#characters are beyond what I’ve seen in gifs/a trailer or two | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

whitleyschn33 · 3 years

Text

Color in RWBY’s Designs

I’ve been trying to reblog this post for a good 10 minutes, and Tumblr just refuses to let me, and I don’t think I’m blocked, so @strqyr , have a reply

...

Okay, ignoring the out-of-left-field (hah) pivot to politics that cropped up in the comments -

I’m not an artist, but I do follow a few that discuss character design and have attempted some recolors myself, and when it comes to the various designs and colors of the RWBY girls, it’s not so much about the in-universe importance of color, it’s about the more meta principles of character design. Once again, I’m not the most qualified person to talk about this, so excuse me if I get something wrong or ramble.

In visual mediums, a character’s design, more specifically their silhouette and their colors, is what makes them stand out and memorable to an audience; in a lot of cartoons and anime, you’ll likely be able to recognize characters by their designs long before you remember their names, and even if you don’t know their names, seeing the silhouette or even color palette of that character can bring their image to your mind. For example, I haven’t seen an episode of Sailor Moon in my life, but show me Usagi’s silhouette, and I can tell you exactly who that is. I can show you this, and I would bet that 99% of you can tell me what character this is meant to represent despite it literally just being 5 rectangles.

(On a slight tangent, in action shows, colors and the smart placement there-of are doubly important, as they help with keeping track of a character as they move through a cluttered environment and interact with other characters, and keep track of how they move their bodies in that space. To use a specific example from RWBY itself, check out the Nevermore fight from Volume 1 - despite all the debris flying around the screen and the amount of wide shots, it’s easy to keep track of how the characters move around the screen. Yang’s gauntlets help direct your eyes to her punches, and the splash of red in Weiss’s collar makes sure she doesn’t turn into a white blob moving around the screen.)

RWBY specifically is a show that quite literally advertised itself and its character on the premise of color. The show is named not just after the main characters, but the main characters’ colors. The first trailers were the Red, White, Black, and Yellow trailers. Their original designs, while of course using other colors in the palettes, give an overall impression of red, white, black, and yellow, making the characters pop against the stark black, red, and white backgrounds of the trailers, as well as stand out against the background characters that were literally empty black voids of silhouettes. Their initial character designs are tied completely to them representing a specific color, and this color gimmick also makes the girls stand out as characters. Ruby’s red cloak and ruffles, Weiss’s white side ponytail and dress, Blake’s black bow and tuxedo vest, and Yang’s fiery yellow hair and gauntlets are instantly recognizable from a glance, and that’s a sign of good design that makes them distinct.

So, when you get to the later volumes and suddenly the characters are wearing less and less of their original, iconic colors on top of getting new silhouettes, it makes them start looking less and less recognizable as the characters they were originally designed to be, and more like completely different characters. Lets look at Blake and Weiss as an example. If you’d never seen RWBY, could you tell me if these were the same characters?

Alright, let’s fill in the details.

They look like two completely different pairs of characters. It’s not even the clothes themselves, but the colors and shapes of their clothes combined with the radically different hairstyles make the V7 designs look very much unlike the original designs. The girls got alternate outfits in V2, but they all fit the general silhouettes and color schemes of their typical outfits, and were still very much recognizable as the main team, just with new clothes. Such a drastic shift in what types of clothes and the colors they wear in V7, on the other hand, makes them look like different character designs. If you’re going to change what a character is wearing to something very different, keeping the colors consistent helps with keeping them recognizable as the character they are.

Now, changing the design of your character beyond the specific clothes they wear isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Characters change as they progress through a story, and in visual media, changes to character design can be used to signify how they’re changing or how they’re reacting to their environment and new situations. For example, in the S2 premire of Avatar, Zuko cuts off his distinguishing topknot to represent his fall from a Fire Nation prince to an outlaw on the run, and in season 3, the GAang don red Fire Nation clothes as a disguise, ditching their usual blue, orange, and green clothing. In the Owl House, Amity dyes her hair purple to represent her making her own choices rather than letting her family control her life (and I picked this up from gif sets, without having even seen the show). Design changes, even to hair and color, can be used to represent change - and RWBY has managed to do this fairly well in the past! For example, Weiss’s V4 design is very different from her original design - her sleeves and collar are tight rather than poofy, her colors are muted and overrun with greys and blues, her whites are mostly hidden and her red is nowhere to be seen. This works, though, because it represents Weiss’s current situation - she’s being controlled by her father, her individuality represented by her whites and reds being driven out, and her dress is mostly tight against her wrists and neck, like shackles and being chocked. It’s a good way of showing a character’s changed situation, while keeping her recognizable from her side ponytail and poofy skirt remaining the same.

The latest redesigns of Team RWBY, however, don’t do this. They change radically, in color, hair, and clothing shape, and there’s no clear reason why. Why do they change how they look so drastically? What prompted them to style their hair so differently, to cut it so short? Why have they decided to choose different colors to wear? To circle back to the initial post, what part of their character development has changed them from the color they were representing to the color they’re now representing?

For more specific question/examples - what prompted Blake to cover herself in a heavy white coat in V4, when she was heading to a tropical island to recover? Why does she wear a bright white coat for official Huntress business when she’s meant to be a ninja? Why does she cut her hair so short? Why does Weiss cover herself in blues and greys in V7 when blues and greys were used to show her unhappiness and imprisonment by Jacques, rather than returning to lots of whites? Why does she go from a sleek ponytail to a thick heavy braid? Why does Ruby replace her cape and start styling her hair differently? Why does she go from a poofy skirt with ruffles to a very sleek, low volume skirt? Why does Yang not wear any yellow anymore? Why do none of them seem to wear anything suited for the cold? None of these questions have real answers. We can speculate all day, but at the end, that would still just be speculation.

Why does Lillie in Pokemon change her hair and clothes? To prove that she’s not just something for her mother to control and dress up to her ideal of beauty; that Lillie can make her own choices and is ready to stand on her own two feet and do what needs to be done, rather than relying on Repels and the player character.

Why does Blake cut her hair and start wearing so much white? ....

Why does Persona 5′s Akechi’s palette switch from bright white, reds, and golds to dark blacks and purples? To show the tearing down of the Detective Prince façade to the true darkness underneath.

Why does Weiss start wearing so many dark blues and greys? ....

I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point. Things just change on RWBY, key aspects of their designs like their hair and colors, and for the most part, there just seems to be no reason given to change. I’m not saying things like colors can never change, clearly they can, but for character design, especially in a show so heavily focused on colors and how characters are represented by their colors, it’s not a thing that should be taken lightly; if a character has grown so dramatically that the manner in which they express themselves as a character has changed, like the original poster is implying it can, it should be clear to see why this character has changed in this manner.

Without a good reason for it to change, it feels unnatural, like the character isn’t the same character - so when RWBY’s colors seem to be changing without good reason, creating designs that don’t look right for the character they’re meant to be in the situations they’re meant to be in, it causes people to want to revert back to the original palettes. Not because they’re denying individuality of the characters, but because the characters are no longer designed like the individuals they once were, and artists want to bring that individuality and striking design back through the use of the colors these characters use to define themselves.

#rwby #art #long post #please my more artistic mutuals #please correct me if i'm wrong #i'm not an artist

37 notes · View notes

favefandomimagines · 4 years

Text

Reservations (r.p.)

Summary: joining the cast of a show with one of the most sought after young stars, tends to result in reservations

AN: posting chapter 8 of soul surfer TOMORROW!!! (shoutout to @jjsfineline for the cutest gif on the internet! i just found your post again & needed to give you credit for the gif!!!)

You were beyond thrill when you were cast in season two of Outer Banks. It wasn’t your first acting role, having been apart of the MCU since 2016.

But Outer Banks was a hit Netflix series and it was a new platform for you. You were playing JJ’s kook love interest and you were very excited to be working alongside Rudy Pankow.

He may or may not have been your celebrity crush since you watched season one.

And for him, you were the ultimate “superhero babe.” He made the whole cast watch every movie you were in since the very beginning of your acting career.

The whole cast knew Rudy’s crush on you so when you were cast, the teasing began.

It was the first day on set for you and you and Madelyn were getting put into your outfits for your first scene of the day.

“We’re all going out for dinner tonight. Wanna come?” She offered. “Really? You want me to come?” You questioned. “Of course! You’re apart of this family now and I won’t take no for an answer.” Madelyn told you.

You smiled at her before nodding your head. “Okay, I’m in.” You said.

The director called for you two to report to set. You walked out. with Madelyn, making small talk and instantly gaining the attention of Rudy.

He found it hard not to stare at you, especially with how the sun made your skin glow.

“Dude quit staring. It’s creepy.” Chase told him. “What? I-I’m not staring.” Rudy rebutted. “You totally are.” JD said. The three stopped their discussion of you when you and Madelyn approached them.

“Hey guys! Y/N is gonna come with us tonight!” Madelyn informed them. “Great! I feel like we haven’t gotten to know you yet.” Chase replied. “Even though we read your Wikipedia page and stalked your Instagram.” JD added.

You found it sort of flattering that they were so interested in getting to know you.

The day went on without any issues. You and Rudy filmed your your first couple scenes together and it felt natural to be scene partners. You’ve been opposite of Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and with Rudy, it felt like that rapport was already there.

After everyone was changed out of their character outfits, Madelyn and Madison came to your trailer to get you for dinner.

“Hey! Are you ready to go?” Madelyn asked. “Yeah! Just let me put some perfume on.” You answered. “Rudy could not keep his eyes off of you.” Madison commented.

“What?” You laughed. “He is so into you.” Madelyn teased. “He made us watch every Marvel movie you were in.” Madison added.

You looked down at your feet trying to hide how much you were blushing. “Oh my god! You like him too!” Madelyn exclaimed. “It’s just a little crush.” You replied quietly. “Aw, that’s so cute.” Madison said.

“But he’s dating that photographer. I’ve seen the pictures and the videos and don’t even get me started on the Instagram page dedicated to them.” You quickly said. “Wh-” Madelyn started before a knock on the door cut her off.

The three girls exited the trailer and met up with the boys. They went to a local restaurant in Charleston. One they hoped they wouldn’t get recognized at now that the show has blown up.

You were seated between Drew and Rudy, taking turns talking to them. As you were talking to Drew, you felt a light tap on your shoulder.

You turned around and saw a little girl standing behind you, wearing a shirt with your Marvel character on it.

“Are you Y/F/N Y/L/N?” She asked. “Yes I am.” You answered sweetly. “Ruby is my favorite superhero. I love you. Can I get a picture with you?” She asked. “Of course you can!” You told her.

You situated your chair so you were facing the camera and hugged the girl. Her mom took the picture and they both thanked you and said goodbye.

You turned back around and saw Rudy staring at you rather fondly. “What?” You asked. “That was amazing. You’re amazing.” He answered. “Oh, thanks.” You answered bashfully.

“Do you do that all the time?” He asked. “Yeah, when I can. Especially when they’re younger like that.” You answered.

He smiled at you you before he nudged you playfully. “Could you be anymore perfect?” He asked rhetorically.

‘He’s really laying it on thick.’ You thought. Then you remembered the potential girlfriend. Your face fell slightly and you were grateful that Drew had started talking to you.

Rudy saw the way your expression changed. He furrowed his eyebrows and then nudged Madelyn.

“What’s up with Y/N?” He asked. “She’s totally gonna kill me for this but she thinks you and Elaine are dating. Apparently there’s a huge conspiracy theory about the two of you?” Madelyn answered.

“What? I’m not dating Elaine! Everyone knows that.” Rudy said. “Apparently not everyone.” The girl said.

He then looked back at you, a smile adorning your face as you talked to Drew. After that night, Rudy tried to make it painfully obvious that he was single and into you.

Daily flirting, going to lunch and dinner with you, offering to run lines with you.

The night it actually worked in his favor, was the night before you two had to shoot a big scene. It was the turning point of your characters’ relationship.

You were struggling to convey your character’s emotions and feelings towards Rudy’s character. Of course filming with Rudy was easy but sometimes it was still hard.

You were sitting on the couch of your apartment in Charleston, going over your lines when Rudy just walked in.

“You know there’s a door for a reason.” You greeted the blonde. “Oh come on, we’re past that point. We can come and go as we please.” He replied. “Whatcha doin?” He asked sitting next to you.

“Trying to convey the proper amount of emotion for our scene tomorrow.” You said. That’s when Rudy had an idea.

“I know something that may help.” He said. “Oh and what’s that? Nothing could be worse than Russo’s telling me to pretend Tony Stark as my actual father to make me cry harder.” You said.

Rudy smiled at you as he took the script from your hands and tossed it on the coffee table.

“I like you, Y/N. And not as a friend, as more than a friend. I’ve had the biggest crush on you and before you say anything, I’m not dating Elaine. You know how fans can get. I mean, I was convinced you were dating Tom Holland for months.” He said.

“Me and Tom have never dated.” You laughed. “And me and Elaine have never dated because I like you and only you.” Rudy said.

You looked over at him and rested your legs on his lap. “Really?” You questioned. “I’d be stupid not to.” He answered. “So what now?” You asked. “Go out with me. Just us.” He answered. “I’m in.” You said. “Oh thank god.” Rudy replied, a sigh of relief leaving his lips.

