#but i'm not bothered about the overall plot and it doesn't really matter to me where post season nine this would be
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@collidingxworlds said: “ you’re not alone, okay? not anymore. i’m right here with you. ” [[ inbox call: from this meme || Gabriel! Not sure about the timeline? Could be somewhere before Gabriel's "death" in season 5, or something set later either season 13 (but my Gabriel is canon dive, so some stuff changes in my portrayal compared to canon) or a canon div where he shows up (to Cas) earlier than he does in the show? ]]
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 / ACCEPTING ↷
Cas inhales, as if to say something, but remains silent for a few, long minutes. How the act of drawing in breath can hurt... & for a being who does not even need to breathe. This vessel has become more real than his celestial form, for Castiel; complete with his emotions living in his flesh, his sorrow in the sharp intake of air.
❝ How can you say that to me? After everything? ❞ he replies, finally. He means to sound demanding, but the words come out just sad.
There’s a desperate part of him that feels so young (even though he’s never been young); he may be ageless, but Gabriel is still his big brother. Someone he used to... someone he’s always looked up to. He doesn’t think he’d be who he is, without Gabriel’s influence. It feels like several lifetimes ago, before he left Heaven. And look at them now... the both of them, outcasts. Cas yearns to have the companionship and acceptance of even just one of his siblings, but even though Gabriel leaving Heaven all those millenia ago, and more recently, faking his own death, wasn’t about him leaving Castiel, specifically... He’s always felt abandoned, and now he also feels betrayed. He has no right to, not logically, but...
❝ It does not matter. ❞ He stares hard into the horizon. How can he let himself hope? Better to assume Gabriel is going to leave when he’s had enough. Worse, maybe this seeming kindness is a falsehood to begin with, a trick.
#collidingxworlds#i'm so unbothered by canon i honestly can't even tell what is divergent and what isn't on your pages XD#everything just reads like 'oh yes makes sense' (i haven't rewatched season thirteen gabe era canon in a while)#so that is to say. go canon divergencies! handwavy at canon plot.#i'm thinking maybe option c. where gabriel shows up - to cas at least - sometime earlier than season thirteen?#vague post season nine noises...#my portrayal mostly just differs somewhat in castiel's ... vibes ...#whether he's pre or post having been graceless (season nine canon)#so i'm going post graceless.#but i'm not bothered about the overall plot and it doesn't really matter to me where post season nine this would be#if even canon compliant in anything other than what's relevant to the thread#but also let me know if something does not work!#; wayward angel ❪ verse / main. ❫#; collidingxworlds / gabriel / 001
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Did you watch the atla live action and if yes, did you like it?
Hello,
Yes, I saw it, and I actually watched the latest episode last night. So your question comes at the right time!
Overall, I have a fairly neutral impression. I don't find it bad, nor do I find it stunning. There are some pleasant surprises and moments that let me a bit perplex regarding the narrative choices, which I will elaborate on.
First of all, I'm quite pleased with the casting. I found the actors to be convincing for most of them, especially considering they don't have long experience.
The special effects seemed a bit cheap to me compared to what the numerous trailers had led us to believe, and the lighting is rather poor. It's too obvious that it's shot in a studio. I found some of the choreography awkward, for example, during one of Azula's training sessions when she fights an earthbending prisoner and defends herself with a leaping kick. It looked like someone was throwing a panicked cat in front of them and I almost barked out laughing!
Regarding the plot, I initially enjoyed it but gradually began to doubt the decision to merge several episodes into one. The action unfolds a bit too fast to my taste and the characters passed by without us really having time to feel attached to them . It feels like Aang, Sokka, and Katara met three days ago at the end of the season, which doesn't make Katara's rapid progress very believable. I understand she's prodigious, but the fact that she becomes a master in just a few weeks thanks to a scroll and some silly and dubious advice from Jet isn't very credible.
I was a bit upset that Aang never tries to waterbend in 8 episodes, not even once, and doesn't try to encourage Katara to fight against the outdated traditions defended by Pakku, although his intentions (protecting his friends and preventing them from fighting) are understandable. They eventually gave this role to Sokka, which didn't bother me. I know many fans objected to the authors removing Sokka's sexism. That's not the only thing that changed about him. The new Sokka is imbued with much more responsibility and shows a maturity that we didn't see in the original show. Here, I say, why not? Although I sometimes miss Sokka's jokes.
I'm tired of secondary characters who seem to be there to amuse the audience while enhancing the other characters great qualities. Not that Sokka is that simplist in the cartoon but still...
Momo is ugly. As well as Appa. But I won't dwell on it. It's a matter of fact.
Aang is quite convincing but a bit too serious compared to the one we knew. However, it makes sense given his backstory.
Let's move on to my favorite part: the Fire Nation! I'm absolutely convinced by this new Iroh, and I totally share June's opinion: he's si cute. I want him to bé my uncle! I like that they accentuated his grandfatherly side and his relationship with Zuko, which is very touching. They still managed to maintain some ambiguity in him during the scene where he shows no remorse when an earthbender who captured him conducts his "trial."
I really liked all the scenes with Zuko, which respect the original character while adding more humanity to him. Making him the captain of the division he wanted to save from the general's Machiavellian plans was a good addition imo.
Zhao annoyed me much of the time, but I never liked this character who, for me, does nothing but delay Azula's appearance. Making him Azula's pawn was interesting, however, even though I sometimes found him a bit ridiculous and unbelievable and Azula's intentions seem unclear sometimes.
I am absolutely under new Ozai's charm, and it's not just about his abs (although...), but this new, more nuanced and manipulative version of the character makes me want to explore him in a whole new light and change his role a bit from what I usually assign him in my fics.
Finally, let's finish this review with my favorite of all time: Azula! I obviously love the fact she appears in the first season and the background given to her, a brilliant foreshadowing for the breakdown that inevitably awaits her. You feel the writers saw her potential as a redeemable vilain and I'm here for that. I wish there were flashbacks of her past and how her relationship with Zuko deteriorated and was once. I appreciated that she doesn't smirk when her brother is burned but her eyes shine with unshed tears insteaf. I love that we are able feel the pressure and terror Ozai inspires in her. Even though I had doubts at first, the actress plays the range of emotions that the princess experiences very well, and I think it was a good choice, even if she is physically quite different from what I imagine. (But I don't want to get into that territory).
Yet I regret that they reinforced Azula's "power-hungry" side that much, and I hope they will nuance this aspect of her character in the upcoming seasons. Especially to maintain her ambiguity and the complexity of her relationship with Zuko. Needless to say, if there isn't an adaptation of the episodes "The Beach" or "The Awakening," I'll make a scandal. Similarly, Zuko better show love and kindness towards her in the end and not be the insensitive jerk who gets rid of her without a word about the fate he reserved for her!
I liked that they didn't make Azula a simple prodigy but showed how hard she worked to get there. It was nice to have Mai and Ty Lee to convey Azula's feelings, but their role is totally static, to the point that it's a bit caricatural. Speaking about them: There's a problem with Ty Lee's costume and hairstyle, which are great for a cartoon but very unconvincing in real life! But the actress who plays Ty Lee seems perfect for the role!
So, that's my review. I'm pretty happy with what I saw, and I also think there are enough negative points to know that if something displeases me in this adaptation, I'll be able to distance myself. So, I don't feel uncomfortable.
Thanks for your question, and I'd like to know your own point of view!
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The (Dis)Agreeable
I'm not sure if this is a hot take or not, but it goes against some of the things implied in the series (spoilers for RTTE). I don't think Oswald the Agreeable was a good father.
The show paints him as this peaceful, friendly man who never wanted wars and loved his kids. Sounds great, but I find contradicting evidence in the episodes.
There is something to be said about young Dagur's conduct with people. I get it that he's got probably a cocktail of mental illnesses, but that doesn't mean that he's incapable of acting in nonviolent ways. We see him do just that later. So, why was he not told as a kid, "No, don't try to drown your friends. That's mean and dangerous. Don't put people in cages and feed them cod heads." etc.? I feel like the first part at least was never told to him because he didn't act like him almost drowning Hiccup was in fact a scary experience for the younger Viking. Not saying that Oswald needed to watch his every move, but Dagur isn't a shy person. He's noticeable. If he's doing something (assuming his goal isn't to be sneaky, which it didn't seem to be with that drowning attempt), you're going to see/feel/hear him. Why not just sit him down and explain what's right and wrong? Dagur recalls being told to not do things like chase chickens and have axes, but I'm not sure if there's really a reason given behind it vs just knowing that his father didn't want him to do that.
And then there's Ansson. If you've read my previous post, you know I think he's at least 8 years older than Dagur. That makes me wonder where Oswald was during all that. This begins tying into another point. His relationship with Dagur must have been pretty bad if the other Berserkers actually thought Dagur killed him. Aside from the implausibility of Hiccup being able to, if he said he killed Stoick, people would be shocked because they know the two Vikings care about one another. No one seemed to bat an eye with this. "Dagur killed his old man? Yeah, figured that was just a matter of time." What were their interactions like if something so violent just made sense? To address a counterargument, maybe they just believed this because of Dagur being who he is. Fair, but here is the major issue: they never should have been able to think Dagur killed Oswald.
