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#this is the only episode of the Hunter Makes Friends series where his actions are not motivated by Belos
lollytea · 2 years
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Yes it might have taken me an embarrassingly long time to really pay attention to it but in ASIAS, along with the 'half a witch' parallel, both Hunter and Willow are motivated by upholding the legacy of those who came before them. That picture of Gilbert and Harvey being flyer derby champions is just as significant to her as the Golden Guard sigil is to him.
#other miscellaneous ASIAS thoughts that are not worth their own post but i think about them often:#its an episode that asks ''but who are you outside of the roles this story uses to define you?''#this is the only episode of the Hunter Makes Friends series where his actions are not motivated by Belos#and Willow is neither one of Luz's two best friends nor the estrangled acquaintance to Amity#both characters are unnattached to those influences here. And without those roles slotting them into predictable places#we're able to explore new nooks and crannies of their personalities#stuff that really hasnt been revealed before#the two of them are trying out something new and a little out of their comfort zone and it pulls new traits out of them#Hunter’s hexside infiltration reveals him to be WAY more socially awkward than previous eps have shown#and then after his flyer derby match it really brings out his excitement over having friends and the genuine affection he has for them#Meanwhile this is the ep that really establishes what an ambitous go getter Willow can be#Shes never been a leader before. Shes never been this direct or ruthless. But her dedication to this team really pulls it out of her#and these lesser known sides of themselves are the version the other meets#lastly it is a very good take on a Person Vs Society story#again Hunter's internal conflict in this episode has nothing to do with Belos. He literally never gave a fuck if Hunter had magic#But Hunter was still born and raised on the boiling isles and no matter how sheltered he is#the inherent prejudices of the place is gonna gnaw at his self confidence. hes gonna internalize this shit#so while every Hunter ep before this was about how Belos has manipulated his self of worth as a person#this time we are dealing with how hunter views himself as a WITCH#MEANWHILE Willow's struggles with have always been entirely focused on her insecurity as a witch#her terrible grades and her severed friendship has always been about her insufficient abilities with magic#but in this ep you learn that it goes deeper than that#she berates herself not because of her magical ability but because she believes that shes stupid#the half a witch thing has severely deteriorated her worth as a PERSON#their respective struggles go in different directions in this ep and their emotions are complicated#but they still overlap enough that they can understand what the other is feeling#OKAY AND LASTLY AGAIN. Forreal this time#that scene when Darius is about to attack the entrails and Willow throws her arms out to shield all three of them#and then Hunter proceeds to run in and shield HER#because SOMEONE had to shield her. they are instinctive protectors. they are the same
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cleabellanov · 19 days
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Jet-Skiing through identity: a deep dive into Mobius M. Mobius (part 2) 🛥️
Even the kindest of hearts have a trigger point, a spot that can catch a bullet without bleeding; making it part of the heart's anatomy.
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I'm only saying that because I associate Loki as Mobius's soft spot("I know you have a soft spot for broken things"), and Loki turning his back to that in s1e2 as the trigger point. Imagine you have that courage, to do something everyone around you thinks is wrong. Then, just as you were going to prove the opposite,our efforts turn to be in vain.
For Mobius's character, this means he has to turn around at 360, to where he came from; with inovative ideas not working, it all comes to accepting defeat.
He manages that excellently in front of Ravonna: caring more about reassuring her everything will work out rather than focusing on himself. Another example of how much Mobius cares about others, even when he should care more about himself.
Episode 4, season 1, is crucial for where Mobius's story is going.
We can see so many interesting things in his conversation with Loki, like the way he handles stress through amusement. Asif this emotion isn't worthy enough, but to be laughed at:
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"You like her! Does she like you?"
After all, let's not forget Mobius was already (and even earlier than this episode) catching feelings for Loki. His own words put this straightforward: "Just kind of an asshole. And a bad friend". Notice how he doesn't use any word similr to "traitor". He still considers him a friend, albeit a bad one, after everything he's done. Mobius might do his best to hide it, but he's still forgiving deep down. And it's not even Loki's departure in time and space that matters the most to the analyst. It's his alliance with Sylvie, hinting once again at the jelaousy of his character I talked about in part 1. "It's ruining my reality right now!" in Mobius's words.
But when he is told by Loki that they're all variants, Mobius doesn't simply dissmiss the idea. He could, and should, given the position he is in. But the brightness of his mind, and that little flicker of hope he still has in his Loki makes the difference. After all, hope is what makes us believe: it's the desire of having something to believe in.
Watch his reaction when he is told all this:
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He is masking it flawlessly in front of Loki and the hunters, but that raising hope makes him search: is the trickster out of tricks for once? What if, all this time, that feeling he had inside himself but hid away is actually a sign, gently whispering to him there is more he should know about? That is a bravery so different from live action, and battling with superheroes: the bravery of discovery. Loki telling the truth means Mobius living a lie - a scary thought of course, but not scary enough to stop him.
This all drives Mobius to finding out what actually happened with hunter C-20. And the rest is history.
There is a certain honour in telling Loki he was right from the beginning. This new approach, this insight Mobius now gains over everything give him not only a rush of adrenaline, but also the confidence he didn't allow himself before. Therefore, he wasn't just working half a measure. The limits that were set were not part of his perimeter, but of the TVA's. Now that he sees that, he can also break those limits.
He is also free to speak his mind. And Loki is so deserving of these words that this scene right here is one of the most precious in the entire series. Their wonderful dinamc certainnly gives extra points to that.
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Now Mobius isn't just an analyst anymore. He is a rebel, betraying the only thing he believes in, the one institution that shaped his entire existence. This rebellion isn't just external, but internal as well. Ultimately, only one part of the internal conflict won, but the other still exist, like two sides of the same coin, spinning and spinning. But he still has the hope that he'll find something better on the other side, and doesn't stop just because it's a hard thing to do.
If it was easy, everyone would do it. (Loki in Thor The Dark World)
I wanted to write more but this is already getting too long (like damn I'm fangirling hard) so see you for part 3!
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hugmekenobi · 11 months
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The Bad Batch (3)
Chapter Three: Replacements
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GIF by @kamino-coruscant
Hunter x femaleJedi!reader
Series Summary: You joined the Batch 8 months ago and everything was going well. But then, Order 66 happened and the galaxy around you changed. Now, not only do you need to be careful given your new 'social status', but you also need to navigate your feelings towards a certain Sergeant.
Chapter Summary: You and Hunter finally talk things over but amidst all that, the ship crashes and you need to find your way off a desolate moon.
<Previous Chapter
Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers
Chapter Warnings: Use of (Y/N) (but I've limited it as much as I could), swearing, the Force works how I say it does, mild innuendo, brief injury mention, light angst, Hunter defence (a theme that will run throughout now).
Word Count (Ch 3): 7.6K
Rating: 18+
Author's notes: Okay so things are finally being talked out lol but despite the honesty mention, both of them continue to lie about their feelings but I allow that because they're both doing it and they're dumb haha. Also I'm sorry for not including Crosshair's section of the episode. It was a tough decision not to but I think with what my focus for this chapter was, it had to be done. Also a big thank you for the support this story as received to far! It means a lot!
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You sat down on the bunk you had once shared with Hunter; you weren’t really sure if that would still stand anymore, you didn’t really expect it to and finished tying off the bandage around your arm. You also quickly applied a light touch of bacta on your cheek and your eyes followed Hunter as he walked over to where Omega was sitting restlessly on the floor, examining a datapad as she leaned against Gonky who was also on his side.
Hunter walked up to Omega with the ration box. “Well, that doesn’t look comfortable, for either of you.”
“We’re fine.” Omega said lightly.
“Here. Chow time.” Hunter said, handing Omega a ration bar as she stood up.
“Ah! Finally!”
Hunter looked up to see Wrecker jumping down the stairs that led to the gun turret. He handed his eager brother a bar only to see him consume it at record pace.
“Hit me again.” Wrecker demanded keenly.
“Well, that’s all for now.” Hunter said, closing the box. “Rations are low.”
Wrecker groaned.
Omega looked down at her portion then back to Wrecker. “You can have mine.” She offered.
Before he reached out to grab it, Hunter pushed Wrecker back a few steps. “Hey, Omega doesn’t even have a place to sleep. You wanna take her food too?”
Wrecker glanced past Hunter. Now he felt bad. “Oh. Uh… no, no thanks. You keep it.”
“Okay.” Omega said casually before sitting back down against the droid.
Wrecker let out another groan. “I guess I’m not used to having a kid around here.”
“Well, none of us are, but she’s not complaining.” Hunter pointed out.
--
You let out a soft sigh as you witnessed the scene just past you before turning away to start packing up the medical kit. You made sure to put everything back where it was, or you knew you’d never hear the end of it from Tech. You’d made the mistake once of just chucking things in in any old order which had not gone down well with the clone, and you’d spent the next 20 minutes getting lectured on the importance of the organisation of the medical supplies.
“The bandages go in the top right compartment.”
You looked up quickly to see Hunter standing opposite you. “Oh, um thanks.” You replied, knowing you were not successful in hiding your surprised tone.
“You didn’t get your portion.” Hunter said, holding the box out to you.
“Thank you.” You replied, taking the ration bar out and nibbling the top of it before putting your attention back on the med kit. You figured that’s all he’d come up to you for and you didn’t want to make him stay any longer than he wanted to.
He knew you well enough to tell that your demeanour right now was for his own benefit and was based off his own action towards you. Come on Hunter, time to settle this, he thought to himself. “That, uh, happen leaving the lot?” Hunter asked, hoping he didn’t sound as awkward as he felt.
You looked back at him. “Yeah, but it barely touched me, and I heal fairly quickly. You know, Jedi and all that.” You cursed yourself internally for bringing up the one topic that held a high degree of sensitivity right now.
“Hmm that’s pretty handy.” Hunter said, giving you a small smile.
You let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, it is.” After a few moments of silence, you spoke again. “Well, I uh, better put this back in its proper place or who knows what Tech’ll do to me.” You kidded half-heartedly before you sealed the med kit box and stood up, putting your top layer back on as you did so.
“Hey.” Hunter said softly, grabbing your free hand as you moved to pass him.
You glanced down at his hand then looked back at him. “Everything okay?”
“Can we talk?”
You wanted cry out with relief as he said those words but restrained yourself to a simple nod of your head.
Hunter led you towards the cockpit. “Tech, can you give us the space?”
“I’m working on this scanner.” Tech protested.
“You can work on it back there.” Echo said, standing up and dragging Tech out of his seat, giving you a small smile as he did so.
“Hey, Tech, put this back for me, would you please?” You asked, holding the med kit out to him.
Tech nodded and reached out to grab it. “Is everything-”
“Yes, everything is back in place.” You said, exasperated, but shooting him a smile, nonetheless.
“Okay, I only say that because last time-”
“Out!” Echo said, directing Tech away from you and back down the body of the ship.
--
Hunter let go of your hand- he hadn’t even realised he’d kept a hold of it- and went to sit in the pilot’s chair.
You squeezed your hand into a tight fist before relaxing it again as you did your best to ignore the usual feeling of emptiness that filled your hand whenever he let it go. You sat down in the co-pilot’s seat, turning it to face him. “This isn’t about Tech getting the ship impounded right cause-”
“No, it’s not.”
“Okay, good.” That was not the issue you were too worried about fixing. You waited patiently for him to talk first.
“I just… I need you to explain again. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did but-”
“No, you were perfectly entitled to do that. I know I messed up.” You said quietly.
Hunter took a breath before speaking again. “So, why did you hide this?”
You heaved a sigh and ran a hand through your hair. “In the beginning, I was being nothing but selfish. I wish I had a real reason, but I don’t. I’d spent years supressing that part of myself after I left. I didn’t get involved with anything that might threaten that until you all showed up. I lost myself for a while and forgot what I’d been taught. I don’t know what was different about you guys, but something told me I had to help you. I thought it would be a one-time thing but then you offered me a place here and I found myself saying yes and it’s like I said, as time went on, I grew to care for yo- all of you, you know you guys were the closest thing to friends I’d had for a while.” You caught yourself quickly.
Hunter pushed away the upset he felt as he heard that word.
“And I thought by telling you what I really was, things would change, or you’d send me back but, as with any secret, the longer it went the more uncomfortable I felt and the harder it got to keep, and I knew it wasn’t fair to keep lying. Especially to you.” You added quietly, looking down at your hands in your lap. “If you can, and I understand if you can’t, believe it when I say that I really did plan to tell you after Kaller but with Order 66 and Crosshair and Tarkin, I couldn’t. I don’t want to ask this of you but please trust me on this. All the odd behaviour, the deflections and the whole not telling you was purely because I wanted to protect you but I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have lied at all. I’m just- I’m just really sorry.” You finished and looked back at him.
“It just felt like you didn’t trust me or the rest of us. We don’t hide things from each other, not when they’re that important.”
“I know.” You said sorrowfully. “I regret it and I’ll keep regretting it for the rest of my life.”
“Do you regret it because you got caught out?”
“No!” You replied, horrified that that was something he was thinking but then again you could see how it may look that way. “I regret it because I hurt you and the others. I hurt my team and I hurt my friends. Hell, I hurt my family. I’ll never forgive myself for that.”
Hunter sighed. He knew you felt awful about this and that you wouldn’t do something like this again. He didn’t like this anymore than you did and if the others could forgive you, then he could too. “You’ve not lied about anything else?”
You shook your head. “No. If you have any other questions, I’d be happy to answer them too. I’m done hiding from my past.”
“Then we’re good.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Hunter replied.
You couldn’t stop yourself; you lunged forward and hugged him. “Thank you.” You whispered.
Hunter was glad your head was over his shoulder because that meant you wouldn’t be able to see the combination of happiness and shock on his face at your actions. He returned your embrace, breaking it very reluctantly after a few moments. “I do have some questions though.”
You removed yourself from him, you couldn’t believe you’d just done that, and went back to your seat. “Go ahead.”
“Is it because you were a Jedi that you’ve always refused to use a blaster?” He wanted to give you a more light-hearted question since the one he really wanted to ask might be a bit much to launch into straight away.
