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why-so-serious-lucifer · 6 months

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K-pop Discography Deep Dives: Red Velvet (Part ONE)

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. All this to say, for the love of god, I’m a sleep-deprived student and I don’t have time for internet hate, so don’t kill me. With that being said, enjoy!

Here are my credentials: Red Velvet was the first k-pop group I ever loved, even though Blackpink was really my introduction. I became a ReVeLuv in 2019, because of Russian Roulette, and I’ve been a fan since, including of the members’ solo careers (Wendy in particular). But as I’ve gotten more into k-pop and since they come back so infrequently, I haven’t really been keeping up with them and I feel like I’m less of a fan than I once was. So, I’m super excited for their comeback on the 13th (especially with a full album!) and I’m hoping that through this deep dive, I’ll fall back in love just in time for the new album.

Red Velvet is almost a decade old, having debuted with four members (Wendy, Joy, Irene, and Seulgi) in 2014, with the 5th, Yeri, being added the year after. Red Velvet is known for their dual concept: the poppier, brighter Red side and the R & B focused, more sensual Velvet side, which sets them apart from many girl groups of their time that were pigeonholed into either “cute / naive” or “sexy / mature”.

Happiness is their official 2014 debut (again, with four members). While I do like this song, I don’t find myself coming back to it often because it just doesn’t sound like Red Velvet to me; it’s bubbly and odd, but in a similar way to a lot of k-pop; it sounds like many other “quirky” k-pop groups from the same time, and just a bit too young for a group who were all adults at the time. Wendy’s bridge remains a highlight, but like NingNing’s vocal showcase in Next Level, it doesn’t fit the song enough, and I wish it was in a better one so I could love it more.

Be Natural is the balance of sorts to Happiness, a more mature R & B track that’s a cover of the 2001 classic by S.E.S. I love the jazzy background of this one, and the kind of drawn-out pull of the vocals that sound much smoother than in Happiness. It was this song that proved RV could be more than just their debut, and could tackle both more childish and more grown-up concepts. While this is a cover, they put their own spin on it, though I admit I’m not a fan of Taeyong’s part, as I’m almost never in favor of random rap verses in very subdued songs. Also, I’m not a choreo blog, but shoutout to all the difficult work that they do dancing on the chairs, because my back hurts just watching it.

Ice Cream Cake marks the introduction of Yeri, which gives me a fair bit of bias towards this as I’m happy to see them all together. It’s bubbly and bright with almost impressive amounts of aegyo that’s definitely a product of its overly bubbly 2015 k-pop world, especially the rap verse that just jumps in out of nowhere. While it has far more personality than Happiness does (like in the slight creepiness of the playground-esque lalalala’s and the bizarre music video), I think that it’s still very much a marker of the beginning stage of Red Velvet’s career when they were still figuring out their identity as a band. I want to be clear that it’s not a bad song. But it doesn’t stack up to the instant classics that we’ll see in a bit.

Automatic, like Be Natural for Happiness, is the Velvet balance for Ice Cream Cake, and where ICC feels very young, Automatic is far more sleek and graceful in its delivery. It’s a gentle R & B track that glides along like it’s dancing on its tiptoes the whole time. It clearly was put together after the success of the Be Natural cover, and while there are similarities, I prefer Automatic for two reasons: a) Yeri’s there, rounding out the voices well, and b) It sounds more like a Red Velvet song, with a few little quirks. The instrumental is minimalistic, which lets the voices speak for themselves, and it’s the first title in this series I’ve loved on first re-listen.

From the Ice Cream Cake EP, Stupid Cupid was an immediate favorite. Starting off with that Western-movie-esque guitar, its intonation and production is reminiscent of a 2nd gen title, Girls Generation in particular. Normally I’m not a fan of a slight drop between pre-chorus and chorus, but it works here. I even don’t mind the rap verse, as the humor in it fits more with the tone of the song than one usually does. I never gave this song a second thought before, so I’m glad I found it.