Where did Oswald go? We know he shipwrecked on Vanaheim, but where was he headed and why? Clearly, Dagur wasn't with him if he got lost out on sea. Dagur also didn't know where he was. No one else did either. Therefore, it implies that Oswald left home without telling anyone. I doubt this was to sign a treaty since that was stated that he'd bring Dagur along and I'm assuming the other Berserkers would know. So, why did Oswald suddenly leave without telling anyone where he was going? As both a father and chief, that's irresponsible. They have 50k soldiers, so who knows how many overall Vikings they have when you take into account kids, the elderly, and whoever just wasn't a soldier? Oswald left Dagur with all of these people. It's obvious that the boy wasn't ready. We saw how well that first year of being a chief went. At least, I'd expect him to tell someone, but no one knew. This sounds like he didn't just go out, he left. Oswald left and had no intention of coming back.
Then, you have "The Search for Oswald...and Chicken." There are a few things which are said here hat bother me. The letter itself was strange since Oswald mentioned Dagur protecting Heather even though she was a small child when she was lost and given the annual nature of the treaty visits, Oswald would have left long after she was missing. I think this is just a case of a plot hole that no one caught, but if we make it canonical, it's him fantasizing about his preferred life. He might have gone mad on that island. I can think of no other reason for him to write a letter about and to the daughter he'd no longer had on their home for years. Along that line of thinking, I doubt we can trust that his positive words to his son were genuine as opposed to being due to his false memories. Even in another part of the letter, it's sad because he mentions Dagur growing out of his "crazy, destructive" phase/stage. Dagur sort of gives a sheepish smile and it's played as a joke, but that's really sad. His son is mentally ill and he's just hoping he grows out of it like it's a papier-mache phase.
But what's the saddest part to me is Dagur's thoughts and beliefs regarding his father. After the corpse is found, Hiccup says, "He loved you" and Dagur responds, "I guess we'll never know." That is heartbreaking to me. Hiccup could have said, "He'd forgive you" or "He'd understand" and I would accept Dagur's words. That would be fine. With someone dead, you have no way of truly knowing if they'd understand why you did something or if they'd agree. That said, you should know that someone loves you. It's not something you should need to confirm when the person in question is a parent. I know this happens in real life, but a healthy parent-child bond should have both parties know, "Yeah, they love me. Even if we disagree, we love each other." Dagur makes it explicitly clear that he and Oswald don't have that type of relationship since he didn't know if Oswald loved him.
Therefore, between not being a teacher or protector in Dagur's childhood, having a relationship that feasibly could have ended in patricide, abandoning his son to lead tens of thousands of Vikings, believing his mental state was a temporary inconvenience, and not making letting it be known that he was loved, I believe that Oswald might have been agreeable, but he also was a bad father.
#HTTYD#RTTE#dob/rob#Dagur the Deranged#Oswald the Agreeable#Berserker family#Bad fathers#Maybe there's a reason Dagur turned out the way he did#Questions the characters never asked for some reason#Heather might have lucked out by not remembering Oswald
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My Demon: Theories and Analysis for Eps 11-12 Part 1
Hello Readers!
To enhance readability, I've decided to split my theories and analysis posts into two parts! I understand my posts can be lengthy, but they are designed to be comprehensive.
Eps 11-12 were a solid 100/10 in my book! I was truly amazed!! Some of my theories were completely off the mark, while others were almost spot on! I got the big picture right but got some of the finer details wrong. It's worth noting that this writer can be somewhat unpredictable. However, I find this unpredictability fun, as it keeps me interested and motivates me to dig deeper into the narrative so I can make more accurate theories.
For those who prefer to skip my general thoughts about the show, please feel free to jump to Section 2, where I provide an in-depth analysis of the events in Gu Won's past! I'll be posting part 2 of this post either later today or tomorrow!
Ok, thinking caps on! Time to analyze and theorize!
Section 1: General Thoughts
One of the biggest issues I have with this writer is how she tries to push her religious views onto viewers. "My Demon" almost feels like one big Sunday School session. I mean, look at the religious messages conveyed throughout this show. If you believe in God, you're promised both earthly and afterlife rewards. On the flip side, if you don't adhere to God's rules, you're destined for Hell. Even if you simply don't believe in God, the consequence is the same — Hell. How can this be considered a genuine "choice"?
It feels more like an ultimatum than a choice, where the alternatives are either conformity to a specific belief system or facing extreme consequences. The narrative doesn't allow for a nuanced exploration of diverse perspectives or individual beliefs. It's as if the characters are presented with an illusion of choice when, in reality, the options are quite rigid and the stakes are exceptionally high. This approach not only oversimplifies complex matters of faith and spirituality but also fails to acknowledge the richness of human diversity in thought and belief.
While I thoroughly enjoy the great acting, the comedic elements, and the chemistry between the leads in "My Demon," I found myself increasingly bothered by the writer's persistent attempts to incorporate and emphasize her religious views. The show's success in creating an engaging narrative is somewhat overshadowed by the writer's inclination to use the storyline as a platform for promoting specific religious beliefs.
This overt agenda feels not only unnecessary but also distracting. Instead of allowing viewers to appreciate the characters and the plot for what they are, it tends to veer into didactic territory, almost like a sermon disguised as entertainment. While I understand that personal beliefs can influence creative work, there is a fine line between subtlety and heavy-handedness. In the case of "My Demon," it feels like the latter, and it detracts from the overall viewing experience.
In sharing these thoughts, I want to acknowledge that these are just my two cents, coming from the perspective of an atheist watching this show. I appreciate the diverse range of beliefs and opinions that viewers bring to the table, and my intention is not to invalidate anyone's faith or enjoyment of the content. Rather, I'm offering my personal observations on how the heavy emphasis on religious themes affects my experience as a viewer.
Section 2: The Past
Section 2.1: Rodion Raskolnikov of the Joseon Dynasty
If you've read my "My Demon" posts, you know I often draw parallels between the themes and characters in "My Demon" and those in Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment." The writer of "My Demon" takes many inspirations from this novel. Despite its title, "Crime and Punishment" doesn't really focus on the act of the crime but delves more into the intricate aftermath—Raskolnikov's internal struggles, guilt, and moral conflict. Similarly, "My Demon," particularly in Eps 11-12, echoes these themes.
In a nutshell, "Crime and Punishment" follows Rodion Raskolnikov, who commits murder believing it serves the greater good. However, his guilt intensifies, leading to self-isolation and nightmares. Raskolnikov's journey towards redemption begins after he falls in love with Sonya, paralleling events in "My Demon." Sonya's love becomes his salvation, as she encourages him to face the consequences of his actions by confessing to the police. Eventually, Raskolnikov is sent to prison, and during his time there, he finally experiences guilt for the murders he committed. It's this newfound guilt that marks the beginning of his journey towards redemption. Random thought: Even when Seok Min was placed in prison, he displayed no remorse for hitting the pedestrian, and to this day, he remains unapologetic for killing his own mother. It seems like there's little hope of redemption for him haha.
Raskolnikov and Gu Won had something in common — they both liked taking shortcuts and were a bit lazy. In "Crime and Punishment," a servant scolded Raskolnikov for being lazy because he wasn't working. Raskolnikov said his version of "work" was thinking deeply. He was basically a freeloader, benefitting from the hard work of his mother and sister without really contributing financially in any way.
Gu Won was the same. When he was human, he freeloaded off his father, without bothering to do any kind of work. Do Hee was on point when she called him "the most carefree freeloader." His mindset was like those people he signed contracts with — he thought geniuses didn't need to work.
Gu Won's personal philosophy centered on the pursuit of happiness and a strong inclination to take shortcuts in life in order to avoid challenges and pain. He was devoted to the idea of finding easy solutions to challenges, always opting for the path that led to immediate joy. A clear example of this is when Gu Won proposed eloping as a solution to the challenges posed by their differing social classes. Instead of confronting the harsh reality of their social barriers, he suggested fleeing and eloping with Do Hee. However, Do Hee, being the voice of reason, emphasized the importance of facing problems rather than evading them. Gu Won, driven by his hedonistic desires, preferred avoiding challenges to maintain a state of happiness, even if it meant taking shortcuts to get there.
Gu Won, being the sloth that he was, sought an effortless solution to overcome the class barrier that existed between him and Do Hee. He turned to Catholicism not out of genuine religious conviction but as a shortcut to bridge the social gap. His belief in the teachings of the Catholic faith was driven by the hope that, by adopting this newfound faith, he could persuade Do Hee their love could transcend social constraints, given that the idea of equality was central to the Catholic faith. Simply put, Gu Won only believed in God for personal gain and didn't have a genuine desire to commit to God's teachings and principles. He was just one superficial/self-serving mf. God was about to teach Gu Won a lesson though!
While the love birds were in their happy bubble, the world outside was still spinning. Political factions were fighting over power and using the threat of the rise of Catholicism to their advantage. Villages were getting destroyed as authorities searched for Catholics. The people in this village became fearful their small town would be next.
