness that most of the other films only flirt with (notable exception being Infinity War of course).
The scene where Tony goes back to help Gulmira, Yinsen's home, and we see the 13 year old boy screaming and crying as his father is pried away from their family, the soldiers clearly planning to execute him and all the other grown men. The young boy tears himself away from his mother to his father, determined to keep him, to save him. His father, begging his son to go, so that he will live even though he knows- he KNOWS he will not. This moment of utter terror made personal just before Tony shows up is incredible and all the more so when put into historical context. The U.S. was still in Afghanistan and Iraq at this time and it was easy for citizens here to paint everyone in those areas with the same brush. But in this moment you CAN'T. You HAVE to see the family ripped apart right alongside the terrorists and be forced to realize that race, ethnicity, language don't make terrible people- actions do.
A common criticism of Marvel movies is they don't let a moment sit- that they always break a serious moment with a joke. But this one doesn't do that. There are multiple heavy moments- after Yinsen's death for one and when Pepper nearly quits (because she can't watch Tony self-sabotage and possibly die) and he tells her:
"I shouldn't be alive... unless it was for a reason. I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it's right."
This moment sits between them so clearly, so starkly and it is not ended with a joke, but with Pepper grabbing the flashdrive and asking what to do. (Thinking back, I'm wondering how many of those MCU "broken" moments are by Tony. He's the one uncomfortable with emotion. Him breaking those moments with humor is actually 100% in character. Something to pay attention to as I watch.)
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, some of the key themes of this movie just strike to the heart.
Death from a distance is easy to ignore or even be complicit in, but death up close rips us apart. Tony sold weapons that he knew took lives for years but it wasn't until he watched Yinsen die that I think he really understands what that means. Yes, his parents had died before but he wasn't THERE, he didn't SEE it. This death, this is the one that makes him really know what it means.
You don't have to change everything to be a better person. Tony is still self-centered. He still likes attention. He's still arrogant and as we will see next movie, open to playing the field as Pepper and him haven't committed. But not only has he stopped being complicit in the deaths of the innocent, he's taken on the mantle of protecting them.
Lastly, who the good guys are is largely a matter of perspective. This obviously gets hit harder again in Ultron (oh that glorious train wreck- I'm looking forward to writing about you), but it matters here. Tony was fine manufacturing weapons because he assumed he was supporting the "good guys", the 'Muricans. But not only was Obadiah dirty dealing, he is forced to learn the good guys aren't always as discriminatory with their weapon use as they purport to be. That it's easy to start painting with broad brushstrokes in areas where precision is actually called for.
Overall I'm really glad I PAID attention to this one this round. The grittiness and the depth really hit the way they did the first time or even more so. Onward to The Incredible Hulk, even though it's only semi-canon now.
Note for me:
Directed by: Jon Favreau
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My headcanons on 42!Miles, because I love him and how complex a character he is.
He doesn't draw much because he has little time for it, but he still loves it in his rare free moments
He canonically speaks Spanish very well and often switches to it during the dialogue without realising it, at the most interesting and intriguing parts of the story.
And he never repeats what is said or translates it, because he is as adamant about Spanish as his mother. Didn't get the point? Well, that's your problem.
He is good at memorising and creating combat elements, having learnt to rely solely on his trained strength and agility.
He has been actively involved in the development of all his technical aids with his uncle Aaron, and is actually quite knowledgeable about the subject.
He tries to make his speech clear and correct, but actually lapses into an unintelligible amount of Spanish cursing once he gets pissed off.
In addition to the last headcanon, has a glory of parasites words and insertions.
He likes to speak clearly and to the point, in short phrases, and what Miles 1610 will answer in a series of sentences, he can answer in one word.
But this does not apply to the story of how his technical gizmos, ropes and sneakers work. He can explain every single cog in the mechanism of their operation for a long time and in a scrupulous manner, but he has never had an interlocutor on this topic.
He also loves to talk about comics, but has long since lost contact with the company he used to discuss them with in his early school days
This was before he became a Prowler, because this "job" actually forced him to distance himself from his past, and from the small circle of friends he had, leaving only his mother and uncle.
As for comic books: he loves old-school comics with the most simple, peaceful plots, and is constantly angry at how the "heroes" always win and the "villains" always get what they deserve. However, every time he was offered something new and more realistic to read, he refused because he believes that he only needed to look out the window to see real injustice and cruelty.
He usually keeps his hands in his pockets, and people think that this is part of his "thief image", but in fact his fingers just get very cold.
He paints his nails black.
He definitely had his "Who's Morales?" and "How could you.. imagine that?" moments, although they had a slightly different mood and atmosphere.
He has a rather simple, light sense of humour, and when he finds out that he can do black humour quite well, he doesn't really like that part of himself.
And he would like to use some of his jokes in a fight, but he believes that he should be as serious and impenetrable as possible in the eyes of society, and so he never does.
To the last headcanon: he really hasn't smiled normally in YEARS, except for giving his mum a strained smile, but that's not because he's a "cold abuser", it's because he's a TRAUMATISED CHILD.
This world has taught him that he has to be strong and steely, showing no weaknesses, if he wants to continue to carry what he brings to this universe, and Miles has no choice but to obey it.
And that's why his mask of an "emotionless bearer of justice" who locks all "unnecessary" feelings deep inside him has almost merged with his true identity with who he WAS before his father's death, but he has no choice. He can only continue to be what he has irrevocably become. He chose it as his parth in life.
He is a vigilante who relies very strongly on a sense of justice and morality, but his notions of justice and morality are his own, and it is almost impossible to connect them with the typical image of a "hero".
(Just as it is impossible to connect them with the typical image of a villain. He is literally a humanisation of the concept of "grey morality")
Spiders can't stand him (lol)
He likes hot food.
And his mum.
Therefore, he puts his interests and the protection of his family above any risks and others.
