#tl; dr that got way longer than i expected . lol

[fideidefenswhore]

Who is your most hated Seymour? For me, it's John, Thomas, Edward and Jane.

roflmao, tbf, i know intellectually that there's not enough there there to justify hating john seymour, but he does give me bad vibes...whatever happened with catherine fillol was weird and i do get the sense he was involved even if not in the rumored way. and also, when siblings hate each other to such an extent, it's often bcus they were pit against each other by their parents, so i get the sense he was not a good father (there's some debate on whether he died late 1536 or 1535, tbf, but if it was the former it's strange that none of children seemed to mourn his death, that he wasn't mourned at court as the queen's father, etc) . margery doesn't have enough about her known for me to judge; it's sort of weird to me that this stereotype has fallen she and jane had a bad relationship and her favorite child/daughter was elizabeth (this occurs in like...several...novels). we don't have an equivalent positive remark to 'next to mine own mother, no woman alive i know better' (AB, about her own, and to bridget wingfield), nor any records of them often being in each other's company during significant events or eras, but we don't have anything negative either. i get you have to make choices in fiction and 'neutral' is not an interesting one but like...damn.

what's interesting about edward and thomas is that, even before their sister becomes queen, edward is not spoken of well by his contemporaries. very early (iirc, 1535) on, his 'small conscience' is decried, and he becomes such an avaricious figure that cromwell and the king have to interfere in his attempts to manipulate and loophole property laws to his own advantage and the impoverishment of others (and, not usually in his favor, despite him being a royal in-law). thomas, however, seems like he's better liked in the 1530s, although this can maybe be attributed to him being more of a nonentity (a comparative example is some tudor authors insisting GB was 'better liked' than his sister anne-- not true, it seems-- or more often, that their sister mary was...which is probably true, but also probably more indicative of relative lack of power and positions and leverage than 'kinder' personality)...it's not until the 1540s that we get comments of the same genre ("somewhat empty of manner"). thomas thus seems more like a figure of gradual corruption, his arrogance was increased was by his nephew becoming king, it seems, and resentment brought out an ugly side of his character (arguably, the same with edward, just earlier on).

it's extremely unpopular to say this on here, but yeah, jane is definitely not a favourite of mine, either. but i don't think my reasons for this are really common...i don't care if she slept with henry before marriage, i don't care if she didn't, i just find her biographers weirdly contradictory in their judgements of her character, the nature of her rise, and her own beliefs. there's also like, this sense of historic illiteracy from some of her defenders...joining a royal household (as far as the most prestigious positions, that is) was not the equivalent of serfdom (as in, they could leave at any time). jane's supporters were courtiers who hated anne, so it's reasonable to assume she did, as well. so, there's this sort of moral hypocrisy about jane as a figure and her advancement and how she came to her position that has always prevented me from warming to her as a figure. 'she hated anne and all she stood for' explains her involvement in her downfall, but not her securing the position in her household in the first place. and by virtue of her close proximity to anne as queen, she also knew that it was nigh impossible that she was actually guilty of the accusations of adultery.

what else...her defenders insist that the oaths of supremacy and succession were anathema to her moral compass, yet she likely did have to have had taken them herself, just as a subject, and if not that then definitely as a member of anne's household. this wouldn't have martyred/imperiled her life, althought it probably would have her career (elizabeth darrell never took these, so i wonder if the penalty for women was different...? barton is often cited as an example but this was not in her indictment. princess mary seems to almost have been a victim of this, but it might've been more that her signing was more important since she was a rallying point for dissenters).

and even if jane never took these, the presence of noblewomen serving anne as queen lent to her greater image of royal legitimacy. she had to have known that, and if she didn't believe her position was legitimate...then why be part of that tapestry? there's not an equivalent to her predecessor to be made here, not when anne left her own predecessor's household and began her own as soon as she came to believe catherine was not legitimately queen or henry's wife. any credulousness towards contemporary report of this time would suggest anne was extremely hostile towards her rival, but there is a difference between declaring that you'd sooner watch your rival hanged before revering them and, well...actually doing that (...essentially, if not literally).