It had been three months since you and Rudy had started dating and you hoped the shipping of him and Elaine would cease.

But it didn’t. The theories kept coming and the various Instagram pages continued to be made.

Rudy seemed to have no idea and you even noticed that Elaine was even liking the most recent posts.

You of course were not comfortable with it so you knew you had to tell Rudy.

You were sitting in your shared apartment, watching Netflix when you turned to him.

“Hey, Rudy?” You asked. “What’s up, babe?” He replied. “I’ve noticed that Elaine has been liking a lot of the posts about you and her dating and it’s making me a little uncomfortable because she’s apart of the friend group and I don’t know if she has feelings for you or what. And I don’t know it just doesn’t sit right with me.” You explained.

Rudy was quiet for a moment, looking back at all the times Elaine did something and liked photos that but he didn’t notice.

“I’m not saying you should stop being friends with her, I’d never dictate your friend ships but maybe you can talk to her or something.” You added.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t realize you were feeling this way. I’ll call her right now.” He said, resting a hand on your thigh and pulling out his phone. “No, Rudy,” You started but it was already too late.

He put the phone on speaker as the line started ringing.

“Hello?” The girl answered. “Hey, Elaine. There’s something I need to talk to you about.” Rudy said. “Uh oh.” She laughed.

Rudy gave her a half-hearted version of a laugh before continuing.

“Y/N has noticed that you are liking posts about you and I dating and being a couple and it’s making her uncomfortable. And I never want to put her in a situation that would make her feel that way. I love her and I respect her and her feelings so I’m kindly asking you to stop doing that.” He explained.

“Oh come on, Rudy, they’re just jokes.” Elaine said. Your face fell slightly as you started to nervously play with the ring on your finger.

Rudy noticed and took your hand in his before he replied.

“They’re not jokes to her and they’re not to me. Everyone else respects my relationship so why can’t you?” He asked a little more harshly.

“Look, Elaine, I want to keep being your friend but Y/N is my girlfriend and I’m in love with her. So if you can’t start respecting Y/N and I’s relationship then we can’t be friends anymore.” Rudy added.

You looked up at him with wide eyes, not wanting him to give up a friendship because you were insecure.

“Okay. I’m sorry, I didn’t think it was that serious. And I’m sorry if it’s putting a strain on your relationship.” Elaine finally said. The conversation seemed to die after that and Rudy hung up.

“You love me?” You asked with a shy smile on your face. Rudy smiled at you and cupped your face in his hands. “Of course I do. So much.” He replied before kissing you deeply.

@rudeth: my love, my life @y/f/n_

#imagine #imagines #jj maybank #jj maybank imagine #outer banks #jj maybank x reader #kiara carrera #outer banks imagine #rafe cameron #rudy pankow #rudy pankow x reader #rudy pankow imagine #john b routledge #pope heyward #sarah cameron

353 notes · View notes

forthegothicheroine · 3 years

Text

Opinions on Into the Dark Movies

I’ve seen a lot, though not all, of the Blumhouse series of Into the Dark, direct to Hulu horror movies themed around various holidays. Some of them suck. Some of them are surprisingly good! Most are mediocre. Still, I keep watching. Rather than try to rank these movies, I’m just going to give a few of them awards.

Favorite Movie: Pooka Lives

If you were there for the height of Slenderman blogging, this will hit you hard! The first Pooka movie was a psychological thriller and definitely interesting, but the horror-comedy sequel was the thing that touched my heart. It’s all about how the internet creates memes that completely change from where they start by the whims of each new viral art piece. While watching it, I said “according to Twin Peaks, this would be a a tulpa” at one point, and then Felicia Day said “I’ve got it, it’s a tulpa!” She heard me! Rachel Bloom kills Whil Weaton in the opening! All you really need to know going in is that Pooka is a stuffed animal bear-rabbit-monster who repeats words in a “naughty” or “nice” voice.

Most Effective Horror Movie: I’m Just Fucking With You

Somebody on the Bloody Disgusting website said the stuff in this movie is worse torture than Saw or Hostel- but the kicker is, the torment is mostly mental and emotional. An unlikeable internet troll checks into a sleazy motel, only to discover that the guy in charge of the place is a nastier troll than he’ll ever be. This bespectacled, southern-accented slacker just keeps pulling pranks, each one more mean-spirited than the last, until they escalate to murder and the total destruction of our hero’s remaining humanity. The constant neon-lit look of the motel is super intense, but the most important thing about this is that it shows you how really fucking annoying the Joker would be if you actually met him.

Sexiest Villain: Pilgrim

Look, I dunno. Brother Ethan is just the sexiest evil Puritan you’ll ever find, as small as that pool may be. He’s totally invested in what he’s doing, he fully believes in the lessons he’s teaching, he’s maybe a ghost or a trickster spirit or something, he has a great accent, he has a great laugh, and he has great piercing eyes. Also he has this ongoing dynamic with the final girl that’s maybe sexually charged or maybe isn’t, but the whole thing is definitely a battle of wills and beliefs between them and that is hot. Honorable mention goes to the hitman in The Body, but he only looked hot, he didn’t actually act hot, and there’s a difference.

Most Believeable Villain: New Year New You

Maybe the murders aren’t all believeable, but “Get Well” Danielle is! Once a loathesome high school bully, she has now found fame and fortune as a loathesome social media influencer, and a culture that supports vapid self-promotion is one she thrives in. Are the others in the movie any better, though? They hate her, but isn’t it partly because they want to be her? Don’t we all kind of want what she has, even while disdaining every part of her that got her where she is?

Movie I Could Have Written Better: Uncanny Annie

This movie about an evil board game sucked, but it didn’t have to! There’s so much a horror comedy could parody about the modern board game scene. It could have been an incredibly complex game with mutliple expansions where you’re two hours in and still haven’t gotten to using all the mechanics. It could have been a super artsy Euro game with stunning evil art but instructions that are very poorly translated into English. I work for a book and game store! Give me a chance, I could script a greatdark parody of the the Arkham Horror franchise!

Movie That Might Have Been Scarier Without the Supernatural: Pure

I actually really respect the whole setup of this movie. The notion of a “purity camp” father-daughter celebration is stunning and sickening, the fathers are holding their daughters to impossible standards and threatening to remove their love if they ever fair, the girls can’t trust that anyone they meet won’t reveal their secrets to the Reverend, and the camp itself looks like if that Midsommar farm was just No Fun Allowed. Anyway, I don’t think they needed a weird rewriting of Lilith. It’s a psychological cult horror, so let it stay that. The girls can kill their dads at the end without any supernatural power.

Best Cheese: School Spirit

As soon as I saw the trailer and realized this was a Breakfast Club pastiche, I was in, baby. You’ve got the prep, the class clown, the stoner, the nerd, and the delinquent all in for detention. They resist the mean disciplinary teacher, they bond, they share secrets, they get high, they see beyond their cliques, and a masked slasher murders them one by one. The villain reveal is ridiculous but kind of charming, a fun riff on the Norman Bates archetype, and the final girl’s speech to the killer at the end should be on all those “Good for her!” female character gif compilations.

Best Villain Outfit: Midnight Kiss

I love that giallo-killer-meets-gimp-suit look! So creepy, yet so believeable for a club scene! (Or at least, it would fit in with my memories of Folsom Street Fair.) The movie itself isn’t super interesting as murder mysteries go, but it’s not bad, the whole thing is super stylish, and it is neat that almost the whole cast of characters, from heroes to villains, are gay. But yeah, great costume, great party scenes, great beach house, shame about all the murders.

Movie I Wish I Hadn’t Sought Out Spoilers For: Culture Shock

I was trying to decide if I should see these movies and looked at lists of which ones were the best and then I looked into this one and...I spoiled the entire reveal. It’s a great reveal! I’ll try to avoid spoilering it here, but in this Spanish and English language movie, our heroine goes from dodging cartel men while trying to cross the border to existing in a beautiful, multicultural suburban town...where they dress like it’s the Tranquility Lane part of Fallout 3, and nobody will let her hold her infant son. One of the more serious attempts at making a good movie, and I think it succeeds.

Movie That Does a Plotline Better Than Hannibal Did: Flesh & Blood

This movie, while following a pretty typical “Lifetime Movie” style plot (she says, never having seen a Lifetime movie), it understands one important thing: a story about a girl struggling to escape the influence of a pseudo-incestuous serial killer father figure is her goddamn story. This will have to be my Abigail Hobbes fix fic.

Worst Movie: Tree House

Man, of all the horror movie characters not to get killed...

#into the dark #horror movies

26 notes · View notes

babbushka · 5 years

Text

Kitchen

Okay so, I know we have no idea anything about his character yet, but I really just had to get something out of my system for Charlie with the release of the new trailers. Please enjoy this angst! <3

(gif by the awesome @radamdriver !)

You didn’t know how they stood it, all the yelling. Didn’t know how they stood the slamming doors and bitter, seething remarks.

You wondered if they knew, that you knew. That the whole neighborhood knew.

Divorce. Nasty divorce. It was always nasty when there was a kid to think about, especially one old enough to know, old enough to remember. People tended to say the worst things in court, when they were trying to keep their kid. You hoped they didn’t say things against one another. You hoped, but you weren’t sure.

The phone rang, snapping you out of your thoughts, and you grabbed it off the counter, picked it up.

“Hello?” You asked, recognizing the number as his, as Charlie’s.

“(Y/N)?” The man asked, out of breath and with a wet tick in his throat.

“Yes? Is everything okay?” You sat up a little straighter.

“Could you – can Henry come over for a little while?” He asked, and your heart leapt in your throat.

“Of course. Charlie is everything okay?” You asked again.

He was always so concerned about everyone else, you thought. When was the last time someone asked him about him?

“No, it’s not. But I don’t want him in the house right now, not when – me and Nicole, we’re – ” Charlie tried to get the words out, he tried, but you could already hear the wobble in his voice.

“I know. Of course he can come over, I’m home right now.” You cut him off, gave him a break from trying to voice the million things that were going on in his head.

“Thank you.” He sighed into the phone, hung up.

You put the phone down, set the kettle on the stove. And then you waited.

You had lived next to Charlie and Nicole for three years now, and you’d been their prime babysitter ever since. Henry was an easy kid to babysit, you thought. He liked reading, liked watching movies. He liked putting together puzzles and filling in coloring books – but his favorite thing was to paint.

You left the kitchen and took out some paints and canvases from the closet in the hall.

The door knocked as the kettle whistled. Quickly pouring a cup of tea and sticking a tea-bag in it, you answered the door.

“Hi (Y/N)!” Henry wrapped his arms around your middle, squeezed you with excitement.

“Hi Henry. I put some stuff out in the living room, I thought we could paint together today.” You gave him a warm smile, ruffled his hair.

He bounded into the house, shoes on and all, nothing but bright happiness. You were glad, to see the smile on his face.

The smile that was absent from Charlie’s.

“Come inside?” You asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Your heart thudded in your chest, in your throat. A fast beat that had you anxious, had you stuck. You were both so stuck, weren’t you?

“I can’t.” Charlie whispered back, but his eyes held pain, held a yearning, to step over the threshold and lock the door behind him.

He reached out for your hand, hooked his pinky around yours.

“Come inside anyway?” You prompted, wanting to give him permission. He always needed permission, these days.

“Okay.” He nodded, and stepped inside.

“I made tea, please have some. It’ll make you feel better.” You smiled, handed him the cup in your grasp.

Your dishes always looked so small compared to him, compared to his massive frame. It was a wonder how he managed to look so soft, wrapped up in sweaters and coats and cardigans. His hands curled around the cup.

“I can’t stay long.” Charlie gave you that mournful look again.

“I know. Just one cup?” You asked, and he sighed, relieved, like he had been holding his breath.

“Thank you.” He whispered, like it was some secret, like his gratitude was something to hide.

And it was.

-------------------------

“Do you know why my parents fight all the time?” Henry asked much later, after Charlie had gone and his teacup was in the sink, a ring stained on the bottom that you’d deal with later.

“No, I’m sorry.” You replied.

It was a lie, you knew it was a lie, but you couldn’t say that. You didn’t even know if it was real, if it was anything beyond a figment of your imagination. You didn’t know, so you couldn’t say.

You didn’t like lying to Henry.

“I wish they didn’t, it gives me headaches sometimes.” He was concentrating on his painting, presumably of you.

Sometimes he asked you to sit in his favorite chair, and he would paint your portrait. Sometimes he would ask you to sit in the chair, but he would only paint a part of you – sometimes it was just the chair, other times it was just your nose. He was a great artist, and you were happy for the surprise of what it was going to be this time.

“I wish they didn’t either.” You replied, resisting the urge not to pick your fingernails.

“Your kitchen is blue.” Henry said, apropos of nothing in that way that kids do, where they haven’t yet learned about having a filter, not that Henry needed one.

“Yeah it is, I painted it that color.” You said with a smile, remembering how Charlie had helped you cover the electrical outlets in painters tape, how he had helped carry the gallons of paint from your car when he saw you struggling with the weight of them.