Dumb Dumb is the first song that feels quintessentially Red Velvet in this review. It’s very much a “throw things at the wall” track, with that delightfully funky instrumental and a never-stopping drumline that feels like it’s beating your heart for you. It’s a song that feels like it shouldn’t work, between the key changes, the tempo changes, the many repetitions, the chanting, etc, and yet…it does? Dumb Dumb toes about five dozen tightropes perfectly, and I have no idea how. This song has so many things that are genuine pet peeves of mine, but I love it anyway, and if anyone could pull this off (with a random verse honoring Michael Jackson), it’s them.

The Red is almost universally known as an excellent album, and I can’t talk about every song (even though I would!), so I’ll just talk about a few of my favorites: Huff n’ Puff, Campfire, and Don’t U Wait No More. Huff n’ Puff bounces back and forth with an oddly warped instrumental and off-beat clapping, then ties it all together with a great bridge and its titular refrain. Campfire has more sing talk than I normally enjoy, but it’s still melodic and its brassy chorus more than makes up for it. And Don’t U Wait No More has an interestingly clipped call and response in its chorus that is now very much stuck in my head.

One Of These Nights is a surprising choice for a single, especially for 2016. Many reviewers responded with mixed or even negative opinions on it after the delightful bombast that is Dumb Dumb, and I can see why they did. One Of These Nights is not a song for everyone; it’s quiet, melancholy, and honestly depressing, and yet it’s so beautiful and heartfelt that it’s honestly my favorite of their singles. It was made to mark the Korean festival of Chuseok (that is, in legend, the one day of the year where two fabled lovers can reunite, before they have to part again), and that gentle yearning and happiness with an edge of tragedy is so comforting for anyone coming out of grief but still remembering the good times. Red Velvet’s voices are something special; they’re great separately, but together, they’re just stunning.

The Velvet is less critically praised than The Red, but I love both Rose Scent Breeze and Light Me Up. Rose Scent Breeze may seem like just another b-side at first, but it soon goes from gentle melancholy to a furious guitar riff-led power ballad that lifts you up without losing its palpable emotion. Light Me Up is an R & B song too, but has a youthful energy and a joy not found in their other “Velvet” songs. As both a queer person and a huge fan of Wendy’s voice, I admit I like her “La Rouge” version more than the original, though the harmonizing at the end feels like honest-to-god floating.

Russian Roulette starts with a similarly creepy “lalala” to the one in Ice Cream Cake, and was actually the first Red Velvet song I ever heard. It bounds forward with the choppy energy of a classic video game, and between the insane catchiness of its hook and the bizarre combination of murderous Tom-and-Jerry imagery and skyscrapers of aegyo, it’s no surprise it went viral. It both fits perfectly into k-pop cliches and pokes fun at them in the process, zig-zagging between what seems like a sweet love song and the visuals of a gang of expressionless dolls. It is…utterly bizarre, and, just like the first time, I’m utterly enthralled.

What to say about the EP? I love this entire album, and it’s so hard to choose a hidden gem. Lucky Girl, Fool, and Bad Dracula are all excellent tracks, and I love all of the different combinations of doo-wop, synth, and other vintage genres too. I’ve got to say that my favorite is Lucky Girl, though, partially for the delightful catchiness of the song as a whole, partially for the inclusion of actual “shoo-be-doo-wop” vocalization, and partially for the immaculate Girls Generation-esque 50’s/60’s production.

Rookie is not and never has been a song for me. It’s not that it’s a bad song, per se, and I actually enjoy the greater part of the verses. Red Velvet’s voices are great as always, and I also love that bridge. This song, truth be told, annoys me more than anything, because it’s so, so close to being good. But why, why, why, did they have to give it a chanty, aegyo-filled hook? Come on, guys, we were almost there. We could’ve had another so-crazy-it-just-might-work situation like Dumb Dumb, but instead there’s too much crazy and not enough working for me.

From the Rookie EP, I honestly preferred almost every song to the title, but Little Little was my favorite. It’s slow and quiet at first, and during the verses, you’ll think it’s bound to be depressing. But then, like an opposite version of Rookie, the chorus completely changes the song, turning it into a dreamy R & B ballad that’s been a fixture on my sleep playlist for years.