You snorted. “Yeah. They’re just not very elegant. I did try them out for a while but at the end of the day, I prefer the feeling of a sword in my hand. Anything else?”
Alright, moment of truth. “Yeah, but this one you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“No, I meant what I said. I’ll answer whatever you want to ask.”
“Okay.” Hunter waited a moment before speaking again, he knew this would be a hard question for you to answer. “Why did you leave?”
You huffed out a sigh. Oh boy. “That’s a longer story.”
--
Meanwhile, further down the ship, Echo, Wrecker and Omega watched the interaction with relief.
“Do we think that’s them told each other now?” Wrecker asked.
“No, we’re not that lucky.” Echo replied. “I reckon they’ve just fixed the whole Jedi issue.”
“Told each other what?” Omega asked, looking away from the two of you to focus on Echo.
“They share a mutual attraction that neither party want to acknowledge or divulge to the other.” Tech answered, his attention never leaving his scanner.
“Huh?” Omega asked.
“Basically, they both have feelings of the romantic type for one another and despite our best efforts, they still deny it to us, and they won’t tell each other.” Echo explained.
“No matter how hard we try to get them to admit it.” Wrecker grumbled.
“Oohh.” Omega replied, turning back to look at you both. “We should do something.”
“Believe me kid, we’ve thought of everything. It’s gotta come from them at this point.” Echo said with a sigh. He just hoped it would be sooner rather than later.
--
“So yeah, that’s why I left. I couldn’t forget the way they’d treated her which led to a crisis of faith, so I left my lightsaber in my room and left the temple in the dead of night. I had thought about seeking her out, but she had her new path to follow and now I had mine, so I took the first shuttle off world. That began my life of planet hopping. I didn’t really fit in there to begin with to be honest. Too emotional with a tendency to talk back and sway from standard rules if you can believe it.” You said, shooting him a playful smile.
“Oh, I can.” Hunter agreed with a quiet chuckle. “That also explains why you disliked Tarkin so much.”
“Yeah.” You agreed with a laugh of your own. “I was really surprised that he didn’t recognise me.” You looked out into the blue hyperspace swirls.
“Well, I’m very grateful he didn’t.” Hunter said quietly.
You turned to face Hunter with a smile. “Me too.”
Hunter cleared his throat. “So… uh on Kaller. There was something else I wanted to mention. You and the padawan looked like-”
“We were having a conversation?” You completed for him.
“Yeah.”
“Well, that’s cause I kinda was.”
“But I didn’t hear anything?”
“It’s hard to explain but I basically reached into his Force Signature which allowed me to communicate with him without talking out loud and he was able to do the same to me. With Jedi, it’s pretty simple since everyone’s signature is pretty strong but emotional connection can make it even easier. It can be done with normal civilians too, like with Gerrera, though obviously it’s one-sided and it’s harder, emotional connection really helps out there.”
Hunter paused before he spoke again. “So, you and Saw Gerrera… emotionally connected at some point in your past?” He asked, hoping you couldn’t pick up on the hint of jealously he was feeling at that prospect.
“What? Gosh no!” You replied quickly, you would not let yourself analyse the slight change in his tone and what that could possibly mean. You wouldn’t ruin this rather important conversation with all that nonsense. “That was basically just luck. I wasn’t even sure it would work, let alone work that quickly. I helped him out when I was still with the Order, but no emotional connecting was done. Under normal circumstances, it would’ve taken me a lot longer to do that.” You hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “Can I show you how emotional connection actually helps?” You asked, moving to sit on your knees in front of him.
“What do you mean?” Hunter asked, refusing to let his mind wander to what else your current position meant to him.
You took his hands in yours. “Just quiet your mind as much as you can for me, please?” You also made sure to take that advice for yourself, the suggestions of your present position were not lost on you but thinking about that would be very counter-productive right now.
After a brief moment to steady your thoughts, you closed your eyes and reached out.
What met you didn’t really surprise you. Hunter’s Force Signature was a lot like him, a little rough along the edges but warm at the same time.
When you sensed that you had achieved a successful connection, you opened your eyes and looked at him as you spoke to him without uttering a single word. Hi there, Sergeant. You giggled as his eyes widened. I know, it’s a bit weird, especially since you can’t do the same thing back so this’ll be the only time, I’ll do it but yeah, apart from Gererra being the exception, if I wanted to do this with anyone else, it would take a long time.
“What about the others?” Hunter asked, his gaze focused intensely on you.
I could probably do it, but I know it’s a faster process with you.
“How?”
You did not want to properly get into that, you still didn’t think your feelings were reciprocated so you did the next best thing. You instead played back the first conversation you had with him back on Devaron. You’re the one I connected to first, it’s just natural it would be this way. You provided as an explanation rather than admit anything else.
Hunter couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by it all, it wasn’t a bad feeling necessarily, but it only served to strengthen the feelings he had for you. All this proved was that you really were incredible, and he couldn’t imagine a time when you weren’t a part of his life but then he remembered what you said. You were his friend, nothing more, no matter how much he wished for that.
You felt his distress and assumed his enhanced senses weren’t too fond of what you were doing so you withdrew. “Sorry. I should’ve thought about your particular gift before doing that.” You said aloud.
“No, it’s not that.” Hunter said. “You can do that whenever; it doesn’t bother me.”
“What is it then?” You said softly, looking at him.
“It’s just… nothing, forget about it.” Hunter said, looking away from you. He couldn’t do this now, not like this.
“Hunter.” You murmured, placing a hand on his cheek so he had to face you. You lightly traced the outline of his tattoo with your fingertips.
Hunter closed his eyes and his breath shuddered slightly at the feeling of your hand on his face. To anyone else, this action would register as nothing more than a feather-light touch but to him it felt like so much more. He opened his eyes again to look at you. “You’re just pretty amazing.” Hunter breathed out, finding himself leaning down towards you.
You met his gaze, and you felt yourself moving up to meet him halfway.
Just as your lips were about to meet, the lights flickered and cut out, providing the most annoying but probably necessary interruption the two of you needed. You coughed and shuffled back on your knees awkwardly. You put that particular moment down to the whole speaking into his head thing. Anyone wouldn’t really think straight after that.
Hunter stifled his frustrated sigh and stood up out of the pilot’s seat, noticing the way everyone in the back of the ship had quickly turned their heads away and were now staring at random parts of the ship. Well, I should’ve known that would be the case, he thought to himself before addressing Echo. “Echo, the lights cut out again. I thought you fixed it.” He offered his hand to you to get you up and was pleased to see that despite what just happened you still took it.
“Yeah, add it to the list.” Echo replied grumpily, moving back to the cockpit with Tech, munching on his ration bar.
You and Hunter both moved out the way of Echo and Tech so they could sit back down.
“The ship got hit hard when we fled Saleucami. Several systems have been glitching ever since.” Echo explained. “Repairs would go faster if I had some help.” He said pointedly, shooting Tech a look.
“As soon as I finish building this scanner.” Tech said, soldering some parts of the device. “Testing the functionality of out inhibitor chips takes precedence.”
“But I thought you said they were defective?” You asked.
“A theory this test will be able to prove.” Tech said confidently.
“Huh, okay.” You said simply with a shrug of your shoulders, and you turned around to follow Hunter back down the ship.
“Besides, the ship-wide diagnostic report indicated no critical systems were compromised.” Tech informed.
Just as he said that the ship jolted violently and came crashing out of hyperspace.
The alarm started ringing and the red lights began to flash.
You lost your balance, and you suddenly felt the tight press of a body against yours.
In the slight commotion, it would seem that you had fallen into the wall, your back pressed against it while Hunter had ended up with his body pushed up against yours, his hands on either side of your head, his eyes looking directly into yours.
You blinked a few times to fully process what just happened and bring yourself back to the present moment of the ship hurtling towards a moon.
Hunter rather awkwardly pushed himself off the wall and away from you, trying and failing to forget the feeling of your body against his in that manner. He’d only ever felt it like that when the two of you had been asleep together but in the more recent times, those occasions had grown rarer, and they seemed a lot more innocent than whatever just happened there, even if it was purely accidental.
He quickly walked into the cockpit, and he heard you close behind him. “Getting thrown out of hyperspace. I’d say that’s pretty critical, Tech.”
“It’s not affecting life support.” Tech replied calmly, fiddling with some controls. “We’re fine.”
“Are you kidding me?” Hunter replied, exasperated.
“I don’t think life support will matter too much if we crash and burn.” You added, adjusting your footing slightly as another rumble ran through the ship.
“The power capacitor’s blown. We need to land immediately.” Echo said.
Omega was still back in the main body of the ship with Wrecker, trying to maintain her balance.
“Get ready for your first crash landing.” Wrecker said, lifting one of the over-the-shoulder restraints.
“Crash?” Omega said anxiously.
“Omega, strap in.” Hunter said, darting back down towards the young girl. “You too.” He directed, looking back towards you.
“Are you?” You asked, crossing your arms, and looking at him questioningly.
“No but that’s not the point. You-”
“No, I’m fine thanks. I’ll sit right here.” You sat in one the normal passenger seats, bracing your back against it to keep steady.
Hunter sighed and sat in the chair across from yours.
Omega quickly sat in on of the seats with the over- the- shoulder restraints and Wrecker lowered one down for her before going into one himself although the restraint proved to be a bit small for his larger frame.
“I can’t see anything.” Echo groaned, straining his eyes to try and see through the fog that filled the moon’s atmosphere.
“Hold on!” Hunter called back towards Omega and Wrecker.
Omega grunted with the impact on her shoulders as the ship continued to be unsteady. She lifted her feet when Gonky slid down the hallway.
Wrecker wasn’t having the best time of it either. A particularly strong heave of the ship had the side of his head being smacked off the one of the metal hand bars of the restraints.
The alarm blaring grew louder and more insistent, but you saw the fog had cleared which allowed Tech to level out the ship as best he could before it crashed to the ground. You held on to the sides of your seat to stop yourself from falling out of it as your body lurched with the impact.
Once the ship had come to a complete stop, you stood up and helped the Gonk droid to his feet. You looked over at Hunter when he stood up. “You good?”
Hunter nodded before addressing the back of the ship. “Everybody alright?”
You glanced down to where Omega and Wrecker were. She seemed a little bit dazed but otherwise okay. Wrecker was the one who looked the most affected out of all of you. He was taking breaths in short, sharp pants. You only hoped you had the parts needed to fix the ship and get off this place.
--
“The storm’s getting worse. It’s knocking out our comms.” You said irritably as you stared at the controls.
“I suspect one of our capacitors sustained damage during our firefight with the regs. We won’t be able to take off without replacing it. Inventory analysis indicates we have one spare onboard.” Tech explained to the group, looking up from his datapad.
“Is it in here?” Omega asked, grunting as she dragged a box out and placed it on the ground.
A hush descended in the ship as you turned your seat to see what Omega was talking about and why everyone had gone so quiet. Oh, that was why, you thought gloomily.
“What?” Omega asked, wondering why everyone was suddenly staring at her.
“That’s Crosshair’s weapon kit.” Hunter said, the guilt and painful reminder of all that went down on Kamino coming back to haunt him.
Wrecker groaned. “Fine. I’ll say it. I kinda miss him.”
“He shot you, remember?” Echo reminded him.
“Ha! I sure do. That hurt!” Wrecker said with a laugh.
“It’s worth noting that the possibility that Crosshair’s actions were influenced by the inhibitor chip.” Tech said to Hunter.
“It can do that?” You asked, getting out of your seat, directing your question towards Omega.
“That’s what it was designed to do.” Omega confirmed.
“So, it wasn’t Crosshair’s fault?” Wrecker asked.
“Well-” Tech began.
“Look, debating this won’t fix the ship.” Hunter interrupted. He almost didn’t want to know the answer. The slightest chance that Crosshair had done what he did willingly was the only thing keeping his inner turmoil at bay and now there was a chance he wasn’t in complete control of himself? And they’d left him behind? That was something he wouldn’t be able to get past easily. “Right now, we need to find that capacitor and get off this rock.” He said before walking away.
You followed him to the cockpit. “It’s not your fault you know.”
“I’d love to hear how it isn’t.” He replied dejectedly, hanging his head as he held on to the back of the pilot’s chair.
You sighed deeply. “You made a judgement call. Even if he wasn’t of sound mind, we were still under fire.”
“Exactly, there’s now a chance he didn’t really know what he was doing, and I left him behind. I can’t-”
“Even if he wasn’t himself, we were taking fire, Hunter. And it wasn’t just from Crosshair. We would’ve died if we didn’t get out when we did. If Crosshair isn’t in control of his own mind, then we’ll get him back. I know you; when the moment is right, you won’t leave him behind.” You said, laying a hand on his shoulder, turning him to face you but he still refused to look at you. “Hey, look at me.” You put your hand on his cheek, angling his face towards you. “You’re a good sergeant. Those guys back there would follow you through anything, as would I.”
Hunter gave a half-hearted smile. He only hoped your image was him proved to be accurate because despite your words, that element of doubt still resided within him. “Thanks. Go help Echo and Tech with the repairs, would you?”
“Yeah, no problem.” You complied. You caressed your thumb across his cheekbone. “I mean it you, know. Until you want rid of me, I’m not going anywhere.” You said, removing your hand and you walked away from him, grabbing an oxygen mask as you went to join Tech and Echo outside.
May that day never come. Hunter thought as he watched you go, the feeling of your hand remaining on his cheek.
--
Tech lifted the panel and took out the damaged capacitor.
“Careful. Those capacitors hold a massive charge.” Echo warned as he stood on Tech’s right, holding his flashlight up to help Tech see what he was doing.
You joined on Tech’s left-hand side, shining your light too.
“I am well aware.” Tech responded, placing the new one in. “I just need to secure it.”
You turned your head slightly as you heard the sound of faint snarling and you felt goosebumps on your skin. “What was that?”
“I’m a little busy as the moment.” Tech replied.
You walked a few paces away from the others, shining your light ahead of you.
“Get back here.” Echo called after you.
You waved your hand behind you. “Shush. Keep your light with Tech.” You hissed back.