“How come?” He asked, squinting and looking very much like he was taking this particular portrait seriously.

“Because I like blue.” You replied simply.

“Do you paint your kitchen a lot?” He asked with a bit of a giggle, putting down one brush on top of the newspaper spread, and picking up a new clean one.

“Only when I’m bored of the color.” You said, having a bit of a giggle back.

“But you’re not bored of blue?” He asked, and you shook your head.

“Nope, not yet.” You wondered what his fixation on that was.

“Dad likes to wear blue.” Henry said, and suddenly you knew.

It felt like time stood still, felt like you were glued to your chair, glued to the spot.

You wondered if Henry knew, wondered and wondered and wondered.

“Does he?” You managed to croak out, tried your best not to let your voice shake.

“Yeah, sometimes he wears red, or white. But it’s mostly blue.” Henry said this like it was the weather, and maybe to him it was.

Maybe it was.

“What colors do you like?” You asked, wanting to shift the conversation away from Charlie, unable to handle that, not right now. Not right now.

“I like all of them.” Henry said happily, and that was evident by the choice of the paints he chose, wasn’t it?

How he was practically covered in reds and yellows and oranges, hands all spotty with blues and greens. You were glad to have had the foresight to give him a special painting shirt, so he wouldn’t go and ruin his nice clothes.

“There isn’t one you’d like more than all the others?” You asked, and he hummed in deep thought for a while.

“Green – if I could, I’d paint my kitchen green.” Henry said, and you nodded. Green was a good color, you thought.

You didn’t speak for a while, the both of you lost in your own thoughts. Henry was busy painting, he always took a long time, always wanted to get good detail. He worked so hard, this kid, and you always made a big deal about the paintings even when they weren’t very good, even when they were just stick figures drawn in different colors. But Henry didn’t do stick figures anymore, he had graduated to real shapes.

The proportions were never there, but he was a kid, so they didn’t have to be. What was important was that he was having fun. You didn’t think his parents let him paint at their house, probably because it was too messy, which was fair.

Your house was already a bit of a mess, so you didn’t mind too much.

Nicole seemed like the kind of mother who would mind.

You tried not to think about her.

“(Y/N)?” Henry asked, putting his paintbrush down and looking at you.

“Yeah Henry?” You asked, excited to see what new masterpiece he had created.

“Do you think when dad moves out, he’ll paint his kitchen blue?” He asked instead, making your chest just about shatter.

For some reason, you had never considered the possibility of Charlie…moving.

“I don’t know.” You said, voice almost a whisper, caught so off-guard you didn’t know what to do, what to say.

“I like painting.” Henry said, moving on. Maybe he didn’t know either.

“I’m glad, you’re very good at it. Is that piece finished?” You powered through a smile, getting up from your chair and walking over to the spot where Henry had been attacking the canvas.

“Yup! What do you think?” He asked, pride clear all over his face.

It was one of all of you this time, the whole of you, sitting on the chair. Your head and feet just barely made it in frame, and he had drawn you with two left hands, but it was you. You pushed down tears, it wouldn’t do to cry now, not now. Not in front of Henry.

“Hmm, I think it’s the most amazing painting I’ve ever seen! But who could have painted it I wonder?” You asked, picking up the canvas and holding it up to your face, careful not to smear any of the acrylic paint that was still wet.

“Me! I did!” Henry laughed, jumped up and down and reached for the canvas.

“No no no, there’s no signature on the painting, how will the museums ever find out who they should thank for such a masterpiece?” You turned the painting upside down, then right-side up, and then handed it to him.

He quickly grabbed a brush and dipped it into black paint, concentrated very hard as he signed his name.

“There!” He said happily, pointing at it, “H-e-n-r-y.”

“Ah the magnificent Henry, so talented, a true visionary!” You laughed, scooped him up and twirled him around, making him laugh and laugh.

“(Y/N) you’re so silly!” He shook his head at you, and in that moment you realized how this divorce would age him, make him grow up too fast. Already he sounded too old for his age.

“I know, but isn’t it fun to be silly sometimes?” You encouraged, gave him a friendly smile.

“Yeah.” He smiled back, giggled again when you went after him in a tickle fight.

You were putting away the paint supplies and Henry was washing his hands when there was a knock on the front door.

“That would be your dad.” You said, a bittersweet pang in your chest as you left the living room to open the door.

He looked awful, another long day at the courthouse. His eyes were red and glassy, like he had been crying. Charlie had always been a crier.

“Dad! Look, I painted (Y/N)!” Henry bolted across the house, grabbed his painting and held it up proudly for Charlie to see.

“It looks just like her.” Charlie said with a big smile, before picking Henry up and kissing his cheek, asking, “How come you haven’t asked to paint me?”

“Because you’re not pretty like she is.” Henry wriggled out of his grip and ran back into the living room to collect his shoes.

“That’s not fair, he’s very pretty.” You deflected, trying to be lighthearted, trying not to think about the way Charlie looked at you. The way he looked at you like that.

“He’s right – not like you are.” Charlie said, softly, so soft. A secret. “We gotta go, it’s almost time for dinner.” He said a little louder, making Henry groan.

“Aw, okay.” He reappeared, shoes on and painting in hand. He offered it to you with a, “Here.”

“For me? No that’s too good of a painting, you should keep it. That way when you’re famous one day, you’ll remember me.” You said, ruffling his hair once more as he wound his arms around you in a big hug.

“Okay.” He said, and something about the way he said that made tears well up again.

Charlie noticed.

“Henry, why don’t you go ahead home before it gets too dark?” Charlie asked, and Henry nodded.

“’Kay, bye (Y/N)!” He bounded out the door, swinging his painting as he left.

“Bye Henry, see you soon sweetie.” You called after him, biting your lip.

The second Henry was safely inside his own house, Charlie closed the door and pulled you into a deep hug.

Finally, finally you could let the tears slip out, could feel the wetness from Charlie’s own eyes on your shoulder, against your neck as he held you, so tight.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” You gasped, trying to get a grip, trying not to think about him going away, about him leaving, about never seeing him again. You tried not to think about Nicole, which made you feel awful, made you feel so gross, but you tried anyway.

“You want to know the worst part?” Charlie asked, muffled against your neck.

“What?” You asked, terrified, suddenly so afraid, feeling like you were falling like your whole soul was plummeting to the ground.

“If I leave, I’ll be so far away from you.” His shoulders shook, and you held him tighter.

“Oh Charlie.” You cried, and cried and cried and cried.

“For some reason that’s the thing that’s scaring the shit out of me more than anything else.” He said, hands gripping at your back, at your sides.

“I’m never too far away, not for you. You have to know that, Charlie.” You pulled away enough so that you could look into his eyes, see how deep and hurt and filled with pain they were.

“I’m an awful fucking person.” He cursed, but you shook your head, cupped his cheek.

“No you’re not. You’re just a man, who fell out of love with his wife.” You whispered, biting at your own lips to keep them from shaking.

“And into love with his neighbor.” Charlie responded.

He had never said that before, never, to you. You hadn’t even known…hadn’t even guessed, that he could have felt that way about you.

You had hoped, you had dreamed, but it had always felt like something out of a movie, something you didn’t get to have. You didn’t get to have him, because he was already had.

Except now, now he wasn’t.

“Henry wants a green kitchen.” You whispered, hiccupping, trying to reign it in. “Maybe, maybe I can come over one day. Help you paint it.”

“Please?” Charlie asked, and you nodded.

He held you tight, pressed the softest, most bare hint of a kiss to your cheek.

You turned into it, turned against his face, turned against his lips and kissed him back.

For the first time, you felt whole. You knew better.

Nicole was probably waiting.

“You have to go.” You cried, but he held you tighter, too stubborn.

“I don’t want to.” He admitted, and you held him back, pet through his hair. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“I know.” You kissed him again, sighed against his lips, “I know. But you have to.”

Charlie pulled away, looked at you. Really looked at you.

And then he kissed you once more, turned around, and left.

You didn’t know what the hell you were going to do, but you knew one thing for sure – you were tired of your kitchen being blue.

taglist: @dreamboatdriver this is entirely your fault you enabler lol & @adamsnackdriver because of course lol

#reader insert #charlie x reader #marriage story #listen i know the movie isnt out yet #but the trailer made me feel things #!!!#:(#my writing

379 notes · View notes

nutellaninja0001 · 5 years

Note

Hey again, Nutella! I loved your analysis of the lack of Jonsa in the trailer—you’re right, withholding that info will definitely increase the potential for a great Jonsa twist! Is it bad that I kind of want Jon to be deposed just so that we can have a “War of Three Queens”? I’ve been toying with this idea since S6, and if it ever happened I would actually scream—like what a crazy way to see all the badass/scary ladies who have climbed up through the seasons go absolutely ham on each other!!!

Hello, 8011!

First I’d like to say thank you! And I am so glad that you liked it ☺️

To start off, it’s not bad at all. Jon has been a main character since we first met him and he was part of the main 3 as the big baddies of the season.

(Photo not mine)

Jon is a King in his own right but unfortunately last season we didn’t get to see much of how his leadership skills compare to those of the fellow rulers whom he spent most of the season with. Daenerys and Cersei and I think that’s because for the most part, not only was he stuck as a prisoner on a mission of his own, we already know how Jon is as a ruler. We’ve seen him in action as Lord Commander of the NW so we have martial that we can use to see the differences between him and these two queens.

I actually wanna talk a bit about how amazing it would be to see these 3 queens in action and opposing each other.

But there was a 3rd queen added in season 7 who’s leadership skills contrasted drastically with Cersei and Daenerys way of ruling. Sansa’s skills as a ruler blossomed quite beautifully once Jon left her in charge of Winterfell/The North. It left me even more excited for her upcoming storyline once shit really hits the fan. She’s a queen all but in name and her ideologies are nearly poler opposites to the women who claim themselves as queens.

(Gifs not mine. If you see yours and want it either removed or credited, please let me know)

Sansa is managing to get those around her sticking together and working together. She even tells LF that she knows the Northmen are eager to go home and she’s trying her best to hold them down for when the real fight begans. Meanwhile, we have Cersei who finds herself completely alone by the end of season 7. And Daenerys who had the potential to bring more to her cause but due to her arrogance only led to thousands of deaths that could have been crucial in the war against the NK.

Sansa is the only 1 out of the 3 who’s power comes from trust, respect, and love of her people. Daenerys and Cersei only gain their following from fear.

(GIF not mine)

All 3 women know of the threat of the NK and his undead army. Both Cersei and Daenerys have seen it for themselves and still, they let power be their number one priority. Cersei refusing to aid in the war and if Daenerys didn’t get the faux ceasefire from Cersei, who knows if Jon would have been able to convince her North. Meanwhile, Sansa only has the words of Jon and she acknowledges and even defends the threat it poses to them all to LF. Even if she doesn’t particularly agree with Jon, even if she thinks there are more than one threat to their safety, Sansa is willing to put her trust and believe something she’s never even seen for herself. Now I know, she does trust Jon and has more reason to. But the point is Cersei and Dany have seen it and they still won’t give up on the Iron Throne.

(GIF not mine)

Both Cersei and Daenerys yearn for power. They have actively sought it out while Sansa takes it up when power is given to her. But she never sought power for power. And when Bran comes home her first thought is to give her position as Lord of Winterfell to Bran as the next heir. I think in a lot of ways Sansa parallels how Robb and Jon handled power when given to them. They don’t do it for themselves but for their home/duty/loved ones. That’s what makes them so different in so many important aspects of a ruler.

We also have to dilemma with the food. While queens like Daenerys burned the food, and Cersei’s main priority was keeping the Iron Throne all season long, Sansa was storing and prepping for winter. One of the only characters who was actually getting real shit done that went beyond political ambitions.

All 3 have different ideologies and it would be interesting seeing how all 3 would interact with each other. Something I believe Sansa will do next season with both Cersei and Daenerys. I also think the fruit of their labor will be shown with the food supply. Cersei has her gold, no food. Daenerys had her field of fire, no food. And Sansa will be the only one who’s people will not starve.

These women have each come so far. In season 5 alone they were at their lowest and by the end of season 6 they found themselves above their struggles and out on top again. These women are survivors each fighting for something they believe in. Whether that is actually a good thing for them later on is something else entirely. They each have qualities that could make for great rulers and the potential is there. But if their talents are not applied, and personal demons get in the way, I’d love to see how these women clash and when it comes down to the nitty gritty, who’s the queen best for rebuilding the kingdoms and its people after the NK. We already had the war of the Five Kings, bring on the war of the 3 queens!

Thanks for the ask!

#Sansa Stark #cersei lannister #daenerys targaryen

64 notes · View notes

chalabrun · 6 years

Text

the case for nyx & noctis (theory)

Alrighty, so as I’ve peddled through the material, I have a theory: that Nyx and Noctis are much closer than what was insinuated in-game. Granted, while we never really see mention of Nyx beyond a few easter eggs, there’s little proofs I’ve picked up on I think allude to them being closer than what we initially believe.