#across the spiderverse#atsv#miles 42#prowler miles#miles morales#aaron davis#hedcanons#earth 42#earth 42 miles#Wait until this blog gains some audience#And I will upload a whole essay about how I see his character#And you can try to destroy me#but I will not back down from my words#Just wait
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I feel like some may be deliberately ignoring the “but I don’t want to go back to Heaven” line and lemme explain why it’s important.
Aziraphale is offered this promotion to supreme archangel, right? By the Metatron himself. This is a VERY big deal, EXTREMELY serious. This is word directly from the Almighty.
And his first reaction is to refuse (something that doesn’t exactly align with the whole “Aziraphale is a manipulator” idea).
Aziraphale refuses the Metatron until the Metatron makes it explicitly clear that he can bring Crowley with him.
This is important, because Aziraphale chose to defy Heaven in S1 for Earth, for humans. While Crowley’s company may have had a part in it, really who’s to say they couldn’t just find another way to hang out when eternity started? His motivations in S1 didn’t revolve solely around Crowley.
The Aziraphale in S2, however, is ready to surrender life on Earth with just a singular condition. This is a big leap from where he was in S1, denying he and Crowley were even friends, to S2, where he is ready to admit that he needs him. That their relationship is more than a mutually beneficial arrangement or the result of having no other immortals to converse with.
So why the “rejection”?
Well, first off I think it’s a bit unfair to call it a rejection. For it to be a rejection, they would have to turn down the idea of their relationship. They didn’t, they just disagreed on the terms of that relationship.
Second, although Aziraphale has made these significant character developments, he is still Aziraphale. Naive, and under the impression that he can make things better for everyone—including Crowley. It could be just like old times, but even better. His motive here was not to fundamentally change who Crowley is, but to move them into a situation where they are safe to be together and he can feel like he has a purpose.
I don’t know if Crowley actually thinks Aziraphale wants to change him or not. I can definitely see that being a thing, but it’s not actually brought up. Instead, Crowley reminds him what Heaven is actually like—the reason he doesn’t want to be there. Not just because he can’t, but because he doesn’t want to.
The lack of compromise here ends up making sense from both sides. Aziraphale functions the way someone who grew up deeply religious and just can’t quite pry away from their faith does. Constantly ashamed, justifying the actions of an unjust God, unable to find meaning outside of what he’s been taught is the meaning. A recipe for self loathing, for always going back because it’s all you know, of course you still pray every night, long after you’ve stopped going to church. Ask a fundamentalist Christian if Abraham would’ve been justified in killing Isaac, and when they answer ask why. You will sample some of what I am talking about.
In contrast, Crowley has completely broken off from that illusion. His own moral code is more important to him than Heaven or Hells’. He has spent thousands of years trying to get Aziraphale to see through the manipulative tactics that keep him in check. He watches Aziraphale torment himself with this idea of goodness, what it is and how he has to represent it. And by the end of S2, he is still stuck in that same rut.
Neil utilized the metaphor of an abusive relationship (Nina/Lizzy, Aziraphale/Heaven) but whichever way you look at it, it’s the same. Psychological conditioning designed to break down the spirit into obedience.
And despite all this, despite the fact that Aziraphale is actively clawing his way through processing all of this trauma on his own, he still doesn’t give in to Heaven before he’s promised Crowley.
He goes back, yes. But there was no character regression. It was still development. He’s just not all the way there yet.
There would be no S3 if he was.
#good omens#aziracrow#good omens season 2#analysis#go2 spoilers#ineffable husbands#aziraphale#crowley#ma they’re deliberately ignoring character building again#i can’t be mad at him he reminds me too much of me#religious girlies know what I’m talking about
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Butterfly Soup 2 Asks #1
It's that time again...I-just-released-a-game-and-am-answering-questions-about-it Time!
I get way too many asks to answer individually, so I've consolidated some commonly-asked ones along with a few I thought would be fun to answer!! Sorry if your ask isn't in here!
I put all the lore/character questions first and all the "real world" questions (like about the merch shop) at the bottom. Obviously there's spoilers below so if you haven't played Butterfly Soup 2 already go do that!
LORE
What was Akarsha thinking when she confessed to Noelle that it was her brother who sent the chat message and not her? Did she think Noelle would remember? Or did she know Noelle wouldn’t?
Akarsha thought Noelle would remember. In Akarsha’s mind, that incident was so conspicious and embarrassing, there’s almost NO WAY Noelle would forget it. To Akarsha, this was practically her telling Noelle directly, “I have a crush on you.”
Unfortunately, it was much less memorable on Noelle’s end because she didn’t see Akarsha in that way and genuinely did believe it was just her brother typing nonsense at the time. And it doesn’t help that it was buried in months’-worths of Akarsha’s wacky messages.
When Noelle doesn’t really respond to her confession at the assembly, Akarsha has two theories:
Noelle remembers, and doesn’t like her back
Noelle doesn’t remember (unlikely)
And she doesn’t know which one it is.
You guys are going to hate me for this, but because they’re Disaster Gays it takes them YEARS after that to become official.
As I was writing the assembly scene I kept thinking: If only Min could possess one of them for 10 seconds and just blurt out “I like you, will you go on a date with me”! It would’ve saved them literal years of confusion and turmoil...
Why was Akarsha in handcuffs at the end of the game?
You’ll understand when you’re older. Don’t worry about it!
It was so out of character for Noelle to start crying over Akarsha when she got hurt!
Noelle is so emotionally repressed 24/7 that when something jabs her unexpectedly, she sometimes loses control and it all starts rushing out like water out of a pressurized tube. That's why she randomly starts crying when Chryssa praises her in the first game.
So in my opinion, if she suddenly thought Akarsha was possibly dead or seriously hurt, she'd react how she did (as corny as it is)! I think that part also got colored by something that happened partway through development. My dad fell and hit his head on something so hard that he nearly died! So when Akarsha falls and hits her head, I think I see it as a lot more serious and scary than most players do.
This actually reminds me of a bit I’ve had in my head for many years now! When Noelle's in college, it's her first time in an environment where Asians are a minority. So she doesn't have asian food for a long time, but isn't aware that it's bothering her.