Gu Won's father thought he could use the matter at hand to his advantage. He obviously didn't want his son to marry a Catholic kisaeng so he suggested they sacrifice her for the greater good. For Gu Won's father, it was like killing two birds with one stone. He could eliminate Do Hee while protecting the village from ruins.
The idea of sacrificing one person for the greater good is a philosophical concept called "Utilitarianism" and was present in "Crime and Punishment." There are a lot of problems with utilitarianism (i.e ignoring the rights of individuals), but for the sake of brevity, I won't go into it here.
A question I would like to pose to my readers is do you think Gu Won's actions were justified? From my perspective, I don't think it was. Two wrongs don't make a right. Yes, it was wrong for the villagers to sacrifice Do Hee to protect their village, but it was also wrong for Gu Won to kill them all for it.
The way I see this whole situation is that Gu Won was one big privileged baby who didn't get this way and threw a temper tantrum (kinda like Seok Min). Since he never had to face any challenges or obstacles in his life, he never knew what it meant to struggle. In turn, this caused him to not know how to effectively handle negative emotions such as sadness, pain, disappointment, and anger.
This deficiency in emotional management is what prompted him to explode and kill all the villagers. It's a stark reminder of the consequences when one is shielded from life's challenges and lacks the necessary coping mechanisms. The ability to face challenges and navigate negative emotions is not only necessary for personal growth but also for developing the resilience needed to face adversity.
Rather than face the consequences of his actions (i.e killing the villagers) and the negative emotions stemming from the loss of Do Hee, Gu Won once again took the easy way out and ended his life. He thought he could run away from his problems and avoid being where God was, but he was about to be in for a surprise.
His declaration, "If heaven is where God dwells, I refuse to go there," now seems quite ironic. In the context of this show, God was depicted as being "everywhere", residing not only in Heaven but also in Hell. This notion was further exemplified by the portrayal of God living in a hut in the subway station, symbolizing the underworld/Hell. So, in a twist of fate, after Gu Won died and went to Hell, he ended up where God was too.
Section 2.2: Journey Towards Redemption Begins with Repentance
In "Crime and Punishment," Raskolnikov's punishment was twofold, encompassing both psychological and physical dimensions. The internal anguish and nightmares he experienced following the murders was a form of mental torment, a living hell of his own making. Additionally, Raskolnikov faced physical consequences as he was sentenced to work in a labor camp for eight years. This dual punishment, spanning the realms of the mind and the body, highlighted the profound and multifaceted repercussions of his actions.
Similar to Raskolnikov, Gu Won faced a dual form of retribution. Gu Won's transformation into a demon could be interpreted as a type of physical punishment, an altered state that separated him from his human existence. Simultaneously, the internal struggles he grappled with upon remembering his human memories represented a form of mental torture. In this way, Gu Won, like Raskolnikov, endured consequences that transcended both the physical and mental realms.
Much like Raskolnikov's journey, Gu Won's path toward redemption began with a pivotal moment of admission of the crime he committed. The turning point occurred when Gu Won, similar to Raskolnikov, confessed his wrongdoings to the woman he loved. This act of acknowledgment and vulnerability served as the catalyst for both characters, marking the beginning of their respective quests for redemption.
As I watched Gu Won's confession, it became evident he didn't feel remorse for murdering the villagers. Rather than directly acknowledging his wrongdoing, he framed it in the context of the villagers sacrificing Do Hee, suggesting he believed violence towards them was somehow justified. It was almost as if his moral compass was backward or flipped. Instead of recognizing that loving someone isn't a crime and killing people is, Gu Won seems to think the opposite. In his current state, Gu Won is clearly struggling to place his guilt appropriately. He redirects his focus onto something less severe, his feelings for Do Hee, as a way to avoid confronting the more serious consequences of his violent actions toward the villagers.
For Gu Won to truly grasp the gravity of murdering the villagers, he first needs to disclose to Do Hee that she was the woman he loved in the past. Doing this would require significant personal growth on his part. Based on the preview for Ep 13, it would seem Gu Won may not share this information just yet, perhaps due to his hedonistic and avoidant tendencies.
Gu Won's desire for present happiness seems to drive his choice to withhold the information. This raises the question – is the happiness they share truly genuine, or is it merely a facade built on secrets and omissions? True happiness requires transparency and a willingness to confront the complexities of one's painful past, a reality Gu Won seems to overlook in his pursuit of happiness. He also needs to realize you can't have real happiness without sorrow or pleasure without pain. That's life!
By revealing to Do Hee she was the woman he loved in the past, he would be able to forgive himself for what happened to her. Do Hee would probably tell him that just like in the present, she willingly chose to sacrifice himself to save him and that he shouldn't blame himself for her death in the past. Her reassurance that he shouldn't bear the sole responsibility for her death may be instrumental in Gu Won finally forgiving himself and, in turn, facing the reality of his violent actions towards the villagers.
If Gu Won doesn't want a repeat of their tragic fates in the past, he must make different choices and break free of his bad habits like taking the easy way out of things and avoiding pain. It’s only then Gu Won can be saved from his immortal existence as a demon devil (to be human is to suffer and suffering is great haha) and he and Do Hee can have a more positive fate in the present!
Section 2.3: Do Hee's Father's Contract With Gu Won
This section will be in the second part which I will post either later today or tomorrow! It will contain theories so stay tune!
#my demon#there are probably grammatical mistakes#do dohee#gu won#jeong gu won#song kang#kim yoojung#wolsim#yi sun#crime and punishment#do hee#jeon gu won#kim yoo jung#kim you jung#analysis
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ohhhh i love hearing abt ur process!
Btw do you live in a dorm or at home? And if you do live in a dorm, how do you deal with noise and outside stressors? When you have writer's block or you write something and it just doesnt 'fit' to you, what do you do from there? Is there ever a time you wrote and regretted going the route you went when there were multiple options during brain storming? How do you choose a character when you have a really delish prompt that fits for soooo many people? Have you ever given writing a break? How do you keep from having fandom burnout or losing interest in a fandom? How long does it take for you to write your daily asks/concepts (as opposed to your longer fics)? Do you use bullet points or do you prefer to write a hard draft that is more like the finished piece? Aaaand last but not least, what is your editing process like?
Omg omg thank you for so many questions aaaaaaa!!! >w< I'm happy you like to hear about my process!
Do I live in a dorm or at home? How do I deal with noise and outside stressors?
I live in a dorm. Noise and outside stressors don't bother me much. I have learned to tune such things out and coexist with it. I actually don't mind it; sometimes noise is comfortable. But for things like studying which require silence and focus, I often go to the library. :D I'll write there if I've finished everything on my academic schedule.
When I have writer's block or write something that doesn't "fit," where do I go from there?
I leave the scene as it is and move to another one so that I can come back and try again at a later date. Or I'll read through it and attempt to find where the "disconnect" starts so that I can either rework the scene, cut parts out, or trash it altogether. If I'm very desperate and attached to the scene, I'll write it to finishing even if it doesn't fit at first and then go back to review and revise it. And if I have writer's block with an overall piece, I'll write something else to give myself a break so that I can return to the wip with a fresh, motivated mind.
Is there a time in which I wrote something and regretted the route it went when there were multiple options?
Aaaa hmmm,,,, it's not fandom fanfiction, but in a work I wrote for my ocs I killed one of them off and I do regret it a little because her character wasn't explored as much before her death. >_< if I ever write more for that work, I would like to provide more insight into her life and what she was like through the eyes of the characters who knew her.
How do I choose a character when I have a really delish prompt that can fit many others?
I think about character dynamics, chemistry, themes, setting, and much more when deciding who to use for a concept. I tend to default to Scaramouche and Octavinelle when writing just because I'm so in love with them, but for plots like alpha!Vil with an omega!reader (which was originally an idea I had for Floyd, but I put Vil in the concept because it's much more delicious) I think about how it might work if taken a certain way with [insert character here] as opposed to another way with [insert character here]. The time loop concept was something I initially wanted to explore with Jade because he's calculating and ruthless, but then I thought it would be much better suited to a character like Rook for reasons that I won't list due to fic spoilers hehe.
Have I ever given writing a break?
I don't think I have done so before. :o the idea of it feels unimaginable because writing is such a treasured hobby of mine.
How do I prevent fandom burnout/losing interest in a fandom?
For me, it's a matter of enjoying the fandom at your own pace. I'm still completing book six in twst and I have yet to do Scaramouche's story quest in genshin (although I'm stalling because I still don't know what to name him T_T). Don't feel pressured to keep up with everything in your fandom circle. Also, taking breaks and indulging in other hobbies/interests helps me to avoid burnout or losing interest. And talking about the fandom with others can also help to keep your interest. It's always very fun to exchange thoughts and brain rot with others!!
How long does it take to write daily asks/concepts as opposed to longer fics?
Not very long! I can write a lot when I'm inspired. It also helps that the asks/concepts are like bite-sized snacks that can be enjoyed leisurely, so I just write my thoughts as they come to me.
Do I use bullet points or do I prefer to write a hard draft that is more like the finished piece?