Regardless of whether you like the idea of Nyx and Noctis being bros in arms, Nyx being a big brother figure, or you were among the bewildered shippers who fell into Nyxnoct hell like I did big time shhh but have no real substance for them knowing each other beyond the mutually superficial belief it’s their status as XV’s protagonists that unites them, here’s something I hope might open your eyes and make you see otherwise.

As usual, due to length I’m going to split this up into parts as it’s going to get wordy:

Parting Ways: The only canon Nyx & Noctis interaction we have (and why it’s substantial)

The prologue: "Drautos, he’s in your hands!”

Did they train together?

Nyx is never mentioned in-game (but why it doesn’t invalidate him)

FFXV: Comrades (the PC, Libertus and Noctis)

Lastly...

Parting Ways: The only canon Nyx & Noctis interaction we have (and why it’s substantial)

If you’re wondering what Parting Ways is, it’s a background script detailing the Chocobros and their interactions with others as they’re getting ready to leave Insomnia and embark on their road trip across Lucis before they finally leave for Altissia where he gets engaged and weds Luna, and the rest is history. However, you’re probably wondering: what was their interaction? Parting Ways is, admittedly, not common fandom knowledge. I, personally, didn’t know about it until very recently.

In the notable section I’m speaking about, Nyx picks Noctis up in the Star of Lucis and ferries him from the Citadel to his apartment so he can begin packing with the others. At first glance, this doesn’t look like anything much. Libertus even bemoans how it’s like they’re expected be to baby-sitters now. Except, this has much more leverage than it appears.

In what world would a mere Kingsglaive be allowed this level of clearance? Regardless of this being a fantasy game or not, even games such as these acknowledge a hierarchy of some sort, especially where royalty is concerned. Even if Noctis would rather have people treat him otherwise, he’s still the Crown Prince. As crown prince, no ordinary person can be entrusted with the task of being chauffeur to royalty. Why might this be?

I think, knowing the nature of Regis’ character and the charge he gave Nyx in a life or death situation, that the king trusts Nyx on a deeply personal level. Despite his many flaws, considering how this was before the turmoil of the invasion, it was under rather peaceful circumstances. Knowing Regis, it’s extremely likely that Noctis and Nyx have known each other. Considering Nyx himself said Regis took him in like one of his own twelve years ago, and sees him as a father figure, this could allude to IC closeness between the two. To an extent that Regis would entrust the task of driving his son on such short notice to Nyx, which would’ve made sense for a Crownsguard to do, but a Glaive? Unthinkable.

Remember: the Crownsguard is the personal guardsmen of the royal family. The Kingsglaive are not. They’re something like a mercenary/soldier unit, but not fit to do something of the likes the should’ve been designated to someone like Ignis or Gladio.

Well, unless Nyx actually knew Noctis beyond this one occurrence. That there was a bond of trust that existed beyond king and glaive. That Noctis himself trusted Nyx enough to be around him, let alone driving his car (Drautos makes a note of this in Kingsglaive).

Remember, Nyx joined the Kingsglaive at the time it was founded twelve years ago; at around the time Tenebrae fell and Noctis was disabled by a Maralith attack. For Regis to think Nyx could get along with his heavily traumatized son doesn’t sound too inane, I think. For them to have fostered a friendship, even.

However, their relationship could stem beyond even that. Though, more on that, later.

The prologue: "Drautos, he’s in your hands!”

Alright, this probably seems extremely insubstantial. It’s just Noctis casually waving his father off one final time, passing the responsibility of his father on to one of his generals. There’s really nothing more to it, right?

Well, kind of. In Kingsglaive, prior to his flagrant betrayal, Drautos is seen with Nyx in Noctis’ car. This suggests another degree of connectivity between Noctis and the Kingsglaive, and by extension, the idea that Noctis likely bore some degree of familiarity with the Kingsglaive beyond them copping use of one of his cars when it was convenient. Granted, it might not look to be much more than that, but remember the above: using the prince’s personal possession, likely a car that was recognizable (that was a “gift” from Audi in the real world for Noct’s 20th birthday), means it would’ve just been more than Regis’ leniency, but likely Noctis’ own familiarity with the Kingsglaive and being alright with them using his personal possessions before.

Again, it might be reading into this too deeply, but remember: the Kingsglaive is the equivalent of Lucis’ standing army, while the Crownsguard is the personal guard. The KG being temporarily reassigned to guard Insomnia during the peace treaty signing isn’t enough to evoke this level of trust. It had to have come from somewhere, that thing likely being Noctis having known not only Drautos, but Nyx as well.

Specifically Nyx, though that comes next.

Omen: Noctis & Nyx’s kukris

What’s like the strongest piece of evidence to my theory is in the Omen trailer. From what we know, it is confirmed that the kukris Noctis is seen using are, in fact, Nyx’s. So, that begs the questions: how did he attain them? Omen, at its root, is simply what would’ve happened if Noctis had left the Crown City on his own. Where the novella of parting ways would’ve been altered. Likely, it might’ve been stripped of the Chocobros’ involvement outside of good-byes, but it’s significant because it makes me wonder where Noctis got Nyx’s kukris at all.

Which leaves me with two theories: Nyx either entrusted his beloved weapons to Noctis--which would make sense since he’d be embarking on his own--or, which would be supported by the fact that Kingsglaive’s production began around 2013...when the transition trailer for Versus to be converted into XV was released that same year. Again, why is this significant? This trailer shows gameplay of Noctis in Insomnia, presumably when the invasion is taking place. Earlier Versus trailers continue to support this as Noctis, in his earliest scenes with Stella, show him in Insomnia as well some footage of he and team-members in the same treaty room where it was to be ratified.

This gives credence to the idea that Nyx and Noctis could’ve met during the invasion, fought together, and saw Nyx give his kukris to Noctis.

Again, the old script changing is a moot point. Where Nyx is concerned, there have been leaks released of a Stella model in Kingsglaive, as well as some concept art and fully-rendered scene.

It takes years for pure CGI to be rendered, even for something as short as the Omen trailer likely took awhile. That a studio outside of Square’s own production was in charge of this likely meant Omen’s production and release fell within the timeline of an older version of the script; an older version where Nyx and Noctis fought side-by-side.

Again, consider this render:

Sure, it might just be for the sake of promotion between both of XV’s protagonists, but this is clearly staged after the invasion of Insomnia. Noctis is wielding one of Nyx’s kukris. Considering it’s confirmed officially the ones in Omen are Nyx’s, again--the likelihood of Omen Noctis having encountered Nyx before or after the invasion and being the inheritor of his iconic kukris seems extremely likely to me.

And what would’ve been required beforehand? Why, for them to have known each other, of course.

Did they train together?

I honestly believe so. Why? Remember: none of the other Chocobros can warp. This ability is unique to line of Lucis and the Kingsglaive, and they’re the only ones we see doing it. The only time we see them do so is a special Chain Link when they embattle the Adamantoise, but otherwise, only Ignis is seen doing so when he puts on the Ring of the Lucii that grants him access to the king’s magic (he even says so when donning it Verse 2 with Ardyn; how he might not be of royal blood, but if a Glaive (Nyx) can--why can’t he? Which alludes to the idea that Ignis can’t warp and like otherwise).

Also, consider these gifs:

This...

...compared to this:

Or even this tactic--

...compared to this:

It’s evident in XV how the Chocobros all have fairly good synergy when fighting one another, what with them having those link strikes and moves that all meld pretty well with each other.

However, I think Noctis having know-how on how to use Nyx’s kukris and emulate his fighting style is inherent, even outside of Omen. Why? When you find Nyx’s kukris in Chapter 14, Noctis already knows how to use them. This isn’t simply a case of his diverse familiarity with a wide range of weapons, but possibly because he’s familiar with them. He trained with all those weapons, so--what if he trained with Nyx’s, too? With the glaive himself? Remember, Omen was merely canon divergent from the time of his departure on. For him to have trained with Nyx before makes perfect sense.

Let’s recap with this:

None of the Chocobros but Noctis can warp outside of unique and limited circumstances.

Therefore, he had to receive his warping training from someone, and given his familiarity with Drautos (who isn’t shown being able to warp in KG) and Nyx, this likely fell to Nyx (also considering Drautos’ duties as both Captain and General Glauca, he likely was too busy to).

Nyx demonstrates many times in KG where Regis places implicit trust not only with the fate of Insomnia, Luna, but even his own son in something as mundane as being driven back to his apartment to pack up. It’s mundane, but given how close Regis was with Nyx, entrusting his son’s training to him makes sense, also.

In short, I think Noctis having received training from Nyx makes the most sense from what I’ve gathered so far.

Nyx is never mentioned in-game (but why it doesn’t invalidate him)

This is much shorter, but you have to wonder: how can this be if Nyx is never mentioned in-game? Thing is, this doesn’t really mean much. Because someone else tremendously important in-game doesn’t mention Nyx, either.

Think of the only person in KG who lived on after Nyx’s sacrifice, who was by his side the entire time, who also was a major character in-game.

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.

As shown here, even though she never once mentions Nyx even by name, she still wore the hair clip he gave her by proxy of Crowe. Meaning? He still had a monumental place in her heart, that she wore it right until she died, and even in the afterlife beyond. So, for Nyx to have had a similarly lasting impression on him isn’t unthinkable.

More proof?

Remember this? From left to right, the corpses are Iedolas, Regis, Luna....and Nyx.

Thing is, why Nyx? Ardyn specifically conjured this with the intention of rattling Noctis. In the wiki, on Nyx’s page it says Nyx’s hanging cadaver was meant to discourage Noctis. Why discourage?

Now, I could understand if Ardyn had a personal fascination with Nyx. However, unlike Luna or Regis, Ardyn never met Nyx in person. He witnessed the destruction of Insomnia, likely heard tale or even saw some of Nyx’s heroism after he donned the ring. So, a personal fascination could make sense in that context.

However, these corpses weren’t chosen for Ardyn’s gratification. They were specifically selected to taunt Noctis. This was an illusion sustained on Ardyn’s magic, after all. Why would he keep them manifested for ten years except on the night of the fateful battle to encourage despair?

Remember: Iedolas was the figurehead of Niflheim, likely a target of Noctis’ hatred. Ardyn hanging him likely could be symbolic of the futility of facing himself, as an all-powerful enemy brought down by Ardyn’s whim would rattle even the most lionhearted hero.

Regis and Luna are no-brainers. Regardless of how you feel about Regis’ actions or Noctluna in general, Noctis loved them implicitly. Regis was his father, and Luna was his fiance. He says he loves them in a monologue and flashbacks before he deals that final blow and the Lucii spear him through.

However...Nyx. The wiki says he was strung up there, too, to discourage Noctis. Again, Iedolas, Regis, and Luna make sense. But for Nyx to be up there, too, can mean only one thing:

That Noctis was close to Nyx in some way, shape, or form. Close in a way the game never reveals, but close nonetheless.

FFXV: Comrades (Libertus and Noctis)

Let’s consider Comrades here, too. Love it or hate it, Comrades is still a part of canon. Now, I believe it’s AU, yes, but like Verse 2 of Episode Ignis it’s still a canon divergence.

Now, the scene I want to draw the most attention to is actually the epilogue.

The interaction I think is the most substantial to this post, in particular, is that of Libertus and Noctis’ interaction. While it may have been brief, what with Noctis exchanging only a few words, it was monumental for Libertus to have been there--to go so far as someone branded a traitor and fight alongside the PC to redeem themselves.

How so? Remember, Libertus was among those glaives who betrayed Regis. I think it’s credible to think, that while Lib’s redemption didn’t happen within KG proper, it was there that it begun--the second he rammed Glauca with that SUV. When he helped Nyx and Luna in fighting him, in getting Luna to safety while Nyx fought in that final battle.

So, for Libertus’ loyalty to have carried that far, feels like direct parallelism between Noctis and Nyx: how their actions changed hearts and mind, and how their sacrifices enabled the world to be saved. As without Nyx, without Noctis, many more people would’ve died. I think Libertus was aware of this, knowing the parallels between Nyx and Noctis and where their actions led them for the sake of the greater good.

It’s even apparent in that secret scene at Hammerhead where Noct and the bros reflect on the glaives’ sacrifice--redeemed traitors or no--and how this likely extended to Nyx’s, as well. For Libertus’ sacrifice, his being there to an awakening Noctis, likely would’ve never happened if not for Nyx.

Lastly...

Do you see the chair Nyx is seated on here? Feel like you’ve seen it before? Look again:

It’s almost identical to the one Noctis sits in here, which brings me to my last, final parallel between them.

That’s because they’re both sitting on a nearly identical throne.

Nyx and Noctis were both kings for a night.

Like how Ignis was able to repeat what Regis had told him as a boy about standing tall, so too did Noctis share the same sentiment of not wanting to have people sacrifice their lives for his sake (in Nyx saying to Regis, “Is this the way of our king? Sacrificing Lucian sons to save his own?” Noctis said something to the same effect in the Lucii’s tomb to Cor).