As you walked, you shone your torch to your left as you heard some rustling, but you couldn’t see anything. You kept walking forward, taking slow, quiet steps, fanning your flashlight right and left but you were coming up empty.
Pausing, you closed your eyes and reach out into the Force, trying to feel for any unusual or threatening signatures but you couldn’t sense anything. You let out a frustrated sigh and turned your light towards the ship and then something caught your eye. “Echo, Tech, look at this.” You called back to them.
Tech just finished securing the capacitor and he joined Echo to make their way towards you.
You shone your light back on the fresh, long, and jagged claw marks that now decorated the ship.
“Ah. Well, those weren’t there when we landed.” Tech observed.
No wonder you hadn’t sensed anything strongly. You’d never quite managed the whole force connecting to animals thing, it had been one of the things you’d still been practicing before you’d left but after you had gone, you’d ceased all training of that manner. You berated yourself for that now. You were so preoccupied with your own thoughts; you hadn’t noticed that Tech and Echo had made their way back to the ship entrance.
“You coming back in?” Echo asked, looking back at you.
“Give me a minute.”
Echo looked at Tech, who simply shrugged, and they both made their way back onto the ship.
You took a deep breath. “Come on, you can do this.” You whispered you yourself as you closed your eyes, and reached out again, really focusing in on the nature around you.
--
“The capacitor’s in place, but other systems are now failing.” Tech said, taking off his mask as he walked towards Hunter.
Echo removed his own mask before speaking to Hunter. “Something’s causing damage to the exterior hull.”
“You wanna narrow that down?” Hunter asked. “And where’s (Y/N)?”
“The capacitor is gone!” You shouted, quickly removing your own mask as you ran on board. You hadn’t seen it happen, but you had gotten a read on a signature that had gone very close to the panel where the capacitor was.
“I just placed it myself. It can’t be-” Tech stopped as the entire ship just powered down.
Each of your heads followed the faint sound of banging that moved across the top of the ship. “I told you.” You whispered. “Something’s taken it.”
Omega looked out the ship window to suddenly see an animal with luminous green charges flowing through its body, dart across it. “Look!”
“What is it?” You asked as you all ran towards the cockpit.
“Some kind of creature, about this big.” Omega said quickly, holding her arms wide apart. “With a long tail. It ran off with the part.”
Echo stepped forward and reactivated the control to get a view of the ship. “They’re right. The capacitor’s gone. And that was our last one.”
“Did you see this creature take it?” Wrecker asked, turning to look at you.
“No but I had a feeling.” You replied.
“A feeling?” Wrecker repeated, staring at you.
“A Jedi feeling, Wrecker. I didn’t know what though. I didn’t get very far with connecting to animals and it really doesn’t help when I have no idea what I should be connecting to.”
“The creature is most likely an Ordo Moon Dragon.” Tech informed. “A species that feeds off raw energy. It was probably drawn to the capacitor’s electric charge.”
“Well, that would’ve been good to know beforehand, Tech.” You said with a sigh before you noticed that Wrecker had walked away from you all, groaning slightly as he held the side of his head. You guessed it was an injury from the rather rough landing.
“You two get those other systems online.” Hunter ordered Tech and Echo. “Wrecker, stay here. We will go after the dragon and get our part back.” Hunter said nodding to you.
“I’m fine. I-” Wrecker protested before breaking off with a moan.
“You’re staying.” Hunter reiterated.
“I’ll go with you both.” Omega said eagerly, jumping off her seat.
“No, that thing could be dangerous.” Hunter said, double checking his vibroblade before putting it back in its cover.
“I’m a part of this squad now too, right?” Omega asked.
Hunter glanced up at you.
You finished putting your weapons on and nodded at him. We can watch her. It’ll be fine. Plus, she’s right and she’ll need to learn how to handle herself at some point. I know I’d rather it be at a time where we can comfortably watch her.
Hunter turned back to face the young girl. “Alright, kid. Just stay close.”
Omega put her oxygen mask on and dashed for the door.
You hummed out a laugh as you watched her enthusiastically run to the door then you saw how the others were looking at each other- their faces filled with a combination of scepticism and bewilderment. You smirked at Hunter and nudged his shoulder. “Come on, it’ll be fun. Of all the missions we’ve had, this one is one of the easier ones.” You both put on your masks and followed her out.
--
The three of you moved speedily along the moon’s rocky terrain. The wind howled softly, and you felt the breeze through your hair. You were taking up the rear, with Omega in the middle and Hunter in front.
Hunter paused and knelt down to the ground.
You and Omega came on either side of him and watched as he ran his fingers through some of the dirt and studied it as it trickled through his fingers.
“What are you doing?” Omega asked in a hushed tone.
“Tracking.” Hunter replied, standing upright.
“Can’t you track the creature? You know, with your Jedi powers?” Omega asked, angling her head past Hunter’s legs to look at you.
“I could if I knew how to properly. Fact is, I don’t and even if I did, it would probably take a lot longer than this. A strong bond is required to connect with an animal, and I have no ground to even begin to establish one with this thing.” You answered, standing up and brushing some of the dust off your trouser legs.
You left out the fact that you quite enjoyed watching Hunter track, it sent a warm tingle down your spine every time, the only exception to that had been Kaller due to the rather serious extenuating circumstances.
“Let’s keep going.” Hunter said.
The three of you moved on, your movements more cautious now as you reached a section with more rocks, providing more cover for anything that might want to jump out at you.
“Could I learn to track like you?” Omega whispered.
“Well, it’s an enhanced skill.” Hunter replied. “Wrecker and Tech, we each have one.”
“And Crosshair.” Omega added.
You looked over her head to gauge Hunter’s reaction but the most he gave was a quick glance back at the young girl. You couldn’t get a read, the only way you could would be to dip into his signature but this task was more important right now.
“You shouldn’t be angry at him. He can’t help it.” Omega continued.
Hunter stopped and sighed. “I’m angry at myself. We don’t leave our own behind.”
Your heart went out to him. You knew that no matter how this situation turned out, that regret would always stick with him.
“Then we’ll find a way to get him back…somehow.” Omega said, coming up on Hunter’s right.
“That’s what I said.” You stated, coming to squeeze his left hand reassuringly. “See, it’s not just me that knows it.”
Hunter nodded at you before moving ahead once more.
You lightly nudged Omega in front of you again and fell in line behind her.
--
The three of you slowly began an uphill climb and crouched behind a rock. A few metres in front of you with its lights blinking, lay the power capacitor.
“See it?” Hunter asked, shining his torch light on it.
“Yeah.” You replied quietly.
“Wait here.” Hunter ordered, sensing that Omega had stood up. “Both of you.”
“You gotta be kidding me.” You objected.
Hunter just tilted his head towards Omega. He needed you to stay for her.
You got the message and let out a frustrated sigh. “Just be careful.”
Hunter gave you a nod and moved out from behind the rock to head towards the capacitor.
You moved closer to Omega and you both watched him closely as he went. You closed your eyes and reached out into the Force around you, looking to see if that familiar signature you’d felt by the panel on the ship was anywhere near you both or Hunter.
Then you felt it, it was right by the rock that was behind the capacitor. You snapped your eyes open and went to warn Hunter, but you were a second too late. The creature had jumped out and attacked him.
You and Omega dashed out and ran towards it, but it had grabbed the part and ran off.
“It’s getting away!” Omega shouted.
That wasn’t your concern right now. You turned away from the direction the creature had headed off in to see Hunter gasping, clutching at his throat.
Panic swept through you. “Hunter, your mask!” You grabbed him as he collapsed to the ground.
You scanned the area around you quickly to find his mask. You spotted it and called on the Force to send it to you. As soon as it landed in your hand, you reattached it. “Hunter, wake up! Wake up!” You said desperately but to no avail.
You checked for a pulse and hung your head in relief when you found one, but he would be out for a while and medical help would not go amiss plus you still needed to get the capacitor back. You spoke into your comm. “Echo, Wrecker, Tech, come in! We need help!” You got no response back.
You heard a snarl and looked up to see the dragon disappear with the capacitor down into a tunnel. You were torn, you couldn’t leave Hunter and Omega couldn’t be left on her own, but you needed that back.
“I’ll go.” Omega said bravely.
“No, Omega. Not by yourself. You could get hurt.” You said, taking your eyes off Hunter to look at her.
“We can’t leave Hunter alone here either. You can stay with him. I’ll be careful. If I’m going to be on this squad, I need to learn how to handle myself.” Omega replied.
You went to disagree with her but hesitated. You couldn’t bring yourself to leave him and if Omega felt like she could, then maybe it could work. “You sure about this?”
Omega nodded firmly.
You sighed. “Okay, take his blaster, torch, and his comm. If at any point, you’re unsure of what to do or there’s a sign of trouble, you tell me. Understand?” You said seriously.
“I understand.” Omega answered, picking up Hunter’s flashlight, blaster, and comm. “Okay, Omega. You can do this.” She said to herself, taking a calming breath.
“Be careful and any trouble, you use that comm and don’t use that blaster unless you absolutely have to.” You told her. She was young, she didn’t need her first instinct to be to kill. “You better go.”
Omega nodded and set off towards the tunnel.
You watched her enter it and then readjusted yourself, so you were supporting Hunter’s body, his head positioned in your lap. Come on Hunter, wake up, you thought nervously.
--
You gently straightened your back, keeping Hunter’s head cradled in your hands as you did so. Right after you did this, you saw his eyes flicker open. “Hunter?”
Hunter groaned and then his eyes focused on you, your head positioned just above his. His appeared to be in your lap. He sat up and held his head then let out a few panicked breaths as he remembered what happened. He tapped his mask, just to confirm that it was really there.
You moved around and kneeled in front of his. “Easy. It’s okay. I reattached it after it fell. You’ve been unconscious though.” You explained. “You scared the shit out of me. Next time you tell me to wait, I’m just going to ignore you because clearly that doesn’t work out well for you.” You said, adding a touch of humour to your tone.
“I’m okay.” Hunter reassured you, laying a hand on your shoulder.
“Just… don’t do scare me like that again. I don’t know what I’d do if-” You stopped yourself from continuing.
Before Hunter could ask about what you were going to say, he suddenly remembered about Omega, she wasn’t here. “Where’s Omega?” He asked urgently.
“Umm… she’s gone after the part.” You replied awkwardly.
“What?” Hunter said, standing up abruptly and which led him to notice his blaster, comm and torch were all now missing. “You let her go on her own?”
“Not enthusiastically but it was either I leave you unconscious and her with you, not knowing if there was anything else out here that could hurt you guys, or I stay with you and let her go after it. It wasn’t like I was left with the best choices. I told her to contact me if she was in trouble.” You explained, standing up too.
“Did you even try to contact the others for help?”
You glared at him. “Yes Hunter, believe it or not I’m not a complete idiot, my first thought was not to send her after an Ordo Moon Dragon by herself. The others didn’t reply.” You replied coolly.
Hunter sighed. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair. It’s just…she’s a kid. She could get herself hurt.”
“She’s not helpless, Hunter and she volunteered. She’s not much younger than what I was when I was being sent on missions. Plus, you and your brothers were put in training when you were young.” You said defensively.
“But she’s not exactly trained either or blessed with your particular skill set.”
You opened your mouth to protest but stopped when you realised that you’d lost sight of that. You may have understood the emotional assignment of taking in a child better than the others, but you’d let your own experience cloud your judgement here. You’d looked at Omega and seen a determined young girl, wanting to do all she could to help which is what you’d been like at her age and that was all you saw. You forgot that she’d been on Kamino her whole life and hadn’t been trained in any way. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let her go. I just didn’t want to leave you and I forgot her experience has been completely different from mine and yours.”
“It’s okay. We can go find her now.” Hunter said.
“She’s in there.” You pointed up to the tunnel she’d gone into.
“Lead the way.” Hunter directed and followed you as you both ran up to the tunnel entrance.
--
“Omega!” You both yelled down the tunnel.
“I’m coming!” Omega called back.
You exhaled deeply in relief as you saw her crawl her way to the top.
Hunter picked her up out of the tunnel and set her gently down on her feet. “Are you okay?” He asked, scanning her body for injuries.
“Omega, I’m sorry, I never should’ve let you go on your own.” You said, bending down in front of her to give her a quick hug.
“It’s alright. I’m fine. I completed the mission.” Omega said to you over your shoulder. She pulled away and handed Hunter back his blaster at Hunter. “Don’t worry, didn’t have to use it.” She added, looking back at you.
You nodded back at her before you got to your feet to stand next to Hunter.
“I got the part.” Omega said, holding the capacitor up to Hunter.  
Hunter took it from her.
“Good work Omega.” You said. “Now we can finally get off this rock.”
--
Hunter walked into the cockpit. “Tech, get us outta here.”
“Gladly.” Tech replied, powering up the engines. “Systems are up and running.” He said as the ship left the moon’s atmosphere.
“Yeah, took you long enough.” Wrecker grumbled, coming into the cockpit.
“And where have you been?” Echo asked, turning in his seat.
Wrecker ignored him and kneeled in front of the passenger seat where Omega was sitting. “Hey, kid. Come with me.” He said, holding his hand out to her. “Cover your eyes.” He instructed with a light chuckle.
Omega did as he said and took his hand despite it being about twice the size of hers.
“I’m not missing this.” You said happily, following Wrecker out of the cockpit and back to the gun tower. You were very curious as to what Wrecker had planned.
Hunter also left the cockpit to see what Wrecker had been doing.
“Okay. Open ‘em.” Wrecker said, stepping away from Omega. “Check it out!” He said with a chuckle, showing Omega the now new and improved gun turret.
Omega walked up the ladder, pulled back the curtain and smiled at what greeted her. Wrecker had transformed the space with new, warm glowing lights and had padded it out for extra comfort. He’d also included his Lula. She couldn’t believe it.
“It’s your own room.” Wrecker explained. “Well, what do you think? I thought this place could feel more like a home.”
“It’s perfect!” Omega said joyfully. “Thank you, Wrecker!”
You chuckled as Wrecker took the praise rather bashfully.
“Oh, uh, it was nothing.” Wrecker replied.
“I never had my own room before.” Omega said, sitting down and holding Lula to her chest.