One day Min drives over to her college and takes her to H-Mart, and when they walk in Min goes "ok I know it's Korean and not like Chinese or whatever" and out of nowhere Noelle starts crying
Why do Noelle's joints crack every time she sits or lies down?
Because she’s stiff and doesn’t exercise enough. It’s harmless but whenever Diya hears it, she’s like :(
Is Ester’s webcomic based on/a reference to (webcomic here)?
Nope! Ester was inspired by a few friends of mine, including one who worked on her stories at school in a notebook. Her webcomic’s plot is based on a story idea I had at her age.
Are you SURE X character doesn’t have autism/ADHD? It’s so obvious!
My original answer to this years ago was “I didn’t intentionally do any research on either of those conditions, and I wasn’t aiming to portray them specifically.”
Well..........A while ago, I finally properly started doing research, and a lot of what I learned about autism sounded eerily relatable. So I took every autism diagnostic test I could find online and they all said I was autistic. I’m like 75% sure I am, but at my age I’m not sure I’ll ever get a real diagnosis.
So maybe all my characters are accidentally neurodivergent because I am? I feel like Diya is for sure because I gave her a lot of traits I relate to that I now know are signs of autism.
What are Akarsha and Noelle’s kids like? Do they have any pets?
I think I'll keep it secret for now, sorry! But I saw this comment on Reddit once and this is their family on April Fool’s day. Akarsha is the one faking a heart attack and Noelle is the one making the soup
Before they had kids, Akarsha and Noelle got the most fucked up old cat from the shelter because Akarsha felt sorry for him. He’s affectionate toward them, but he’s rude to their guests like Diya/Min and hisses at them for no reason.
How does Akarsha's parents feel about her and Noelle dating?
Before Noelle and Akarsha started dating, Akarsha's parents really liked Noelle. She made such a good impression on them at the birthday party that she became their Favorite Friend, so they'd ask Akarsha about her a lot.
One day Akarsha watches an LGBT+ movie with her parents and thinks "Since they like the movie so much, they'll be okay with my sexuality!”
Akarsha's dad is cool with it, but her mom isn't. She says those things only work in movies, and that those people aren’t happy in real life. She blames Akarsha's dad for constantly saying fruity things and in the same breath goes "Everyone thinks girls are hot! That's just normal"
She and Akarsha's dad have a few arguments over it and after Akarsha's dad claims he'll go on a "hunger strike" (???) she does come around. She ultimately becomes a very supportive Ally who sends Akarsha random news articles about gay celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres
So by the time Akarsha and Noelle actually start dating, Akarsha's parents are onboard with it. They end up being the family Noelle always wished she had
Real world questions
When is the online store coming back?
I’m hoping to reopen it within the next couple months! I’m hoping to restock Min’s jacket and the charms, and I wanna add new prints and plushies of the main four. If anyone has manufacturer recs for any of these that they’re willing to share, please let me know!
Are you going to make a Butterfly Soup 3?
I have an idea for a third game, but there’s a couple other projects I’m busy with (and am pretty excited to show you guys!) so I won’t be making it for several years.
Is it alright if I write a fanfic of Noelle and Akarsha’s wedding/smut/my headcanon of the characters being trans/etc etc etc ?
Write whatever you want! Just please be mindful of younger fans and make sure to tag sensitive content appropriately. And don’t ask me to read it because I can’t! I’m legally not allowed to.*
*EDIT: Okay, this was a bit of an exaggeration, but I've heard that it's a bad idea for a variety of reasons! So it's a can of worms I'm not going to open as a creator
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Hi, first thanks for all the great meta and analysis❤️
So, I recently noticed this an increase of something that really annoys me: whenever the canyon stumbles upon an opinion they don’t agree with they’re acting like Con O’Neill is this helpless baby that needs protection from people criticising a character he played/his acting choices (because that obviously equals a personal attack🙄).
And as if he is this groundbreaking queer actor that has done more for the LGBTQIA+ community then David with OFMD.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely respect Con O’Neill and I do believe him that he is queer (despite there having been some valid doubts in the past) but I honestly don’t see that he played Izzy as gay (again, not on him, he just went with the role of the antagonist that he was given and did that really well, and then the Izzy fans tried to make it something that it was not). And if he did try to play Izzy as gay within the limitations of that script, then ok….an old white cis gay man who also falls into that hurtful trope of queer coded villain…tell me how that is groundbreaking representation again?
The same goes for “all of the other queer roles” he played according to the canyon. There are two of that I think:
1)Cliff Costello, Cucumber (another old white gay men in a show with some very backwards views about how you are only properly gay if you get fucked in the arse or fuck others in the arse. No, I’m serious, the whole premise of the show is how horrible it is that the protagonist dosnt like anal!)
2)Val Pearson, Uncle (a character that fits every horrible stereotype of how trans people look, Con O’Neill stans love to claim that aCtUaLlY Val is gender fluid, but that is purely a head canon and never established in the show! If you know how 2000s media classically portrayed trans women and always made them the butt of the joke, this role is exactly(!) reproducing all of that).
Both of these are just side character btw.
And I’m not blaming Con O’Neill for taking on these very problematic roles, as queer people we often have to take whatever representation we are given. Still -especially as a queer person- we don’t live in the 80s anymore you are allowed to be more critical about the roles you take on.
And I don’t think /he/ was the problem with these roles, I actually watched Uncle and like the way he played that character but that dosnt change the fact that the character itself is written deeply transphobic.
So maybe we shouldn’t pretend that they’re great representation?
And maybe we shouldn’t act as if Con had specifically chosen to play queer characters?
Like two deeply offensive stereotypical LGBTQIA+ characters in 40 years acting career? -that’s not more then your regular straight actor has played.
He is a decent actor but it annoys me that the canyon tries to turn him into this activist or something!
Wow, this got longer then I expected, sry just had to vent a little after seeing some rather outlandish canyon takes in the wild😅
OK, before I answer, I want to remark that this is a very thorny issue. I am not trans, and I know that there are some trans people who saw themselves in Izzy's characterization especially in Season 2 or discovered their own gender identity through that character. That's absolutely valid, and no one should ever say that it isn't.
