#this particular scene never happened

[zukosdualdao]

i'm literally insane about the last agni kai and the lightning scene(s). i swear i've rewatched it 10+ times since my last rewatch of the show (which was my first watch in years) and like. azula sees katara come into view from behind. zuko doesn't. he follows azula's gaze and sees katara and is immediately horrified. he doesn't even think or hesitate because he doesn't have time and for once he doesn't have to look back at azula to figure out what she's doing because he knows what she's doing and he won't let it happen. time dwindling into slow motion as a haunting score plays? and zuko literally yelling out "no!" because that lightning absolutely cannot hit katara. as soon as he sees it there's no chance of that ever happening. and then katara watching in horror as the lightning flashes against features in what is probably one of the most hauntingly beautiful animated moments of the show? zuko hitting the ground still convulsing with lightning and katara crying out "zuko!" and immediately trying to run to him before azula attacks again? and the next scene we cut back to with them, zuko is groaning weakly and trying to lift himself up, and we see katara literally gasp in surprise as she realizes he's still alive (i'm sobbing because i do quite literally think she thought he was dead) and immediately tries to run to him again, nevermind that she knows azula is still there, and the hand katara uses for healing is already doused in water as she reaches for him. but then azula starts attacking again. and zuko, despite literally being in so much pain that he can't stand and can barely even move at all without whimpering, still tries to reach for the spot where he can see azula attacking katara. katara is forced to hide from azula's attacks. and as azula is mocking "zuzu, you don't look so good" down to zuko, the perspective shot is such that you can SEE that katara is also looking at where he lies prone in the distance, surrounded by flame (probably wondering how much time they have before it really is too late) before looking back up at azula and realizing she needs to defeat her as quickly and handily as possible so katara can get to zuko. obviously katara would have done this anyway (the whole reason they were THERE was to halt the continued cycle of the imperialist regime of the fire nation), but the scene is specifically framed as katara trying to figure out how to stop azula so the obstacle to her getting to zuko is no longer in the way. katara's defeat of azula was epic and deserves its own post. but then after making sure azula is securely chained, she runs to zuko, looks at him with such immense sadness and horror and fear as she hears him in so much pain, tenderly turns him over so she can get a good look at the wound. and she cups his head? briefly but so gently? so that he won't hit it as she turns him over? and when she tries to heal him you can tell she is so genuinely unsure if it will even work, and so relieved that she starts crying tears of joy when she sees it has (at least enough to keep him alive and somewhat lessen his pain.) they thank each other (and you can tell it's still really hard for zuko to talk and his eyes are barely open but he thanks her anyways i'm.) and she thanks him back and!!! when he starts to try to sit up she makes a little surprised face and then immediately helps him to do so (and puts a tender hand to his chest while she does!!!) and obviously that last shot of them standing together is also one of emotional support, but katara's hand on his back is also partly because i still think (and certainly katara still thinks) trying to walk/stand on his own would be a bad idea, so it's definitely not happening.

#y'all. let me tell you right now. there was a way to write and animate this scene that didn't play on a dozen romantically coded tropes #and this. uh. wasn't that! #zutara #i know this is basically just reciting what happened ( i almost included the actual way katara defeats azula but that wasn't the point of t #is particular post and also would have made it even longer.) #but #there is nothing about this sequence of events that does not make me feel like i am on drugs. #also you Know zuko immediately after this was like: alright well i guess i've got shit to do! then promptly falls unconscious again. tbh #the joke is on him if he thinks katara is letting him out of sight for a While #atla #zuko #katara #this isn't even particularly analytical i'm just gushing #i'm not joking i will never be over it. #the last agni kai #sozin's comet

[tathrin]

No one:

My Brain: okay so the Drinking Game in RotK is sort of funny yet also extremely dumb but consider, instead of what the movie gave us where we’re supposed to believe that Thranduil’s son has never seen alcohol and GImli is just the butt of every joke again, okay, what if we have a situation where Gimli, who is a clever-tongued little bastard who is not at all above getting one over on Éomer whenever he can (he insulted the Lady Galadriel!!!) just because he agreed to put the larger issue on hold until Éomer actually meets her—what if Gimli sets him up, right, by taking advantage of the fact that he knows Mirkwood elves don’t have any interest in ale, which means the odds are good that the pointy-eared princeling who’d never been more than ten yards from home before going to Rivendell has surely never drunk ale before.

But the way Gimli very deliberately phrases things makes Éomer think he’s never drunk at all before, so Éomer agrees to a drinking contest between him and Legolas, who has no idea what’s going on but is participating anyway because hey sometimes mortals are weird and he’s trying to be a good sport and his friend seems really excited for him to try ale, so sure, let’s have a drinking contest with Éomer I guess??? and Éomer gets his ass drunk so hard under the table that they’re going to need shovels to dig him out, and Gimli is chortling to himself the whole time because he knew exactly what was going to happen when Legolas Thranduilion, used to drinking strong Dorwinion wine in elvish quantities and nobody parties like the elves of Mirkwood; they party like they’re going to war because in Mirkwood, being happy basically is a way of waging war against the Shadow, okay, so Gimli figured the odds that Legolas could hold his liquor were pretty damn high, got into a drinking game with a mere mortal, and he completely set Éomer up...