It's a mix of both! My bullet points are often written in two ways: either they are detailed and eloquent or they are unhinged. This is one of my scene notes for tmdg (this scene has been scrapped, so it isn't a spoiler)!
As you can see, it's wildly silly. ^^;;;; but I read these notes and something activates in my brain like: I read you loud and clear, boss!!!! For the most part I try to follow my outline and the scene bullet points, but there have been many cases where I've done something different than what I originally planned because I felt it would be better.
What is my editing process like?
Lengthy. I read through the entire draft to proofread and then I take it scene by scene to look for other errors or things that I may want to revise/add at the last minute. And then I'll read through it again in its entirety to make sure everything looks good. After that, I read it again because I often feel nervous that I missed something. ^^;;; but I often view the final reading as a means of giving the fic a homemade lunch and a kiss on the cheek before I send it on its way. :D
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I genuinely love what they did with Bo Katan this season. Her entire development, feeling united among Mandalorians. But the very fact that Din is an orphan, with "no Mandalorian blood" as was pointed out, no status of royalty, but still Mandalorian at his very core and being a perfect leader with all his attributes and connections, even if he doesn't want it, made Din actually the very best candidate for that position and I wanted that for him. It would be challenging for him to be in that position actively when he's been in it already the whole time without acknowledging it. Kinda bothers me because blood shouldn't matter and I know Din trusts Bo with his life and he makes compelling arguments as to why Bo should step in, but Din keeps making himself small when he has so many good features on him and is perfect for both types/worlds of Mandalorians. I guess I just find it a little disappointing that royalty seems to be in favour again and we never really saw Din get challenged yet except for Paz. Of course, he doesn't want the responsibility, but it would have been nice to see him struggling with it and being pushed into a role he doesn't want, but needs to pick up. Like, the Darksaber had no real meaning for Din's entire arc and it's just so many wasted opportunities. Idk, I'm just kinda bummed about this result, maybe it will still change, but I am getting tired of getting baited and expecting a different direction each episode. Again, I love Bo Katan and I am happy for her and her accomplishments. But I thought she didn't want to lead and Din was supposed to be pushed into the reluctant leader role as mentioned by cast members before? Just my thoughts to this. Overall, I still enjoyed this episode a lot. Din's dislike for droids, letting out his frustrations at them for the childhood trauma their attack caused on his homeland, the good cop/bad cop dynamic he had with Bo, enjoyed it all. The funny little cameos were surprising, but enjoyable too. It was great, but it was also not outstanding in terms of writing because I was also at the edge of my seat waiting for them to finally meet the Mandalorians and get back to the... plot? Just hoping the last two episodes actually answer these questions and we get to see Gideon.
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spent some time reading manga today, using the random button on mangadex as per the usual.
[Will These Words Reach You] first off was this cute yuri story about a woman who had quit her job and taken a vacation where she met another woman studying abroad and they get close despite the fact both of them can only use broken english to communicate (their first languages are japanese and spanish). very cute and sweet but is labeled as "doujin" for some reason even though it works very well as a stand-alone story and I can't find what it's a doujin of. It's a good light-hearted read (below left)
[Suuji de Sukuu! Jyakushou Kokka] then we had an isekai story about an aspiring mathematician becoming the princess's war consultant, which you would THINK is a strong premise; however the main girl's boobs are so fucking annoying and distracting that it was actively making my reading experience worse despite a reasonably strong plot. It's so clear that the author doesn't believe in the power of his subject matter or his writing or whatever that the panel compositions keep focusing on boobs. boobs. boobs. annoying as hell man why can't you just stay in your lane and talk about game theory. fuck off. I haven't watched no game no life in ages but I think the plot of this is more solid and the mathematics more coherent but the boobs just piss me off so bad. and I LIKE boobs too. that's how you know you've really flubbed it. still on the fence as to whether I'd recommend it. (above right)
[Zettai Unmei Houteishiki] we also had some old-looking yaoi (off the top of my head the artstyle looked maybe... late 90s or early 2000s? [note: checked it and it came out 2004. nailed the artstyle dating]) that was about 1 volume long; unmemorable, melodramatic, and overall not great. god what eve was the plot... okay son of a yakuza family who is high-school aged fell in love with this photographer guy years ago but the rest of his family (2 older siblings, also both guys) chased the photographer guy off behind his back and he's feeling wet and pathetic about this. not great. don't recommend.
[Café Kichijoji de] there was also a slice-of-life comedy about 5 guys working at a cafe. to me it just felt like a deeply underbaked version of hana-kimi's humor, and some of it was pretty mean-spirited too, like one of the guys being sad that only the "ugly" (masc and butch) girls wanted to text him. also do not recommend. (above right)
[Yaoguai Mingdan] and lastly there's a fantasy story about some college student who is suddenly surrounded by a lot of dangerous demons fighting over him. Seems like classic harem fare but it doesn't really bother me that much. Obviously also using sex as a bait to get people to read it, like suuji de sukuu up there but this at least is very forthcoming about "I need your semen and I am going to fuck you right now" instead of continually taking boob shots that are not remotely relevant to the plot at all. god, I'm just so mad at what they did to suuji de sukuu. as a person I'm just straight up more interested in statistics than I am about daoist demon mythology but maybe it's because of that I can appreciate yaoguai mingdan in a way I can't with suuji de sukuu like I'm not gonna be upset at the depictions in yaoguai mingdan because I don't know shit you know. also I grabbed the cover picture on mangadex but holy shit the artist's art gets way better lmao
I dunno. suuji de sukuu just felt more misogynistic as a story (which could have been fixed entirely if the main character had been a girl by the way), and while the author claims they love math it just comes off as insincere. like if you REALLY believe math is genuinely cool and is worth studying you wouldn't resort to low concepts like boob fanservice. read suugaku golden instead. yaoguai mingdan committed to the bit about sex hard and that's what I like about it. yeah!! the dryad is harvesting energy to get revenge on humans!! sure sure I can buy that. the bit about the love hotel the main character keeps getting dragged into against his will getting blown up time after time with the bill for repairs getting shoved on him because all the other supernatural parties are too busy duking it out in a secondary location? that's funny! that's really funny!! like it knows it's "low art" and accepts it and embraces it and there's something true and beautiful about that in the same way chainsaw man is. also the scanlation groups who have been working on yaoguai mingdan have been going THROUGH it I think I'm not even 70 chapters in and the scans have changed hands multiple times LMAO
#just thinking thoughts...#will these words reach you#suuji de sukuu! jyakushou kokka#zettai unmei houteishiki#cafe kichijoji de#yaoguai mingdan#suugaku golden
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Buffy s3 quick thoughts
Alright I simply must write out Buffy s3 thoughts before we go any further. Up to 3x08 right now.
The double Slayer of it all
This is something I for sure wanna do another post about and who knows how my feelings for about Faith evolve but I just wanna note that the double Slayer thing is super interesting and thus far they're not doing enough with the concept. Sure, Kendra and Faith are both foils to Buffy and they form a spectrum where Kendra was more reserved and organized but also more mechanical and less her own person than Buffy. And Faith is wilder, a loner, troubled kid who's overall more willing to dive in head first and embrace darker aspects which is dangerous no matter how cool she looks doing it. Compared to just one of them, Buffy might seem inadequate from certain aspects but compared to both she's balanced. And the show certainly does still treat her as the one true Slayer which is where my problems come in.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say we'll see a LOT more of the Buffy and Faith parallels and comparisons so I'm not going to lament the lack of that just yet. I do however feel like the existence of another Slayer should be treated more seriously in-universe. Not only should another Slayer be a constant reminder that Buffy died and came back but it should reshuffle her whole identity, hitherto shaped by being the Chosen One. She's now part of the Chosen Two and on the second second Slayer at that and it barely registers as an existential crisis? Couldn't be me. I'll elaborate on this later (if you'd like?) but yeah I just wish the show tapped into the enormous potential of this more. Also the Council?? And the Watchers?? Should not be as chill about this. But maybe there are upcoming things that prove they aren't.
And then there's how quickly Kendra as a Black woman was discarded and not really mourned at all beyond being a footnote in Buffy's really bad no good terrible day. She was a plot device to get the shitty day to be even shittier and replaced with Faith, a Slayer with a much larger role very quickly. And I just think that's not a great look for the show in terms of race. And the 1998 and "different time" card doesn't really fly. It is what it is.
The Scooby Gang and friendships/relationships
Okay first of all I think there's only been a Scooby reference once so far so I hope the fandom didn't stick with this term for two decades because of that one-off line. Second, and I don't even know why I'm getting started on this when I know I won't elaborate properly but they way people are way too quick to be harsh on Buffy bothers me. There are instances when I think she should get what the hell hero moments but my good 3x02 was painful to watch. I'm cutting Willow some slack because generally she's the best friend you could have and handles things way more maturely than the others do, all the while being adorable. But s3 is when I stop resisting being pissed off by Xander. Overall the series does seem aware when he's being an ass but not enough for my tastes and the vibe of 3x02 was way too "both sides were wrong" for my taste when really Buffy was way more justified in her hurt than any other character. I did appreciate Cordy standing up for her, but I also often feel like Cordy deserves better friends - certainly a better boyfriend - and frankly a show that threats her better. God only knows if that show will be Angel or not.