I have not seen Con O'Neill in anything other than OFMD. From what I've seen, he's a good actor and seems a lovely guy who strongly supports fans and the LGBTQ+ community. But I can't speak to the other roles he has played because I have not seen them.
I read Izzy as queer, yes, though that's less explicit in the first season. He's very much the "queer-coded villain" trope, which is a homophobic trope...but as with everything OFMD does with tropes, it's subverted because—surprise!—almost everyone is queer. Izzy is very much an archetype of toxic masculinity and I think part of the point of the character is to develop how queerness does not always equal liberation.
I think it's very easy to fall into stan culture and arguing that the actor is the role and vice versa (so a criticism of Izzy is somehow a criticism of Con O'Neill). We have an additional layer here that this is a very queer show watched by a lot of queer people who see themselves, some for the first time, on the screen, and so are naturally defensive of the show itself, the specific characters, and the actors who play them. And that can cause a lot of problems too, especially if you're invested in the character who is canonically The Antagonist. To complicate it further, he is representative of a very common trope that for a long time was the major way queer people were represented at all in mainstream media, and we have people reading him as though he is the sole queer character. Which he likely would be, in many other stories...but not here.
It's a complicated issue. I wish that we could all step back a bit from our emotional investment in these characters and actors and recognize that they are part of a TV show that wears its tropes on its sleeve, and that just because an actor is a lovely person in real life, he is not his character.
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Please correct me if I’m wrong but from what I know Helluva Boss is written by only three people right? That being Viv, Brandon, and Adam. And while I’m sure ideas are bounced around here and there with the team, the way this season is going is begging for an actual writers room with more experienced people. Not saying those three don’t have any experience, but it’s clear they don’t know how to mesh the comedy and serious moments together well at this point. Part of writing is knowing when you need to omit stuff because it doesn’t fit the tone or story progession that you have established, even if you very badly want to include it. The writing for Helluva Boss in contrast feels they are forgoing any sense of coherence so they can stuff in whatever they like even if it goes against previously established plot points and try desperately to get to you pity these awful characters instead of letting them learn from their mistakes and grow as people naturally. Again, if this had stayed a dark comedy, that would have been passable, but now they are trying to tell a serialized dramatic story with arcs and emotion, and it’s just failing because that is not these writers expertise. This is complete speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Viv’s aversion to any form of criticism is affecting it.
How many times must we see something terrible happen to Stolas because the show wants you to keep crying and pitying over without having these characters actually navigating it themselves? How many times will Blitz acknowledge he’s an awful person but not actively try to change his behavior in anyway and revert to the exact same character the next episode? How many times will Moxxie have to learn confidence because it’s the only arc they can think to do with him while Millie is a walking prop and Loona flip flops between liking her dad and physically abusing him for no reason? To the people who keep saying “just wait the shows not over yet!” we are basically halfway through season 2, there is no damn reason why Millie shouldn’t have had ANYTHING on her own yet or why Blitz and Stolas should be repeating the same “uwu he doesn’t love me” scene over and over again. If you give us what should be moments of character development but never actual show it through their actions or behaviors after the fact, it’s not character development at all, it’s cheap scenes you threw in cause you wanted the guise of something serious without actually taking the screentime to commit to it. And yes, the Stolas Blitzo stuff is probably going to pay off eventually, but it’s annoying for the audience to watch this will they won’t they game in almost every single episode just waiting for when the characters will finally change or have at least SOME type of acknowledgement of all they’ve been through instead of just keeping the status quo of another “Stolas looks sadly at his phone,” “Blitzo doesn’t really care about him until there’s one millisecond showing maybe he does 🥺.” Unless your a hardcore shipper, people won’t stick around with that forever.
The show wants to have world-building, quirky characters who are bad people, tons of villains, funny sex jokes, emotional investment, and a complicated romance, but there’s a reason lots of media fails when it tries to be everything at once. The Stolitz plot behind every episode now is sabotaging parts of the show that promised wacky demon assassin adventures, and the less serious moments like the Loona doctor B plot in turn ruins the atmosphere of the dramatic scenes associated with the Stolitz plot. They wanted to show a serious abusive arranged relationship through Stella, but they also wanted her to have be a campy bad guy so Stolas could have a reason to cheat on her so he wouldn’t look like the bad guy. This leaves us with confusing contradictions like Stella written as being legit mad about him cheating and wanting him dead while hinting at them having at least a positive public image as a family once through the background paintings, to suddenly her not having ever cared about him and seeking him out “cause she likes tormenting him” while she also now didn’t want him killed I guess because she’s opposed to the divorce because the Goetia want them together??, but then wanting him killed AGAIN after even though the Goetia probably always wanted that guy alive and her brother has to come in for no reason to make her look like an absolute dumbass.