If the last few songs have been upbeat, Red Flavor is practically jubilant. It’s been called THE summer k-pop song, and for good reason. It bounces off the metaphorical walls, full of delight and youthful energy. Even the verses, albeit slower, set up that juggernaut of a chorus with its distinctive “red, red, red flavor” distortion in the post. I’m sure this is just me being a ReVeLuv, but this song is so nostalgic for me and never fails to make me a bit sappy, especially the slightly wistful outro. I don’t mind the rap, but I wish we could’ve gotten more of the singing section of the bridge instead. Overall though I really like this one.

The Red Summer is one of their strongest EPs, and while I wanted to give Mojito a quick shout-out, my hidden gem is, without a doubt, You Better Know. If you’ve read at least one of the disclaimers at the top of my reviews, you’ll know I’m neurodivergent. I have autism, and I kind of didn’t let myself believe it for a while. But one day I was walking outside and this song came on, and its message was just what I needed to finally let go and let myself stim for the first time. If you don’t have autism, it’s almost impossible to explain the pure rush of joy that stimming (especially after so long repressing it) can bring, and so whenever You Better Know comes up on my playlist, I find myself fighting a huge grin and getting the urge to dance. God, I love this song so much. I’m trying not to smile right now.

Peek-A-Boo: this was the song I considered my favorite Red Velvet single for a while, although One Of These Nights currently takes that trophy. From the start it crackles with an odd, tongue in cheek humor and a “well what do you want from me” shrug. The instrumental seems to pop out of random places, between a twinkling piano, snapping fingers, and some kind of chime that I can’t place, which go far better with the vocals then I would have assumed. I wish they’d pushed the voices more to be honest, because they feel a bit subdued here (and not in an expressive way like in Automatic), besides the last chorus, but otherwise this one still holds up for me. Because hey, who doesn’t want to watch five girls in rainbow dresses kidnap pizza boys from their cabin in the woods?

From the Perfect Velvet album, I have one main stand out. Kingdom Come needs no introduction for ReVeLuvs since it’s already practically required reading for anyone looking to get into the fandom. I admit I was put off from it for a while because it didn’t live up to being treated like the second coming of Christ, but I’ve definitely warmed up to it. It’s so soothing and warm, like a cat curled up by a fireplace, and Red Velvet’s voices come together almost perfectly to set the scene.

Bad Boy takes an even greater shift away from the Red side and towards the Velvet. One would think that a song like this would be boring and barely leave an impact, and they would be completely wrong. Bad Boy possesses a self-assured and smooth R & B flair reminiscent of Taemin’s more subdued tracks, and moves forward with an unhurried strut. It’s often cited as the pinnacle of their Velvet side, and I might have to agree. I don’t have a hidden gem for the Perfect Red Velvet repackage, since it’s only a couple songs.

So this is where we’ll take a break, because I think we’re about halfway through their discography. Like in the BTS review, I’ll leave my final thoughts until next time, and invite you to touch some grass and eat some Doritos.

I’ll see you in a few days for a boy group supplemental and then next weekend for the second part of Red Velvet. Tschüss!

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zonedelicious · 26 days

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Defending Ben 10 Alien Force Season 3 With My Life!

(An analysis of Ben's character and why I find it consistent up to this point)

This essay thingy is part one of a bigger project where I rewatch all of Ben 10 and look back on the series. A sort of retrospective.

Originally I wanted to watch all the shows, and then write one big post. But I decided to do it in parts to make it easier. And since the final season of alien force is largely hated, I thought I should focus on it specifically (since I have very different opinions than everyone on this).

Now when starting I did expect to see Ben's character be inconsistent, going from classic, to alien force, to season 3 of alien force. That is the popular opinion online and the one I had as a kid. Ben goes from childish kid, to mature teen, to an even more childish kid.

So I'm sure a lot of people are going to be shocked when I say that not only do I completely disagree with this perspective, I found Ben's character strangely consistent through both shows and I think he only becomes more nuanced and interesting by the end.

First I think most people who say Ben is either childish, or mature, or a psychopath, don't really know what these words mean, or don't even understand how Ben's character traits work.

(the psycho thing we'll get to in the next post since we haven't gotten to ultimate alien yet)

Does being mature mean you can't be petty or selfish sometimes? Does having negative traits automatically make you a child? This is the kind of flaw in ben 10 discussion I have noticed with this rewatch, we associate bad traits with regression and good traits with development. But that is very shallow way to look at fiction. Characters can have more than one trait, they can even have conflicting traits. And character development can also include negative development.