And when it’s done, and they’ve scraped Éomer up off the floor, Legolas just shrugs and is like “so I guess ale’s not bad, but nobody will be offended if I say I still like my dad’s wines more, right?” and Éomer is all. wait. wait. wine? WHAT WINE? You sneaky inhuman FUCKS—! while Gimli asphyxiates himself laughing and Legolas just stands there slightly tipsy and wondering when somebody is going to explain what the fuck just happened.

EDIT: Thank you! I’m glad it made someone more than just me laugh. Here’s the whole scene if you want it.

#we're also taking advantage of the fact that orlando bloom apparently never knew what was going on during filming #so like...he doesn't even need to act in this scene is what i'm saying he's not SUPPOSED to know what's happening (i'm clever) #anyway that was part of the bizarre dream i mentioned a few days ago #but i thought this moment in particular stood out as something the fandom would enjoy so: pls enjoy #legolas #gimli #eomer #lotr #my stuff #lotr movies #alcohol #the lotr time travel revision dream #my writing

[mskatesharma]

Will there ever be a day when I wake up not annoyed at the lack of exploration of Kate Sharma, her background, her grief and her trauma? UNLIKELY.

I’m sorry but, we don’t even know the names of her parents? Kate *literally* says the words “my mother has a name”, and then, they just never tell us what it was. We don’t even know her father’s name beyond Mr Sharma; the father she shares with Edwina and whose marriage to Mary caused a massive scandal. We don’t know how he died (which Simone has said multiple times massively affected Kate to the point that Kate doesn’t want to open up herself or her heart to anyone new), or how her mother died. Does she know why she finds storms unsettling? And those things are just the bare minimum, because I should not still have questions about these things after the season depicting ‘her’ romance with Anthony.

And if you really want to get into it, it would have been nice to know what Kate’s relationships with her father, and with Mary were like before her father died, and then immediately after, for actual proper context. We got that with Anthony, and it would have been really fucking helpful to know these things in relation to Kate. Because did Kate always feel like she owed something to Mary and that feeling was amplified after the death of her father, or was it something that only developed afterwards? The same applies to Kate and Edwina’s relationship. Did she always feel like an outsider in her family, or did that only happen after her father died? As I’ve said before, the scene between Kate and Mary in episode 8 falls flat, and it’s because we don’t have enough background, context or information about exactly what Kate had to go through to ensure her family’s survival after Mr Sharma’s death.

I have so many questions about Kate that I reasonably shouldn’t after the season that was supposed to focus on her character, and I hate it, because we all know that we won’t be getting any of these things in season three. It’s beyond shitty, and I’m fucking tired.

And this isn’t even getting into the disparity in development of the white male lead vs the WOC lead, and how yet again, the WOC’s development and background is so obviously secondary to that of a white man’s. (Like if Kate’s name is actually Kathani, then Anthony should not have been the first person to say it. And also, if the Sharmas being Indian is incidental and not meant to be othering, why did Kate feel the need to anglicise her name in the first place? Because if anything, that’s literally othering her because she felt she had to change or hide part of her identity to fit in, and I thought the whole point was that the Sharmas didn’t need to do that. I’m gonna stop talking about the name before I can’t stop because I have THOUGHTS.)

Anyway, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the diversity on this show is fake as fuck.

#bridgerton #bridgerton netflix #kate sharma #kate sheffield #kanthony #kathony #kate x anthony #anthony x kate #apparently im still on this #i mean im never not stewing on these particular points but the thoughts have been extremely loud for the past week or so #and i had to get them out #so im sharing my useless word vomit in the hopes that it proves cathartic #not to go on but an extended library scene really could have solved A LOT of this #(as well as giving kanthony a much needed emotional conversation and connection) #maybe this wouldn’t taste so bitter if we didn’t know that they actually wrote the scenes and had simone audition with them #(along with a longer library scene) #and then just scrapped those scenes #and if we had any inclination to believe that she would be getting some focus in season three #but as we know that’s definitely not going to happen #so we're left with all of these unanswered questions and IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THIS!!! #i will be infuriated about this for the foreseeable future