Same with Loona. They try to give her development with Blitz, but they never do anything with it and by the next episode she’ll be beating the shit out of him again. “She’s a moody teenager!” She’s a woman in her twenties and I don’t care about her sometimes finding appreciation for her dad when she’ll just kick him in the nuts right after because physical abuse against a spouse is serious but with a daughter it’s funny I guess. And again, the entire argument fans have to justify this constant loop of creating and forgetting about character development is “just wait they probably have a plan.” Nah bro I’m pretty sure they just still wanted to throw edgy dark comedy in there and to do that they had to ignore any positive character changes it seemed like happened until a future episode specifically is written to continue that arc. Also the world building and class system in general is just bad when they actually choose to acknowledge it, which is rarely. It’s still so unclear whether hellhounds are seen as actually sentient autonomous people or pets, and it just makes scenes with Loona super weird sometimes. Same with imps, for an apparent underclass they sure seem to be able to go wherever they want and do whatever they want without too much trouble, and until the latest episode we’ve never seen any imp discrimination be a major factor besides comments from Stolas (which we are now choosing to ignore because Stolas can’t be a bigot that has to learn to be a better person, Stolas is perfect 🙃)
Yikes this got longer than I meant it to but overall Helluva Boss just could really benefit from some more inputs in the writing, not just ideas for story or jokes but someone who actually knows how to properly balance and structure this kind of stuff into an episode. As is it feels very disjointed, especially this season. I don’t think this show would ever be perfectly for me, just because I don’t find the humor at all funny and that’s kind of what makes the show, but at the very least it’d be nice if the actual plots and world these characters navigate was fun to watch, but most of the time it’s just not anymore, because you don’t get to actually see most characters interact or what their relationships are, and if you do they hardly ever change from what they were until suddenly it’s relevant for the plot. Blitz is uncomfortable around Stolas and is tired about being treated like a play thing, wait no now he’s turned on by Stolas’s flirting even though we’ve never seen that before and this is right after they literally had a huge fight, wait nevermind now Blitz doesn’t care again. Moxxie is always weak and sensitive when an episode is about him but suddenly super strong and has no problems killing in any other episode (“We’re not going up there just to massacre we need clients! -S1E3, exactly what he and Millie do to an entire audience of innocent bystanders in the Cherub episode and they don’t care). Stolas is super perverted and sees Blitz as an object, wait nevermind we’re just gonna change his entire fucking backstory so his behavior will look justified even though that man would literally have to be a the dumbest person in Hell to not see Blitz did not care and was actively repulsed by him all throughout season 1, yet continued to act that way to his supposed “first friend” because..he thought it was a sexy game or something they were playing? Even as a retcon for an excuse it’s still bad. Helluva Boss has no rules it sticks to, no jokes or character behaviors it refrains from even if it harms the quality, it’s just a badly written fanfic with pretty animation.
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General Thoughts and Feelings about Trolls Band Together (part 1)
So, I don't know if this counts as a review, this is going to be more my thoughts on the movie (what I liked, my nitpicks, my head canons and what I would like to see in the future). This will not be coherent, it is really going be just chaotic thoughts. But be warned, because spoilers will be mentioned here. Also, the quotes might not be 100 percent accurate since I am quoting them from my memory, so be warned about that too. Have fun:
I really liked the portrayal of Poppy's and Branch's relationship and their development, because they feel like an actual couple and they feel like super natural and comfortable with it? Like there is no awkwardness and no jealousy and they are confidently saying like 'yeah, this is my girlfriend/boyfriend', I loved to see it
Interesting to see that Branch is still struggling with expressing his feelings and emotions, but that he is working on it, and you can see genuine development from the previous two movies. He still tries to push people away when overwhelmed with emotions and he deals with abandonment issues, shown especially well in the scene when Poppy goes after him after the fight with his brothers and says that she will come with him but he says that what is the point, she is going to leave anyway like everyone else did. And Poppy tries to calm him down, which actually works and it shows that he is bettering himself in that and doesn't let himself be controlled by his frustration and anger anymore. Branch generally seems to feel more comfortable in his skin and seems to be happier, which is very nice to see. Nice development here
Poppy tries to be more understanding of Branch's emotions and feelings and she supports him throughout the whole movie, even after the fight she doesn't push him to go back to his brothers but instead comes with him. I really liked it and it was really sweet
'You are not a Branch anymore, you are a TRUNK. Still could lift you though.'
John scoops Branch up when he sees him the first time again and Branch reacts as well as you can imagine - like a cat stuck on a tree
Love how John arrives and scoops Branch up, Poppy is immediately like 'Get your hands off my boyfriend!'
'When I said before you should tell me about things, maybe you should have told me you have a BROTHER?' 'Former brother.' 'THAT IS NOT HOW DNA WORKS!'
'Sorry, he gets a little hangry if he didn't have breakfast.' 'I DID have breakfast. It was an avocado toast with two poached eggs and a little bit cayenne pepper for the kick and it was DELIGHTFUL!'
Bruce bolting towards Branch and hugging him was super cute
Bruce and his wife are soooo adorable, and he is such a dad and he cares so much about them, it's augh (also Branch smiled so happily when Bruce mentioned he was a dad, he was happy for his bro)
John in the movie was being really inconsiderate of his brother's feelings and thoughts and was just pushing them towards perfection and his ideals. He redeemed himself of course at the end, but he didn't apologize at all which I think was a pity (actually no one of the brother's apologized, except Clay at the end, which is actually really sad because I think Branch deserved an honest apology and EXPLANATION, but I will bounce back to Branch and his brothers in a bit)
Clay and Bruce being really casual with each other was nice to see, but also Clay being super happy to see Branch and smushing his face
Clay really speaks to me as a character because he shows that just because other people think you're fun doesn't mean you can't be serious, love that for him
Clay and Viva do not seem to be in a relationship which I think is actually quite nice to see two people co running a village who are platonic buddies, even though who knows what the future holds. Maybe they will become a couple (or are one) which would be cute too
The portrayal of Viva's trauma was super nice to see, it felt really genuine and I liked it a lot (like how she did not want to talk about it and made impulsive decisions based on her trauma and fear)
Poppy and Viva seem to have a fun dynamic going on, would love to see more of that in the future (especially also with Bridget, since she and Poppy are super close)
Peppy did not mention for 20 Years to his daughter that she had a sister and she might be dead? WHAT?
Viva and Branch have a interesting dynamic because they seem pretty alike, and I like how Branch tries to argue with her because he has been through the same thing
Branch was sometimes not wearing pants in the bunker, sooo, yeah. That's a fun fact from the movie
Bridget was just being a girlboss thoughout the movie
Gristle and Bridget on the verge of death being like 'Let's make out :)' (Gristle and Bridget, even though having short cameos, were very fun and cute when they were on screen)
Floyd saying to Veneer that just because someone is your family doesn't mean they can treat you like crap is such a reflection on his relationship with his brothers, omg
Floyd taught Crimp how to play the ukulele, awww
Continuation in part 2
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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
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What you prefer bonnie going dark with kai or kai being redeemed for bonnie?