I think Ben's maturity is something that's greatly overstated, because his personality in Alien Force is a trait he has shown in the classic series many times. And by boiling him down to childish and mature Ben, it takes away a lot of the nuance he has as a character.

So enough about that, let's go back to the beginning.

Ben 10 (the original show)

The start of the series shows us that Ben is a kid who just wants to sit back and enjoy life, but hates bullies and wants to help others. And also he really loves his grandpa (this is a clue that will help us later).

Throughout the first season Ben struggles with being a hero. He struggles to differentiate helping people selflessly, and helping people because he gets a kick out of it. For a 10 year old his behavior is very realistic. Of course he wants to be seen as a big shot and be validated for his actions.

It isn't until Max is hospitalized that Ben finally realises the dangers of the world he's in. That's when we see Ben drop the hero act and turn into a scared kid. We see him at his most vulnerable. The first look at the real Ben.

Ben and Max fight a lot in the original show, but despite that Max is probably the most important person in Ben's life. Even more than his parents. And I think it's largely because Ben wishes he can be more free like his grandpa. Living in an rv and going wherever you want. So losing Max for 10 year old Ben is the worst thing that can happen to him. He not only looks up to grandpa Max, he idolises him and wants to follow in his footsteps. Which becomes more obvious once Ben finds out about the Plumbers. And now season 2 is about Ben becoming an even bigger hero.

The first season definitely has the most consistent narrative of the classic series. I think Ben doesn't really learn much until the movie. He does learn to be closer with his family, but there's no real challenge for him like the first season. People will say this is the show recycling his character arc, which I sort of get, but it's not the same to me. Ben isn't being challenged on the same level, he's just going through episodic cartoon plots. A lot of it isn't serious so Ben isn't really being serious. To him he's the cool alien with a badass grandfather and can solve any problem. It's all a fun adventure to him.

Even when he meets his future self the message is that Ben being a kid and having fun is what makes him Ben. It's future Ben who has to learn to have fun and be a kid again. A clever twist on the time travel trope.

Despite that Ben is shown to be more responsible with the hero stuff. He tries to help others not just by literally saving their lives, but also talking to them, or standing up to villains. Kevin being the best example. Ben tries to befriend him many times, but will also risk his own life to stop Kevin from hurting Gwen. Which at the moment Ben didn't even have the Omnitrix at the end of season 2. We see that despite being a kid he's also gotten braver.

Another note, Gwen and Ben have a pretty good relationship from the start. While they do fight it's never anything serious, they're just being kids and fooling around. The kind of childish arguments you forget in an hour. Yet they're very close and love goofing around together. You can tell that they care for each other despite the petty banter.

Of course once we get to the secret of the Omnitrix (the true ending of the first show imo) Ben's character is finally given its conclusion for the classic series. Here Max's role is swapped with Tetrax, Ben looks up to Tetrax in a similar way, and while Tetrax is friendly, he's also the guy who really knows how to get Ben to reflect on his actions. Once Ben thinks he has lost Gwen he is back to the scared vulnerable kid. We see all his aggression, how he blames himself, how all that weight is really hard for him to process at such a young age.

What's even better about this is how the movie starts with Ben causing trouble for Gwen and they get in a fight. But Gwen still sneaks into Tetrax's ship to help Ben. So losing Gwen is not only him losing his cousin. Ben's losing someone he felt responsible for. He's failing Gwen, himself, and grandpa Max all at the same time.

Of course Gwen is alive but it doesn't change that Ben has finally opened up about his insecurities and we finally get a full look into his inner self. Which brings us to...

Alien Force, the show that made Ben mature (or did it?)

Now remember everything I said about his character? Now think about the plot of alien force. Ben realises his grandfather is missing, there's an alien conspiracy that his grandfather entrusted him to solve, and even an old foe is there he needs to ally with.

Ben is essentially forced to take up the role of grandpa Max in the story. And for a 15 year old that's a lot of pressure to take.