“Well, you’re a part of this squad now too.” Hunter said, stepping past you.
You noticed that Tech and Echo had now come to see what was going on too.
Omega looked at him then back around her room. She was really starting to feel that now.
The rest of you left her to it and walked back to the cockpit. “That was really sweet of you, Wrecker. And she’s right. That’s a pretty perfect set up.” You said smiling at him. “Hey, how come I never got anything like that?” You asked, nudging Hunter playfully.
“Are you unhappy with your current arrangement?” Hunter lightly teased back whilst also hoping the answer would be no.
You pretended to ponder before answering. “Hmm I guess I can manage.” You replied light-heartedly, giving him a warm smile.
Wrecker, Tech, and Echo just looked at one other, the look saying the same thing- when will they just wake up and admit what they feel for one another? If it’s so clear to us, why is it not to them?
Next Chapter>
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Preliminary Poll
Jim Lake Jr.
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Submission reason:
At the end of the Rise of the Titans movie (a movie after multiple episode series), Jim decided to go against every single character development he has ever made, and went back in time resetting the WHOLE SERIES in order to save a friend that he could have saved by going back in time, like, two days. Then, he proceeded to dig himself DEEPER into the hole of negative character development by directly contradicting a character choice that had an entire episode dedicated to it: he basically throws all of the responsibility of being a troll hunter (basically a magical amulet powered protector against a troll that wants to kill all non-trolls ever and also all trolls who don’t obey him directly) onto another character. For some more context, in the original series, there was an entire episode dedicated to him going back in time and making a choice similar to what he does at the end of the movie where he tosses the responsibility of being the Trollhunter onto someone else. Basically everything went wrong and his conclusion was that he can’t just run from his own problems - at the point he’s reached, he is the trollhunter, and it’s not something he can or would ultimately want to stop doing. It’s a part of him. In that episode, he ends up going back to the og timeline at the end of it. However, apparently the writers of the movie did not watch that episode, as he does the exact same thing but the narrative treats it as a good thing??? Honestly, what he does in the movie is kind of worse. Within the movie itself, the characterization of all the characters is kind of a train wreck in motion as well… For some reason Jim purposely doesn’t wear armor for the first battle ??? Despite having always worn armor in battle before that point ??? There is no real reason why he is not wearing armor - his former armor kind of broke in an episode before the movie, but there is absolutely no reason he couldn’t have acquired armor before the movie started. Also, I know I’ve elaborated on this quite a bit, but the decision he makes at the end of the movie not only goes against every part of his character development throughout the show, but also actively reverse and undoes the character development of Every. Other. Character. in the Whole Show. Like a double whammy but it’s a like-fifty-characters whammy. It also makes the show even more extremely convoluted than it already was, as one of the former series took place hundreds of years further back in time, as a sort of ‘this-had-already-happened-and-was-always-going-to-happen’ kind of thing, of which how time travel really works was established. The way that Jim goes back in time works in a totally different manner, as he apparently just wakes up in his former body (in the time travel season, one of the characters that went back in time who is kind of immortal and was alive back then, does not go back into his former body. There are just two of them, the older version and the younger version). It just makes no sense and goes against his character development, and breaks the laws of the fictional universe.
striped him of his character development and rendered his sacrifices worthless when the timeline was reset in the final installment
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mdhwrites · 7 months
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I feel part of the reason toh is hold in such high standart over series of the same demographic is how fast it abandons the episodic format in favor of a more serialized vibe. I have noticed lately that audiences have come to see episodic as the lesser form of storyteling in comparation to serial, and unlike series like amphibia that remain episodic the vast mayority of their runtime, toh feels very serial in his later half even if it still holds an episodic format for most of s2. People like that didn't bother them with 'silly & inconsecuental' episodic adventures more than other shows. There's a reason some people skip most of s1 of amphibia and a big part of that is how episodic it is.
Okay so this is going to get wild because I'm going to seem incredibly critical of filler but I want to make something clear here: Filler is flavor. As a writer, I'm actually happy that I personally think I've been adding MORE filler to my stories. There's a reason I have a good number of reviews on my early books commenting how surprised people were that I get a LOT done with a low word count after all.
But let's first define Filler. It actually refers to non-canon material in anime which... makes sense actually. The issue with filler arcs, even the good ones, in anime are that you have to reset to zero afterwards for the sake of being able to keep in line with whatever the mangaka creates eventually.
But how does that translate to Western animation where the director for a given show is effectively its mangaka? Well... It's complicated but many will position themselves as it being anything not critical to the plot, themes and core elements of the show. Put a pin in the phrasing I use there.
With that being the definition though, how much of TOH do you have to see to grasp its core narrative? Well...
A Lying Witch and a Warden simply to be introduced to the main three characters and for the setup.
The Intruder so as to learn about the curse.
Covention so as to learn about Lilith and Eda's relationship as well as the Coven system.
And then Agony of a Witch/Young Blood Old Souls to see resolution to the curse and the destruction of the portal door.
And if you're going "What about-"
What about anything else? Amity doesn't develop Luz's character in any way that changes her actions in the finale, though arguably at all in general. Gus and Willow appear in the finale and Covention but you don't need to be introduced to them. As far as the plot is concerned, "Luz's friends" is literally all you need to know and you don't need a full episode's introduction to that. Lilith and Eda's relationship starts catty and slightly childish and competitive and the last thing they do before the finale? Play a Grudgby Match that Eda would have probably tricked Lilith out of having to pay the consequences for if she'd lost... Literally just like back in Covention but less dramatic. Literally NONE of these elements matter to the story of TOH.
It gets WORSE for S2/3. Hunter's whole character payoff is in Belos' Backstory... Which doesn't matter. The Collector never matters. Going to Earth doesn't matter. Hell, the portal does so little to progress ANYTHING but Lumity, that it doesn't matter. The episodes that matter are:
Elsewhere Elsewhen because Luz is the main character so knowing the context for her angst arc is important, even if her angst arc goes literally nowhere. You might think this means Yesterday's Lie but the promise in that literally doesn't matter as her angst is unrelated and not about the promise. She wants to stay in the human realm for other reasons, rendering Yesterday's Lie and Vee pointless... Except this episode is pointless because the reveal of Belos as Philip is the only part that matters which-
Hollow Mind: Is done properly here to the cast as the one in Elsewhere Elsewhen only is to the audience and so demanded that it be done a second time, harming this one's reveal. You won't know as many specifics but as Luz claims the light glyph was part of her sin when we see literally no evidence of him knowing the light glyph matters... Yeah, the writers didn't care about the specifics either.
Edge of the World: I almost included Echoes of the Past because that introduces this issue but it's so different from how King is for 80% of S1 that really what you need to know is that King is the Titan's son. Not even that he himself as a Titan as King is not important to the story of TOH. Only the fact that he is related to the thing that will allow Luz to beat Belos matters to the story of TOH.
And then Watching and Dreaming for S3... Because Luz confronting Belos in King's Tide doesn't matter. It's not like it even weakens Belos in a substantial way and King releasing the Collector doesn't matter either. Moments like "I want to be understood!" in the first two parts of S3 don't matter to Luz's character because they actively make the dream sequence at the start of the finale worse because the show is still mining the same conflict for Luz that it has been since Hollow Mind. Luz's friends and Hexide are barely in the finale, you're only missing out on caring about them during the epilogue and despite skipping over Harpy Eda, Harpy Eda barely matters to Eda's character, same goes for Raine.
That's the thing with people claiming filler as much as they do online. They POSITION themselves to be about plot and narrative. About getting down to just what matters. If they were being honest, they'd admit that most of what they call filler is because it doesn't cover elements they care about. The Plantars are main characters of Amphibia but many who criticize filler in Amphibia explicitly don't give a shit about the frogs. A lot of them skipped S1 because it focused on the frogs and Anne was rougher...
But that's also why VERY little of S1 of Amphibia IS filler. I would argue it's more serialized, just in a more classic manner of making old elements eventually important, because the development of its characters and the push and pull the characters have about change versus who they are and how to handle change is important to the payoffs of the series overall. Hop Pop's Noir episode? Actively talking about things that will come up even in the FINALE of the series. Anne learning to ride Bessie? Teaches her about learning the quirks of others and the importance of doing something right instead of wanting instant gratification.
And instant gratification is what TOH is all about... Ruining its serialization. Like I pointed out with Lilith: Eda and hers relationship starts as sympathetic towards Eda and NEVER CHANGES. What if in Covention, Eda had to be saved and over the course of S1, we saw Lilith softening so the tragedy of Agony of a Witch hit harder as Lilith decided to go back to who she was. To do anything for the Coven... And thus make Belos' betrayal SO MUCH WORSE?
Luz starts as a genuinely good person. Hell, she regresses over the course of the series as in Young Blood, Old Souls, she chooses that sacrificing one life isn't worth her safety or her potentially not screwing up... And then condemns an entire world to death when she chooses not to go back in Thanks to Them. She doesn't learn and grow and her relationships are shaky at best. They also arguably do a poor job at pushing the themes of TOH because TOH struggles to keep consistent with its themes. If it's about community, why is the EC purely demonized instead of trying to be rallied so Hunter doesn't have to lose his community? If it's about self expression, why do both Hunter and Amity end up being clones of past generations where Amity is just her father, right down to being subservient to the girl who enchanted them in High School, and Hunter is just Caleb? If it's about individuality and creativity versus rigidity and order, why don't Amity, Gus or Willow ever actually pick up a second coven or just in general, why aren't the covens treated as the illegal thing they are instead of college? This is why I say TOH struggles with theme because it's all about wish fulfillment for Luz and how she's just the greatest person in existence who never had to change and grow which is a pretty shit theme.
BUT
With all of that said, TOH would be WAY worse without the filler... Because Filler is Flavor. Amity adds a lot of good to the show in S1. Hunter adds good flavor to S2. Raeda is neat. I honestly wish I had more good to say about Gus or Willow because their episodes are genuinely filler as they don't make the world more interesting, usually make it genuinely worse, and are kind of boring in general with their episodes. Or repetitive for that matter. Lilith and Eda though? I still like that Grudgby match they have, even if it's derivative because it's fun and it's neat to see different sides of these characters.
Honestly, I kind of wish My Adventures with Superman had MORE filler. Just more time to breathe and just enjoy these characters being kind of quirky or fun or just neat. Not everything needs to feel breakneck. If it's plot time all the time, an issue for S2D of TOH where after Hollow Mind everything is EXHAUSTING, then you never get a chance to breathe. Never get a chance to just enjoy the world and explore it.
I just wish there was more to explore with TOH but it's too busy not caring about its own elements or making an interesting world to explore anything. Not anything explore anything besides how clever it thinks it is. Just like how people think it's clever for claiming to be serialized when it really isn't.
After all: How much of green haired Amity do you really need to see in order to understand Purple Haired Amity? Like people kept pointing out: Would you believe these two are even the same character?
Does it even matter? For a serialized story, it should have and that's why TOH isn't serialized.
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I cannot stress this enough: I don't like the sibling bullshit going on - not because it "get's in the way of my ship" or whatever idiotic nonsense rage-baiters want to spout. I am way too old for that dumbass shit and I consume media differently than most people do.
I'm training myself to analyze story structures so I can pick apart media I like. I enjoy figuring out how they work (or don't work) so that I can better write my own stories and then maybe become an editor down the line.
So this isn't, "Oh I'm upset my ship isn't canon". It's more like "It makes no sense to "siblingfy" the type of boy the main character likes and would have got together with him if circumstances were different. It also doesn't make sense for Hunter to become Camilla's kid and not Darius's. It also doesn't make sense for Hunter to stay in the human realm with Camilla given his position as the literal prince of TBI."
Most people don't realize that shows take literal years to produce.
So the people who work on it are going to have certain details slip from their mind. This is especially true if you're not on the writing team. Voice actors have daily obligations to attend to on top of doing other projects. Would YOU call two characters siblings if you remembered:
They had a fake-out kiss moment (in Hunting Palismen). This was a call back to a sleeping prince needing to be awoken with a kiss from the proof of concept video.
Luz is into angsty warrior prince types with tragic backstories and animal sidekicks... just like Hunter. Hunter at this point is nearly identical to Nevareth - you know, that dude Luz was drooling all over in the second episode of the series. Literally the only differences between these two is body type. (There's a chance Hunter could also lose an eye but I'm not going to get into that now.)
That drawing of Luz kissing a prince that looks like Beta Hunter in "Sense and Insensitivity"
Saw Luz saying she hopes see meets a "hot yet vulnerable upperclassman" in "First Day"
Saw how Hunter and Luz parallel Evelyn and Caleb. Luz and Hunter have romantic undertones because of this. Evelyn and Caleb were lovers, this was apparent in Hollow Mind. In one of the paintings you can SEE that she's pregnant. It's the one where they're running away together. This isn't a tale about "two very good friends" or "two siblings" - they were LOVERS. Luz and Hunter cannot escape this just because they never get together or become actual siblings. Now, do you see how the latter is the worst direction you can go?
How could anyone not think it'd be weird to "siblingfy" Luz and Hunter knowing all this? Another thing people seem to forget is that voice actors who are not writers are allowed to like headcanons.
This was really rampant in the Voltron (2016) crew. Writers AND VA were supporting Shiro/Keith as a romantic pairing DESPITE the age gap and that Shiro met Keith when he was a child. And that they, you know, never ended up together.
I also want to point out it just doesn't make sense for Hunter to live with Camilla in the human realm. You all have to remember that he didn't want to go back to the demon realm because he is the literal prince who helped Belos with his plans.
Besides Separate Tides and Hollow Mind, we never get to see Hunter on the missions Belos sends him on. But do you seriously think Hunter never caused harm to people? He's afraid he'll be recognized - and he has been recognized by his voice before. You don't think the people are going to want reparations from a member of the monarchy that attempted genocide on them? You don't think someone might try to harm him if they found out who he is? Of COURSE he's reluctant to go back to the demon realm.
Hunter may be a teenager, but he isn't above the consequences of his actions. He still needs to make it up to the people he ruled over. He needs to make up for the hurt he caused before The Day of Unity. He needs to be the one who cleans up the mess his "uncle" caused.