I think, and forgive me, I feel like I’m always picking answers that are kind of in-between (I’m a “little” bit of an indecisive person lmao) but I like when they’re sort of a mix of both.
What I mean by that is like for Bonnie’s character, -I think she’s not as “good” as the show tries to convince us, and don’t get me wrong I think this is a positive because it makes for a more interesting/ complex character, -well it would have if the writers actually acknowledged it and did something with it, instead they kept her boxed away as some sort of “saint-like” figure (with none of the respect) but I think they did that in order to keep her away from any of the fun action in the show that the other leading ladies were allowed to be apart of, -like getting romantically/ sexually involved with villains, being careless/ misusing her powers for selfish reasons (like how the vamps in the show got to be reckless/ indulgent with their powers) without consequences, going to parties/ balls whatever and just being there to look pretty in a dress and have fun etc. and I think the writers liked to describe her like she’s “too good” as an excuse to leave her out of storylines that would allow more development for her character and to neglect writing for her character unless they needed to use her as a plot device.
But even though Bonnie is selfless etc, she’s still done plenty of morally questionable things in order to protect her friends (who are mostly killers) so the “too good” thing the writer’s tried to pin on her is pretty stupid and an obvious ploy to keep her away from being a part of more interesting storylines.
So because of that I think although Bonnie is kind of a mostly ‘good’ character, she’s also at least a little bit morally grey? As well as a little dark at times (considering her expression arc, -we know she’ll go to great extremes to do what she believes needs to be done).
Though with Kai I do think he brings out more of that darkness in her and that’s really fun (this concept has been explored in a lot of fantastic BK fanfics and I LOVE IT).
And with Kai, I think that he doesn’t need to be redeemed and actually I think this applies to other characters as well, -like should they even be redeemed ? Do we need to ? I think it’s perfectly fine for darker/ morally grey characters to exist without any sort of redemption arc. I’ve enjoyed redemption arcs before so I’m not against them or anything but I think on TVD it’s been done a lot (though I wouldn’t say they’ve done it well,- also TVD focussed on the ‘her lOvE redeemed him’ trope which I’m not really a fan of, I think it can be one of the reasons a character is redeemed but not the sole reason).
I liked that Post-merge Kai still seemed to have kept his pre-merge traits. I would have hated if they turned him into some sort of strangely good version of Luke, -even though some people insist that’s what he was post-merge and that’s why he was apologising to Bonnie, although that doesn’t make sense since the merge is not supposed to erase him- Kai’s meant to just be himself but with emotions now and Luke really did not have any serious connections to Bonnie to make him care that much about her.
One of the things I like about BK is the intense way they affected each other even when they didn’t want to be affected, even when they tried to act indifferent to the other it was obvious how they were still influenced by each other.
The type of redemption arcs that TVD focussed on had one person changing because of / for the other person. I think with BK they would change each other, both for the better and worse tbh, and that would be so delicious to watch -some of Bonnie’s good bleeding into Kai’s bad and vice versa.
And it would be an unwilling change for the both of them that they would probably try to fight tooth and nail, but regardless of what they want, their mutual obsession would inevitably lead them there.
So all that to say... I'd prefer them to mutually destroy each others perceptions of their own self-concepts and egos 💖
And I mean if that isn't ✨️True Romance✨️ then what is 💕
Thanks so much for the ask ! this was interesting to think about, I tried to answer this earlier but I couldn’t decide which I preferred and ended up kinda in the middle after all anyways… 😭
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Ok so none of these things actually canonically exist on this server, but it’s really interesting to speculate how the aro-coding of Bad’s characters is perceived by others and how that influences his relationships. I’m also assuming that he’s grey-ace as well and full disclaimer: I’m aroace, so I really can’t speak about the experience of arospecs, just my own perception of romance.
C!Skephalo was never confirmed as romantic by c!Bad, ever. But since the other players assumed they were in an already-existing relationship, they were comfortable defining them as a couple and therefore only teased c!Bad about his relationship with c!Skeppy. c!Sapnap never cared to confirm their relationship, they were just his dads. c!Puffy’s relationship counseling assumed they were a couple going through harsh times. The rest of the server just saw them as a married couple. They never faced any serious pressure to label their relationship. c!Bad’s aromanticism was allowed to exist on the DSMP because he was assumed to be operating as an allo person, when, in reality, c!Skephalo’s relationship is not easily defined.
Q!4halo differs in the sense that they weren’t an existing relationship, but one that developed slowly in everyone’s sight. And, because of that, q!Bad is much more pressured to define whether or not his feelings are romantic. q!Baghera wants a yes/no to preserve the trio’s friendship. q!Forever wants an answer because he’s already struggled with love in the past and doesn’t want to be confused. Even others (q!Cellbit, Richarlyson, Dapper) are waiting for an eventual romantic confirmation. But here’s the thing: just like c!Bad, that romantic confirmation could never happen, because it doesn’t need to happen for him. q!Bad doesn’t want q!Forever in another relationship. He likes when q!Forever to be equally possessive of him. He wants to live and share a family with q!Forever. None of that needs to be explicitly romantic, because giving q!Forever such special treatment is enough. I don’t want to assume q!Bad is similar to my own views on aromanticism, but, to me, there’s not much of a difference between a committed romantic relationship to a committed platonic relationship. If you know that I love you with all my heart…isn’t that enough? Why do we need to be defined?
The reason why c!Skephalo works is that c!Skeppy is content to stay in this undefined relationship. He doesn’t seem to want anything from c!Bad except for 100% commitment/exclusivity, which c!Bad follows for the most part (cough discount skeppy cough). To c!Skeppy, the fact that they will kill and die for each other is enough, and he will equally deny assumptions from others that they’re romantically involved. Honestly, c!Skeppy could also be read as arospec in that sense.
I believe that q!4halo could work out with proper communication and, of course, if q!Forever reciprocates any strong feelings for q!Bad. However, they need to get past the roadblock that q!Bad will likely never define their relationship from his end. And if that’s not enough for q!Forever, who had gotten out of a messy crush and past breakup, then I completely understand. (And all this is without taking into account the giant blue elephant in the room which is a lot…) But either way, I think q!4halo already have such a strong friendship, that even if any romantic inkling dies out, they will stay in a queerplatonic/quasi-queerplatonic relationship.