I'd say Ben's character shift for Alien Force is not only organic, it's the natural follow up to his character arc in the classic show. As someone who's always seeking validation now finally being put in a position where he has to be the person he always looked up to. Sure the stakes were high in classic, but Max (and Tetrax) was always there to help and give Ben motivation.

There's an aura of tension early on as Ben still doesn't even trust Kevin. He doesn't understand the new Omnitrix or the new aliens. He has to watch max die and still keep his cool. Because he was trusted this role and can't let Max down.

I don't think Ben matured, he was forced into a role of being the mature adult at 15.

Even Ben's parents are mad at him for doing all this. As they should because Ben is still a kid. He shouldn't be risking his life. He should literally be at the club. The first thing he does before he puts on the Omnitrix again is talk to Gwen. Because he needs her help. And Kevin. Later from other plumber kids too. He isn't doing it all by himself, and he understands that he can't do it alone to an extent. But despite that there's still that urge to be the leader. The one who has to be in charge all the time. He wants to prove himself after all.

Ben's ability to befriend others, is ultimately his strongest trait in the first 2 seasons. It's what ends up saving the universe after all. Something that wasn't all that present in the original show, but can be seen through characters like Kevin, who Ben tried to help many times. And now he's his best ally.

A lot of this is very subtle, and some of it might even be my own interpretation of the story. I don't know if the writers intended all this nuance I'm describing. It is only interesting to look back and analyse it.

The mystery and the slow lumin threat of the highbreed is a good plot for Ben's arc of taking up responsibility. It's something he can't directly solve as easily as in the classic show. Where in the classic show any problem he faced was over in 1 or 2 episodes. All mystery was behind the scenes with him not being aware.

But now it's different. The mystery comes crashing into him. He literally got a football medal the same day he found out his grandfather has went missing because of a secret alien invasion that's been going on for a long time. Again the pressure he's put under comes at him suddenly and he has to adjust to it all in the moment. He's 15 years old.

And despite all odds Ben comes through and stops the invasion, saving the entire galaxy. With the help of all the people he befriended of course. Ben finally proved himself to his grandfather and to the entire universe that he is worthy of being a hero. In the classic series he showed he was a hero, but was still a kid who had learning to do. But now he proved he can stand on his own as a man at age 15.

So naturally Ben took a break.

The part where I shamelessly defend season 3 with my life

The shift for season 3 is off (especially when the first episode starts with an argument we have no context for) and I understand some of this was a mandate, yet I love it. It's a strange shift at first until you start to think what is actually going on in Ben's head.

He finally did what he always wanted to achieve. Become a great hero like his grandfather. The galaxy loves him. And all that validation is more than enough to tell him to relax for now.

Ben had to take a break after all the pressure that was placed on him. He needed a break. He needed to be a teenager again who watches cartoons and has fun. It's important for his mental health after all.

Of course this is a cartoon and he isn't real. But this analysis isn't about that, it's about trying to understand what kind of person Ben is.

Still i do not see how Ben is stupid or childish in these episodes. Relaxed and silly yeah, but in a teenager way, not a 10 year old Ben way. With the gold poop episode for instance I went in expecting to hate it, but now I love it. It's a decent mystery, and Ben's chill attitude makes sense for the situation. It's a celebration and Ben loves to party. Of course he'd be silly with the little aliens.

What I have noticed however is despite Ben being relaxed he's still pretty clever and mature throughout season 3. His quick thinking is actually a major part of this season. With it being directly referenced and even being how he saves the day at the end of the season. I did not expect the show to directly point out Ben's most useful trait and then focus on it durring what's basically his downfall arc.

To reference a few times Ben does this in this season:

In the vreedle episode, Julie emergency calls Ben and Ben shows up seconds later. He didn't wait to think, he arrived as fast as possible once finding out she's in danger.

In the episode where Ben is trapped in the null void without the Omnitrix, we see him actually surviving and doing smart things like covering himself in mud so he won't get spotted.

In the plumber kids episode, Ben is playing the role of the villain mastermind and he has to quickly adapt to the situation and train these kids while not breaking character.

In Charmcaster's debut episode, Ben calls out Kevin for not trusting Gwen. Ben being the mature one in this situation.