[lisbonsteresa]

he's HORRIBLE

#tm #all the bullshit she put up with from him for 10 years and she's late to a crime scene ONCE and look at him ffajdslk #as if you give one single shit about punctuality patrick; but this brings up a point that i can't believe i never considered in all my bs: #does patrick jane know how to be jealous? discuss #i mean...obviously he KNOWS but....does he though #at the very least he's exceedingly out of practice #of course we know next to nothing about his and angela's relationship but between that and this he's basically had 10+ years of red john #and we know lisbon dated during that time (and we know he DID get jealous because...obviously how could he not) #but not jealous in a way he could act on - in part because ms 'intense and particular' didn't seem to have many repeat dates #(idiots) but mainly because of the red john of it all #i doubt he realized it on any conscious level (and if he did he repressed/ignored the shit out of it) #but he couldn't see anything happening with them while he had red john hanging over his head #(tangent: all his 'you deserve a good man' 'he's a good man' later on...he really doesn't see himself as a good man does he #my poor little meow meow - thinking about naomi's tags about the letter again god i wish that had happened) #and she deserves better than that; deserves better than him (SOB); so he lets the hints and the moments of jealousy pass by #but now....well now there's no more red john #he's still got a LOT to work through but that gigantic weight is off his shoulders and there's been this shift between them #(i can't come up with a better way of saying it than) they're flirting like they mean it....not that they didn't before #but now there's this sense of actual possibility behind it; this could be going somewhere; it's slow but they're taking actual (baby) steps #and then pike shows up and the whole thing is imploding as they speak - like he knows from the second that cab pulls up #how her date went and she knows that he'd know and they're just talking around it and they're so AWKWARD where they'd been #working so well together (minus an airplane ride or two) #and now he's trying REAL hard to be supportive even though he probably wants to curl up and sob #because he wants her to be happy (more than maybe anything he wants her to be happy) and he couldn't make her as happy as pike #she deserves a GOOD man and that is not him; she shouldn't have to put her life on hold for him anymore she's done that too much already #but what he doesn't get - what he can't quite comprehend (what absolutely stuns/amazes/thrills him at the end of blue bird) #is he DOES make her happy; he IS a good man (he might be the best man she knows; flaws and all); and (in this instance) #she'd be more than willing to wait for him; to be patient with him #if he'd only let her know that there's something there to wait for; something concrete they could be heading towards together

[anniemika]

What do you think about the people who call Eren and Mikasa siblings as a way to belittle the ship?

Oh god. 

I know that’s not the question but I need to get this off my chest. 

Here we go. 

So, for starters, Eren is a Jeager. Mikasa is an Ackerman. No same parents. One tiny lil thing out of the way.

Eren saved her and she started living with them. Grisha has called her his “daughter”, but what should he have called her instead? “My family and that girl that we saved that lives with us.” That’s his choice to call her that. Mikasa doesn’t call them mom and dad, she had a mom and a dad, they died. Of course Grisha and Carla see her as a part of their family, it’s only natural. That doesn’t mean that Eren has to think of her as his sister and vice versa. Eren freaking blushed at her when he wrapped the scarf around her. Like what? The word “family” doesn’t only have to include the people you’re related to, and it sure doesn’t mean you have to put labels on them. I have people in my life that I consider my family, we’re not related, and I don’t call them brothers and sisters.

Oh, btw, Eren explicitly states that Mikasa is not his sister. 

A couple of people have acknowledged their relationship as something more.

I think that everyone has to be blind to not see Mikasa’s feelings for Eren. And, calling them obsession is just dumb as fuck. Like, there’s real depth there. She says it all in chapter 50 (he’s always been with her, has taught her how to live, wrapped her scarf, literally saved her life.) But, when someone decides to not see or understand something and just repeat the same thing over and over again, it’s no use in explaining.

Eren told Mikasa that he would wrap her scarf around her forever. (That’s so overlooked by haters it’s insane.)

He asks her what he means to her. (As you do to your sister:)

Asks his brother about her and about why she shows him so much kindness, in the middle of their Eldian castration plans.

Looks at the memory of them when he wraps her scarf. He’s sad, if anyone’s blind to it. 

I can go on and on, but yeah. I kind of can’t stand this fandom anymore, because the hate’s just too much. They try to tear it apart like it’s their life goal, and I’m just so tired of reading dumb shit. I’ve never been in a dispute with someone because I’m not ten years old anymore, but there are grown ass women on here who just blow my mind with how much energy they put into hating Mikasa and Eremika. Like, 27,28 year old people. Grown ups. And they always, always use the same narratives. It’s tiring.

This story is complicated, it’s not a black or white scenario where everything is easy to understand. Eren and Mikasa’s relationship is the same way.

So yeah, I think they’re kinda coping tbh. They’re mad Eren loved Mikasa too.

Anyways, it’s all for fun ladies and gents, so don’t overwork your brains! There’s a writer and he’s written his story the way he wanted to. Get over it please💗

PS, the eyes of a brother asking his sister what he is to her:

BYE

#I’ve never seen a fandom that hates as much as Aot #And it’s so convenient how the people who hate this particular ship ignore all their pivotal scenes #As if they didn’t happen #And it’s one sided and Eren just doesn’t give a fuck you see #Lmao bye fr now #Eremika #Aot spoilers #aot commentary #attack on titan

[cataclysmicamomile]

Siovi's powers are just too cool though... Anyone with the power to explode things is always cool.