Sidenote: Personally I see both c!Bad and q!Bad as gay aroace-spec. I think shipping and interpreting his actions as romantic is completely on the table. I just don’t think that in canon he will ever come to that conclusion himself explicitly.
#tldr: just let qbad cook 👍#tagging#badboyhalo#BUT THIS ISNT A REAL ANALYSIS#its all speculative#analysis
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UGH I was trying to hold off on commenting further about my disappointment with Halsin until I finished the game but my damn itchy fingers can't stop themselves
Okay so like... I'm just mind-boggled so far about what direction they were even trying to go with him. Even ignoring the lack of character development, what we did get has just been so unsatisfying and strange. LONG thoughts ahead about my general dissatisfaction with his character and some gameplay elements.
(Spoilers ahead)
First of all, the impression I got when I initially met Halsin was this wise, sort of sagely archdruid with many, many years under his belt (and indeed it has been 350 years!) who's been through a LOT and witnessed a lot of terrible things. You know, like the whole Shadow Curse thing. But he hints at a lighter side to him through dialogue options, teasing the possibility of getting past that serious, wise exterior as you get to know him more. He's got the whole gentle giant thing going on and has a good heart but is obviously a powerful druid. I rescued him after I had already killed Kagha, but I saw a clip of how he reacts to her if she's still alive when you rescue him. And it's really cool! He basically shows off the authority and gravitas that I expect to see from the archdruid. He shows mercy but makes it clear what his stance on what she did is.
However--and this is relevant later--the game fails to explain why the shadow druids are "bad," exactly. My own experience was me just having to sort of infer from everyone's shocked attitudes that they are, well, "really bad." Why, exactly? I could only guess. They have "shadow" in the name, which means they must be unfathomably ~evil~, right? Maybe there was a book entry I missed, but considering you need to make a decision about the grove's fate and have the side tasks of dealing with Kagha, this type of information should be easier to access for the player.
Well, fine. Let's just make our own inferences about the baddy badness of the shadow druids and move on. Now Halsin needs our help battling against the Shadow Curse while we make our way to Moonrise. He repeatedly emphasizes that he wants to come. He chills in our camp while we finish up stuff in Act 1. But for some reason... doesn't actually come with us when we finally make our way to the Shadowlands?! This part is really strange to me from a gameplay standpoint. Why have the character say things like he'll accompany you there and talk about how terrible this whole Shadow Curse thing is and then not even have him recruitable at that point? Why is he just hanging out at camp while we're picking our way through the Shadowlands on our own? It makes no sense and is a missed opportunity for him to introduce us to the land and the history of it. It really does his character a big disfavor by having him tell us this whole spiel about the Shadowlands and Thaniel and then sitting at camp the whole time we're trekking through the area.
Well, fine. We find Art Cullagh. He mentions Thaniel. We go back to camp to tell Halsin. Halsin finally leaves camp!... to go sit at the inn, and for some inexplicable reason, we're once again left to our own devices to find a way to wake Art. HUH? Narratively, this whole thing makes no sense! Halsin should be in the party, not waiting for us to do all the work. Again. Is this not an issue near and dear to his heart? Is he not a powerful archdruid with a personal link to Thaniel? Then why the hell is he afk at the inn while we're risking our asses out there??? HELLO?
Fine! We find the lute to wake Art up. I can't remember exactly, but I think it's at this point that Halsin joins our party. Finally! I'm willing to let all that other narrative inconsistency slide for now.
We get some flirt dialogues, sure sure, can ask a few questions, cool. A decent start. I can't actually romance Halsin yet because he's focused on the Shadow Curse, okay, I get it. It's killing me to have such slow progress but I get it, I guess. Fast forward to me completing the Act 2 plot and boss battle and... that's it? There's no real payout regarding Halsin's character. The whole thing was sort of like, yeah let's get rid of the Shadow Curse, hooray we did it! I realized that there was really little more than that to him throughout the entire arc. Well, maybe now I can at least romance him, right? Wrong! "In due time," he says. Bro wtf it's been 100 hours, I cleared the Shadow Curse after doing your dirty work, ISN'T IT DUE TIME?
I'm mentally gritting my teeth as we make our way to Baldur's Gate. Surely any day now. I long rest. We get ambushed by githyanki and meet the Emperor. Okay, maybe next evening. I long rest. Another fucking Emperor dream. I long rest. Another Emperor dream or something, I can't even fucking remember at this point, or maybe it was the Mizora cutscene. Wait the Emperor is fucking flirting with me for some reason, what the hell? Just let me romance Halsin oh my GODASDFLKAS:DLGKasl;d'fasd;lfkas;'ld
We're going through the city. Halsin randomly drops some dialogue about how disillusioned he is with the way the city is handling refugees and says maybe the shadow druids were right. Wtf? That was some quick 180 after all the drama over them in Act 1! Also, why won't anyone tell me what's so horrible about the shadow druids and why this is apparently such a moral dilemma?! All Halsin really says is that they want to cut themselves off from civilization... which is like... is that supposed to be an extreme viewpoint coming from the naturey tree people? He laments about his inadequacies as a leader, and I'm privately thinking, this is REALLY late in the game to be realizing this, isn't it? This probably should have come way sooner, maybe like... when you left your role as archdruid all the way back in Act 1?!