It was so obvious he wasn't going to get his little happily ever after in the human realm because he was never going to get the opportunity to run away from accountability.
That's why it makes the most sense for him to stay in the demon realm with Darius. Darius can help him repair the damage caused by Belo's reign and maybe even dissolve the monarchy entirely. Which by the way, WOULDN'T be a quick fix. Do you really think you can undo 50 years of pain in an afternoon? Do you really think that Hunter would just be able to get on everyone's good side even if he killed Belos and stopped The Collector?
Also it just doesn't make sense for the writers to set-up this connection between Hunter and Darius if they were just gonna drop it entirely. Darius isn't some rando adult in his life - he has ties to the Golden Guard who came before him - he has ties to Hunters "family". He can give him a connection to his "family" that Camilla cant give him. While Darius and Hunter's relationship wasn't the best pre-Day of Unity - Darius did display some affection for Hunter. He is obviously going to reconcile with Hunter down the line.
And another thing... It literally makes no sense for Darius and Camilla to get hitched. Why should Camilla and Luz help in cleaning up a mess the literal puritanical white man caused to that degree? Why would Camilla and Luz even take on that responsibility? It's not their mess to clean up.
It's Hunter's mess to clean up - whether he likes it or not. He can't stay in the human realm with Camilla because doing so gives Hunter the opportunity to dodge accountability. That's why Flapjack had to die - it had to be something that devastating to give him a reason to return home and take accountability for his actions and his "uncles" actions.
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adamsvanrhijn · 4 months
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what i, tumblr user maudbeaton, actually want to happen with the gilded age character maud beaton and oscar van rhijn (part 1/?)
Ok. so.
I made a post a few days ago just talking generally about my thoughts on the theory that Maud is scamming Oscar, which then boiled down to, "I do not think the scam explanation is more compelling or necessarily makes more sense than the straightforward explanation".
Even after 2.06, this is still my feelings on the situation overall: to me, it is more interesting if Maud isn't simply scamming Oscar, and if there is truth to what we have heard from/about Maud and the people around her.
However. What I want to happen only very rarely aligns with what Julian Fellowes wants to happen. Nothing in this series of posts is intended to be perceived as a prediction or as me debunking a common fan theory. I won't be surprised if Maud does turn out to be a scam artist at this point! I'm not even saying I think she isn't, we'll get there... If anything this might convince you even more that she IS scamming who knows!
I'm only saying that my hope is that ultimately what happens is more complicated than that, and here's why.
Meeting Maud
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Let's take everything we heard about Maud (from Maud herself and from Aurora Fane) in 2.02 at face value for a moment. Maud has been living in Europe ("Paris mostly") since the death of her mother, who was born a Stuyvesant - old money New York family. She's heard of Mrs. Van Rhijn, because she was just talking to the Drexels in Newport - but she's not staying with them in Newport, she's staying with other friends. She now lives in New York with a sort of paid companion. Her named father, John Beaton, is dead. She is rumored to be the biological illegitimate daughter of Jay Gould, who has taken an interest in her, and she has lots of money at her disposal.
Jay Gould is an incredibly prominent figure, the archetypal robber baron. He has obscene money and influence (like George), and he amassed this wealth through being a ruthless businessman who undercuts and ruins the businesses of others (like George). This is Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk levels of publicity, with comparable buying power. People do not like Jay Gould. Jay Gould is not easy to deal with. That line from him in the first episode about hiring half the working class to kill the other half? A quote that has been attributed to him IRL and that lined up pretty well with his own actions. His one known soft spot was his own wife and children.
Realistically, Maud being rumored to be an illegitimate daughter wouldn't be good for her socially, let alone being rumored to be Jay Gould's illegitimate daughter.
We have a precedent for this in the show, because Marian brings it up about Cissie Bingham (the "niece" of Henry Flagler, rumored to be his daughter, whom Raikes later marries) the previous season in 1.09:
Raikes: We know New York now, you and I. There's a life to be lived here, and a good life. But two penniless strangers from out of town could not have hoped to live it. Marian: But Miss Bingham can make sure of that life for you? Well, why not? She won't suit the old crowd, but she'll do well enough with the new, and her fortune is more than ample for both of you.
(Just for fun, I will also call out that it's the Drexels' box at the Academy of Music where Aurora spots Bingham and Raikes in 1.09.)
And Aurora calls out that people do talk about Maud—in the same breath as saying that she goes everywhere and is nice, and as we see Maud speaking to a nameless background character.
Oscar thinks this is great. "Suitable and charming" he says! Oscar is a fortune hunter who wants to marry a rich girl for her money. He's also closeted and wants the social stability that would come with marriage to a woman — especially a pretty, popular woman who is liked (if not, in Maud's case, universally well regarded).
Here's the thing:
From when we first meet her, Maud is already too good to be true.
...but it's not because the information we have about her doesn't make sense on its own. It's because Oscar's conclusion doesn't make sense based on that information.
At this point all Oscar (thinks he) knows is that this woman is an orphan living with a paid companion who says she knows the Drexels and has friends in Newport she's staying with and lived in Paris and looks down on Parisians, and whose father might actually be Jay Gould, and that's why she can spend all the money she does. That all adds up! Not unheard of, it makes sense that a young woman with no living legal guardians might be supported by her wealthy biological father even if he hasn't claimed her.
What doesn't add up is that she would retain any of the wealth she has access to after she married other than a dowry. It doesn't add up that she would continue to be supported by a man who has no legal responsibility toward her once there is a man with a legal responsibility toward her: a husband. That's the case for girls with alive legitimate biological fathers, too—and in 1.03, Charles Fane calls out that it's not a good look or feeling to be a penniless husband relying on your wife's father for financial support.
There is no reason to think, with the information that Oscar has, even taking that information completely at face value, that Maud is an heiress to or of anything.
Even if we assume everything that Oscar has been told at this point is true (and it's already been presented to him as rumor!), the most straightforward explanation here is that Maud's biological dad doesn't want her to fall into poverty after being orphaned and it's a drop in the bucket to him, not that she's secretly an heiress to Gould money. Oscar is making an assumption based on what he wants to be true, without all of the facts.
Yes, Maud has plenty of money at her disposal... but is it hers?
Oscar is not bothering to ask that question. He is already setting himself up for failure.
(part 2)
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justahumblesideblog · 2 years
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Steve: The Character Arc Given Us Through Subtext Part 1
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“Yeah! All hail the Emperor!”
I’m quite aware that Steve is already a very popular character in the fandom for pretty obvious reasons. Before Severine in Labyrinth Runners, he was the only coven scout given a name. Just giving him a name at all, and having him brought up again is bound to make him more memorable to the audience, especially these days when the trend of liking things ironically is so popular (not to say all fans of Steve only like him ironically of course, but you can’t say that the amount of fans who do in S1 at least is zero) Plus his very VERY few scenes gave him a likable if a bit too enthusiastic personality. He is a really easy character to meme and/or put headcanons on, which the fandom has. However, the thing I really like about Steve is how the show is able to have his entire arc happen almost completely off screen up until his character climax right before the Day of Unity.
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In most shows, Steve’s presence in the Owl House during this scene would have just been both a visual gag and a reference to his one other speaking scene in the series. Him wearing a shirt with his name on it would have been just a very tongue and cheek method of differentiating him from the other scouts. In reality though, it serves as a way to not only show that Steve is the type of guy to continue a being supportive friend towards Lilith despite her losing favor with the Emperor, but to also quickly establish that King would know Steve on sight when they meet again in O’ Titan Where Art Thou.
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“I know you. You’re Steve from Lilith’s party!”
One could even say that the reason Steve wore that shirt to begin with is so Hooty would know he is the coven scout that was actually invited. Then he decided to wear the shirt during his journey of self-realization, but I’m getting ahead of myself here.
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“*sighs* Steve is beginning to regret his choices”
In “Any Spot in a Storm” Steve literally starts reflecting on the questionable morals attached to Emperor Coven with the idea of kids reluctantly joining creeps into his mind. He’s understanding of why Skara would be so emotionally high to outright punch him so hard that it dents his mask. Short term wise, Steve’s presence in this episode makes Hunter realize the fault in his actions, but looking at this for the long term it doesn’t only let us know what’s on Steve’s mind:
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“Darius sent us to collect your recruits”
It also establishes that during the time Steve was questioning his loyalty, he was working under Darius.
Then we have Labyrinth Runners, and while Steve makes no appearance (mentioned or otherwise), it still moves his character arc forward by showing us that another scout getting fed up with the system.
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As method before, Severine is the other scout named outside of Steve. We are shown her mistreatment throughout the episode up until the very end when she quits and throws her mask to the floor in a huff. This tells us viewers that the scouts are indeed their own people and have feelings and lives hidden behind their masks. Again, another joke is used to perhaps foreshadow Steve’s offical departure from the Emperor’s Coven.
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“Lost your way, little guy?”
Finally, we get to O’Titan Where Art Thou. In his talks with King, Steve shares with him (and with us viewers) a tale of a younger Steve who wanted to be considered one of th best and believed that joining the Emperor’s Coven was the way to do so. He took that dream and made it his reality, only to realize it wasn’t what he wanted. Of course this is clearly meant to mirror King’s childish desire to be king of the demons, only to dislike it once it started to become kinda true, but it also stays completely in character to the Steve we met in S1 up until the Steve we have now. Steve ultimately being the one to comfort King during this time wouldn’t have been nearly as satisfying without the show putting the subtle groundwork to get us to this point.
Then King and Steve go off on a montage that mainly serves as King coming to terms with his heritage and what he wants in his life. However, it also serves as Steve’s little swan song to his life as the excited scout of the Emperor’s Coven to fully embracing himself as part of the rebellion.
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Now, I would LOVE to go into as much detail into this montage in this post, but Tumblr only has a limit of ten photos per post soooooo~ I’m just going to briefly touch on this moment for now because it’s everywhere due to the awesome representation.
Back in “Any Sport in a Storm” Hunter mentions that in order to join the Emperor’s Coven, one must be separated from their family and other loved ones forever. One could argue Hunter’s case is more extreme due to his own circumstances, but seeing Steve’s reaction to two sweet old ladies being in love, perhaps there is truth to it. During this moment of the montage, Steve could be mourning all the time lost to his dream of being the best and it just hit him all at once. Ooooor maybe that love is so pure that it moved the passionate man to tears. Probably a mixed of both honestly.
More on the montage and Steve’s ultimate role in this episode in part 2!
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animeboye · 16 days
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Remembering Akira Toriyama
On March 1st, 2024, legendary mangaka Akira Toriyama passed away due to acute subdural hematoma. He was just sixty-eight years old. His most famous creation, Dragon Ball, has had a profound effect on the anime and manga industry as a whole. Without it, we wouldn't have had series such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, One Piece, or many others. On top of how inspirational as a series Dragon Ball has been, it's shaped the childhoods of many kids all over the world, me being one such kid.
Toriyama is one of the few famous deaths that has actually brought me to tears, the only others being Satoshi Kon and Satoru Iwata. Losing Toriyama, for me, was such a sudden and devastating revelation and if I had never gotten into Dragon Ball Z when I was a kid, I don't know if I ever would have become an artist or writer. While I have had many inspirations for becoming an artist/writer, such as Yoshihiro Togashi, creator of Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter X Hunter, Masashi Kishimoto, creator of Naruto, and Eiichiro Oda, creator of One Piece, it was Toriyama and Dragon Ball which really helped to show me the path I wanted my life to go on. While writing Dragon's World, I've gotten comments from readers who've told me that there were moments where they were reminded of Dragon Ball and with Dragon Ball being one of, if not my biggest inspiration for becoming both a writer and an artist, those comments, to me, are not just some of my favorites that I've ever received, I find them to be some of the highest praise I've gotten.
Alongside Dragon Ball, Toriyama's other works such as Sand Land, which has both a game and an anime series coming out, and Dr. Slump show just how funny and imaginative Toriyama was. His paneling was always so clean and any action scenes were always easy to read and his characters, while not always the deepest, were always full of life and made the series they starred in so much fun to read.
Like many other kids who grew up on DBZ, I also tried on so many occasions to do a Kamehameha or go Super Saiyan. I remember when I saw the episode where Gohan was teaching Videl how to fly and she was focusing her energy into her palms, I tried to do the same, thinking it would help me to fly, too. When a new VHS (yes, we are going back that far) and later, DVD of DBZ would be released, I would beg my grandma or my mom to buy it for me. The same way true for when new Dragon Ball Z action figures would come out. I had to have them all, and I think I actually did have most of them. Then, at fifteen, I sold them because I thought, "I'm going into high school. I need to be a big boy and big boys don't have toys". Heh. Funny how well that thought process aged. Especially since now, I'm trying to find those same figures from my childhood so I can buy them again.
I would often recreate the fights and adventures Goku and his friends went on with these figures I bought, and sometimes, I would make up my own stories. One that I can always immediately recall was Goku and the gang fighting a group that used a seal similar to The Seal of Orichalcos from Yu-Gi-Oh! (also, RIP to Takahashi-senpai) and just like the Seal of Orichalcos, whoever lost that fight would lose their soul, too. Granted, the stories I came up with back then weren't good (I mean, they came from the mind of a little kid, so please be a bit gentle on me), but when you're an Elementary schooler/early middle schooler, they feel like something incredible. It's like you're getting to contribute to this world you've come to know and love and yet, you're the only one who truly knows about said contribution. In a way, it's a really special feeling.
Call me a weeb if you want for saying this, but to me, Toriyama wasn't just another creator. He wasn't just another storyteller. He was my sensei. He was my biggest inspiration and the person who got me to realize where I wanted my life to go. That I wanted to be a writer and an artist. That I had stories I wanted to share with others. Toriyama was someone I always wanted to meet and, I guess now I'll have to wait until I get to Other World myself to get that chance.
Thank you for everything, Akira Toriyama. Thank you for showing me who I was meant to be. Thank you for Dragon Ball and for allowing it to be such a staple of my childhood. I'll be hoping your family is doing well and are remaining strong in these times. May you rest in peace.
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canmom · 2 years
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Animation Night 110: Berserk
That manga... No... too large to be called a manga...