I know I shouldn't say this but it also allowed Senior to go out in style

#it will never happen but I really wish there was an anime for it so I could see it #at least there's the manga #i hope i can see the day that particular scene gets drawn! #iirc the manga's up to around the school tournament? (havent read it) #ul reread #1.9

[master-missysversion]

I've started reading one of the EDAs and I did not start at the first one for reasons I won't explain but I just want to say this is bizarre

Like the whole thing is just so weird. I have barely stopped reading for the last 3 or 4 hours, I'm already more than halfway through the book and i am enjoying it. But its just all so weird

#also i was very suprised that the one im reading happened to include two scenes i was already somewhat aware of #bc i had never heard of this book until a few days ago but i Have heard of those particular moments

[neo--queen--serenity]

It’s incredibly important to me that the anime decided to include this scene that wasn’t in the manga. In the manga, Maomao does pass out in Jinshi’s lap after saving him from what was obviously an assassination attempt.

HOWEVER, the manga cuts off at this point, keeping strictly in Maomao’s perspective, and cuts straight to when she regains consciousness in bed after being treated for her injuries. The manga doesn’t show how she got back. They SAY how, and she briefly mentions, “wow that must have been embarrassing; he carried me back,” but we don’t SEE it. We don’t get to feel the true impact of what that means. But the anime DID show us, and holy shit.

They SHOW us how taboo this is. They show Jinshi carrying her out of the temple, after a public attempt on his life.

They show us the shock and horror on Lakan’s face as Jinshi silently walks past him. Horror at the state his daughter is in, horror at another man—a man with a status he could never dare to question—staking such a public claim over his child, horror at the fact that he could never have this level of closeness with her (as Maomao would never allow it).

Everyone hides their gazes, as is their custom when someone of his rank passes by, but the air is different this time. Jinshi is furious, he’s terrified, and he could not give a single shit about how inappropriate it looks to these palace officials.

The shot that slowly follows her trail of blood—even though it’s a small detail—that in particular leaves such a intense impression of how poignant this is for him.

Maomao talked about this scene in the manga like it was nothing to her. She did what she set out to do: she saved the person who was targeted by the attack. She didn’t even know the target would be someone she knew. But she has no idea that this happened afterwards as a result of her bravery. To her, it likely wasn’t even an act of bravery at all. She acted on impulse; she did what she knew was the right thing to do.

The anime didn’t need to include this, because the manga didn’t show it. But damn, I’m so glad they did.

#the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #maomao #jinshi #lakan #apothecary diaries #apothecary diaries maomao #knh #knh episode 19 #apothecary diaries spoilers #knh spoilers #neo queen serenity’s posts #jinmao #jinshi x maomao #maomao x jinshi #apothecary diaries jinshi #jinshi apothecary diaries #kusuriya anime #knh maomao #knh jinshi #knh manga #knh ep 19 #mao mao #tad #apothecary diaries meta

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Looking at Ash Ketchum with coma theory. I like that theory. I like any theory that makes you think and can work within the realm of logic for that world.

You do? That’s pretty cool!

Ngl it’s actually one of my lesser liked ones XD Version I‘m most familiar with goes "Ash gets hit by lightning from pikachu, is in a coma, him seeing Ho’oh means he’s dying“ while that particular mon‘s whole deal is bringing lifes back from the brink of death, and also all the fantastical events are still real actually?? It’s very much in the realm of "random tiny everyday thing in a kids show gets blown way out of proportion for the sake of pure edge“ for me lol.

but hey! It’s great that you and others can enjoy it! That’s the fun of it all! :D (genuinely) (probably doesn’t read that way but it is meant that way)

#another anon ask #this particular coma theory is kinda interesting #that despite it being one of the ^major^ ones to kickstart the whole trend back then #unlike most of the others that came after #it doesn’t actually try to retcon the fantastical elements of the source material #like. the scene in question is always one where he’s already got Pïkachu #so all the fantastical elements are actually REAL #it’s the choices made in the story because of outside irl factors that get scrutinized #Like how Ash never ages so he’s always the age of the kids watching the show #maybe the episodes just happen really close to each other #anyways idk where this was going

[myname-isnia]