We see Ben hasn't changed at all from previous seasons. Season 3 having some of his best moments even. What has changed is the context and circumstances of his actions. He's trying to stay cool and simple because he wants to live his childhood stress free, even if the universe keeps calling him back over and over again, he wants to stay a kid. And that's interesting. We haven't seen that in ben yet. In the classic show he was trying to be a big hero. But now he's tired of all that weight on his shoulders.

Unfortunately the universe keeps calling for his return. The moment Ben tries to relax Vilgax is back. He has taken over 10 planets. And has killed the galactic enforcers trio (they are 100% dead he literally killed 3 side characters just like that). And Ben of course does the reasonable thing and tries to hack the Omnitrix yet again. With horrible results.

People try to use this as an example of Ben being dumb but you gotta realise he's panicking and not thinking straight, and the result is him causing a mess for himself and Kevin. The show is aware Ben is in the wrong here and his actions have consequences. The rest of the season will spend its time exploring Ben's actions and how his quick thinking is both his strongest weapon, as well as his biggest flaw.

Anyway the fight with Vilgax is brilliant and really shows how much Ben had grown. With the return of Diamondhead being both nostalgic and a great way to show his growth. As well as giving Ben another victory that increases his huge ego.

But I must also mention the visuals being beautiful themselves. Season 3 of Alien Force has a subtle upgrade in visuals that I never see mentioned. Everything is more colorful, backgrounds more interesting, the animation more smooth, and the storyboarding is simply wonderful. Don't know why people never talk about this. I guess it will ruin the narrative this is the worst season ever made because of like 4 boring episodes. But I digress.

Still apparently people hate this fight too and claim this scene RUINED Vilgax. How? The only argument I see is he got defeated too easily which.. Have you watched the classic show? Vilgax gets defeated in one single episode by a 10 year old. Vilgax is actually stronger in Alien Force if anything. I don't get how this ruined him at all.

Don't get me wrong. I also prefer his original design and personality. I think this was a poor choice to change him so drastically when the point was bringing back an old foe. But that doesn't mean he's weak. He's clearly stronger. He does a good job fighting Ben. And has even killed 3 characters that you'd expect wouldn't die considering they showed up in a ben 10k episode.

(remember when I said I will be fighting for my life here? I wasn't kidding)

The rest of Season 3 is very episodic ,which is an interesting shift from the previous 2 seasons since they didn't have to make it like this. They had more episodes this time too and cartoon network wasn't against plot or lore. So I'd say this was more of a creative choice than a mandate. Ben's more relaxed so we go back to less world ending threats. Which is good imo because the best standalone episodes are in this season.

Notably Gwen and Kevin get a good focus here (even Julie who should have been the 4th member). With Gwen's best episode so far is in this season. We get more character development for the other 3 protags. And it's very much needed.

Gwen I think didn't get much in the first 2 seasons. She did feel a bit of a downgrade from her classic self. Now however her rivalry with Charmcaster is back, she has her magic, and she has one of the best episodes in the season. The time travel episode is beautiful both visually and naratively, not to mention it's basically writen like a Doctor Who episode, and you gotta love that. But what I love more is how we see Gwen making a huge mistake. Gwen so far hasn't been writen with flaws, unlike Ben and Kevin she isn't given as much depth. So to have an episode that gives Gwen time to make a mistake and fix it, while showing all the effort she'd go through to help Kevin. It was very much needed. Her character deserves more moments like this.

Julie's relationship with Ben is given a bit of drama but in a way where they do communicate and aren't in anyway toxic. I hear this is when their relationship fell off but I don't see it. Their arguments are something Gwen and Kevin often have too and are only there to strengthen their bond. Julie definitely needs to be characterized outside being Ben's girlfriend though, but she's never in a position where she's just Ben's girlfriend. If anything her friendship with Gwen is given more spotlight. Her last appearance for the season being her hanging out with Gwen. Julie definitely deserved to be more than just a side character.

On the other end Kevin gets a huge upgrade with his story line being imo significantly better than what they originally had planned. Originally the story was going to have Kevin turn evil and I am grateful they saved that story line for a later season while this one builds up to it more organically. Here we see how desperate and insecure Kevin is. He even goes back to his more evil self at times. But never too much. His badness is due to his circumstances. He wants to turn back to human. He gets angry. He doesn't trust Gwen. He teams up with villains. But all because he's being pushed into being vulnerable rather than him turning evil suddenly. It's a good small arc that builds up to something bigger later.