Wielding the power of the Ring, summoning the Old Wall, Nyx did what no non-Lucian king has done before--maybe not originally since its first designation. For Nyx to have summoned the old wall alongside the magic and powers he wielded--compared to Glauca’s magitek-enhanced own--is spellbinding. In doing this, Nyx became a king for a night. He achieved the highest respect from Regis, who saw him as a worthy inheritor of the Lucii’s power second only to Noctis, the True King. Compared those previously, even Ignis wasn’t able to summon this much power, even if he was able to stop Ardyn in his tracks and facilitate Noctis surviving (if you go by Verse 2), Nyx gave himself selflessly. He perished by the dawn’s first light.

In exactly the same way Noctis does.

Both men wore the ring for selfless reasons, and gave their lives so the people of Eos could live to see the dawn breaking. Between them, the weight of their sacrifices is unquantifiable. What they did for Lucis cannot hope to be replicated after, that much I am certain as even canon shows.

And it is for this reason that I believe Noctis and Nyx knew each other, and why their connection cannot be overlooked by anyone.

#nyx ulric #noctis lucis caelum #nyxnoct #nyx x noctis #my headcanon

13 notes · View notes

thechurchillreview · 6 years

Photo

Contains minor SPOILERS.

Cala Maria gif courtesy of @casioonaplasticbeach.

The debut game of Studio MDHR is the completely hand drawn 1930s cartoon inspired Cuphead for the Xbox One and PC. Particularly the Fleischer Studios short starring Bimbo known as Swing You Sinners! (1930). For example, Cagney Carnation’s idle animation is one a ghost has in it. A later significant donnybrook borrows from that cartoon’s aesthetic and characters too. There’s visual grain filter and simulated 24 fps too! There’s a deliberate color inconsistency between Cuphead’s design and the hues for his victory screen: a commonality found with older cartoons. An Inkwell Isle II boss character speaks with a Porky Pig inspired stutter whilst possessing a moniker close to a famous animator’s (Grim Natwick). Natwick, in real life, spoke with a stutter, making a double reference to cartoon history.

As a cartoon fanatic and a seeker of run and gun games, I had to check out Cuphead for sure!

On Xbox One.

My name is OrchardBlossom.

Cuphead has been in development for seven years and is the final result of seven people animating it is beyond mind blowing. Their names are Chad Moldenhauser, Danielle Johnson, @jake-clark, Thomas “Smo” Smolenski, @habihanna, Joseph Coleman, and Tina Nawrocki. Take a bow y’all! *Throws roses, kisses, glitter, and confetti*

Cuphead, is, as cliche as it sounds, a dream come true for me.

The moment I tried the Sony Imagesoft (publisher) and Traveller’s Tales (developer) Sega Genesis game Mickey Mania in the early 90s, I’ve been relentlessly searching and totally craving another release that utilized hand drawn animation that pulls from classic cartoons. In it, Mickey Mouse can toss marbles at foes and his HP that’s represented by fingers on his glove is 5. The player goes from left to right avoiding by jumping over or trouncing adversaries. Mickey Mania’s opening level is the culturally and genre significant Steamboat Willie (1928) and a later one is a favorite of mine known as The Lonesome Ghosts (1937). Often I’d avoid enemies and not proceed so I could soak in the game’s distinctive visual aesthetic for a second longer. Similarly, I’d prolong a couple of clashes in Cuphead for that very same reason. Despite never winning against the final fight in that damned The Prince and the Pauper (1990) stage, that Mickey Mouse game still retains a special place in my heart. In fact, when taking a slight break from Cuphead I fired up my Sega to only lose against Captain Pete…Again.

25% of Cuphead features run and gun stages that bring to mind Mega Man, Contra, Gunstar Heroes, Metal Slug, and Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. Your introductory HP is 3 and can be higher if you sacrifice the strength of your weapons via purchased charms. Charms are bought using Coins found in levels and around the hub islands of Inkwell Isle.

With this currency, charms or weaponry can be bought at Porkrind’s Emporium. For instance, the Smoke Bomb Charm makes your dodge waaaay more efficient. The Coffee Charm is ideal for plane boss battles since you cannot make your Shrink dodge any better in them: this allows you to obtain Super Arts of powered up techniques faster. Cuphead’s basic projectile weapon is known as the Peashooter. The boomerang-like Roundabout is your best bet against most bosses if you’re adept at facing the opposite and firing it. Chaser is a weak homing weapon that’s perfect for boss battles that require both tricky and constant dodging (like the final phase of queen bee Rumor Honeybottoms). Experiment with your six firing weapon selections and find what’s the most comfortable for you though. Remember that Cuphead and Mugman can fire while ducking/moving and their firing angle can be adjusted.

Likewise, in a plane, one can use the gun or bombs. I didn’t realize this until late in the game, ha ha!

The remaining 75% of Cuphead consists of brimming with personality and creativity boss battles alongside some toe-tapping worthy jazz-infused tracks. Cuphead is a game that takes patience, analyzing patterns, learning to properly parry (leads to the capability of utilizing stronger weapon moves and Super Art techniques), knowing when to stop firing versus dodge some more, ducking, and changing your weapon set or Super Arts when necessary. Now, it is possible to hold down the fire button and switch between weapons on the fly. I personally found it overwhelming, an additional challenge of sorts, that made it increasingly harder to accurately concentrate during either run and gun stages and boss battles.

So, in Cuphead, you will die a lot. I guarantee it. I died 1111 times beating it on Normal mode alone. I didn’t give up nor go above 3 HP. It was immensely satisfying when I won against everything.

But I feel this by design: the game’s mechanics are solid and each time I lost I didn’t blame Cuphead since everything is clear. Trial and error is in the game’s DNA. Controls aren’t an issue essentially. They’re quite responsive, so each failure unquestionably feels like my fault. If an attack or enemy isn’t pink, it cannot be parried, so it must be avoided or slain. The directions in which bosses bombard you don’t change at all (besides after a phase alteration where new moves are still very much broadcast)…The order isn’t consistent however. And my advice is to always stay on guard. Sometimes, the smartest attack is to wait though.

Whenever you do lose, a progress bar is unveiled about how dismal or great your overall performance was. Along with a taunting quote from a boss. Like Wally Warbles, a Woody Woodpecker colored bird says, “Even without my feathers, you’re in for stormy weather!” Talk about adding insult to injury! This actually compelled me to keep going. I wasn’t deterred because I learned from my errors and mistiming mistakes until I won. I can defeat some of the initially seemingly impossible boss battles without taking a hit now.

In short, Cuphead is tough yet fair in my eyes.

Alas where it falters most is the usage of two boys as our protagonists. I get that is supposed to be a homage to Mickey Mouse (with a hint of Felix the Cat?) and the long forgotten Oswald the Lucky Rabbit with each sporting said famous character’s colors/gloves. That’s cool I guess.

Still, not Cuphead and his sister? Because it isn’t like Betty Boop isn’t that famous or anything right? Or how about neither a guy or girl? They’re anthropomorphic characters with a cup and a mug for heads! Why solely men…?

Cuphead is a tale of owing a debt to the Devil through gambling. They are forced to collect soul contracts from the lives of others the Devil and Dice King’s casino have corrupted. Or lose their own lives instead as grisly punishment. The minimalist plot is conveyed through a excellently done storybook motif. I prefer Cuphead’s bro Mugman who told him to stop gaming when the Devil challenged him.

Mugman’s the one I never get to play as. XD

Yes, despite the game creators (Chad and Jared Moldenhaur, brothers) stating Cuphead wanted to avoided a damsel in distress narrative as the main one a.k.a. a retro concept that should stop being the norm. However, there’s a small juxtaposition between this and Cuphead writer Evan Skolnick. In Cuphead, women are unfortunately in short supply. The most prominent recurring one (Legendary Chalice) is literally trapped and has to be saved to unlock the powerful Super Art abilities located in the Inkwell Isle Mausoleums. I mean our introduction to her in the game is the word “HELP” with an exclamation mark for emphasis. Saving her grants you more useful Super Arts that assist in stage and boss fights, but aren’t necessary to beat the game. To achieve victory, the player must parry all of the spectral threats to release the straw-halo spirit from a repeated prison thrice times throughout the course of your journey.

For some reason, a celebatory background statue of her can be seen in Rugged Ridge, suggesting her character was once one of considerable prominence in this game’s world (or storyline I suggest). My real query is why the Legendary Chalice has “legendary” in her name in the first place? So, why couldn’t she of been similar to a Great Fairy from the Legend of Zelda series then? As the protagonist Link, you locate the Great Fairy fountains and she gives you something for the effort. Or what if the Mausoleum parry challenges were meant to prove that Cuphead and Mugman are worthy to own the sacred Super Arts Legendary Chalice has in her possession?

I sincerely wish her character’s background had been suitably expanded on. Like maybe she sees potential in them for completing the Mausoleums in Inkwell. Perhaps her role in the game could of had more meaning? How it stands with Legendary Chalice simply plays into a classic video game trope I’ve always loathed. The damsel in distress the Moldenhauser bros tried to not use.

Others women talk to you in the hub world or ask for assistance in some way. Like a fish fishing, for one! How wonderfully weird. Is she a cannibal by chance?

What remains are bosses. Ahem, how few there are that is, yeah. Out of twenty plus bosses only seven feature women with five being the actual focus.

The introduction to planes battle has Hilda Berg: an Olive Oly zeppelin that transforms into the constellations Taurus and Sagittarius (they are coded/drawn as men) during the fight. Another is a drunken martini glass that’s part of an alcoholic beverage trio you might contend with. The Domino mini-boss has two halves: the top is a hat and bow while the bottom is a skirt with that same bow serving as hers. This half has distinct lashes and red heels as well. There’s the Betty Boop sound effect laden Cala Maria, the gigantic mermaid seen in each trailer for the game’s release. Sally Stageplay is the most memorable for me with her battle taking place in a theatre with a live audience: it opens with a wedding and has her theatre husband in the background not contributing to the fight while trying to take care of a baby. There’s the aforementioned Rumor Honeybottoms, in an intense scenario which pushes you to your platforming and parrying limits. My favorite in terms of concept to execution is in the Inkwell Isle II level Sugarland Shimmy! She is called Baroness von Bon Bon.

Here’s an intriguing fact: the singer for the seemingly masculine Cab Calloway influenced antagonist Dice King is sung by Alana Bridgewater (her vocals are fantastic!).

All in all, I recommend Cuphead. The indie darling is an equally exhilarating and addictive game with a superb soundtrack to boot! On top of that, Cuphead’s nods to video games and animation history are an impeccable fusion I couldn’t get enough of. Cuphead’s fun and challenge is raised with a friend on-board for the surreal worth taking ride. You can revive your teammate for a price (they return with 1 HP left and any subsequent revivals become increasingly harder to pull off) through parrying their ghost or taking HP (Like a thief…Blargh. ) from one another upon dying in boss battles or levels.

Oh, there is indeed a lower difficulty, but the developers will sadly not let you truly finish the game if you select it. Bosses lack entire phases and overall health. Locking content in this manner does disappoint and irk me for those that desire the full Cuphead experience. Especially for those that are already put off by the game’s difficulty curve as a whole from the get-go. Since part of Cuphead’s joy is seeing so much creative and stunning animation lovingly crafted on display. Listening to new music. Drinking in the atmosphere prior to being killed for the umpteenth time due to miscalculating a parry or boss attack. This is lost for those that choose Simple. *Sighs despondently*

As are the game’s wonderful secrets I won’t divulge here.

On the other hand, folks should give Simple Mode a gander to check out lost animation Normal and Hard Mode doesn’t have. ;)

A PSA for those seeking an A rank on the Run and Gun stage Funfair Fever! Um, there’s a glitch in the game that won’t allow this achievement. Meaning, you have to conquer it with a P (Pacifist: only parrying, no shooting) rank as an alternative. I spent hours attempting to secure an A rank to no avail until I succeeded with the P rank I needed towards earning a game secret. This has just been patched.

My recommendation for Cuphead would be loftier if gender representation had been better and Simple Mode had encompassed all of the game. It doesn’t. You’re mocked by Dice King and that doesn’t seem right to me. No one deserves to be made fun of for playing something that is meant to be purely entertainment.

My feelings towards the red skinned turban wearing genie magician guy in the game bother me as well. Like he’s time period accurate and ultimately offensive. Should of done some in-depth research before posting this. :(

P.S. Dr. Kahl, is named after animator Milt Kahl, but modeled after Sonic’s Dr. Ivo Robotnik and Mega Man’s Dr. Wily. You’ve been warned. So many deaths were caused by him. So. Many. Losses. *Shudders*

111 notes · View notes

crasherfly · 3 years

Text

If ever there’s been a week to Never Tweet, it’s been this one.

Never Tweeting is an art.

It is so much harder to Never Tweet than it is to simply tweet like mad.

And folks...this week, I could feel it. I had no shortage of takes that I tweeted, immediately rolled my eyes at, and hauled back in.

I want my online presence to be about celebrating, enthusing and sharing the things I love with others.

I want to disconnect from the constant, algorithmic anger of the internet and provide a space where for just_one_minute we don’t have to try to one up each other’s takesmanship.

It’s easy to show up and interact when someone is angry. I have no shortage of followers and well-wishers who only_show_up when I’m Mad_Online*tm.

They’re nowhere to be found when I’m feelin’ good.