Welp. Reset the ‘days without crying’ counter back to 0

#I got so close to a week too #thankfully this particular fit didn’t last too long so I probably will manage to sleep #but fuck. seriously. I should’ve known this would happen #I SAID THAT IT WOULD MOST LIKELY HAPPEN #and I tried anyway #like a fucking idiot #whenever I as much as thinks of the words ‘hey maybe I should write’ every possible app where I could do it should lock #so I don’t get tempted and don’t end up like this again #why do I even bother #the same thing happens every time #every single fucking time #I get burned over and over again but keep reaching for the stove #I just never learn do I #all I wanted was to write a small scene exploring a devastating concept. for myself #not to post it anywhere or include it in a bigger work #just a small piece inspired by the art I was working on #nothing more #and it still ended like it always does #isn’t there anything I can write? #anything. the smallest thing. one I can look at and say #‘maybe I don’t like it. maybe it could be better. but I wrote it. it’s there and it’s done and I didn’t cry about it’ #I guess not #why me #out of all the people in the world #why does it have to be me who suffers like this #why can’t I be like everyone else. like those people for who #*whom ‘I hate writing’ jokes are just that. jokes #I have so many stories I want to tell. beloved characters who deserve to see the light of day. why can’t I do it #what’s wrong with me that isn’t wrong with anyone else #at this point I’m getting sick of myself

[h0dgep0dgee]

i rewatched a bit of the last unicorn while drawing and. oughe. molly grue's bit when she meets the unicorn. it makes m feel shrimp emotions. SHRIMP EMOTIONS I TELL YOU

#true of the entire movie but that scene in particular #i have. so many thoughts and feelings. i cannot word them but i think and feel them. #'do you really know what she is' 'if you've been waiting to see a unicorn as long as i have' OUGHE. #'it would be the last unicorn that came to molly grue' mAAM I WANNA USE UR MONOLOGUE IN SOME KIND OF THEATER SETTING SO BAD #still peeved that the musical never happened do you KNOW how bonkers i would go #i know the technical aspects would be a nightmare but. i Long. #the last unicorn #hodgepodge's ramblings

[forineffablereasons]

Oh, Crowley. Nothing lasts forever.

I think the entirely of Crowley and Aziraphale's interactions in the Final Fifteen™️can be summed up by the idea that they are talking past one another, failing to fully understand each other, but I want to talk about this line in particular. This isn't a full analysis of the scene - just this isolated bit.

Crowley: ...If Gabriel and Beelzebub can do it, go off together, then we can. We don't need Heaven, we don't need Hell, they're toxic. We need to get away from them, just be an us. You and me, what do you say? Aziraphale: Come with me. To Heaven. I'll run it, you can be my second-in-command. We can make a difference. Crowley: You can't leave this bookshop. Aziraphale: Oh, Crowley. Nothing lasts forever. Crowley: No. No, don't suppose it does.

As methods of occult/ethereal communications go, the metaphor is quite versatile.

Crowley is saying: stay here with me. We have this enclave. We can be together properly now - stay here with me. Never mind that they have not actually made any progress on this in the last four-ish years since the end of the world. Never mind that Crowley is so stagnant that four years after the end of the world he's still living in his car.

Keep in mind that Aziraphale didn't have the benefit of Nina and Maggie's intervention - Aziraphale doesn't see this as a confession under Crowley's own initiative, he sees it as a response to what Aziraphale is saying. Aziraphale says, let's go make a difference, and Crowley is sort of forced into taking this position as an alternative offer - to Aziraphale, it looks almost like a temptation. Nothing changed in the last four years, but now that Heaven needs you (and we must give Aziraphale the benefit of his belief that Heaven truly does need him, even though this is clearly a manipulation), I'm ready to move forward, don't you want to stay, don't you want to deny Heaven and exist with our heads in the sand?

"Oh, Crowley," Aziraphale says. "Nothing lasts forever."

To Crowley, who is offering himself and this enclave, this bit of existence that can just be theirs - nothing lasts forever is an obvious smackdown: not even us.

That's not what Aziraphale is saying, though. What Aziraphale is saying is, we can't live like this forever. If we want to protect it, we have to change. Nothing lasts forever isn't a betrayal or a resignation - it's a sacrifice. Aziraphale cares so much about Earth, about fixing Heaven, and about Crowley himself that he's willing to give up the bookshop and their enclave on Earth in order to save it.

They cannot just maintain the status quo. It's been four years since Armageddon and nothing has changed, and keeping on ignoring Heaven and Hell didn't work! It didn't work! They were on their own and here's Heaven and Hell again, in their business, dragging Crowley back to Hell, dragging Aziraphale back into Heaven's politics. Four years was all they got. Four years, and they were under threat, risking each other, risking their very existences. They can't sit in their enclave and pretend it won't happen again because it absolutely will.

Aziraphale spends a lot of this series burying his head in the sand. If he can just hide Gabriel, everything will be fine! (It won't - he'll still have Gabriel.) If he can just make Maggie and Nina fall in love, everything will be fine! (It won't - he'll still have Heaven and Hell waiting in the wings for the next suspicious event.) If he can just get everyone at the Jane Austen Ball, if he can just keep the demons out, if he can just ignore it, it will go away! If he can make the participants know the steps to the dance and if he can control the lingo, he can create a new fantasy world for them all to live in and everything will be fine!