And not only friendships but the romance drama. Sure, it's expected but I can hardly believe anyone actually liked the Willow and Xander thing. Oz is alright but he's also kinda flat as a character and even being a werewolf doesn't give him much colour. Like I said, Cordy has always deserved better than Xander and though I feel like they'll inevitably get back together, I wish they wouldn't. Swear I had more thoughts on romances but they're largely frustrating so I'll leave it at that.
3x07 is always cursed
Actually I'm not done talking about Faith because I really need to talk about the lackluster writing of 3x07. I'm not mad that conflict is arising between Buffy and Faith, I'm mad that it's done poorly. Like I said it's such a rich potential for a juicy juicy dynamic and not only are they not utilizing it, they half-assed their big break of trust moment. Mrs. Post was way underdeveloped, along with Faith's ch actually. Because if only we spent more effort on establishing Faith as someone who's hard to trust and has issues and easily retreats into hurt and isolation I'd be a'ight it hurts to see but I get that she'd be sus of Buffy from now on. But we didn't. There were no real Faith focused moments between her introductory ep and 3x07. She gets offended when the Gang holds the Angel intervention without her but the baddie Watcher barely has to do anything to get Faith to act all stupid about it. The whole Xander scene and then immediately wanting to attack Angel, it just came out of nowhere and honestly made me feel like I missed a scene. It's not completely unreasonable for a Slayer to want to kill a vampire as notorious as Angel. After all, Kendra also left Angel for dead and that was before he went back to being Angelus. But this was just so... convoluted when it really didn't have to be.
This could have been the start of a really compelling arc that hurts me, personally, as someone who's ready to be baited by Fuffy - and for all I know, it might turn out to be delicious. But the initial conflict was so poorly executed and half-assed, and after the Angelus twist of season 2 I'm expecting better. If you can deliver that much of a gut punch with Buffy's bf you can do it with her gf, too. I dare BTVS to break my heart over Fuffy but ONLY if they do it right. Do it, you cowards, write me a tragedy.
And that was Buffy corner with tuiyla! Stay tuned for when we jump back in time and catch up on seasons 1 and 2.
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Hey!! I was wondering why you don’t like MC in Motonari’s route? I thought she was kind of dumb with the way she was acting sometimes.
s a m e
Before I start: English is not my native language so sorry if this post will be a whole mess called "what the hell she's talking about".
In my opinion, some suitors could switch their Mcs. Sometimes Mai's personality doesn't affect my overall impression, but sometimes *cough*keijimotonari*cough*.
Poor thing, she really tried in her mini rebelious era which quickly changed into mOOotonari ur so bad🥺how dare uuu uwu baka. The whole beggining of his route is just forking stupid😭 You know, I don't have main reason why I dislike Mai here, she's just no compatible enough with Motonari.
If Motonari's MC would be more mature and decisive, their relationship could be so much better and spicier. Motonari is a really great character, so that wasted potential hurts me a little bit. He's kinda similar to ikepri Silvio and I absolutely ADORE his MC. Hey, doggo, can I borrow your girl for a while? I'm asking for a friend.
Maybe it's mostly a matter of translation, I really don't know. Maybe she wouldn't bother me with other suitor. But in this case, the plot is just less convincing for me.
Anyway, my fav ikesen MC is the Mitsunari's one, she's just perfect 😭 And for Motonari, hmmm, maybe someone like Hideyoshi's MC would be better?
No wonder why Kicho wants destroy the world so bad, well, good luck with that dude.
Of course, it's only my opinion, If anyone disagrees it's totally okay! Feel free to share your thoughts♥️
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Moments of Stupidity 12
Okay, so I'm once again not including the childishly petty arguing between Stella and Stolas. It just felt stupid to watch but I don't think it was anything stupid that greatly affected the plot. If it actually makes a difference in the overall narrative, as shocking as it would be, but it at least didn't make much of a difference in this episode. In fact, the conversation itself is so inconsequential since the only thing that really mattered at the beginning was that Stolas was at that restaurant for Striker to swoop in and kidnap him. Andreaphlus, Stella, and Stolas highly likely could have been talking about anything else and that's how much difference it would make for the plot
Western Energy -
First moment goes to Stolas, for not using his fucking powers other than flying away only to get caught in holy rope. Maybe that can be excused by how pampered and sheltered Stolas is bound to be that he's unaccustomed to not react more appropriately to danger but there's something about the way I saw how he reacted that made me think 'dumb'.
But then there's Stolas's next moment, for taking so damn long to realize he's in fucking danger. Fuck seriously, shot at by an assassin, tied up in blessed rope, and being carried away on a horse like a cowboy's hostage. And it wasn't until Striker took the phone away, taunted Blitzo over the phone, and then smashed the fucking phone that it finally registers in Stolas's head. Just... moving on...
Third moment of stupidity on Stolas's part, never trying to escape himself. Sure, again, he could be so pampered and sheltered that he wouldn't have gotten far in helping himself, but that's just it. Stolas didn't even try. He never tried rolling off the horse, he never used his untied legs and hands to do anything, just. Fucking. Nothing. Instead, Stolas just looks bored as he rides the entire fucking way to Striker's hideout, even though he was never being held by Striker for most of the way. Maybe the explanation - not a justification - is that Stolas is still desiring to live out a fantastical romance novel with Blitzo that he's willingly the damsel in distress. Seriously, that could be the reason why Stolas called Blitzo as his first reaction towards being kidnapped, goes on and on about Blitzo the entire damn time he's being tortured, and even had Blitzo's name as his last word when Striker was about to cut his eyes out; Stolas only bothered speaking of Octavia when Striker directly threatened her but, otherwise, Blitzo was the only thing in his fucking-filled mind. But if I'm right in my guess on why Stolas never even tried to escape when he totally could have done something, then it's still stupid that he prioritized living out a fantasy with Blitzo in the knight-in-shining-armor role over actually helping himself and whether or not he gets to see Octavia again. Because yeah, I just realized that, if Stolas could get hurt or even die, then it will leave Octavia fatherless and alone with Stella. Either Octavia's future way of life and future anguish never registered in Stola's head or he decided it wasn't very important. Neither one makes Stolas look good
A small moment of stupidity Stolas has is shared with Blitzo and Moxxie, when Stolas was calling to ask for help about being kidnapped. Every single one of these fuckers act like it was tricky to remember fucking Striker. And maybe they did legit forget Striker of all people. Blitzo couldn't remember the guy who was going to kill off his 'easiest ticket to the human world behind his back'. Stolas couldn't remember the guy he declared a winner alongside Blitzo in the Pain Games; even the maybe explanation that Stolas didn't consider Striker so important to remember doesn't stop me from thinking it's stupid for the recognition to never kick in. And Moxxie was a little bit stupider because he chastises Blitzo with 'how many cowboys do you know?' but then immediately asks for Striker's description. How many cowboys do you fucking know, Moxxie?
Either the hospital Blitzo and Loona goes to or the nurse at the counter because what use is someone who doesn't know how to read and write when it comes to running the counter at a hospital? I'm happy for the nurse that she got a job despite that but she's incredibly lucky that something went wrong at that hiring process
The gang of cowboys for their reason for picking a fight. Seriously? Same hat? It's apparently made on a massive enough scale if Moxxie just so happened to have the same kind of hat just laying around in the I.M.P. van. The maybe explanation is that the cowboy gang just wanted to pick on a seemingly weak target (and Moxxie probably should have been physically weaker because it feels like he was only written to be strong badass because plenty of fans had enough of Moxxie being a damsel in distress even against his own damn father)
Stella... oh, boy, Stella. Like I said, this episode really highlighted her so obvious let's get to it. First, she was just so obvious that she sent the assassin after him that, if it wasn't for Stolas being so stupid to ever even tell anybody, Stella would be in fucking hot water. Maybe she was so confident that Stolas was going to die but that's a gamble right there. There is the part where Stella had it spelled out for her that she'll get nothing if Stolas were to die now but I like to view it differently. Stella could have known all along that Stolas hated her too much to willingly leave her anything. In fact, Stella probably only bothered talking about the divorce stuff so that it gives Striker the chance to come in and kidnap Stolas
The really stupid moment of Stella's is the fact she wanted Stolas to have the 'royal treatment', which is Striker torturing Stolas before finally killing him off. With no cameras recording it, with Stella not looking in through some magical object, with absolutely nothing that would provide Stella with a show. Considering that Stella is at least characterized to be a sadist, then how the fuck was she going to enjoy it? Was she just going to have Striker tell her all about it?
Of course, Striker had plenty of stupid moments throughout this episode, since he was so reckless that it became stupid. If anything, probably the only thing he didn't do was stupid was going along with provided the 'royal treatment' to Stolas. After all, it's what Stella paid for and it gave Striker the chance to let out his anger on a blue blood, so why not?