I don’t begrudge it. Anger will always be the more cathartic tone to hook into.

And honestly? I’m GOOD at being angry. My writing tone is sharper. More focused. I can summon all sorts of anger- sad anger- hopeless anger- righteous anger, you name it. I was born and bred in Gawker’s internet hivemind. I had anger BEATEN into me.

But after being hooked into that stuff for the better part of a decade, I want to provide a healthier alternative.

This week I struggled to do that.

But I think I’m getting better at it.

I think I’ll always struggle to project earnest positivity. That’s just who I am. I don’t smile in pictures. My voice doesn’t project warmth on a phone. My first response in most group chats is the Kermitpls emote. It can’t be helped.

But I also know my therapist was right when she pointed out that it isn’t IMPOSSIBLE- ‘cuz I’m at my warmest, my kindest, my most curious and open- when I’m sharing about the things that bring me joy.

When I talk about a video game I’ve been playing.

When I share an anime gif of a new series I’m obsessed with.

When I send a youtube link for some no name trap artist I just discovered.

In the past I’ve struggled with toeing the line between sharing and critiquing.

I don’t think I’m a critic.

Most art is just black magic to me. I couldn’t do what these people do. I’ve tried and failed. Even the worst and most cliche storywriter in the film or video game world has already made it steps and bounds further than I likely ever will.

But I do believe I have a gift. I believe I can give voice to the experiences I love. I can tell you about the exact moment an anime monologue hit me or a gaming experience clicked for me and you’ll understand where I’m coming from. I can be excited about something and make that feel palpable for others. I can share that experience and relate it back to my identity and maybe convince you to take a shot at it for yourself.

I took a week off from these Tumblr’s ‘cuz I simply couldn’t think of something to write that would reflect that. We were knee deep in so many different Discourses that just thinking about writing made my head spin.

But as I took my time away from writing, all I could do was continue to file away little experiences for future use in the Weekly Update.

I don’t think these are special. I don’t think I’m a special writer. But I couldn’t keep away from this if I tried. I have to write- something- anything. And really, that’s the best and only reason anyone should do the damn thing.

So let’s stop talking about it and just dive right in.

Cyberpunk 2077

Yeah, we’re gonna go ahead and acknowledge the elephant in the room.

I bought Cyberpunk 2077 just an hour or two ahead of the release. I had made it YEARS without buying into hype. But my friends were hype, 2020 has been a beast, and the allure of a enormous, high-fidelity open world to explore managed to tag me for sixty bucks at the last second.

Oh, how much a couple extra hours of patience would have made.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it- the tech issues are exactly what you’ve been reading about. Unplayable is not an overstatement. After the most recent patch, I’d upgrade that to “barely tenable”.

I’ve put in somewhere around 4 hours of play. I’ve knocked out a couple of missions and taken some time to explore Night City and take in the sights. I do my best to grin and bear the technical issues, but it’s likely that I won’t earnestly complete my visit to Night City until I have a Series X. This has nothing to do with the content or gameplay- everything to do with the fact that the raw chop of the experience leaves my eyes strained and my head dully aching.

Is Cyberpunk 2077 good?

I have no idea. I haven’t really played it. It’ll likely be years before I’ll have a chance to play it as its developers intended.

I think if a large percentage of players were being honest they would say the same thing. I don’t think any of us know if this will ultimately be a positive experience.

It certainly doesn’t feel like the experience that was promised, but as I learned with my recent revisit of Red Dead Redemption 2, time is a helluva thing. A year or two years from now- we may not remember the buggy launch, the hardware scarcity, or the many other controversies surrounding Cyberpunk 2077, instead only being left with an incredibly intricate playground open world that seems like an impossible gift in digital artistry.

Or that end-vision may never materialize, and we’ll only be left with a monument to the many unnecessary follies that this hype train has foisted upon all of us.

I do know that the uncertainty has brought out the worst in most of us, and no promise of a shining digital city on the hill is worth what we are putting each other through.

Someday, I plan to actually experience the wonders of Night City. The highest fidelity stills I’ve seen evoke the wonder I felt as a kid when I experienced moments of graphical benchmarks- playing Doom or Goldeneye for the first time, or seeing the trailer for Halo, or exploring Fallout 3′s massive wasteland and swearing games couldn’t look any better than this. I want to experience that moment for myself. Who wouldn’t?

But it’s gonna be a while. That seems unbelievable, given how long we’ve had to hear about the promise of this title. But it’s a fact we’re all gonna have to get used to. Despite being out in the wild, Cyberpunk 2077 is still, largely, an unknown quantity, and we all need to get on healthy terms with that status quo for the time being.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection

After reading this excellent piece on Polygon regarding the history of Street Fighter III, I picked up the 30th Anniversary Collection on a whim.

I’ve never been good at Capcom fighters. They’ve always been too fast and I could never get inputs exactly right. Too often it would devolve into button mashing, with supers and hypers being expelled purely by accident.

But lately I’ve been trying to better learn retro fighters, partly because of Spriteclub, and partly because I want to challenge myself to learn something new.

I’ve had some moderate success with this collection, but it’s pretty dependent on WHICH Street Fighter I end up playing. There are 12 to choose from, spanning the first 3 games of the series.

I’ve had the best luck with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. The action is fluid, the command input more forgiving. It’s also just a gorgeous game to look at. The art of the Street Fighter series (and other retro fighters) is something I’ve come to really appreciate this year.

I think my favorite actual roster is Street Fighter Alpha 3, which contains the most familiar faces of the series. It’s also deeply difficult. But I’ve learned that short of picking up a mod or hacked rom of these games, the only way to learn is being tossed to the vicious AI wolves of the past.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use my fight stick with this collection, lacking the correct USB hub for the connection. I’m looking into rectifying that, ‘cuz so far this has been a great way to pick up a series that as a kid I largely missed out on.

Grab Bag of Other Experiences

Beyond those two experiences, I’ve mostly been gaming in small bursts.

I’m still off and on with Crusader Kings 3. I’ve learned how to create custom rulers and have done a few runs playing as what is essentially a living god. What I’ve learned is that even as a superhuman...being successful in the middle ages is pretty freaking hard. Even if you tame countless armies and bring swaths of territory under your command AND live for at least 120 years- eventually, your greatest enemy won’t be a military or an economy- but your own impossibly convoluted line of succession.

I tried Nintendo Online with some friends Friday night. We played Mario and a few other NES games. The input lag was present but bearable. The experience is confined to two participants, which is a shame because it would be easy enough to add extra spots for spectating or even hot sea depending on the game. But still, it worked, and for Nintendo...that’s about all we can ask.

I’m still working through Hitman 2. I’m on the expansion content now. I’m close to maxing out The Golden Handshake. Two more levels after this, and then I’ll move on to the sniper missions.

I picked Fire Emblem: Three Houses up briefly. I finished some skirmish battles before getting overwhelmed and quitting. I adore Fire Emblem, but I’m an absolute perfectionist when it comes to unit class pathing and with the addition of the new DLC characters, everything is out of whack. I need to freshen up on what my ultimate master class pathing will be for everyone...and then I’ll pick it back up.

I tried Fall Guys today. I was bored. I thought it’d be a fun way to kill some time. I failed to qualify for 3 of my first 4 opening rounds. Either the game has gotten harder or the community is just that savvy now. It felt like no one else ever missed a jump or hit a wall. I eventually put the game down in frustration.

Anime

If my gaming lists have seemed a little light lately, it’s because I’ve actually been putting in time with my first love, anime.

Jujutsu Kaisen

We’ve gone from intriguing to straight fire. Beautiful action scenes are finally finding actual human connections to really make them sing. A true antagonist has finally appeared and the plot appears to finally be accelerating- though it was fairly brisk to start with.

This is shaping up as my favorite shonen of the year.

No Guns Life

Seven ep’s in and this story is still killing it. We’re getting deeper into the tangled web of dark military groups and hyper-capitalist research companies. All the pieces haven’t fallen into place quite yet, but half the fun is getting there.

If you’re looking to soothe your post-Cyberpunk blues, this story of cybernetics run amok might be just the jam you’re looking for.

Fire Force

Fire Force season 2 is finally in the books. It’s last ep was a doozy. It’s impossible to evaluate just how good this season was, because it was largely in service to set up for season 3. We met A LOT of new characters- and lost a few too.

So much happened in season 2 that it’ll be necessary to rewatch ahead of the eventual season 3 (yet to be confirmed, somehow?). A lot of what’s to come will determine just how special season 2 ends up being.

I’ll say this much:

There is no anime out there right now that is given as much life and individuality in its animation as Fire Force is. Sometimes, I wish the many moving parts would just get out of its own way and just let the show soar as high as its visuals want it to, but it seems we’ll have to wait just a bit longer to see if it can reach that potential.

Fist of the North Star

Holy SHIT Fist of the North Star.

Somehow, I’d never heard of this absolutely bonkers dark fantasy until joining Spriteclub. But I’m so glad I did, ‘cuz just WOAH.

Okay, the pitch:

Earth, 19xx. Nuclear wars have left the planet uninhabitable. Water is the most valuable resource, and people kill or worse for it. Think like, Mad Max, or Fallout, and you’ll get the idea.

A lone wanderer named Kenshiro goes from town to town with no objective in mind. Plagued by the memories of a past life and blessed with incredible strength, martial arts prowess, and magic, the plot follows his movements from village to village as he tries to keep food in his belly, water close at hand and a roof over his head, all while paying heed to his intense sense of violent justice, of course.

This is an older anime, airing in 1984. I was surprised by how emotionally intense it was. It didn’t hold back its punches (pun slightly intended). The tragic life of the post-apocalypse is graphic and brutal. Ken’s foes are as ruthless as their victims are helpless. And Ken’s fight sequences, thrilling in their rendering, are still enough to make audiences of today gasp.

It’s a brutal show, but it never feels overpowering in its bleakness. Ken follows a strict moral code that always errs on the side of goodness and justice, following in the footsteps of many other lone vanguards of the post-apocalypse. So, even as the plots are often dark, we always leave the story with the feeling that eventually, Ken is going to find a way to make this right.

If nothing else, he leaves a few less bad guys standing than he did before.

0 notes

iamcinema · 4 years

Text

IAC Reviews #015: R.S.V.P (2002)

Well, I suppose it’s safe to say that leaving the city isn’t going to do us much good with avoiding trouble. I guess if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em I suppose. I heard there’s a crazy party going on and we’re invited to join in on the fun. Let’s see what they’re up to and if it’s worth it. Just be sure to practice your social distancing and keep your masks on, and I’m sure we’ll be just fine.

_______________________________________

For this, we’re going to go back a-ways to the mid 2000s when FearNet was still around and if you were like me, you’d find yourself turning to it for a quick fix of the flavor of the week - which was typically lesser known or underrated slasher films or B to Z-grade horror films; like that from Troma. It was around here that I’d soak up what I could on long, boring summer nights and I was usually in for something halfway decent if I not only never heard of it before, but it appeared that a lot of people on IMDb didn’t either judging from the sparse reviews and next to no posts on the message boards. Along with today’s feature, this would include others like The Curve (1998), Cherry Falls (2000), My Little Eye (2002), Taboo (2002), Zombie Nation (2004), and S&Man (2006).

R.S.V.P is a 2002 dark comedy / suspense film, depending on who you ask, written and directed by Mark Anthony Galluzzo, who didn’t go on to do a whole lot in his career. Our story centers on a psychology student, Nick, with a obsession with true crime who invites his old friends and professor over for a fun night at his apartment where the only party game they’ll be playing is murder. It stars some familiar faces, like that of Jason Mewes, Reno Wilson, Rick Otto, Jonathan Banks, and the late Glenn Quinn. If you have a weakness for slasher oriented films from 90s to the early 2000s, then you might already be on board from the trailer alone; both with it’s general concept and how, even in 2002, the 90s are still carrying on in spirit. It’s almost nostalgic in a way, conjuring up memories at the movie theater with the black light carpeting, the smell of overpriced buttered popcorn, and the deafening THX logo opener. But, the question now is if that sweet nostalgia comes with a bitter aftertaste that’s hard to swallow.

R.S.V.P In One Gif:

Okay, so maybe this is going to be a bit harsh given what I have to say next. But, bear with me for a moment.

________________________________________

Watching RSVP is a lot like sinking in lava. You think you’d abruptly catch on fire, but instead you sink slowly as you burn up due to the density of it. After all, we’re talking about molten rock here. This is the definition of a slow burner film if I’ve ever seen one and I know for some, that’s a hard pitch to sell because it can feel like scenes drag on and on for too long. I’ve griped about this in the past with films like Las Vegas Bloodbath (1989) with all the filler content and how the third act is like pulling teeth to blow through because it feels like nothing is happening. Well, in this case nothing of importance is happening.

So, what’s the deal with this then? The bulk of the film surrounds our protagonist, well antihero is probably a better title for him, Nick and his obsession with serial killers as a psychology student and how one would orchestrate the perfect crime. This discussion and obsession comes to ahead with two others early on; his professor Hal Evans and friend Jimmy, alongside a reoccurring theme of referencing and discussing true crime - with the 1924 Leopold and Loeb case being a subject of interest for Nick specifically due to the nature and legacy of the murder. Oh, and holy hell does this movie show how much it aged since the film was likely in production just as Gary Ridgeway was identified as the Green River Killer.