It won't. Aziraphale isn't in control. Aziraphale can't stop this. Aziraphale can't protect himself, and he can't protect Crowley to the point where he has to let Crowley leave him and work a plan on his own. He's a principality, and he can't protect the things and the people he loves.

Then the Metatron walks in, makes a point of validating all the things Aziraphale loves - coffee (food/drink), Crowley (your demon can recognize me even when these angels can't), the shop (do you need to take anything with you? I've made sure the shop will be safe), separates Crowley from Aziraphale - Crowley, Aziraphale's guiding light in all those minisodes, Crowley, the one being Aziraphale trusts - and then.

And the Metatron offers Aziraphale the control he's been missing all season.

Nothing lasts forever. We can't survive in this enclave forever. If we stay here, it will all end. If we stay here, I can't protect you, or humanity, or any of it. I have to try, we have to try, because no one else will, and I'm willing to give up my freedom and my bookshop if it means I can save everything. I want to save it with you, I want you to be with me, I need you, I need us, but--

If I can save you, even if it costs me us, at least you'll have survived.

If that's the price, well. Nothing lasts forever.

#good omens s2 spoilers #go s2 spoilers #go s2 #good omens #ineffable husbands

[j-psilas]

Will we ever get anything quite like Code Geass again?

I don't think it's possible.

Code Geass is Japanese nationalist propaganda disguised as a global political drama, disguised as a military mecha show, disguised as yaoibait, disguised as a teen melodrama, disguised as a high school romcom, disguised as a Pizza Hut commercial...

...except those layers aren't layers at all, but are instead comingled in a giant snake ball of insanity.

The lead writer, Ichirō Ōkouchi, only ever worked as an episode writer for other shows prior to Code Geass, and never took the helm of an anime series ever again. And it shows. [EDIT: Several people have pointed out his other lead writing credits to me. So I misread Wikipedia—sue me. I maintain that this guy is a better episode writer than he is a lead writer.]

The minute-to-minute pacing is impeccable from a mechanical standpoint, with tension and stakes rising to ever-higher peaks, balanced out by the slow simmers of the b-plot and c-plot. It keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat at all times. Meanwhile, the large-scale plot is the most off-the-wall middle school nonsense I've ever seen, continually surprising the viewer by pulling twists too dumb to have ever have been on their radar—and therefore more effective in terms of raw shock value.

"Greenlight it!" was the mantra of this anime's production. It must have been. It has, in no particular order, all of the following:

Character designs from CLAMP, the foremost yaoi/BL group in Japan at the time—for characters who are only queer insofar as they can bait the audience, and only straight insofar as they can be more misogynist to the female cast.

Speaking of the female cast, hoo boy the fanservice. We've all seen anime girls breast boobily, with many cases more egregious than Code Geass, but there's something special about it happening immediately after—or sometimes in the middle of!—scenes of military conflict and ethnic cleansing.

Pizza Hut product placement everywhere, in every conceivable situation. High-speed chases, light slice-of-life scenes, intimate character moments, all of it. Gotta have Pizza Hut.

The anime-only Pizza Hut mascot, Cheese-kun. He wears a fedora.

The most hilarious approximations of European names—which I would love to see more often, frankly. Names like, I dunno, "Count Schnitzelgrübe zi Blanquezzio."

A depiction of China that is wholly removed from any modern reality, with red-and-gold pagodas, ornamental robes, scheming eunuchs, and a brainwashed child empress. There's a character named General Tsao, like the chicken.

Inappropriate free-form jazz in the soundtrack, intruding at the most unexpected times.

A secret cabal not unlike the Illuminati, run by an immortal shota with magic powers, holding influence all across the world, at the highest levels of government. They matter for approximately three episodes.

An unexpected insert scene of a schoolgirl using the corner of a table to masturbate. She's doing it to thoughts of her crush, the princess Euphemia—because she believes Euphemia to be as racist as she herself is, and that gets her off. This interrupts an unrelated scene of our protagonist faction planning their next move, which then resumes as if uninterrupted.

Said schoolgirl, in a fit of hysteria, threatens to detonate a worse-than-nuclear bomb in the middle of her school. She then goes on to develop an even more destructive version of that bomb, and become a war criminal, in a chain of cause-and-effect stemming from the moment she finds out that Euphemia wasn't actually that racist.

A character called "the Earl of Pudding."

A premise that asks us to believe that the name Lelouch is normal enough that he didn't need to change it when he went into hiding as an ordinary civilian. "No, that's not Prince Strimbleford von Vanquish! That's our classmate, Strimbleford Smith."

The collective unconscious, a la Carl Jung, within which the protagonist fights his villainous father for control over the fate of humankind. After this is over, the anime just keeps going for about ten more episodes.

An episode in which a mech tosses a giant pizza.

A gay yandere sleeper agent who can manipulate the perception of time.