Anyways, 1) just barging into the restaurant, attacking Stolas, and carrying off with a Geotia as his very clear hostage with a shit ton of witnesses around 2) letting himself be seen so much that he legit has wanted posters on the walls; I just find it weird for a fucking assassin 3) waiting a minute or so into the fucking phone call Stolas was making before finally taking the phone away and crushing it. Fuck seriously, you waited that long before finally doing that? Even though you said that you can hear it? 4) Having a hideout that's well known enough for Millie to be able to find out about when she asked for directions. Again, weird for an assassin and 5) never holding onto Stolas to make sure he wouldn't try escaping like, say, rolling off of Bombproof. There was one instance, when Bombproof got up on his hind legs on the train, but that seemed more like part of the fun and the song than anything. Striker's just lucky that Stolas was too stupid to even try. I think I'll throw in a 6) since Striker got so easily disgusted at all the sex jokes. Not only is he supposed to be an assassin, he's also supposed to be an expert assassin. I would have expected someone like that to not be so easily fazed when carrying out a kill, to tablet the unexpected, and to be flexible and adaptable since I think his job is the kind of job where anything can and would go wrong. Instead, if Striker came after me, I can just make a sex joke and I'll have an window of opportunity to do something about him
Blitzo manages to cap off the episode with a small but still significant stupid moment. He acted shocked that Stolas could get hurt. What was the fucking point of season 1 episode 5 Harvest Moon Festival!?!?! Loo Loo Land was one thing since Stolas asked you and you only accepted at getting paid money. But then you fought off Striker so that he wouldn't kill Stolas! Why the fuck would you bother doing that if you just now realized that he could get hurt!?!?
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Time to rant again
Honestly my head is already wirling with ideas on how to fix this and like yeah that's what fanfic is for right?
I think that's also why I slowly moved away from stucky post civil war? Like I was still shipping it just not engaging as much and also moved to other ships but between lack of content (just a hug and a few quips?) Made me really move out after infinity war since clearly it was going nowhere and I just sticked to seeing it as the marvel I loved and not just hoping for any stucky interaction
Anyway back to my point for this, it's personally hard for me to write fic for marvel because it's just too damn long, for other media you have a begining and an end but marvel simply doesn't, even if you do have an arc in one movie, is only a matter of time before the overall plot of the huge immenseness that is the MCU to pull that character.
Sure I can just stick to one movie and one point but in the back of my mind I keep thinking like, but what are they gonna do when the snap happens? Because it will, because I can tweak a few details but eventually they'll get to the plot and there's always that feeling about, but what will they do later?
For example I'm writing stucky and honestly I'm firmly sticking to Cap 2 and maybe will like to dwell on Cap 3 a little
Me: What do you think would change or happen when the snap happens?
Me: idk but also don't want to go there? Is too convoluted?
Like I'll be writing Cap2 fics while Steve is dead and Sam is Cap and Bucky is in Thunderbolts and here I am just thinking like God if only you would've just ended at Cap 2 or 3 and forget about everything
I like new content like in the sam and bucky new show we get new details and info and I like that but adding it to my overall characterization and such makes me remember this shit actually exists so the MCUs continuous existence at this point is a bother
I personally find it exhausting
Like post avengers fics, even a show, centered around them all living in the stark, now avengers tower but then the next movies like Cap2, Cap is fully with shield and has his own apartment, Iron Man has his own struggles in Malibu and Thor is gone
When did they leave? Also in Age of Ultron they are just back? And then they leave?
Idk it's simply just exhausting
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Watched all the cutscenes and plot for totk since I can't be bothered to slog through the game to play it and I'm just left sad and disappointed.
It feels like there's no real stakes at the very end of it all. Like, all of the potential for consequences and actual danger are just artificial. There's the whole plotline with Zelda that would have made for a cool post-game quest of "we have to find a way to return her to normal" but instead is fixed with a 15 second cutscene of Heterosexual Beam TM, same with Links arm which I feel should have been permanent.
The gameplay itself leaves me frustrated and sad.
Ultrahand is clunky and only fun when used to exploit the game, not as it's intended use. The game also over relies on it for puzzle mechanics.
Recall is literally often forgettable.
Fuse is frustrating and serves to fix a problem by making a worse one. The weapon durability system was often heralded as the worst part of botw, so to fix your hesitation to use/break cool weapons they just! Got rid of all of them! And made the durability worse!
And instead of bombs being a reusable source on a cool down, it's now an item you feel you have to hoard. I personally have "I should save this for when I need it" syndrome so this went from "wow they put bomb flowers back in the game!" to "I can never use bombs ever"
The removal of cryonis was also extremely frustrating.
The removal of all Sheikah tech was also extremely frustrating and confusing.
It's so confusing for the plot too, there are so many sections where things don't make sense. Zelda being "blood related" to Sonia and Rauru only makes sense if they have a child. Which is never alluded to or shown, so how could they reasonably be related? The bloodline would have ended with them! The game also mentions the guardians, but never explains where the divine beasts went or that calamity ganon was a thing.
Also the end boss being, effectively, the dragon form of calamity ganon feels so bizarre and lazy??? The dragon back boss was cool but somehow feels uninspired. Like was the dragon spiraling around the castle in botw not the exact same model??
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills with everyone going "this game just isn't for you" when I've played every single game in the series. If it's not for Zelda fans, then who is it for? New comers? I guess that would be the only other demographic but that feels like a waste. And even from a newcomer perspective the game still has the same exact gameplay flaws and game design issues.
If the next Zelda game is open world like this I'm probably going to end up skipping it. Currently debating selling my copy of totk since I don't really feel inclined to touch it ever again knowing that the plot literally doesn't matter. There are no consequences to any of the protagonists actions. There really are no stakes.
Overall I would put this game at like, a 4/10. It's a technical marvel and I enjoyed the new enemies and caves added in, but frankly it should've just been a 40$ dlc campaign to botw. Having it be a confusing 70$ maybe-not-really sequel is just. Frustrating.
Edit: I FORGOT ABOUT THE ENTIRE FUNCTION OF ASCEND BECAUSE OF HOW FORGETTABLE IT WAS. God. It also destroyed almost all of my enjoyment in botw for mountain climbing cuz I was instead left frustrated at "wheres a spot I can ascend" what a fucking circus this games design is
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I have to ask but don’t you get mad when readers don’t comment on your fics? Like the new fic you did on stray kids, you have over a 100kudos but no one has commented? How do you stay positive? I’d cry
I like writing and I like when people read my writing, and I see it as giving a gift. When that gift becomes a chore, I just stop - because just like nobody forces people to comment, nobody is forcing me to give my talent. (long rambling chat under cut because I do usually have a lot to say about this but just don't so... buckle up lol)
Realistically, people who don't care enough to give me 2 minutes of their time for a comment don't need the hours, days, weeks I put into writing the fic (hell yesterday I spent like 3 hours researching various topics for ONE line in the stupid fic I'm working on now lol).
Getting mad over something that isn't my fault doesn't hurt anyone but myself. When it starts to bother me to the point it affects me - I just quit writing for that fandom. That's what happened with bts; which is the least interactive fandom I've ever been in thus far (I've been writing fanfic for over a decade and a half and kpop in general is pretty non-interactive on this platform especially for member x member, and not super interactive on AO3 for either). But at the end of my writing for that group, I was getting zero interaction - no asks, minimal AO3 comments, no likes, reblogs etc. And it was wearing on me and upsetting me and making me feel burnt out and negative about my writing. So I just stopped doing it.
It's not my loss to stop writing it - there's a million fandoms I can write for; it's the loss of those who didn't care enough to give back. 🤷🏻♂️
Also, because you used the skz fic I'll go with it - it's a pwp fic. People tend not to comment on pwp fics because they're not usually reading them for the plot, if you catch my drift. It feels like the folks that comment underneath dirty videos lol - like - it'd be nice to get a comment on idk, "hey bc is super in character here!" or "the fight at the end with scb and bc was really funny!" - that's that person admitting they just read smut and most people aren't as willing to own up to that as yours truly lol (and for some reason people forget they can log out and leave as many anonymous comments as they want but alas).
My most recent SHINee fic has only been up for about a week longer than the Skz one (which btw has been up for just 1 week - give it time) - and it has numerous comments. Because it's a longer, plot heavy fic so people feel like they have more to comment on (they also - for those that are invested in the story - have a reason to comment so I won't give up posting half through and they never get an ending).
IDK if you weren't glancing at that or if this ask was like, written to make me feel bad about not having comments, but either way - it's not that I never get comments, I just don't often get them on smut fics - which is generally how it goes no matter the fandom.
An accurate comparison would be my most recent SHINee fic (started 10 Oct, 2022, 17 kudos, 16 comments, 4/10 ch posted) compared to my last SHINee fic (posted 30 Oct, 2021, 96 kudos, 4 comments, 1/1 ch posted). SHINee is a less active fandom overall in terms of fanfic and such, but you can see that there's always more kudos than comments on smut fics. I don't have my bts ao3 stuff readily accessible (different accounts) but I'm guessing you'd find a pretty similar pattern there too.
With skz - it's an active fandom, I've already gotten more notes in a week on it here than I used to in months for a bts fic lol (likes mostly but still) - so I'm guessing the pattern will hold; I'm working on a longer, plotted fic now for the kids, so only time will tell once I start posting the new one.