From here, we get a taste of who we’ll be stuck with for the next 90 minutes and I can’t say for sure if this is a party I’d stick around for, as it becomes almost another drunk/stoner college kid flick. I won’t say a ton about who is who and their relationships to each other to avoid straying too far into spoiler territory because just about all of it is strung together by foreshadowing. While there’s no surprise who our killer is, the suspense and mystery comes in the form of the motivation and when or if Nick will get caught while on his killing spree. The film has been compared to Hitchcock’s style of suspense in a few ways, and it reminds me of an example he made about suspense vs surprise with a bomb under a table;

“...In the first case we have given the public fifteen seconds of surprise at the moment of the explosion. In the second we have provided them with fifteen minutes of suspense. The conclusion is that whenever possible the public must be informed. Except when the surprise is a twist, that is, when the unexpected ending is, in itself, the highlight of the story.“

Unfortunately from here on out, there doesn’t feel like a whole lot to comment on beyond some minor exposition that links everyone together; such as three of the friends being in a band and there being some tension between some bitter ex-lovers. It’s more so just scene after scene of things happening and it feels like a drag, even if the metaphorical bomb is lurking just around the corner, which can have you just barely holding out for what the next murder will be and even then it’s hard to say if it was well worth the wait. The acting is a somewhat mixed bag and many of the characters are forgettable. It’s not the absolute worst I’ve ever seen, but not many of them did much to hold my interest enough to care if they lived or died.

Also, did I mention how strange the music choice is? We have moments where we have 90s electronic style beats, and then we cut to what I think is “Habanera” from Carmen and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker. I don’t get it. It’s kind of weird and a bit goofy if I’m being honest for the general tone it’s going for - unless that just plays into the dark, satirical comedy aspect. Speaking of which, some moments (especially the murders) are like a fine grilled ham and cheese sandwich with the payoff that I’m sure Patrick Bateman himself would recognize.

If I had to give one decent thing to say about it, it’s that the final act is probably the film’s strongest suit since the first ten minutes with our final chase and a further look into Nick’s psychology with understanding his methods of madness. I will say that while doing some research on this, I came across information about an alternate version of the film where we learn that Nick wasn’t the only person with blood on his hands. However, these scenes were removed due to confusing test audiences, but they can be found on the DVD. According to IMDb, this given more significance in a scene that plays during the credits, but I’m sure you could fit those pieces together on your own with how the final act plays out as a whole. But, I will say I wonder what I’m missing out on and if it parallels the Leopold and Loeb case; especially with how certain film adaptations were a bit heavy handed with focusing on LGBTQ themes, and given what we see unfold, it did pique my interest a bit.

________________________________________

So, now we’re here. The party is over and the dead are waiting to be picked up. Where do I stand on this one? I recall when I saw this years ago that I didn’t exactly care for it and I rated it 3/10. I thought the characters were bland and uninteresting, it was too hammy for my general liking for being classified as a dark comedy, and I didn’t really care for the pay off. It was a major blur, and I suppose that’s telling to how invested I was in it. But, now we’re here close to 15 years later and something had to change, right?

Well, sort of. I guess it’s just more so telling that my own niche hobbies and interests are bleeding into things and why I have a guilty enjoyment for things like The Curve (1998) and the August Underground trilogy (2001-2007) and it’s focus on true crime, murder, and the concept of the true perfect crime. It was neat to look back on, even if it was just brief glimpses of the criminal psychology discussions. I still don’t particularly care too much for most of the characters, mostly the members of Whiskey Dick. The kills themselves are okay when they’re done well, but a good portion of them are cut to white so you miss all the action. The film is relatively bloodless as well, which is something I felt let down by, as the goriest scene happens in the opening and it’s downhill from there for the most part as far as that’s concerned.

Overall, this is just meh to me. I wouldn’t call it atrocious, but it’s not good either, not even by Saturday night popcorn flick standards. It’s a okay watch if you’re bored and don’t have much else going on, just don’t expect anything worthwhile even for the times. There’s better films from the era out there, but there’s also worse...so much worse.

RATING: 4/10

0 notes

nothingneverforever · 4 years

Text

The Half of It (2020)

Okay so first of all….. this is the best movie ever in the whole world….

I mean it..!!!!!

I cried watching the trailer for it, because immediately it felt like exactly what I needed after Never Have I Ever (review <here> – unfortunately I will be referring a fair bit to the series in this review).

The Half of It (Half) felt something like an antithesis to NHIE, if you will. This is a teen love story that is pure in both meanings of the word: purity in its wholesome, innocent, raw, simplicity of emotion and feeling and love, and purity in terms of unadulterated content perfectly suitable for its context, everything so appropriate and coherent and in-place i.e. no dumb jokes where they are not needed (in fact no dumb jokes at all), no pandering to any audience, no desperation to appear logged-on by referencing any internet culture… Unlike NHIE which rams internet culture down our throats, Half is so much more relatable because of the lack of it. A timeless classic, some might even say.

Really… this was so so so … I want to think of another word for pure because that itself is such an internetty word lol. Hmm.. this was just so genuine I guess? It reminded me of what early 2000s indie teen romances were striving toward but could only ever grasp at in futility because they tripped over their untied laces in the process. The untied laces representing the pretensions the narratives often got caught up in, aiming for cool and subversive or off-beat but ultimately remaining unrelatable, unrealistic and lacking soul in all its quirkiness. Something that comes to mind for example is Submarine (2010) by Richard Ayoade? I dunno, I never watched it cos it was too annoyingly annoying for me so I don’t even know why I’m bringing it up at all lol, but I know that even as a teen I could tell that it’s self-awareness just translated as self-consciousness and what is intended as delicate and niche just ends up being too loud in its non-mainstreamness… do you know what I mean? That kind of movie where the indieness is too indie and its just fucking annoying? Again, I’ve never seen Submarine so I’m not quite sure I’m even hating on the right thing (in fact I just tried to watch the trailer for it and its so gross omg) but basically what I’m getting at is that The Half of It is absolutely not that kind of coming-of-age film. Because it rocks… af.

Right, so here are the synopses for this lovely film, directed by Alice Wu:

- When smart but cash-strapped teen Ellie Chu agrees to write a love letter for a jock, she doesn't expect to become his friend - or fall for his crush.

- A shy, introverted student helps the school jock woo a girl whom, secretly, they both want.

Gonna do some character introductions because I shall be referring to them specifically a little. Actually, you know what, maybe just watch the trailer? Because it’s just… fucking good… but also because then my review will make more sense I hope!

youtube

Do you feel the overwhelming pureness, the simplicity? I dunno, I don’t have much to compare this to, but are all ‘good’ coming-of-age / teen romance films these days of this mood, are they this solemn (yet fun…), do they all do their characters this must justice by giving us wholes of their lives, their environments, their homes, their after-school selves? I doubt it…

(later on once I’ve established more that is great about this film, I’ll compare it to some other works that the tone of this one reminds me of)

OKAY SO

Ellie Chu, the Chinese-American protagonist, writes hundreds of essays for basically everyone in school, for a fee, to support her single father who’s the manager of the train station. Then Paul, the guy, enlists Ellie’s help in writing a love letter to the girl he’s in “love” with, Aster the great beauty (who’s also other things obviously). So Ellie, pretending to be Paul, writes letters to and converses via some secret messaging app with Aster, who Ellie herself also has deep feelings for, feelings which only grow with these interactions. Paul, not knowing about Ellie’s feelings, is caught unawares when he realizes Ellie’s truth. So these are the three main characters whose lives and thoughts we follow, and my first comment is that they are incredibly compelling characters! It’s really rare for me to like one character in a film to this extent, but here I found myself enjoying all three of their journeys, found myself relating to thoughts, wanting to be brought along with them all the way, individually and together.

So if one had to simplify the plot, it could perhaps be described as a love triangle. And about this triangle, what I like the most and what I found to move the story along so well was how clear everything was to us from the start. From the moment Aster’s name is uttered* to Ellie (when Paul asks Ellie for a letter to Aster), it is clear that Ellie is in love with her. There’s no sudden realization later on in the movie, there’s no unfurling of sexuality or conflicted thoughts – Ellie knows her feelings (or rather, has known), knows herself, and so do we. And it was... really refreshing and nice? To immediately be thrown into the triangle knowing all the stakes involved, all the feelings apparent. And I liked this too at first because I thought it would be you know, like those utopian-type film-world where sexuality isn’t an issue, where Ellie’s love for Aster would be a problem insomuch as she was in love with her friend’s love interest and not because she was in love with a girl. Because Ellie’s hush over her own her feelings, her furtive looks (like in the toilet scene -gif below- omg fucking epic scene I’m cryinggg) toward Aster, and other hidden manifestations of her love for Aster are all in line with her introverted personality, coherent with how she’s lived her whole live in privacy and isolation. So the hidden sexuality part wasn’t explicit, I mean, because it could have been read as her just being a shy girl – and this is nice, it’s interesting, because again it normalizes the same-sex attraction by not mentioning it at all as the issue.

(Edit*: upon rewatching, I realise I was mistaken and we see and vicariously experience Ellie’s feelings for Aster even before her name is uttered! And it’s a beautiful scene... LOVE THIS CORNYASS FILM!!)

But later on Paul says something that reveals this utopia isn’t the world the movie is set in. He jerks us back to reality like this, toward the end-ish of the film, i.e. when he and Ellie have already become besties:

Of course I may not have the greatest legitimacy to speak on it, having very fortunately never had to be on the receiving end of something like this, but I don’t think I would necessarily couch this as ‘homophobia’, even if that’s the overarching effect…? Do you know what I mean? There’s so much more here, more in Paul’s immediate response that is both hurt and hurtful, than just homophobia. It’s about the that that he has never been out of this tiny train-stop town, the fact that his over-crowded house is incomplete and utter chaos each time he steps back into it, how he doesn’t have a second to himself each day to think on his own or to simply be, where tradition is heeded because it is the only thing that ties one to heritage, to any memory/experience of anything meaningful beyond the daily, dull grind in an utterly dour town. Paul doesn’t have the luxury of expanding his mind beyond this world, doesn’t have romantic hours in the blue fog like Ellie where she reads non-stop in her tiny booth by the railway tracks waiting to ring the crossing bell twice a day, where her father holds a PhD (even if they aren’t close or don’t engage in mind-expanding conversations, I mean that this definitely adds to the culture she’s been brought up in, which must be so so unlike Paul’s).

I find there are two key scenes which help us to understand this ‘homophobia’ of his (again, this is not at all an accurate or meaningful way to view his instinctive rejection of Ellie’s sexuality and feelings for Aster, but I’m just using the term to contextualize it as just one symptom of his greater upbringing).

The first scene is where Paul, whose family has for generations run a meat business, discusses with Ellie his desire to branch out into new, non-traditional sausage recipes. It doesn’t hit as hard out of context, so plzzz watch the film to get the full effect and get ready to crey real tears but this is what Paul says in a beautiful scene, and you won’t get the No Exit (Sartre) mention unless you watch the whole film so just ignore that first and I think the rest of Paul’s touching monologue speaks well enough for itself:

The thing about No Exit is it's like how what I really want is to run my own shop, with new recipes. And-- And FYI, taco sausage is really effing good.

Okay, but I'm the fourth son and my family's been making the same sausage for 49 years and it doesn't matter if they're going broke, or out of style, they're Nana's recipes.

If Ma can't have Nana, at least she can make her sausages. If I break away, it'll break her heart. And it's either her heart or mine.

So I stay.

The other scene that helps ‘couch’ the homophobia and helps frame that painful scene is this one below, where Aster speaks to Paul. After she’s had a random day with Ellie, driving to her “favourite secret place”, floating together for hours in a hot spring while they 谈天说地 (casually talk about everything under the sky and everything on earth), during which it is clear that they have some kind of bond that neither has ever experience and a deep connection that they both need very much, she returns back home and meets Paul and they have this conversation (I got the dialogue straight from a PDF of the full screenplay):

- [Aster] Hey.

[indistinct sports radio chatter]

- [Paul] Hey. [soft chuckle]

- [Aster] Do you believe in God?

- [Paul] Uh... of course.

- [Aster] Yeah.

- [Aster] Yeah, no, of course.

So this scene takes place beside a trash bin late at night where Paul is emptying, erm, trash. Lol so when Paul answers yes of course, that’s his answer because… of course it is. How could it be anything else? And so his rejection of Ellie, his leaving her in the dark upon finding out her deepest secret (of her feelings for Aster) hurts but it’s not cruel. It doesn’t turn our hearts cold against him, because we feel sorry for him. We do because we have to. I’m not saying we should award all homophobes of the world this generosity, but it sure helps us empathize with a lot that is beyond us. Things to do with generational upbringing and religious traditions and smalltown cultures and whatever else that I can’t even pretend is remotely relevant to my own life. But I just thought that his reaction to Ellie, cutting as it was in the moment, was the logical expectation given what we knew about him. And basically what I mean is that this is the best film ever because everything is real, and everything makes sense, and Alice Wu is the best person on earth, I do believe.