Chess being played very badly, even to the untrained eye. Lelouch frequently checkmates his opponent by moving his king. This goes hand-in-hand with the anime's crock of bad chess symbolism.

A fictional drug that can most succinctly be described as "nostalgia heroin."

Roller-skating mecha in knightly armor, and some of the most sickass mecha fight choreography that I've seen.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. This anime is what the average Westerner in 2006 thought anime was, and it was made in a confluence of factors that cannot be replicated. I've never had so much fun watching something that I found so... insulting. Repugnant. Ridiculous. Baffling. I love it sincerely.

Catch me cosplaying Lloyd Asplund at a con sometime, or maybe even the big gay loser himself, Lelouch vi Britannia.

#code geass #anime #lelouch vi britannia #rolo lamperouge #nina einstein #kallen kozuki #lelouch lamperouge #clamp manga #lloyd asplund

[marvelsmylife]

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

Pairing: Azriel x reader 

Plot: After accidentally listening to your mate confess to his brothers that he thinks your clingy, you decided to give him space and discover who you are outside of your relationship. What happens when Azriel notices the distance between the two of you. Will he fix what he broke or will he make it worse.

Warning: Angst angst angst. Accusations of cheating. Azriel’s an ass by the end of this.

A/n don’t worry, I’m already planning on making a part two to this. I always try to have happy endings to all of my stories.

Part two Part Three Bonus Scene

ACOTAR Masterlist

Prompt list

She’s just- She's just very clingy. You were not supposed to hear the current conversation Azriel was having with his brothers. But that didn’t mean you weren’t allowed to be hurt by what your mate was saying: “I just wish she would get a hobby or make friends outside of our inner circle. I feel like I can't go anywhere without her asking where I’m going or if she could tag along,” Azriel added and earned a disapproving look from Cassian.

“You don’t mean that,” Cassian argued back: “I would give anything for Nesta to want to spend that amount of time with me.”

It was no secret how complicated Cassian’s relationship with his mate. He’d vented to Azriel and Rhysand about his frustration with the current status of his and Nesta’s relationship. He told Azriel countless times how much he wished he had what you and Azriel had.

Not being able to stomach what your mate was saying about you, you disappeared into your bedroom and silently cried yourself to sleep.

The following morning, instead of waking up Azriel with breakfast in bed like you usually do, you decided to wander the streets of Velaris. In all the time you have lived in this city, you've never really explored it, only going to Rita’s, Rhysand's townhouse, and the river house.

You weren’t sure what you were looking for in particular, so you just decided to go with the flow and see where you ended up. You started with grabbing breakfast at a tiny restaurant you’ve probably passed a dozen times but didn’t notice until now.

Following that, you decided to shop to pass the time. You were ready to head home when you stumbled upon a dance studio. It was always your dream to be a dancer growing up, but seeing as your family was too poor for you to buy you lessons, your dream never got to be fulfilled. That was until today.

You contemplated if you wanted to enter the studio when a male stepped out of the building and asked: “Are you planning on signing up for classes?”

“No, no,” you shook your head as you wrapped your arms around your body: “I’ve never danced a day in my life, so I’ll probably make a fool of myself.”

The male let out a small laugh at your response: “Don’t worry, the morning classes are for beginners. Come, you can sit in during this class, and you could decide if you want to join after.”

You were about to decline his offer when the events from the night before flooded your mind again. She’s too clingy. She needs to get a hobby and make new friends. “You know what? Why not. I have nothing planned for the day,” you responded and followed the male into the dance studio.

It was lunchtime by the time the dance class was over, and you decided to sign up to start taking classes the following day. Everyone was so friendly to you, and you could tell the instructor was passionate about teaching others how to dance. That inspired you to sign up to take classes for a month and see where you go from there.

Throughout the class, though, you felt Azriel tug on the bond. Which was strange because he’d never done that before. You would reciprocate just to let him know you were ok.

As soon as you left the studio, you decided to stop by Rhysand’s townhouse to see Feyre and Nyx. To your surprise, everyone was there, including Azriel, who was currently playing with Nyx. This was strange because Azriel and Cassian usually spent most of their day training the Valkyrie. 

“Y/n !” Feyre squealed with excitement as she ran to greet you.

Azriel’s immediately looked over at you. He wanted to go towards where you were so he could ask where you went in the morning, but Nyx forbade him from leaving where he was. So, instead, he had to hear you tell everyone what you were up to.

“That’s amazing !” Feyre smiled. She knew about your dream of being a dancer and has been trying to convince you to take classes with the money Rhysand has been paying you.

After spending an hour catching up with everyone, you told them you had to pick up a few things for your first day. “I promise I’ll come straight here after my first class to tell you how it went,” you promised while grabbing your things.

Azriel was surprised when you started walking towards the front door without asking him if he wanted to go with you. “Um, would you like for me to accompany you?”