At some point we meet the drow twins in the brothel. Out of left fucking field Halsin's like, "this reminds me of my youth!" and basically says he's interested in a foursome. ???? What??? Bitch you haven't even slept with my Tav yet but you're down for a foursome with her + the drow twins? HUH? The twins then turn Tav down because she doesn't have a lover yet to participate (even though Halsin literally said he would, yeah it makes no sense to me either)... AND I'M LIKE YEAH I KNOW RIGHT 'CAUSE THIS GUY ISN'T LETTING ME ROMANCE HIM YET. I'm thinking this scene is proooobably supposed to take place after you've already triggered Halsin's romance, but there are so many damn cutscenes during the long rests at the beginning of Act 3 that I just don't see how unless you deliberately avoid talking to the twins until then. OR, and this is probably more likely, I presume many people romanced other companions and apparently have the option for an orgy with the twins and Halsin, from what I gathered? But from a gameplay standpoint with a mono Halsin romance, this was just bizarre and extremely dissatisfying for a romance, especially considering how LONG you have to wait to even trigger it at all ARGHHHHH anyway and then from a characterization standpoint, this was... also just bizarre because it felt so utterly random coming from Halsin given that his character had really shown little proclivity for such things and had basically spent the ENTIRETY of the game up until this point turning down Tav (at least for the mono romance--from what I've gathered, the experience is way different in a poly one).
We long rest, goddamn it fuck I forgot to stop the press, okay NOW we long rest, Halsin laments again about the way the city treats refugees. Maybe this was actually the conversation where he brought up shadow druids and his inadequacies as a leader, I don't even fucking remember anymore. I'm getting whiplash from how fast his character's tone is switching. I also then see spoilers that after you actually sleep with the drow, he casually drops the bomb that he was KEPT AS A SEX SLAVE FOR THREE YEARS. BRO???
and is apparently quite cavalier about it. What?? Who is this person???? Why does this feel like a completely different character from the one in Acts 1 and 2, lacking in depth though he was? Why is his character switching tones from one issue to the next so quickly? I'm just so utterly mind-boggled right now. He already lacked the character growth granted to the origins companions, but come Act 3, what existed of his character seemed all over the fucking place.
They really had a missed opportunity with the shadow druids. They could've done something, anything with it. They could've given him a less than flattering past with them that no one in the grove knows about. You know, a big, dark secret that is a staple of every fantasy companion. Something. And it could've given him actual reason to have a moral dilemma or struggle about his role as the archdruid and the trust people put into him. Maybe he had to make a tough decision back then "for the greater good" in that first battle against Ketheric Thorm. Cliche? Yes. But I'll take cliche over the nonexistent depth we got and the way his characterization is getting pulled all over the fucking place in Act 3.
Shadowheart had a lovely arc that's still ongoing (I haven't found her parents yet, and her story has spanned meaningfully across all three acts). Her thing is this identity crisis and a lifelong dream/belief she's had getting flipped on its head. While I benched Wyll and Gale, they've got some storied pasts as well and clearly have some opportunity for change through the story. I kicked Astarion pretty early on (lol) but I've seen glimpses of spoilers of some tragic past he has, and I'm guessing his story is something along the lines of helping him get past that? Lae'zel obviously has the whole thing with her undying belief in Vlaakith and her peoples, and while I ended up killing her in this run, I think it's pretty obvious to see that her story could take a similar turn to SH's where you help her figure out an identity different from what she's known her entire life. In future runs I plan to go through all the remaining companions' stories thoroughly and test that theory out I guess.
I won't go into my issues with Jaheira and Minsc--imo you get them WAY too late in the game (I haven't even picked up Minsc yet) to be invested. I don't think I'll ever pick up Minthara, but I've seen some similar dissatisfaction with her character. It's quite clear that the origins characters had way more development (with the exception of Karlach).
I don't know if this whole thing is even coherent. I feel like as I kept typing I just started devolving into annoyed rambling but I JUST HAD TO GET THIS OFF MY CHEST ARGHHHHHH I'm so utterly fucking disappointed with what they did with Halsin! I was really, really expecting something more out of it. Karlach was my second favorite and her character story is "find some pieces of infernal iron." Whoohoo! I've seen some light spoilers saying that she doesn't have any good endings or something so that's fucking wonderful too.
#I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS AND IDK IF I ARTICULATED THEM PROPERLY UGHHHHHHH#we do be writing essays about video games out here#baldur's gate 3#bg3#halsin#halsin romance#should anyone else have any thoughts.......
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Friendsgiving thoughts
more focused on Huxley (this fictional man has my thoughts on a chokehold)
first off, poor Damien LOL I didn't expect the duo that was Lasko and Gavin to gang up on him (I mean, I expected that from Gav, but LASKO? ik this boi's been getting some development but DAMN LOL)
random aside, but I like to think that 'Lasky' is his listener's nickname for him (so that the "Are you Lasky?" meme can live on in another character hehehe)
but back to Damien, omg I didn't think I'd relate to him so hard on this, like if there's something I care about enough that I'd want it done right or close to perfection, then I'd rather be the one taking the reins rather than leaving it for others to take care of no matter how much I trust them, so I feel him on that level (Zeph, my dude, it's not even that serious 🧍)
omg when Damien did his Huxley impression, my dumbass was like "wow I can't believe how well he did the Huxley voice... wait ofc he did, they're voiced by the same person 🤦♂"
finally, MY BOI HUX I LOVE YOU MWAH MWAH MWAH I MISS HEARING HIS VOICE SO MUCH
"No can do, baby." HI HELLO THIS IS GONNA LIVE IN MY HEAD RENT FREE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE 😍
"Hi." "Hi." the screams I scrumpt mmmmmm
"He's actually really good at letting go and giving up some control during s-" HUH 🐢👀😳
AND HIS HUGS OMG (oh to have a hug from this sweet, sweet boi 🥺) HE SOUNDS SO MOTHERLY (in a good way) WHEN HE'S MEETING COWORKER AWWW
THE TOAST 🥹 MY HEART "To friends... the ones we know, and the ones we were lucky enough to get to know" I just KNOW that he was talking about Xavier when he got to that last part AHHH 💔
Lasko is so unhinged for that last comment LMAO
final thoughts: I'm just happy to hear from Hux again and I hope I get to hear more from him in the winter videos (and ofc the others... but I have my faves 😌🤫)
#redacted audio#redacted asmr#redactedverse#redacted huxley#redacted damien#redacted lasko#redacted gavin#redacted damn crew
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