And I’m sorry to have to go back to NHIE lol (I mean I’m really sorry – so sorry that I’m even speaking of them in the same sentence when they are so different omg it’s insulting) but really, there’s no reason that Half had to be THIS much better than NHIE. They have almost identical central themes: teenage female protagonists with Asian-immigrant roots in an American town, both feeling the pangs of loss from having a deceased parent (Devi’s father from NHIE and Ellie’s mother from Half), both featuring many scene in a high school, both dealing with first crushes. And, okay, both have the exact same epically high Rotten Tomatoes scores (96%), but… that’s just an accurate representation of the goodness of one and a ridiculous lie for the other. Take my word for it :)

Okay I suppose this is a good time to mention the other films that Half recalled in my mind!

1) There’s a scene, (screencap below) where Paul speaks to Ellie’s dad, only because the latter is not confident in English, he speaks Mandarin to Paul who stands and seemingly understands every word, because the message is clear as day. This is a lot like Lilting (2014), and not just because of the sexuality and Chinese-parent aspect where in Lilting, Ben Whishaw’s character speaks to his dead lover’s mother and they converse, her in Mandarin and him in English, exactly like the shared conversation here in Half. But this scene also has, as in Lilting, the extremely painful longing for closeness of any, all kinds, the desire to be seen and understood and accepted, the desperation for a bridge between two who may be worlds apart. And Lilting is truly an incredible film, so my commenting on this resemblance is meant to be entirely complimentary!!

^ Half above, and Lilting below

2) In general the erm pureness (yes I swear I’ll start reading again soon which shall hopefully re-expand my vocab so I don’t have to keep using this same lame word over and over) of the mood of the film also calls up I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone, or Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho. This was a huge Youtube short film from years and years ago (2010) that I remember watching about a hundred times over, it’s Brazillian and under 20 minutes but it was so successful and compelling that a full-length feature film was later made in 2014 based on the characters and simple story that the short was based on. I don’t know if Half will grow to be that iconic, to bestow the world with oceans of fanfic etc, because now that there is so much choice and variety of entertainment Half may just be one of the many, but it feels like it shall leave a similar legacy. There are similarities in theme and plot, where The Way He Looks has a male-female best friend duo where they find they both have feelings for the cute new boy in school, oh and also the male bestie is blind so I suppose there is some similar comment on marginalization there, like Ellie’s immigrant status for which she is taunted for and which holds her father back from jobs much more suited to his capabilities. Anywayyyy yea just thought that Half reminded me of the same innocence and same budding feelings and forays into the world of a friendship being complicated by issues like sexuality and I loved being reminded of it!

3) Also, very unfortunately, I was reminded of this shitty crap I saw a short while ago on Netflix just to pass the time while exercising, All The Bright Places. I thought there would be, at least, something sweet in its “sadness” (quotation marks cos the tragedy of the plot is handled so fuuuuuuckkkkking badly) and maybe something moving even in its predictable contrivance but bro it was literally the worst shit in the world and I stopped about halfway through the film, actually right in the middle of this scene that I’m about to bring up. Fuck even just re-watching this clip has killed me. Fucking disgusting movie!!! Okay so I tried literally for an hour to upload videos (having taken vids of my laptop screen with my mobile, then combining clips into one mashup video because the app only allows for one video per text post, and then trying 5 times to post it without any success for some reason, and also being unable to attach it via the web version) but I have to resort instead to these screencaps, which, disgusting as they already are, still don’t do justice to the crappiness of the whole scene which literally went on for minutes. So anyway here’s the Bright scene that offends every bone in my body:

And here is the genuinely tender and sweet and moving and touching and appropriate and epic Half version, where the stripping takes up about 2 seconds of screentime, with no chest or shoulders or stomach on display because they, you know, actually get to the point of the scene, to the conversation and moments that actually move the plot forward and serve as more than just fodder for pedo men watching:

Could these two scenes be any more different, seriously? And why should they be this way? Oh, right, umm, maybe it’s because Half is written, directed, and produced by a woman (Alice Wu, who I shall write a little about later), and All the Bright Places is directed by a man? Sure, the author of the YA novel by the same name that the film adapts is one of the two female screenwriters who wrote this film but in a scene like this, direction clearly comes from the director right? Sorry if my fleeting brush with film studies years ago has proven to teach me nothing accurate but yea I do think, seeing a scene like this, that the screenplay (by the two women) may say, you know, Boy and Girl strip and jump into the water, but the scene above that we end up seeing is more the result of the director saying something like alright lads let’s really keep the camera on her for like a good minute, let’s just really take our time on this attractive young girl and lets make sure everyone sees how HOT she is but also how CUTE and SWEET ok? It’s just so so so sexualized like it is just me? Do you guys see it too? Seriously it’s so indulgent and exploitative and inappropriate and unnecessary and it SUCKS bleauughhh! Compare it to the exact same idea in Half. They’re both showing basically the exact same activity right, both where one teen brings another teen to their favourite spot and makes moves to jump in, while the other teen in both films is seemingly hesitant / shy at first about doing so before eventually joining in, except that for Half, we see about 5 milliseconds of the actual undressing. Because it should be obvious right? The focus of the scene is about the subsequent floating, about the intimacy of bringing someone new to some place special to you, about vulnerability and friendship and love and blah blah whatever and the stripping of clothes is but an obvious means to get into the water, so there’s no ambiguity even if the scene cuts from two fully-clothed characters on land to two half-clothed characters in the water I think fucking everyone would understand what had occurred right?! Meanwhile we are forced to fixate on Elle Fanning removing each and every single item of clothing from her waifish body, forced to examine the torso of this girl who is meant to be mid-teens?, forced to understand her as beautiful and desirable and demure and enticing because we see her through the eyes of the guy whose glances are as unsubtle as they come and IT’S FUCKING GROSS LA fuck. FYI like I said I never finished watching this dumb film cos I literally couldn’t finish this stupid swimming scene so idk maybe it gets better and it’s ending rocks af but yea probably not ..

4) Of course, Notting Hill (1999)! In Notting Hill, the beautiful cute iconic scene where Julia Roberts asks Hugh Grant for .. well basically asks if he’d be willing to take a chance with her, to work together for a relationship and he says umm nah and she says: Don't forget -- I'm also just a girl. Standing in front of a boy. Asking him to love her.

Similarly, in Half, Paul goes on his second date with Aster (after being wingman-ed af by Ellie) and Paul and Aster’s conversation falters (not that there was much momentum to begin with) and Ellie (who is sitting in Paul’s truck watching them on their date through the diner’s window lol) texts Aster with her phone (pretending to be Paul), and says “I get nervous when you’re close” and after a bit of ‘banter’, Aster replies “I’m just a girl”

Loved Notting Hill and always loved that funny just a girl line for it’s strange, spontaneous, unsophisticated simplicity, so again, as with Lilting and I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone, I enjoyed this reference a lot! :-)

Okay one last main point before I end off this longass ramble with some general points and then I’m done for real

So in Half, Ellie’s character is “deep” and “philosophical” and “smart” while such traits especially in teens would usually annoy me because of how badly they’re written, Ellie never displays these sides of herself intending to exclude others, or alienate or humiliate anyone for not being like her. While it is clear that she is different in so many ways from 99% of her peers and from her entire town, it never results in any kind of chip on her shoulder, and she proves to always see herself very much as a part of her environment, and so despite being the biggest fish in a tiny bond, Ellie remains relatable, likeable throughout when it would have been so easy to make her you know, too big for her boots.

This characteristic of Ellie’s, her ‘deep’ talk and how in her writing and texts to Aster, in wanting perhaps to convey her uniqueness or her smartness, the conversations read a little not-normal, in the sense that most of us won’t be able to relate to having dialogues like that, not because of the content but just the style being a little too not naturalistic, so some may feel that takes away from being able to believe in the characters as real people, anyway sorry for this longass sentence BUT this much-elaborated-by-me characteristic of Ellie’s reminded me of a description of Hermione from the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)! In the film, Professor Trelawney says to an uncharacteristically recalcitrant Hermione:

You may be young in years but the heart that beats beneath your bosom is as shriveled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave.

And, again, I think Ellie’s ‘pretentious’ dialogue (quotation marks cos I personally found it very coherent to her context and personality and was not offended by those trying-to-appear-smart bits haha) is what it is simply because she hasn’t had much beyond books and words to keep her company all her life. Her father’s love language certainly doesn’t seem to be conversating, and she has probably never had a good friend (or a friend at all?), and so, yes, there have probably been hundreds of dry pages to which Ellie has desperately cleaved through her years in Squahamish. And I think the point of the events in this film was to show that without having met Paul, without having confronted her feelings for Aster and getting to know her personally, without playing her sweet guitar song for her whole school, she would, as Trelawney accuses Hermoine, have gone on to possess a heart as shriveled as an old maid’s. The incidents in the film steered her away from said shreivelness and dryness, and toward a fresh, authentic, golden self.

OKAY I want to limit myself here because without one (a limit), I would literally analyse every scene and dialogue ad nauseam and ya no one would care for that so I just want to mention finally that the reason why this film is the best ever, why it’s so tenderhearted and utterly transporting, why its characters are so likable, why it was able to strike a perfect balance between all things light and heavy, why you can’t help but want to hug everyone you see on screen is because I guess Alice Wu is just an iconic genius! She shows different kinds of love (familial, romantic, platonic etc) and all the types of closeness and longing and dreaming in the film and its heartening to know there is a voice like hers in this mainstream YA world because, especially with things like NHIE and All the Bright Places out there, Alice Wu is clearly much needed.

Here is a bit of her director’s note for the film – it can be viewed in full <<<here>>>. I’m copying these two sections because they frame the film nicely, and again, just as NHIE was a semi-autobiographical tale from Mindy Kaling, Half is the same for Alice Wu, just that Half you know, actually tells a story.

And I like how, like she says, the film ends with our 3 lovely characters beginning their lives.

Okay so… bye! Hehe :)

0 notes

crasherfly · 3 years

Text

If ever there’s been a week to Never Tweet, it’s been this one.

Never Tweeting is an art.

It is so much harder to Never Tweet than it is to simply tweet like mad.

And folks...this week, I could feel it. I had no shortage of takes that I tweeted, immediately rolled my eyes at, and hauled back in.

I want my online presence to be about celebrating, enthusing and sharing the things I love with others.

I want to disconnect from the constant, algorithmic anger of the internet and provide a space where for just_one_minute we don’t have to try to one up each other’s takesmanship.

It’s easy to show up and interact when someone is angry. I have no shortage of followers and well-wishers who only_show_up when I’m Mad_Online*tm.

They’re nowhere to be found when I’m feelin’ good.

I don’t begrudge it. Anger will always be the more cathartic tone to hook into.

But after being hooked into that stuff for the better part of a decade, I want to provide a healthier alternative.

This week I struggled to do that.

But I think I’m getting better at it.

When I talk about a video game I’ve been playing.

When I share an anime gif of a new series I’m obsessed with.

When I send a youtube link for some no name trap artist I just discovered.

In the past I’ve struggled with toeing the line between sharing and critiquing.

I don’t think I’m a critic.

But as I took my time away from writing, all I could do was continue to file away little experiences for future use in the Weekly Update.

So let’s stop talking about it and just dive right in.

Cyberpunk 2077

Yeah, we’re gonna go ahead and acknowledge the elephant in the room.

Oh, how much a couple extra hours of patience would have made.

Is Cyberpunk 2077 good?

I have no idea. I haven’t really played it. It’ll likely be years before I’ll have a chance to play it as its developers intended.

I think if a large percentage of players were being honest they would say the same thing. I don’t think any of us know if this will ultimately be a positive experience.

Or that end-vision may never materialize, and we’ll only be left with a monument to the many unnecessary follies that this hype train has foisted upon all of us.

I do know that the uncertainty has brought out the worst in most of us, and no promise of a shining digital city on the hill is worth what we are putting each other through.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection

After reading this excellent piece on Polygon regarding the history of Street Fighter III, I picked up the 30th Anniversary Collection on a whim.

But lately I’ve been trying to better learn retro fighters, partly because of Spriteclub, and partly because I want to challenge myself to learn something new.

I’ve had some moderate success with this collection, but it’s pretty dependent on WHICH Street Fighter I end up playing. There are 12 to choose from, spanning the first 3 games of the series.

Grab Bag of Other Experiences

Beyond those two experiences, I’ve mostly been gaming in small bursts.

I’m still working through Hitman 2. I’m on the expansion content now. I’m close to maxing out The Golden Handshake. Two more levels after this, and then I’ll move on to the sniper missions.

Anime

If my gaming lists have seemed a little light lately, it’s because I’ve actually been putting in time with my first love, anime.

Jujutsu Kaisen

This is shaping up as my favorite shonen of the year.

No Guns Life

If you’re looking to soothe your post-Cyberpunk blues, this story of cybernetics run amok might be just the jam you’re looking for.

Fire Force

I’ll say this much:

0 notes