actually, i don't think there's actually much to suggest jane was set against the religious supremacy unless you make some suppositional leaps (the dissolution wasn't so explicitly connected here, her support of mary as princess, even if rather cosmetic, could be seen as support for her decision not to take those oaths herself for nigh on two years...). nor against succession acts as brought by parliament, since the same illegitimized any potential rivals to her future children, and she seemed to make a point in one of her only pieces of writing we have in emphasizing edward's legitimacy (implicitly, at the expense of her stepdaughters).

the narrative fiction i probably dislike about jane the most is this idea that she was so reverent of catherine's memory, it's really fucking weird, honestly... it bothers me because i know it's embellished to increase reader/viewer (the tudors comes to mind) sympathy and somehow for me it does the opposite, lol. there's something about the concept of her trading on the memory of this beloved woman (who, herself, probably didn't even remember jane, there's nothing to suggest any kind of friendship between them) who was exiled, this woman whom jane did not a single thing for (not even abstaining from joining the household of her rival), that just really grosses me out. henry was the one who was her husband, and obviously he was a fucking asshole to and about her, but there's at least something more...direct, in his attempted erasure of her memory. it's always bothered me that it's never acknowledged that the antecedent (which was carried on throughout) to jane's queenship was the erasure of both her predecessors, the illegitimization of both their daughters, both of them being subordinated, and, more or less (mary present for christmas, elizabeth not, but both there during the rebellions) equally expelled from court.

#purplefictionlover #tl; dr that got way longer than i expected . lol #but yeah honestly jane would be a more appealing figure to me were this not the case #if she were sort of neutral about coa. idt i have hated a fictional character as much as i hated weir's iteration of her lmao #sobbing in her bed for 24 hours straight the day of anne's coronation... #sobbing in her bed for 24 hours straight the day of coa's death.... #i felt oh so kh in the tudors #'it's not aBOUT YOUUUUUU ' #bcus the thing is that if she was... how did she justify. any of that? #did she just hate herself? the answer alison weir gives us is yes and that was exhausting to read #she is very very self-loathing in not having been able to do anything for catherine and she hates her family for 'making' her join anne's #household and i fell asleep and snored so deeply it registered on the richter scale #the belief from this genre of tudor authors seems to be women are just disgusting if they had any sort of agency #(weir really reduces anne's agency as well...at least early on #and they're both very very dull as a result)

[morphogenetic]

Mediaposting 2024, #5: Dai Gyakuten Saiban 1/The Great Ace Attorney Adventures

Completed: March 26th (main game) / March 27th (escapades/the bonus video content)

Time spent: 37 hours (main game) / 39 hours (including bonus content stuff)

Rating: 8/10 (but with caveats because of it being the first of a duology) thoughts under the cut because there are many and a lot of them are spoilery. but the tl;dr is that they were clearly still kind of finding their footing with this game but The Game Is Good. and the reasons i'm giving it an 8/10 are mostly because i need to see how dgs2 deals with some of the loose ends before i go higher

first, the positives (and I suppose the neutrals):

first of all, on the game design side of things, the music slaps. as usual for an AA game honestly but there does not seem to be a single miss in this soundtrack which is rare. can't wait to hear the inevitable remixes and reframing of themes in dgs2.

it took me way longer than i expected to warm up to the main cast, but once I really got into the meat of the game, i found that I do really like all of them (and I mean ALL of them, including the more minor characters. except mcgilded but fuck mcgilded). this kind of suprised me because I don't think i've come close to that in any AA game except maybe the first one and t&t. also maybe aai2 but that's pushing it. like this game reminded me why I like AA at all after the absolute slogs of 5 and 6. (and the absolute 'i remember fucking none of this' of apollo justice)

the character design of this game as a whole is INCREDIBLE. there is not a single character design that I don't like in some way. from the really good student uniform designs, to susato's kimono, to iris and sherlock's outfits.....and those are just the main ones. a lot of the witnesses and even some of the jury members are memorable just on character design alone. even the designs i think are kind of ugly (coughs. mcgilded) are clearly ugly by design and not by accident. it's a feat. hope that dgs2 keeps up the good work but based on the one (very big....oops) spoiler that i know, i'd be surprised if it didn't.