“No, thank you,” you replied without looking at him: “But thank you for offering.”

While you were hurt by what Azriel confessed to his brothers, you weren't going to be rude towards him for his own feelings. 

Everyone glanced at Azriel, puzzled because you always wanted Azriel’s company when you went out, especially if it involved shopping. “Is everything ok between you and y/n? She always wants you to go shopping with her, mainly so you can carry her bags, but still,” Mor asked.

“I don’t know,” Azriel replied honestly: “Last time I checked, we were doing ok.”

Cassian wanted to make a snide comment about the conversation they had the night before, but he kept his mouth shut.

That became your routine for the next six months. You woke up, went to dance classes, and either hung out with the new friends you made at dance class or spent time at the river house. As much as Azriel’s words hurt you, you could not help but thank him. If it wasn't for him, you would not be doing what you loved and creating so many new friendships.

Throughout that time, though, Azriel noticed you were pulling away from him. He missed waking up to you making him breakfast in bed. He missed when you would pester him about details of his day, but most of all, he missed your constant physical contact.

While you haven’t completely stopped touching him, he noticed you stopped sitting so close to him that you were basically on top of him. He also noticed you’ve stopped inviting him to go anywhere with you and stopped asking if you could tag along whenever he would go into town.

He was growing worried you were falling out of love with him or worse, you were cheating on him.

He knew your dance instructor was a male and grew paranoid that you were cheating on him with your instructor. “She’s not cheating on you Az. She loves you too much to do that to you,” Rhysand reassured Azriel.

“I would have believed you if you would have said that six months ago,” Azriel hid his face in his hands: “But she’s a completely different person now. She barely touches me anymore. The last time we had sex was over a month ago. I’m going crazy, and she doesn’t even care.”

Cassian couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Azriel’s comment: “Sex isn’t everything you know. Have you tried talking to her about this?”

“It is if we used to do it at least once a day, and to answer your question, no, I haven’t because she’s never home. She’s been at that dumb dance studio rehearsing for a recital they’re having tomorrow.” 

“Instead of complaining about her dancing, why don’t you go to the recital to support her. Just because you think it’s dumb doesn’t mean it’s not important, especially to her,” Rhysand advised.

As much as Azriel didn’t want to, he did what Rhysand suggested and went to your dance recital the next day. He showed up with a big bouquet of roses that earned some stares from strangers in the audience. He didn’t care. He was there for you and only you.

And he was so happy he ended up going. He watched in awe as you danced so elegantly across the stage. He mentally cursed himself for calling what you were doing dumb because watching you dancing made him fall in love with you all over again. By the time the recital was finished, Azriel had a speech about how proud he was of you and how amazing you looked dancing on stage. 

Unfortunately, right as he was about to approach you after the recital ended, your instructor pulled you into a hug and spun you around.

Azriel was fuming and threw the roses he bought for you on the floor before stocking over to where you were: “Azriel. You-”

You didn’t have a chance to finish before Azriel ripped your instructor off of you and started punching him.

“Azriel ! ! !” You yelled at your mate as he punched your instructor repeatedly.

It took six male faes to finally remove Azriel from your instructor. “I’m sorry y/n. You are a phenomenal student, but you can not attend my classes anymore. You and your mate are banned,” your instructor said before storming away.

You felt your heart break at the news you were given and found yourself dropping to the floor. To Azriel’s credit, he immediately regretted his actions and tried to comfort you: “Y/n, I’m so sorry.” 

“Don’t,” you glared at your mate and started getting up: “How could you do this to me. You knew how important dancing was to me, and now you got me banned from the place I started to call home.”

“I’m your home ! ! !” Azriel yelled defensively: “I barely see you anymore because you spend all your time at that dumb dance studio. I just want my mate back!”

You let out a dry laugh at Azriel’s comment: “I was just giving you exactly what you wanted. For me to not be so damn clingy all the time. I found a hobby and made friends, but now you ruined it.”

Azriel stiffened at your words. He remembered the night he said those horrible words and the harsh words both Cassian and Rhysand had said to him afterward. They made him realize what he had with you was unique, and he should cherish every moment he had with you because tomorrow was never guaranteed, especially for them. He just didn’t know you overheard him say those things: “Y/n, I’m so sorry. I didn’t-”

“Save it. I can’t even look at you right now,” you inhaled sharply: “I’m going to stay with a friend for a few nights. Don’t worry, it’s not my instructor. Our friendship is clearly done after the stunt you just pulled.” You started walking away but turned around to add: “He’s gay, by the way. He has a partner and a beautiful son they adopted three years ago.”

And just like that, the weight of Azriel’s actions hit him as he watched you walk away. 

@byyalady @sheblogs @janebirkln @starsinyourseyes @cumuluscranium @honeybee54321

#azriel imagine #azriel x reader #azriel x you #acotar imagine #acotar x reader