So the tl;dr is, I usually get comments - just not usually on pwp - and I just happen to write more pwp than other types of fic because I find it fun.
And when I don't get comments, I just don't focus on it or let it bother me, because that's giving my time and energy to something negative and let's face it, there's enough negativity and icky crap in the real world - I'm a queer trans person living in the US - negative is just kind of the overall outlook of life here rn 🤣 - so I don't need it eating away at me with something I find fun too.
When it does start to eat at me - I just quit, because my talent is solid, and it's my gift to fans, not a requirement.
(But also seriously - if you read fic. Just a simple comment. Takes a minute. Authors don't care how big it is - it's really not hard and you won't have people quitting the fandom for lack of interaction. Writers are a gift to fandoms, stop taking advantage of them.)
#answered#ask#Anonymous#long post#but also#if you read a fic#and you like it#just a simple comment#it's not that hard
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Sunset Overdrive Review
After the past couple years, one studio I've definitely grown into a strong fan of is Insomniac Games. While I've yet to play through all their games, I have played through the Ratchet and Clank series and the modern Spider-Man titles. I think both are excellent all around. As such, I was interested in Sunset Overdrive the second I heard about it. Ok well maybe that's not entirely accurate...
I was first introduced to this game from commercials I saw on TV as a kid when it was coming out as an exclusive on the then new Xbox One, which already sounds like blasphemy doesn't it? Insomniac is so heavily associated with Playstation that it's easy to forget that the studio only recently became an official part of the Playstation family. Regardless, I didn't know this as a kid. I saw the spunky advertisements and was... not impressed. I was barely a gamer as a kid (only really being interested in my Wii, PS2, and DS and hardly at that). Not only was it's Xbox One status an automatic "can't play", but it also just didn't appeal to me. A loud M rated action game full of punk and swearing? I'd rather read my totally mature "young adult" (aka middle school girl) romance novels.
However, times have changed since then. I'm not in middle school, I haven't properly read in years, and I'm now fully invested in exactly this kind of video game malarky. However despite that, it still took me this long to actually play it. Why's that? Well for whatever reason, I had convinced myself that this was a multiplayer game, so I avoided it. However, this game is entirely singleplayer... well on Steam anyway. Apparently this game DOES have multiplayer on Xbox, which was removed from the PC port I played. That doesn't bother me because I was never going to play it anyway, but that could be a game killer for others. Anyhow, let's start with the story.
Sunset Overdrive's storyline is rather tongue-in-cheek. The game is about the titular Sunset City being overtaken by an apocalypse after evil soda corporation Fizzco rushing their newest product, OverCharge, to market. The soda included a deadly untested ingredient that caused people who drunk it to mutate into soda-obsessed zombie-like creatures called OD. The city was walled up on all sides as Fizzco lies to the public about what really transpired in Sunset City. So while the rest of the world is normal as always, Sunset City spirals into chaos as OD attack, violent gangs rise, and eventually Fizzco's very own robots are sent to clean up the mess in the most violent way possible. Here you come along. You're a custom avatar, however unlike traditional player insets, our main girl has a mind (and a mouth) of her own. She frequently makes sarcastic comments as she revels in the ensuing chaos of Sunset City, all while trying to find her way to break out of this city to expose Fizzco to the rest of the world. The game takes a very clear anti-capitalist theme as many dystopian stories do. However, unlike the self-serious novels I read as a kid, the plot is intentionally over the top and jokes are made constantly. I thought the game was pretty funny overall, but that depends on the person. The game has characters and character arcs as well, however both were fairly stereotypical. The characters are likeable enough, albeit not too memorable. They were entertaining at least, so I suppose that's all that matters. The game has meta humor at times, which was very "of its era". Most meta jokes landed and a couple flopped. They were restrained though. They only showed up on occasion, and most importantly for meta humor: The game was never expecting you to take it seriously. Meta humor fails the most when the same piece of media that tells a meta joke wants you to still be earnestly invested. The game's silly tone is helped by the game's artstyle, which blends realism with bright exaggerated colors and comic book style onomatopoeia. The game aged very well visually, especially on PC where you can increase the resolution and fps to modern standards, rather than the Xbox's 720p and 30fps.
Sunset Overdrive is a platformer with third person shooter elements, akin to Ratchet and Clank. On the surface, they play very similarly, however there are major differences. Firstly: you can't strafe like in Ratchet, and on top of that, your base movement speed is very slow making it very difficult to dodge attacks on foot. That's because secondly: You can grind on nearly anything. Grinding is much faster than basic movement, at the cost of making aiming more difficult. That's not your only special platforming move either. You can grind under rails, run on walls, bounce high off nearly anything, dash across and spring out of water, ground pound jump, even dash in midair, and more. Chaining together moves like this generates a combo which can power your attacks in various ways. The game wants you to play "the floor is lava" at all times by making you balance being in a constant state of platforming while also shooting up everything that gets in your way. In that sense, this game feels like even more of a platformer than some of the later Ratchet games, which at times can feel a lot more shooter than platformer. It's a really addicting core gameplay loop, and I honestly kinda prefer it over Ratchet tbh.
All of this is combined with the fact that thirdly: The game is open world. Normally, that's a big red flag to me, however this time around I'm not upset because this world is expertly designed. Just going from point A to point B in this game can be a lot of fun. This world is designed like it's a video game you can play in and have fun. There are rails and bouncy objects everywhere and the game's momentum let's you build up a real satisfying sense of speed. The game's overall platforming moveset is so immense that it's fun to just play around with. Combined with the whole world being designed like a huge interconnected platforming sandbox, and this game effortless shows us exactly how an open world game should be designed. By making the moment to moment gameplay of just moving around this world satisfying, engaging, and fun with a high skill ceiling to boot, you've created a game that truly earns it's open world status. Most open world games tend to throw you onto an empty map with all the interesting and fun bits spread apart between miles of nothing, with most of your gameplay amounting to you essentially waiting for the fun to begin as you trudge from point A to point B. In Sunset Overdrive, not only is the game designed like a massive playground, but, quite literally, everywhere you look you see a collectable you can platform over to grab on your way between locations.
Overall, Sunset Overdrive is brilliant game. It has an enjoyable story, good artstyle, and incredible gameplay. What's not to love?
Well...
What I've said in regards to gameplay is very true, for the first half of the game at least. By the end though, my opinions had changed. That's often caused in games where the core gameplay is solid, but by the end the challenge has increased to a point where the mechanics are falling in on themselves and showing their flaws. However in Sunset's case, it's the exact opposite. The game's biggest issue is summed up with simply:
"Ok... but when does the game start getting hard?"
The answer is never, at least from what I played, which was all the main and side missions (including what was originally dlc). Once you get to grips with the core gameplay, it never gets any more difficult. Platforming challenges don't get more complex, enemies don't get much harder, and the game on the whole tends to feel rather... mindless? Especially by the end of my playthrough. What was original exciting an invigorating gameplay mechanics eventually led to the slow painful realization that this game completely fails to properly challenge the player. We have this deep and addicting gameplay system with a high skill ceiling, yet the game feels like your playing on baby mode the whole time. I rarely died (and even if you do the game barely punishes you), I almost never ran out of ammo for any of my weapons, most enemies die in one hit and you don't take a lot of damage overall. I barely even used the amp and overdrive systems, which would've just made me even more overpowered. With how many enemies you slaughter with so little effort, it almost reminds me of a Warriors game, although it's never that bad. If I didn't know better, I'd assume I accidently chose the easiest difficulty option, however this game has no difficulty options. Coming off of Ratchet and Clank, a series that can get truly difficult on the highest settings, this just feels far too easy which is bizarre because Ratchet is the one rated E10+ and this is the one rated M. This game has gore, drinking, and constant hard swears. Why is the gameplay balanced around young children? I've felt more challenged on NORMAL mode of past Ratchets than anywhere in Sunset Overdrive.
Even beyond the difficulty, this game has some other bizarre step backs from Ratchet and Clank. Firstly, the weapon wheel is much worse. In later Ratchet games, you can access every one of your weapons from your weapon wheel, which really encouraged experimentation with your guns. When trying out your fancy new toy is as simple as pulling up a quick select and tabbing over to it, it really compels you to make the most out of your full arsenal. In Sunset, your weapon wheel has no tabs, like the classic Ratchets, so that means that only a fraction of your inventory that you personally selected can be accessed in a second. You'd think that's maybe for balancing, but no. You can switch out your weapons at any time in the pause menu, even mid combat. What's worse is that you can't even just manually select the gun from a menu like classic Ratchet. You HAVE to add it to your weapon wheel to use it, which just makes experimentation feel cumbersome. This encourages the player to just use a single selection of guns the whole game, making the whole game blend into itself more.