Hello once more my friends! Happy Thursday. It’s finally time for Berserk!
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So. Today we’re going to be looking at one of the adaptations of Berserk - not the renowned 90s TV show, although I will tuck in an episode of that, but the movie trilogy by Studio 4°C that ran from 2012 to 2013. But first! Let’s talk about the manga...
What has not been said about Kentaro Miura’s genre-defining epic? Probably very little, but that’s never stopped me before!
So. Berserk is a ‘dark fantasy’ manga series that ran from 1989, when Kentaro Miura was just 23, until his death in May last year - a span of 32 years. At this point I have read up to
The story has gone, as you’d expect, many different places, but broadly it is a projection of the horrors of the European Wars of Religion into a heightened fantasy world - all centered on the character of Guts, a badass traveling swordsman who, marked for demonic sacrifice, persists in the world out of sheer stubbornness and battles the demonic ‘Apostles’.
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The real meat of it begins with the Golden Age arc, the point where we see just how great a storyteller Miura really is. He precisely lays out a kind of grand Shakespearian tragedy, following Guts’s growth to adulthood with a mercenary band led by the iconic ambitious (evil) femboy Griffith, and the grand betrayal that set him on the present path. Even though we have some idea how it will end, the story rolls on with a feeling of terrible inevitability.
One of the great strengths of Berserk is the sheer variety of emotional tones Miura can convey. It is of course best known for its incredibly vivid and detailed battle scenes, the splattery panels of people being hacked apart by swords - and certainly Miura is one of the best at composing action, and a ludicrously methodical illustrator. Berserk loves to deliver the spectacle of, say, a massive cavalry charge...
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(Look at all these horses in distinct, active poses and dynamic perspective, the use of value in the composition to make sure it reads, the sheer amount of effort put into precise hatching around the muscle shapes of each horse. I can only imagine how long it took to draw just this one panel.)
But more than that, Miura is capable of portraying moments of painful tenderness and wicked humour. The Golden Age arc wouldn’t work nearly so well if we didn’t feel the sense of camaraderie in the Band of the Hawk, watch Guts warm up to them, or even ourselves come to believe in Griffith’s dream. The horror of the eventual climax at the Eclipse depends on all of these moments leading up to it.
Yet that’s only the first quarter 100 chapters or so of a manga that has so far reached around 364 (with Miura’s assistant Kōji Mori now set to continue). Following this point, the story enters the Conviction arc, beginning with relatively self-contained stories but building up into a new story about a depraved inquisitor. Miura has a good eye for turning these stories into not just a monster of the week, but compelling self-contained story in its own right (usually a very sad one!), embedded in an overall arc of the traumatised Guts cracking his cynical shell and slowly growing to once again accept connections to other people and become more of a protector figure.
So by the following Falcon of the Millenium Empire arc, the central cast has expanded considerably: Guts, now on a mission to heal his wife Casca who has been traumatised to the point of taking on a totally childlike demeanour, gradually finds himself joined by a whole party. Puck the elf (here more like a fairy than a LotR elf) is a fourth-wall-breaking Greek chorus present from the start; alongside him arrive Isidro, a young boy who idolises guts and tends to form the comic relief; Farnesse, once an aristocratic witch-hunter fascinated by flames; Serpico, her loyal retainer and secret brother; eventually even Schierke the young apprentice witch and her own elf companion Ivalera.
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One of the biggest concerns of Berserk is to show how these various characters came to be as they are, and show the events unfolding as a chain of causality. Every so often, we’ll dive into a flashback to flesh out one of the central characters, and honestly these tend to be some of my favourite parts of the story.
This idea of causality is actually explicitly discussed by characters like the mysterious Skull Knight, implied to be something of a predecessor to Guts who seems to have a sense of how the plot will unfold; Guts is described as existing outside the chain of causality by virtue of being sacrificed - and though he has become a kind of homo sacer to be killed with impunity by demons, this also gives him the opportunity to intervene in events. But how is in question; Guts is torn between two impulses: his desire for revenge on Griffith, his desire to protect Casca and the others who came under his wing, mixed his fear about hurting people in rage and bloodlust during fighting.
All this must sound very macho, and yeah, it often is - but right from the very start of Berserk it’s balanced by symbols of effeminacy as well, whether in the form of Puck the neotenous elf (who the camera loves to linger on) or, of course, Griffith - and the relationship between Griffith and Guts is very heavy on sexual tension...
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So, wherever did all this come from?
Prior to Berserk, I don’t believe this particular kind of fantasy manga was well-established. Certainly pretty much all subsequent works in the ‘dark fantasy’ genre, from other manga like Claymore (2001-2014) to games like Drag-on Dragoon (2003) and Dark Souls (2011) cite it as a massive influence.
In the 80s, Western fantasy works were enjoying a wave of popularity, particularly in computer RPGs attempting to capture the experience of D&D - which of course ended up with quite a different lineage in Japan (a divergence exemplified by the Wizardry series, which spawned a completely different line of sequels in Japan and the West). And by this point, Dragon Quest (1986) and Final Fantasy (1987) were on the scene; there was a big interest in fantasy art. However, the tone of these games was quite different, targeted much more at children.
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Here we’ve got to tread a little carefully to avoid muddying the picture! When we talk about the ‘grimdark’ movement of Western fantasy novels that kicked off with A Song of Ice and Fire in 1996, there’s a narrative that claims all prior fantasy was highly moralistic and full of uncomplicated romantic heroes, but thanks to authors like Martin, there was a turn to cynical realpolitik, bloody violence and torture, and sex (and in particular lots of rape). But it’s not true; this narrative erases the whole ‘sword and sorcery’ and ‘dying earth’ subgenres from existence; in fact there has been ‘dark fantasy’ pretty much from the start, at the very least from the 1960s. Such works, particularly the writing of Jack Vance, Poul Anderson, Michael Moorcock, and (sigh) yes Lovecraft and Howard formed a major part of the fabric of D&D in 1974.
And indeed, Miura cites two major sword-and-sorcery works as part of his inspiration for Berserk’s setting: the 1982 film adaptation of Howard’s Conan the Barbarian (featuring Arnie!) and Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone series. I think the Elric connection would be very interesting to develop, because Moorcock was definitely interested in the same sort of grand themes as Miura, but I’ll have to actually read it first lmao...
Alongside this, Miura cited some other works from the West, namely the films Mad Max (you can kinda see it) and Star Wars (bwuh?).
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Of course, Miura also had plenty of influence within manga. Buronson and Tetsuo Hara’s post-apocalyptic fighting manga Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳, 1983-88) frequently comes up as a big influence, and we can certainly see the resemblance between Kenshiro (above) and Guts, as well as the general post-gekiga art style full of heavy hatching and intricate, thin lines that Miura would pick up so well.
Alongside that, Miura’s demons unsurprisingly owe a lot to Go Nagai; he also heavily praises Osamu Tezuka’s historical manga Dororo. But there’s actually another line of influence that may or may not be surprising: shōjo manga, particularly that of the Year 24 Group...
Miura commented about the influence of shōjo manga on the series, stating that it is about "expressing every feeling powerfully."[17][23] Particularly, he mentioned influence from Yumiko Ōshima,[17][23] and that the anime adaptations of The Rose of Versailles and Aim for the Ace!, both directed by Osamu Dezaki, inspired him to read The Rose of Versailles manga and the works of Keiko Takemiya, notably Kaze to Ki no Uta.[16][24]
Dezaki we covered previously on Animation Night 95, and we watched the anime adaptation of foundational yaoi manga Kaze to Ki no Uta back on Animation Night 69 - and, like, yeah! You can certainly see how Griffith in particular, with his flowing curly hair and pouty lips, looks like he comes straight from a shōjo manga - something perfectly fitting the larger-than-life charismatic hero role he assumes. And in general, this old school shōjo approach to storytelling proved an absolutely perfect fit for the quieter, emotional parts of the story: repeated lines to establish a certain cadence, panels which don’t show events but just establish mood, a certain wistful beauty.
It is the contrast between these two elements that makes Berserk sing. It invites you to indulge in its gleeful fascination with fever-dream ultraviolence but it’s also very determined in observing its consequences on the survivors.
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Surely the most controversial aspect of Berserk is how frequently it portrays rape. Make no mistake, it is quite a lot, and if you do not want to deal with that, just don’t read Berserk.
So, how exactly does it go about this? Notably, the main three characters of Berserk are all survivors of sexual violence. Guts was betrayed by his father-figure early in life; Casca was rescued from rape by a noble by Griffith; a young Griffith did deeply traumatising sex work for a different noble to fund the Band of the Hawk in its early years. All three of these events, while they might be a bit absurd and melodramatic on some level, are treated with a great deal of care and gravitas - in particular, the arc of Guts and Casca sharing their respective stories and growing closer together and creating a more positive form of sexuality is one of the most affecting parts of the Golden Age arc, frankly the best het scene I’ve ever read lmao.
Furthering that approach is effective use of rape as an element of horror, namely the climax of the Golden Age arc, where (spoilers) the tortured Griffith, rescued from the king’s dungeon but too injured to ever carry on his rise as a mercenary leader, chooses to sacrifice the entire Band of the Hawk to demons in order to make himself a kind of demon lord. Most of them are torn to pieces, but Casca is raped, first by tentacle monsters and then by Griffith himself while Guts looks on powerlessly. The manga forces us, like Guts, to watch; it is one of the most viscerally upsetting scenes I’ve read in manga, even by contrast to the blood and guts and deaths of beloved characters throughout the rest of the eclipse.
At the same time, there’s a lot of rape or attempted rape that’s just kind of... there, part of the broader texture of violence that fills the series. Our actual and would-be rapists include mercenaries, apostles and at one point monstrous trolls; Casca in particular gets the absolute worst of it, with many attempted rapists showing up both before and after the eclipse. The first time I read Berserk, I felt strongly about such portrayals and couldn’t read much further than the Golden Age arc - now I’ve evidently changed my mind about what’s appropriate to treat in fiction in general.
At this point I think it’s up to each person to decide what they’re comfortable reading and all I can do is just, tell you what you’re in for.
Perhaps it’s worth digging into what role this serves. Berserk is of course deeply concerned with the subject of violence in general. Guts’s defining feature is his connection to violence; he has killed hundreds if not thousands of people and is separated from the rest of the world by the fact he’s attacked nightly by demons. It does a good job of depicting violence as both alluring and repulsive and in many ways, nihilistically treating it as just natural; we’re often reminded that the people slaughtered for Griffith’s dream or because they got on the wrong side of Guts are often just people, other mercenaries, who probably followed their own charismatic leader or just went to war because they had no other way to make a living. Moreover, it is very interested in notions of domination and powerlessness, and this is where the sexual violence fits in. And honestly, these kinds of ero-guro elements seem appropriate for what this story is about.
And yet, the way it treats rape is curiously... limited. It seems even a giant monster completely divorced from humanity will only ever get the tentacle dick out because they see a woman. Casca is often quite awkwardly depicted as ‘the girl one’, with most of her conflicts stemming from that - there’s even a plot point where she goes into battle and can’t fight as effectively because she’s on her period. Often it seems like the only way Miura can think to give a conflict to Casca is by having someone try to rape her. (By contrast, women who appear later in the story like Farnesse and Schierke tend to get very different conflicts - as much as even early Berserk features brilliant writing, I think Miura surely matured while writing it.)
One possible explanation I’ve heard is that Miura’s editors at Young Animal magazine knew that the sexual violence sells, so they would pressure him to put in things like rapist trolls to satisfy that side of the audience. Right now I don’t really have any evidence to confirm this one way or another.
So... all in all, it is what it is I guess. Know what you’re going in for and make your decision appropriately.
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Berserk has been adapted to animation three times. The best known one is the TV adaptation by Oriental Light and Magic (OLM), best known for their adaptation of Pokémon(!), which actually began at the same time as their Berserk in 1997. It’s hard to imagine two more completely different franchises. Their adaptation, and in fact subsequent, focused on the Golden Age arc - unlike the manga which introduces the Golden Age as a flashback, it starts the story from the beginning.
This 90s anime series, although inevitably limited by the bounds of TV animation, was very well-loved and was for many people the first introduction of the series. Even with two cours (25 episodes) to play with, it had to cut a little, and due to TV censorship I’m told it ends rather abruptly in the middle of the eclipse sequence.
Notable is the soundtrack by Susumu Hirasawa, who would later become famous as the composer for almost all Satoshi Kon’s films (Animation Night 16, Animation Night 42). It’s got that classic 90s end-of-the-cel-era look, with muted colours and frequently impressively detailed drawings. It’s of the kind of vintage where encoders will be quite particular about preserving film grain or not!
However, two cours of anime is too much for Animation Night, so this is not the version of Berserk we’re going to cover. Instead, we’re going to look at Studio 4°C’s take, a trilogy of movies released 2012-2013.
Here, I may refer you to youtuber SteveM, who made a good retrospective on the trilogy in the context of 4°C’s broader work:
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The impetus for this one comes from Lucent Pictures, who approached 4°C after seeing their work on films like Tekkonkinkreet and the Animatrix. Producer and 4°C cofounder Eiko Tanaka was actually unfamiliar with the work at the time; the decision to focus on the Golden Age arc comes from the screenwriter. First came a pilot in 2008, which earned Miura’s approval; the subsequent single movie ended up splitting into three to contain the material, and still cuts a lot compared to the pacing of the TV series.
4°C’s overall approach was to combine cel-shaded CG with traditional animation, an approach which would allow them to take on the enormous battle scenes and complex suits of armour. As SteveM describes, the result is... a bit of a mixed bag, visually speaking. 4°C are definitely one of the best when it comes to merging 2D and 3D, but this time they were applying it to living creatures rather than environments or machines for the first time. The results often looked awkward and uncanny in motion, with the attempt to animate the CG on 2s to mesh better with the 2D frequently ending up with the worst of both worlds. This was improved a lot by the time of the third movie, but still an unfortunate weakness.