As you can see I value character flaws as much as their positive traits. To me a character is less interesting if the story avoids giving them a human element. That's why the character assassination of Ben Tennyson that people talk about to me is one of the best things to ever happen to him.

One episode I HATED as a kid, but now love is the one where the gang go to an alien planet to solve a conflict between 2 identical armies. Kid me hated this because Ben kept messing up and there was no solution in the end. Now however I see the political genius that it is.

While I think this was meant to parody the political system of the US (one group being red and one blue doesn't make it all that subtle), i think the other message I got from it is showing the problems with white saviorism. Ben comes to a planet he has zero political understanding of, and decides he knows how to solve all their problems and can save the day in like 3 hours. Of course he won't and of course he'd end up making things worse.

If you're expecting things to actually be solved and characters to make logical and satisfying actions then this episode is definitely one of the bad ones. But for me, someone who likes to see how characters mess up and the story to collapse on them I really found this episode enjoyable. It's also just very funny. Ben comes off as very comedic to me in his attempt to be helpful and reasonable. He's not being immature but he's being very self centered and too up his own ass to notice that he's coming off as a dick.

I think that's what this season is focusing on. Not Ben becoming immature or childish as like a singular character trait he switches to. No, what the season is telling us is despite Ben being a great hero and a quick thinker, he's also easily able to fall into the arrogant asshole type if he doesn't control himself.

In the ghostfreak episode we even see how despite being his quick thinking self, he doesn't trust Gwen and Kevin as much as before. His ego is getting to him and others are taking notice.

Ben's behavior to me comes off as very realistic. I cannot hate a character who's flawed in a way that a real person is flawed. I don't see a switch in personality. I see one person displaying their traits in different ways depending on the scenario they are in.

So why people hate this season so much I will never understand.

Anyway let's talk about the worst episode in alien force.

Primus

Okay people you're right about this one. Primus sucks. It's bad. It's meaningless. It's confusing. And it's counterproductive for what it's trying to do. Honestly it feels like a rough draft of an episode before they actually start writing it.

Ignoring the fact that the concept itself is flawed, there's no time given to even show us Primus or make us understand it. And it ruins Vilgax's arc by giving him the Omnitrix WAY TOO EARLY. It kind of ruins the finale too since Ben giving the Omnitrix away is part of the climax of this season. Both Vilgax and Azmuth are pretty dumb this episode and it's weird watching them here. Vilgax is a bit better until he gets the Omnitrix and becomes dumb for no reason. Couldn't they just make it so Ben is the one with the key to activate the Omnitrix? Azmuth also what do you mean you turned into Rath to fight Vilgax instead of like way big? Ben isn't dumb in this one though. His trick to get back the Omnitrix is smart even though the way it was written is dumb. And we do get to see him vulnerable after losing the Omnitrix. Still this episode should have been replaced with something better and the show would have been better off for it.

This episode is brought up often because it is the weakest and if it was your impression of the season you'd think it's bad too. I don't even think Vilgax is bad this season but he definitely is poorly writen here.

So yeah this episode is very bad. Like couldn't they have replaced this with an extra Tetrax episode? That man deserves it.

Oh right Tetrax

Tetrax episode is peak fiction and I don't care about the haters. I'd argue it's one of the best episodes in the series and the fact we never got a follow up is baffling.

For starters Tetrax is Ben's real dad. Let's be real. He fills the same role as grandpa Max and so Ben has the urge to prove himself to him. That's why watching Ben fulfill the propercy of the diamondhead people and save Tetrax's planet is one of the most satisfying moments in the series for me. Tetrax destroyed his planet. He made a huge mistake that Ben could have easily made if he didn't have a mentor figure. And now once he sees he has an opportunity to bring everyone back he goes straight to shattering Ben into pieces with no explanation. (Tetrax pretty much is Ben without grandpa Max if you think about it)

This episode is a meme for the Jesus bits. but it works. It's good lore. And it's a great conclusion to a character arc and storyline.