However, even if you did stick to a few favorite guns, they even made steps back from Ratchet in that regard too. In Ratchet games, your guns level up from use, and they brought that back here. However it's much better in Ratchet. Firstly, because Ratchet is simply more challenging and better weapons are more noticeable, but secondly because in Ratchet your guns evolve into a totally new form when maxed out at level 5. This makes it really satisfying to level up your guns, and that's ignoring the upgrade trees some games have. In Sunset, your max level is just another hard to notice enhancement like levels 2-4 in Ratchet. Oh, I got more ammo with this gun? Great, now it'll be even harder to run out. Not only that, but it requires a lot more to level up a gun in Sunset. In Ratchet, you can comfortable max out most of your main arsenal by the end of the main campaign. In Sunset, I only saw a single gun get maxed out, and I played this game for a lot longer than a typical Ratchet game. I clocked around 40 hours, meanwhile most Ratchets are around 10-20.
Overall, this is a game with such strong promise and strong core gameplay that ultimately under deliveries in a few key areas. However, despite my bitching, I still really like this game. While it may have been too easy, it was still pretty fun while it lasted, even if that fun started to drain around at the eleventh hour (or more accurately around the 30th hour). The biggest damn shame here are that these issues surely couldn't have been THAT difficult to address, right? They did all this stuff properly in their game right before this one, so why fail here? Would it have killed them to add difficulty options and keep the Ratchet quick select and upgrade systems? I doubt that. What I see in Sunset Overdrive is great, yet deeply flawed game with a ton of room for improvement. If they ever do make that fabled Sunset Overdrive 2, it could be a true masterpiece.
8.0/10
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if you have the patience to share, i would love to know more about your thoughts on encanto!i liked it overall but had a few issues with it here and there
encanto spoilers below the cut
mostly the writing felt super lazy to me!! it was constantly gesturing at the elements of a more developed story (the house responding to the emotional weight of family trauma, bruno removing himself from the family bc they couldn't bear to see those problems revealed, luisa and isabela both carrying their different burdens) but it never bothered to flesh out any of these elements or bring point a to point b
like, on the surface the idea of mirabel being blamed for her role in the prophecy, bruno leaving to protect her, and her real role being what saves everyone is classic, fun stuff. but what WAS mirabel's actual role in the prophecy? she didn't end up actually causing any of the problems she was blamed for, and she didn't play a role in solving them either other than... being there the whole time? her grandmother feeling bad a house almost fell on her so she apologizes for being a bitch?? like what role was mirabel supposed to have in this prophecy to the point that she didn't even get a door?
i feel like the movie thinks that since they're doing magical realism, they don't have to follow any kind of logical at all, but magical realism is metaphor, it needs to still follow the characters' emotional logic. i expected that when abuela explains her past, we would learn why the magic is beginning to weaken NOW - whether that has to do with the metaphor it's working from or its something concrete about the way the magic was originally used. instead, we just find out why she's afraid of losing the magic, which is fair as motivation, but still leaves us with no understanding of why the plot of the movie happened in the first place
I'm kind of left to assume that the house began to fall apart because the family members were feeling so weighed on by trying to keep the magic alive, which I think totally works as an explanation -- especially if you can have the house and magic fall apart in the end and leave the characters with each other to reaffirm that their relationships are what matter, and not what they can give each other. but I don't think this explanation is really evidenced or earned by the movie. outside of luisa and isabela, we don't get much if any of a sense of how the other family members are weighed on by their roles, so if this is going to be foundation breaking, well it isn't
(speaking of luisa and isabela, I also had a lot of problems with those subplots. again, things kept moving into conclusions that hadn't been earned!! both of them would tell mirabel their problems and then ?? kind of have a resolution after talking to her - isabela more than luisa -- but mirabel doesn't do anything for either of these scenes. like everything else, she's just THERE! you could maybe argue that she helped by getting them to voice their issues and confront them that way, but she didn't really do that either. she just happened to be in the room when they finally did that, and being the person who voices what other people won't isn't so much one of mirabel's traits as it is, like, one of bruno's)
anyway hopefully that makes sense? there are a lot of elements of a movie I would like in encanto but what I found so frustrating is that none of them really seemed to be given any time or thought or development -- instead it feels like the script constantly gestures to something that looks like a movie and we're meant to accept those gestures as the full movie
#also the music was boring sorry#except for we dont talk about bruno which is a bop thas still stuck in my head
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Will you ever write another chapter of smurf village unturned :( i want to read more of it
Uwaaah, thanks for your message! I'm glad you like the fic and are invested in the story and reading more of it <3
I do apologise for the lack of updates... There are a couple of reasons behind it. (Long post)
One of those reasons is that the expectations I hold myself to have changed/increased. The thing is... I don't think Smurf Village Upturned is particularly well-written. There are some parts/aspects of it that I'm real iffy about and/or dislike. But at the time of writing, I knew the writing itself wasn't Great, or rather, wasn't as good as it could be, but back then I didn't mind and it didn't bother me. When I wrote The Smurfs That Canon Forgot and then started on Smurf Village Upturned, my main priority was just getting it written down and getting the story out there, because I had a story I wanted to tell and I wanted other people to be able to have a chance to read that story, even if the delivery was flawed and imperfect. I approached the endeavour with an attitude of "it's just fanfiction, so the quality doesn't matter that much" and I was also aware that getting too overly worried about the quality would stifle the writing process and hinder my ability to get the story written at all (which is what, as predicted, has ultimately contributed to my lack of updates when I did start thinking more about quality).
After all, I only have a limited amount of free time to work with. I could tell that I could either get the story written in a flawed manner with the limited available free time that I have, or obsess over trying to make it Better and wind up most likely not getting it written/completed at all. So back then I went with the former option.
But what wound up happening after I started working on Smurf Village Upturned is that I became really obsessed with a certain fanfiction series. The Smurfs That Canon Forgot was the first real fanfic I'd really written, and I don't read much fanfiction. But being hyperfixated on a fanfic series as a 'main fandom' of sorts challenged a lot of notions and ideas I'd had previously about fanfiction in general and the act of its creation, and I can no longer truly approach my own fanfic writing with the idea that it's "just fanfiction, so the quality doesn't matter that much", because the stories I've read have shown me the potential that fanfic has for its quality to gain a legitimacy of its own and potentially even elevate it above the quality of the source material. At the very least there's the possibility of imbuing fanfic with a spark that I feel just hadn't really been present in mine. And given that I'm already so far into writing it, I don't know how to work with its pre-existing flaws/structure to raise the quality of the remaining story/story overall to a more acceptable standard. I'm not sure how to truly do the story I want to tell justice without rewriting it from scratch (which isn't really a feasible option).
I've mulled over the remaining plot I've got planned out a lot, though. There are a couple of things I've tried many times to iron out that I've been a bit stuck on and fiddled around quite a bit with different possible directions to take in some aspects.
One of the other reasons progress on the fic has stagnated is that two of my original incentives for writing this story have since been challenged after I'd begun writing it.
See, one of the intended running themes in my story was, as I later realised, very strongly influenced subconsciously by a different piece of media. It's one of those things where... A piece of media raises a possible intriguing theme/idea, and then just kind of.... drops it and never follows up on it. I picked up on that theme subconsciously and saw the potential it had which never got elaborated on, and I'm like "hey wait, no, we can go places with this" and it fit really well with the Smurfs story idea I had, so part of the incentive of writing it was developing that theme to its logical conclusion and exploring it further. Except... As it turns out, that piece of media hadn't dropped that theme entirely. Only long after I'd started Smurfs Village Upturned did that media actually return to the discarded theme I'd picked up on, and... proceeded to develop it to its full potential, going above and beyond what I would have explored with it. My desire to see that theme developed which was partly spurring my writing has therefore already been met. (So I've actually decided to change up some of the focus of the story too; in my current plans, some different characterisation would come into come into play compared to what it would have been originally, in order to make the story more of its own thing and not a re-run of some threads that have already been thoroughly developed by that other piece of media.)
The other incentive for writing the story hasn't technically been met - there are still some things I would like to see and therefore have in the story. But I just got so much mileage out of the other story I read that I'm like... man... I'm so satisfied with it that it dashed my incentive to like, create my own thing, because I've already got so much mileage out of stuff that I wanted to see it takes from the need to put that stuff into my own story just to bring it into existence, if that sort of makes sense?
I've also been really busy with a translation project that I've been working on in my free time. Like I've basically just been distracted with other fandoms/projects type deal, but my smurfs fic has been there in the back of my mind.
I've said before on this blog that at the very least I do want to write and publish the next chapter because there's a part in it that I'm kinda hype about, but beyond that... I'm not sure. In all honesty I want to get the rest of the story written, but in terms of motivation and my focus being held by other things... it doesn't seem super realistic. I'm still trying to see if I can make it Work, but if not, if you guys want I can maybe post and spoil the outline of what I roughly had planned for the rest of the plotline (after I eventually get around to writing/publishing the next chapter I guess... I keep intending to do that and then just not getting around to it huh).
I could probably go on but this post is already pretty long, I think that mostly covers the gist of it, aaah. Again, I'm really glad you like the story and if you guys really do want to know how the plot would have continued, I can think about possibly posting an outline of it in future if I continue not Getting It Written.
#smurfs#the smurfs#Smurf Village Upturned#sorry for tagging this I just <3#long post#not sure how many people were invested in the story/still want to see more#and whether it's worthwhile to post an outline of the rest of what would have happened if need be?
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