Despite this, this is anything but a passionless project; they got in HEMA practitioners to choreograph the fights and went to considerable effort to include historical armour and weapons - perhaps a misguided effort since historical accuracy was never especially the point of Berserk, but definitely a sign of something. And at least going by the reactions of critics, the troubles were largely ironed out by the third movie, which finally got to deliver the Eclipse sequence in its full horrible splendour. In the comments of that video, there are some interesting discussions of what 4°C did better: some people point to the romantic scenes between Guts and Casca, the moment where Guts accidentally kills a child, and the amputation scene in the eclipse arc.
I don’t have an opinion yet! Right now I’m purely a manga reader and haven’t seen any adaptations of Berserk. So I’m looking forward to seeing how all this hangs together in full tonight. Berserk is something that’s impossible to adapt without some sort of compromise, so the strength of an adaptation will be what it chooses to make of the material.
And oh, god, look at the time - that’s about all I have time to write. Thanks for bearing with me. We’ll be starting the Berserk movie trilogy very shortly, at our usual spot, twitch.tv/canmom - hope you can join me, I’ve been looking forward to this a while!
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ultraericthered · 1 year
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Anime Update V2 34
Wolf’s Rain - You know shit’s hit the fan when the guy we thought was getting set up as the main villain gets offed at the start of the episode. Yeah, Lord Orkham got assasinated by the forces of the as of now unseen Lady Jaguara, and Hubb Lebewski, who was taken captive by the late noble’s forces, is now on the run, while his ex-wife is still held captive by our other main antagonist, Lord Darcia. And oh man, Darcia shows just how scary and efficient he is here, and by the end has Cheza back in his possession and has thwarted the four main wolves on what could’ve bene a clear pathway to Paradise.
Hunter x Hunter - Caught up to the second anime’s version of where the first anime ended, and then Chrollo used the fortune-telling ability he stole from Neon to read the futures of all Troupe members while Kurapika finally recieves Hisoka’s text message that the Spiders aren’t really dead. And so we’re approaching this arc’s real ending!
Fruits Basket - The episode that introduced Rin Sohma, the Zodiac horse who unfortunately does not meet our main characters this time and doesn’t even transform. The episode was mostly about how Hatsuharu was dealing with his and Rin’s breakup, and how his angst and potential danger to even his loved ones is paralleled with Kyo. Yuki also resolves to return to the Sohma family estate to visit Haru, which took a whole lot of courage and maturity on his part.
Rozen Maiden - My fears were confirmed - “middle school Jun” who has been communicating with adult Jun is not really middle school Jun, but Kirakishou decieving adult Jun into making a body for her. The real middle school Jun is trapped in another realm with Canaria and has been recieving adult Jun’s replies to things he never sent him to begin with! The one character who catches onto what’s really going on here is Suigintou, who of course proceeds to not alert Jun or Shinku to this because she wants to fight Kirakishou when she emerges so that she may claim her Rozen Mystica, oh you evil little shit! This is “Vegeta allows Cell to reach his Perfect form” stuff here! 
Fate Zero - Not much in the way of plot advancement this week, just more solid interactions between Saber and Irisveil, and between Gilgamesh and Kirei, who continue to provide some of the best stuff.
Revolutionary Girl Utena - 'Twas the series finale, what all can I really say about it? It was trippy and mind-blowing and eye-opening and heatwrenching and inspiring and...well, revolutionary! And I just loved the conclusion it came to. The Rose Bride/”princess” role truly is worthless to the girl who has it and only benefits the Prince, the “Prince” role itself is toxic and ultimately incapable of breaking through the Rose Gate, Anthy’s lack of self worth and internalized sexism failed her as much as Utena’s own wrong-headed idealism and aspirations to be a Prince failed her, what actually saves Anthy is Utena reaching out to her not as a Prince trying to save the damsel in distress, but as herself believing in her friend, as one young woman in need to another - one lover to another, as their hearts and hands connect. And getting to see Akio get exactly what he deserved twice was so damn satisfying. In the end, Utena did bring the world revolution, but not in the way Akio had ever understood or intended. Everyone’s own “world” is now in revolution, the Rose Bride is slave no more, and Utena is out there somewhere, waiting to be found...
Senki Zesshou Symphogear - The last thing I’d been expecting after last episode was Chris getting taken to Miku’s house and becoming her new friend, that was so sweet! And seeing Chris step up to protect Miku and other civilians put in danger from the Noise attack, Genjuro coming in to protect Chris (who takes off afterwards), Miku taking action to protect others including her estranged friend Hibiki, and of course, Hibiki coming to her rescue as the two of them rekindle their beautiful friendship afterwards. The OTP sails again!
AMC: Tengen Tonpa Gurren Lagann - Got to episode 5, which introduces characters that aren’t exactly favorites of mine, but had a central conflict that was interesting enough to hold my attention the whole way through. Kamina immediatey hating on the high priest due to him reminding of his old villages leader was hilarious, and while he’s left unable to really understand the ways of this village, he turns out to not be entirely off the mark - the high priest essentially is just the village leader disguised by religious doctrine and beliefs he doesn’t truly hold dear. By far the weakest part of the episode was the fight. I could barely make it out, the lighting was so dark and dull!
AND
Akudama Drive - Had to watch this in addition since I’d have no room for it anywhere later in the time remaining of this year. And yeah, I’ve certainly reached the halfway point of this one cours anime. I know this ‘cause main charactes have begun to fucking die!
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laresearchette · 1 year
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Sunday, December 04, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)
WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: MERRY TEXTMAS (Lifetime Canada) 8:00pm UNDERCOVER HOLIDAY (W Network) 8:00pm HOME TOWN (HGTV Canada) 8:00pm FIT FOR CHRISTMAS (Global) 8:30pm GEORGE & TAMMY (Crave) 9:00pm THE REBELLIOUS LIFE OF MRS. ROSA PARKS (MSNBC) 10:00pm THE L WORD: GENERATION Q (Crave) 11:00pm
WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT: HOUSEBROKEN (FOX Feed) B&B MERRY (Premiering on December 11 on CTV Life at 8:00pm)
NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:
CBC GEM W1A (Season 1)
CRAVE TV A CHRISTMAS PRESENT GEORGE & TAMMY (Season 1, Episode 1)
NETFLIX CANADA THE BLIND SIDE SPACE JAM (1996)
FIFA WORLD CUP SOCCER (TSN3/TSN4) 9:45am: Round of 16: France vs. Poland (TSN4) 1:45pm: Round of 16: England vs. Senegal
NFL FOOTBALL (TSN) 1:00pm: Commanders vs. Giants (TSN) 4:00pm: Dolphins vs. 49ers (TSN/TSN3/TSN5) 8:15pm: Colts vs. Cowboys
NHL HOCKEY (SN) 3:00pm: Wild vs. Stars (TSN3) 3:00pm: Ducks vs. Jets (SN) 7:00pm: Sharks vs. Sabres
NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 3:30pm: Nuggets vs. Pelicans (SN Now) 6:00pm: Lakers vs. Wizards (SN1) 6:00pm: Celtics vs. Nets (SN1) 9:00pm: Pacers vs. Trail Blazers
A HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS (Crave) 5:00pm: Jessica is an up-and-coming filmmaker who's made a name for herself by directing Christmas movies. However, when a network executive threatens to halt production on her latest film, she finds herself juggling all the classic tropes of Hollywood.
LONG LOST CHRISTMAS (W Network) 6:00pm:  Hayley is an interior designer who plans to surprise her recently widowed mother with the perfect holiday present -- the extended family she knows her mom yearns for.
HEARTLAND (CBC) 7:00pm: Amy and Lou go on a road trip to stop a Miracle Girl imposter; Tim puts on a rodeo school showcase, but a series of mysterious events threaten the show; Amy questions if she should visit Finn...AND THE HORSIES!
FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER (APTN) 7:30pm: The drivers head to Brockville for the final weekend of the Action Sprint Tour, but there's some nasty weather brewing that threatens to interfere with the championship. The wet track makes driving slow and difficult. Will the drivers get to race?
A MERRY CHRISTMAS WISH (Super Channel Heart & Home) 7:30pm: An NYC advertising executive returns to her hometown to sell the family farm but instead reconnects with her childhood friend and gets involved with organizing the yearly Winter Wonderland, which takes place on the property.
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (CBC) 8:00pm:  Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding invite the stars from the drama "It's a Sin" to join them in the white tent to celebrate Christmas.
THE BIG BAKE (Food Network Canada) 8:00pm: During the festive season, Santa Paws delivers presents to the best-behaved creatures. The baking teams hop to it by creating a cake featuring an animal kingdom Santa that won't ruffle judges Ron Ben-Israel, Eddie Jackson and Danni Rose's feathers.
STEPPIN’ INTO THE HOLIDAY (CTV Life) 8:00pm: Sparks fly between a former Broadway star and the owner of a dance studio as they work together to revive a traditional Christmas Eve show.
AUSSIE GOLD HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 9:00pm
KENTUCKY MURDER MYSTERY: THE TRIALS OF ANTHONY GRAY (Investigation Discovery) 9:00pm:  After James and Vivian Gray are found shot to death in their home in 2007, their only son, Anthony, is put on trial for the crime.
OUTBACK OPAL HUNTERS (Discovery Canada) 10:00pm:  The Bushmen's new claim turns dangerous; Pete and Sam's vision takes shape.
THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND (History Canada) 10:00pm: Armed with more evidence that the garden shaft is connected to a possible series of tunnels in the Money Pit, the team begins the arduous work necessary to get a team member underground.
GOT IDENTITY (APTN) 11:30pm: Nelson asks his brother about that time he wore 'brown face' for Halloween, later Nelson sits down with the director of the show to chat about his family's connection to the most famous fake Indigenous person the world had ever seen, Grey Owl.
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cartooniack1994 · 1 year
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I’m a Kataang shipper.
In the past, I used to tolerate Z*tara shippers when I first got into Avatar: the Last Airbender back in 2015, and I try my best to not get into any ship discourse in any fandom (because I got kicked out of three fandoms over it). I have the following policy: if they don’t bother me, I won’t bother them, and vice versa, if I don’t bother them, they won’t bother me.
Recently, however, it’s gotten to the point where I put Z*tara on my blacklist on Tumblr Savior, because the whole “Kataang-Z*tara War” has been going on for fourteen years, and I’m getting tired of it. What’s worse, many of those that ship Z*tara still refuse to accept Kataang as endgame, especially since Aang and Katara had kids (and grandkids) in the sequel series, The Legend of Korra. What was the Z*tara shippers’ intent? Trying to get Bryke to change their decision on the endgame pairing for Avatar: the Last Airbender? If that was the case, then it’s far too late.
I hope I don’t get kicked out of the fandom for saying this, but since it’s been bothering me for a long time, I’m here to prove why not only Z*tara is a bad pairing, but also why it wouldn’t work out in the long run.
As you very well know, in the first two season of the show, Zuko and Katara did nothing but fight, and they didn’t become friends until close to the end of the show. Personally, I can hardly consider any of their interactions as “ship fuel,” and yet, somehow, it became a more popular pairing than the canon Kataang pairing.
Zuko was an antagonist in Book One, as he was tracking down the Avatar in order to restore his honor and gain his father’s respect. In “The Waterbending Scroll” (Book 1, Chapter 9), Zuko used Katara’s necklace as was to bribe her in order to get her to betray Aang’s whereabouts, but she refused. He then employed a bounty hunter named June and her shirshu, a beast that can track a person by scent, and used said necklace to track, thus tracking Ang by proxy. Once Zuko found Aang, however, the necklace was reclaimed by Aang and returned to Katara.
In “The Crossroads of Destiny” (Book 2, Chapter 20), Zuko had his first chance of redemption when he was imprisoned in a crystal cave with Katara, who was angry at him, for she blamed him for starting the war between the Fire Nation and the rest of the Four Nations. After Zuko was sympathetic to Katara after hearing that the War took away her mother, Katara offered to use the spirit water to heal his scar, but then Aang and Iroh broke them out of the prison before any action could be taken. Zuko decided to side with his sister, much to Iroh’s and Katara’s disappointment, thus blowing his first chance at redemption. In the end, Katara used the spirit water that was given to her by Master Pakku to revive Aang, because he’s the Avatar (duh!), so he needed it the most. Zuko didn’t truly get redeemed until “The Day of Black Sun” (Book 3, Chapters 10 & 11) when he called out his father and told him that he was going to help the Avatar.
In “The Western Air Temple” (Book 3, Chapter 12), Aang, Sokka, Toph and especially Katara initially didn’t trust him when he wanted to join Team Avatar, as he let slip the fact he hired Combustion Man. At the end of the episode, after the others welcomed him on board after he helped defeat Combustion Man, Katara said the following, word for word, to Zuko after he joined Team Avatar:
“You might have everyone else here buying your...transformation, but you and I both know you’ve struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something, right now. You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won’t have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I’ll make sure your destiny ends...right then and there. Permanently.”
This scene in and of itself shows that Katara is not messing around, since she felt bitter towards him after his betrayal in “The Crossroads of Destiny.” Zuko and Katara didn’t truly become friends until the end of "The Southern Raiders” (Book 3, Chapter 16). In the episode, Zuko was wondering why she was bitter towards him after the other members of Team Avatar started to trust him. Katara was still bitter at him, because she was the first person to trust him at Ba Sing Se, and Zuko betrayed her trust by siding with Azula, and she was angry towards the Fire Nation in general, because a member of the Southern Raiders killed her and Sokka’s mother. At the end of that episode, Katara had finally forgiven him, thus making her his friend. One thing that gets me about those who ship them is that they see this gesture of friendship as “ship fuel,” especially since at the beginning of that episode didn’t trust Zuko until the end.
In conclusion, Kataang is a healthier relationship, as they had time to develop throughout the series, whereas Zuko and Katara didn’t have enough time to become a couple. In fact, in the comics (I only have “The Promise,” which I haven’t read all the way through yet), Katara and Aang’s relationship seems to be going strong. Besides, Zuko already had feelings for Mai at that time, anyway. At best, I view Zuko and Katara as nothing more than a sibling-type friendship, especially when you consider Zuko’s and Katara’s relationships with their actual siblings. Even if Zuko and Katara were to be a couple, it wouldn’t work out in the long run, because their personalities would clash. I wish that Z*tara shippers would just learn to accept the fact that Kataang is canon, stop attacking Bryke and Kataang shippers, and move on, because this war has been going on for fourteen years. In all fairness, Katara made the right choice by going with Aang.