The fact this episode is a follow up to Tetrax origin and incorporates a new alien into it is really smart. Obviously they didn't plan this at first so it's great when things work out like that.

It works as a Vilgax episode too because we see how big of a threat he is. Everyone's struggling to fight him, even Tetrax and Ben. He's not some pushover as people claim.

But more importantly Ben redeems Tetrax by saving the diamond people and that's something he wouldn't be able to do if he's some dumb kid. Ben is a true hero again in this episode. He sees what the threat is and he solves it with his quick thinking and courage. And I think it's thanks to Tetrax's presence that Ben is back to the more serious role, because he wants to prove himself to him.

(if only Tetrax had a bigger presence)

And now the ending

The ending is what made me want to take a different look at this season before rewatching because I remember how cool the Azmuth and Ben scene was. On a rewatch i was not disappointed.

For starters animation was really good and the fights with Albedo specifically were choreographed well. Kevin and Gwen were even using their powers in a unique way.

Then we have Vilgax weakening Ben by taking away Gwen and Kevin. Seems simple at first, but when you think of the narrative of this season you realise it's about making Ben vulnerable both physically and mentally.

And once Ben loses the Omnitrix he has a full mental breakdown and this entire sequence is one of the best moments in Ben 10 ever. The way he runs off into the forest. The small chat with Gwen. How he begs Azmuth for help. The little mutual understanding at the end of their argument. It's peak fiction at its most peak fictionest.

For the entire season Ben tried to relax, he tried to be more straight forward, not looking for others for help. But now he's back at being the vulnerable kid he was at the start of the entire series. And I think it's not just that he lost his powers that's hurting him, but that he's also taking out all the pressure he had building up inside. And now he's asking for others to help him.

This moment makes this season work for me. We see a deconstruction of sorts of the kind of person Ben is. Not mature or immature. But this kid who wanted validation until the pressure was too much for him. He tried to act cool like nothing happens. But then he messes up and he's the one who needed to be saved.

This emotional moment was what Ben needed to come up with a genius plan. Go to Vilgax's ship and activate the self destruct feature of the Omnitrix. Honestly I forgot about this part on my rewatch so it came out of nowhere for me. Ben making a bomb threat as his great 4d chest move? You just gotta love that. Remember he's got nothing on Vilgax right now. Vilgax can easily kill him. So for Ben to confidently come in and threaten to blow up the Omnitrix, that he cares about too, it takes courage.

If there's one thing I'd change about the ending it's bringing back Tetrax. He seemed like he would be a part of this and it would have probably mad the mental breakdown of Ben Tennyson more impactful if Tetrax was there too. Or maybe I love this minor character a bit too much. Maybe way too much I admit.

Conclusion

For me what sells season 3 of Alien Force is Ben's character downfall that builds up to this ending. It's not just that he becomes dumb and then is told to stop being dumb. It's that he's struggling in the role of hero. He's struggling to be both the serious badass and a goofy kid. And letting go of the responsibility and trying to act normal only created a different kind of pressure.

Ben for me is a character who was forced into a role he wasn't prepared for and we get to watch how that affects him. Naturally he will have shifts in how he acts. His environment will affect his behavior. That's just life. That's what being a teenager is like. You're always gonna be screwing up in one way or another. Ben's flaws in season 3 aren't about him being childish. He's not dumb or less mature. Ben still does smart things and is shown to care about Gwen, Kevin, Julie, Tetrax, and everyone that comes to his aid.

And of course his ideas and actions aren't always good. They can be stupid or selfish. And that's also fine. Because he's only human. And his humanity is what makes him Ben. Take that away and he'd grow up to become the Ben 10k who refused to transform back to human.

Most of this is my interpretation of events. Other people watching will have different takes. And that is fine. I'm fine with knowing I'm like one of 10 people who loves season 3 of alien force. I'm just here to write a different perspective and hopefully it will encourage more deeper readings of Ben 10 as a series. But mostly I'm fine knowing someone else read all this. So thanks for getting this far.

See you next time when I will be breaking down the neoliberalism of shadow the hedgehog the video game.

/jk

/or am I?

#zone analysis #Ben 10 #Ben 10 retrospective #Alien force #Season 3 is good #Tetrax should have appeared more though #Long post

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