TL;DR: Kataang is a better pairing than Z*tara, because Zuko and Katara did nothing but fight in the first two seasons, and they didn’t become friends until close to the end of the show.
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technologymiles · 2 years
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Best Anime Series of All Time
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Anime, which is broadly defined as Japanese animated works, is a diverse medium. There are fast-paced adventure series with cliffhangers at the end of each episode, as well as heartfelt slice-of-life shows. Each episode is usually 20 minutes long, which is shorter than a typical television show but packed with emotion.
While some people associate anime with the shows we watched as children—and then abandoned—there is plenty of series with dark and serious themes aimed at adult audiences. (In fact, many of the choices on this list are probably not appropriate for kids). With that being said, here are the best anime series of all time that are worth watching.
Best Anime Series of All Time
We rounded up the best anime shows available on Netflix USA, ranging from psychological thrillers to coming-of-age dramas, and throwback classics to 2020 standouts. Long-running series with more than 100 episodes (such as One Piece, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, and others) are excluded from this list.
All of these shows have English subtitles, and the majority of them also have English dubbing. Additional languages have been subbed and dubbed for some shows.
1. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011)
Following the death of Meiko “Menma” Honma in an accident, a group of six childhood best friends began to drift apart. Years later, Menma’s ghost appears to Jinta Yadomi, who used to be the group’s outgoing leader but has isolated himself since Menma’s death and barely attends school.
Menma begs Jinta to assist her in achieving her wish, which is the only way for her to pass into the afterlife. This request serves as a catalyst for Jinta and his friends to re-connect and, perhaps for the first time, process the pain caused by Menma’s premature departure.
The genius of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day lies in the creation of compelling backstories for each of the main characters and the artful weaving of their past and present. The series also demonstrates how deeply examining old scars can bring healing and freedom.
2. Beastars (2019-present)
Anthropomorphic animals live in a world where, on the surface, there is peace and harmony, but beneath the surface, there is a simmering conflict between carnivores and herbivores.
Every character is assigned stereotypes associated with their species, even if these stereotypes do not prove to be entirely accurate. Legos, the main character, has a quiet demeanor, but as a colossal gray wolf, he is feared and even suspected of murdering an alpaca student in the drama club.
When Legos meets dwarf rabbit Haru and falls in love with her, controlling his carnivorous instincts becomes the most difficult thing he’s ever had to do. Beastars is a tender portrait of attempting to define one’s identity on one’s own terms at its core.
3. Attack on Titan
A 50-meter wall (about 165 feet) protected humanity from humanoid, man-eating giants known as “titans” for a century. Because of the sudden appearance of a gigantic titan, civilization is quickly overrun by enormous monsters that had previously been kept at bay by the wall.
Eren Yeager joins the Scout Regiment, the branch of the military tasked with taking on the titans, after witnessing the death of his mother. Attack on Titan is a fast-paced, action-packed series that never lets you catch your breath.
It’s a story about clinging to one’s desire to live, not just to survive. The Scout Regiment’s cool-headed ace, Captain Levi Ackerman, is also introduced in the show, making him one of the most adored anime characters ever.
4. Death Note (2006-2007)
One of the hot anime guys, Light Yagami sets his sights on becoming a God. The high school student learns that anyone whose name is written in the pages of “Death Note,” a notebook that an actual god of death dropped into the human world, will die. He begins scribbling the names of criminals right away in order to create a utopia free of all evils.
Soon after the mysterious string of deaths began, international law enforcement agencies began to investigate who was responsible. A renowned but anonymous detective goes by the name “L,” and the story progresses as Light and L try to outwit each other at every turn.
At the start of Death Note, the questions of justice and the difference between Light’s actions and those of the criminals he kills are immediately apparent. However, the show’s clever schemes to expose the other’s identity while protecting his own keep viewers hooked beyond the social commentary.
5. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion has lasted longer than any other show on this list. Apocalyptic creatures known as “Angels” are wreaking havoc on humanity in 2015 (what was then the near future).
The only weapon that stands a chance is a giant robot called “Evangelions,” which must be activated by a human pilot’s nervous system in order to function. Ikari is just 14 years old when his father summons him to be the pilot of an Evangelion and places the responsibility of saving humanity’s existence on his shoulders.
In Neon Genesis Evangelion, characters of all ages deal with the effects of past tragedies and the prospect of a bleak future. For those forced to serve in combat, this series also examines the long-term effects of the conflict.
6. Your Lie in April (2014-2016)
Piano prodigy Kousei Arima wowed audiences at the age of eight when he performed with an orchestra. Kousei’s mother subjected him to physical and verbal abuse as she trained him to be a world-class musician. After his mother’s death, Kousei decided to give up playing the violin because he couldn’t hear his own music anymore.
However, it is only when Kousei is introduced to the violinist Kaori Miyazono that Kousei begins to play the piano again. Your Lie in April is a work of art, both in terms of design and sound. The colors and patterns in the frames are vibrant, and the classical music we hear is magnificent. It is through music that Kousei discovers a new sense of freedom and joy after confronting the psychological trauma of his past.
Well, these are the current top anime series you can watch right now. We hope you found this guide helpful for your anime. If you want to learn more about anime and gaming, make sure to check out Make Tech Quick. They provide excellent gaming and anime content.
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wayward-pendragon · 4 years
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Anime Recommendations!
Hi everyone, I hope y’all are safe and happy! With quarantine still in place (at least in my country), I’m gonna keep the random rec lists coming! I’ve been watching a lotttt of animes and rewatching favourites, so I thought I’d share some of my favourites of all time! A lot of them are pretty mainstream, but for my friends who aren’t really into anime, these will get you hooked! In no particular order, let’s get started!
1. Snow White with the Red Hair, 24 episodes 
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This is hands down my favourite anime of all time. This shoujo anime make me feel so happy and it’s so wholesome, honestly such a feel good anime. Without spoiling too much, it’s about a herbalist named Shirayuki who ends up having to flee her home country and ends up meeting Prince Zen and goes to live in his country. The cast of characters in the anime is so good, there’s not a character to dislike. The genuine build up of friendship and eventual romance is just so sweet please watch. 
2. Demon slayer (26 episodes) 
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One of the best anime I’ve watched this past year. This anime has amazing plot, awesome animation and a great cast of characters. This anime follows Tanjiro as he becomes a demon slayer after a demon killed his family. Tanjiro and his sister, Nezuko were the only survivors but Nezuko was turned in a demon and now Tanjiro is on a journey to change he back into a human. If you are into anime with amazing fight scenes, I highly recommend. 
3. Hunter x Hunter (148 episodes) 
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I am currently watching this anime and it honestly made it onto my lists of favourite anime super quickly. The series starts with Gon and his quest to become a pro hunter and find his dad and goes on from there. With so many episodes and arcs, you can’t stop watching. The characters immediately hooked me on this show, Killua and Gon’s friendship is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen in anime, I literally want to adopt both of them. This anime is so heartwarming but also kinda dark and action packed. 
4. Haikyuu!! (73 episodes, on-going)
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My favourite sports anime my god. Haikyuu follows a high school volleyball team as they try to make it to nationals. This series made me so much more emotional than I thought it would, but you get so involved with the team and characters and want them to succeed. All of the characters from all of the teams are also fantastic and hilarious. If you need a fun but exciting anime, please please please watch Haikyuu!!
5. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (64 episodes)
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Where to even begin. I would say this is one of the most popular anime and for good freaking reason. Without giving too much away, this anime follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric as they go on a quest to get their bodies back. Honestly this is one of my fav animes, if you like awesome fight scenes and really intriguing plot, you will love this anime. 
6. Yona of the Dawn (24 episodes) 
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Another amazing anime but sadly, unfinished. I think this anime is best to watch w/o knowing very much. Just know that there is really good characters and character development and a very attractive love interest :))))
7. Soul eater (51 episodes) 
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One of the first animes I ever watched and as I remember it’s hella awesome, if you like halloween then the whole atmosphere of this anime will intrigue you. The fight scenes in this are really fun and so are the characters. If you need a fun medium length anime, I would recommend this one!
8. Inuyasha (193 episodes)
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This anime is worth all the hype in my opinion. The plot was great, the characters are fantastic and romance is so freaking cute I can’t. I’m also a sucker for asshole characters who are secretly really sweet. 
9. Fruits Basket (2019) (25 episodes (S1), S2 on-going)
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This is the cutest anime. The whole cast characters is amazing and you get so attached so fast. The protagonist is so sweet and optimistic and I really just wanna protect her. I went into this knowing next nothing and I think that’s the best way to do it. The 2001 version is good too but 2019 has better animation and is closer to managa (and has more episodes!). 
10. My Hero Academia (88 episodes, on-going)
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I love this anime with my whole heart. There is an adorable cast of characters and amazing fight scenes, I love this sm. It’s set in a world where like 95% of the population has ‘quirks’ which are basically super powers but not all of them are super powerful. Super heroes protect cities and the anime follows a high school where the students are training to become heroes. The main character is born without a quirk but through some crazy circumstances he ends up acquiring one. In my opinion this anime is worth the hype. 
11. Ouran Highschool Host Club (26 episodes)
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This one is wild. Ouran Highschool Host club is so iconic and it’s hilarious, I laughed out loud watching this one so much. Honestly I went into this knowing nothing and I think its funnier that way. 
12. Yuri!!! On Ice (13 episodes)
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THIS ANIME. The first sports anime w/ canon LGBTQ+ romance and its beautiful. I love the style, the skating, the music, the characters, just everything about it. This follows Yuri Katsuki, a professional figure skater from Japan and his skating career. After messing up a major championship, Yuri is lost and doesn’t know what to do w/ his career. After seeing a video of Yuri skate, his idol Victor, a skating legend, shows up to be his coach. Please watch this anime. 
13. Attack on Titan (62 episodes, on-going)
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If you are looking for a badass action anime this is the one for you. Humanity has fallen to the mercy of giant man-eating titans, and the people that survived live within a walled city to keep the titans out. This anime is a little disturbing and violent but it is so badass. Also Levi, the most badass character ever, makes this entire anime worth watching. 
14. Ao Haru Ride (12 episodes)
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Hands down my favourite romance anime. This anime is so freaking cute and it gave me so many fuzzy feelings. The animation is also super nice so that is always a plus. It follows Futaba and Kou who liked each other in middle school but were separated. They meet again in high school but they have both changed so much. If you want a romance anime I really recommend this one. 
15. Naruto (720 episodes)
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This is a freaking classic and really long. Almost everyone and their mother has heard of this anime or watched some of it before. Basically it’s about ninjas and follows mainly Naruto Uzumaki who want to eventually be the leader of his village but his ninja skills need a lot of work. I honestly didn’t think I would love this anime as much as I did but its just so good. It is a very big commitment to finish though so be prepared. 
16. Your Lie in April (22 episodes)
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Well this anime is literally beautiful. It is centered around 2 teens w/ major musical talent. It gets deep very fast but its also light hearted and wholesome. This anime made me cry like a baby so get your tissues ready. 
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leweebdepoche · 2 years
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My favorite animes (u‿ฺu✿ฺ)
COWBOY BEBOP (sci-fi/drame) 1998 – 26 episodes
Rating : 10/10
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Legendary anime that has not stolen its reputation! If you are a lover of the retro style of the 80's, the jazz atmosphere and the mixture of the lavish American culture with the delight of the sophisticated Japanese culture, this anime is for you! In a futuristic world where humans have colonised all the planets and asteroids in the solar system, you will follow the adventures of Spike, a space cowboy, with his most incongruous team. Now a soft-hearted bounty hunter with a charming gangster look, you'll wander through his travels and missions, delving deeper into a dark past that forges a mysterious and nostalgic character. A graceful blend of mafia, interstellar travel and lifesaving camaraderie that will take you from laughter to tears, admiration to reflection to delight.
The OST and the art style are of a level rarely equaled for anime of its time, which only adds to the incredible charm of this series. Note that the actual quality of this anime can only be savored once the last episode is over!
GINTAMA (humour/sci-fi/action/adventure) 2006-2018 – 10 seasons/367 episodes
Hideaki Sorachi
Rating : 10/10
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Having a bad day? Gintama is the anime you need! This prolific series never fails to deliver a crazy comedy with offbeat humour. You'll die laughing every episode. In a world still in the Edo era, you'll follow the adventures of Sakata Gintoki and his friends in a Tokyo invaded by amantos, our alien neighbours. Slaloming majestically between ever more daring parodies and situations and characters of unparalleled hilarity, all risks are taken! The gamble is however very successful. Although the series seems very light, the main plot has nothing to envy to classic shonens. And that's what makes Gintama so charming. If laughter predominates, Sorachi-sensei did not neglect to serve us a plot of great quality, which will make you as emotional as it made you laugh.
However, I recommend this anime to connoisseurs, given the very large number of references and parodies it contains. It is therefore difficult to access for a casual reader. Note that the manga is just as good as the anime.
KARA NO KYOUKAI (Action/surnatural/thriller) 2007-2013 – 8 episodes
Rating : 10/10
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Based on the light novel by Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi, this supernatural thriller series will grab you by the gut. Bordering on the limits of logic and the theme of illnesses and mental disorders, this dark cocktail with demonic thriller overtones will plunge you into a mysterious universe that the art style serves magnificently. Following Shiki and his friend Kokuto, you will solve various cases of unsolvable murders by diving into the darkness of the forgotten streets of greater Tokyo. Mixing tradition and modernity to perfection, fans of thrills and heartbreaking stories will love it! The focal point of this anime lies in its characters, their stories, and their personalities. All wrapped in a profound mystery, our hero Kokuto seems quite ordinary. And yet! His gentleness and tenderness will touch you, as much as the sharpness of Shiki, and his blade will fascinate you.
For a journey through the supernatural with blue colors, take the Kara no Kyoukai train! It will take you through a fascinating world, making you forget all notions of time and reality.
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