the parallel between ashley graydon and gina as kids raised in poverty in the last case. mwah. magnificent. chef's kiss. 10/10 no notes

dgs sherlock is such a good interpretation of the Man The Myth and the Legend

also i really adore ryuu as a protagonist. i can't quite put my finger on why, it might honestly just be because of how fucking distressed he is all the time LOL, but i like him in a way that feels a bit deeper to me than the way in which i like phoenix. he's clearly making the best of a bizarre situation and his Law Skills are more of a matter of natural talent rather than training

the ending is. man. it's good and a very good sequel hook but can you fucking IMAGINE if they had never gotten the money to make a sequel to this game. what a hell world that would be. imagine just dropping a major hint that three characters you already know of are involved in a huge fucking conspiracy and then never getting to explain why. vlr/ztd interface level catastrophe.

and then the few negatives i have which unfortunately drag this down a little bit for me, enough to the 8/10 level...primarily the first one:

this game has WHACK pacing. having essentially 3 separate tutorials is a wild game design choice to make. the pacing felt off to me to the extent that the end of case 4 felt like it was the middle of the game, and case 5 was almost half of my playtime at 16 hours out of 37 so i think it was close to LITERALLY being halfway through. i don't have a good idea on how to fix it, given that this game has to introduce both the new dance of deduction mechanic AND the weird jury summation examination mechanic, but....there should have been something. it really made it difficult for me to fully Care about the characters until i was into case 5. and I'm glad that case 5 was ultimately good enough to make me care about everyone (e.g. i didn't really care about gina in case 3 at all), but it's pretty rough. i genuinely don't know HOW you fix the pacing issue while also keeping the overall plot outline the same, though, especially because cases 2 and 3 are so crucial. the only thing i can really think of is introducing some of the background london information in case 4 instead of 5, but.......still. or making case 4 happen more than a single goddamn day after case 3. just something to make the pace not feel nearly as weird. sighs. idk. it needed substantial tweaking but I don't have a good idea on what tweaks needed to be made. i've heard dgs2 has much better pacing from someone whose opinions i trust on that kind of thing, so i really hope it pulls through there.

more minor critique: a lot of the cases, barring 5, are weirdly easy with very rare (and also weird) spotty difficulty spikes. of course it's always hard to strike the balance in an AA game, and i wasn't expecting the tutorial to be hard, but...case 4 just kind of dragged for me because of how long the trial goes on. 5 actually did have tricky moments for me thanks to eggman graydon wanting to hide the truth and the sheer amount of evidence, but yeah. still far more challenging than the dr games just giving you all of the facts at the very beginning of the trial, though...at least shu takumi knows how to write a mystery LMAO

asougi really needed a little more lead time before getting killed off, because i like him but, without the escapades, it's probably not as much as I think the game wants me to like him, and ryuu being his best friend is not super convincing to me even though he shows that a lot more in later cases. i'm not tooootally sure how i would have fixed that, maybe keeping him alive a bit in the first half of the 2nd case? doing some more slice of life stuff with him and ryuu? or making ryuu's reaction to his death a little bit more shocked? idk. i'm REALLY glad the escapades exist because they help a lot in fleshing him out, but i really think parts of them should have been in the game proper =========== all that said. if a game gets me to write this many fucking words about it..which took me a goddamn HOUR to write jesus christ i just checked my computer clock.... it's clearly doing SOMETHING right. honestly, if the pacing wasn't so bizarre, i'd probably bump it up a full point. i am absolutely playing the second game but im already worried its gonna hit full on zero escape and raging loop level catastrophe fixation (positive) once im done so…i'm honestly putting off starting dgs2 a little bit because i'm worried that it's gonna distract me to the point of my grades/job suffering a little LOL. i haven't had that happen in a while so, at least in that way....congrats dgs you won me over. i will never stop calling you dgs because thats how i was introduced to you 7 years ago as my best friend's first new-fixation when i first became friends with her. sorry it took so long for me to get around to you.

#aj plays dgs #(just to keep it in the same tag for my own cross reference) #mediaposting #junpei.txt #this got REALLY out of hand as a post i am so sorry

[disquiet-doll]

(just remembered this so saying it now)

something i think a lot of people miss about death of the author is like

there's a whole theory of communication that goes on there

(actually this got long, adding a readmore)

because it's like, ok so when you talk you aren't directly communicating to the person, yeah? you're receiving their utterances (which are partial communications of their thoughts, mixed in with all kinds of cultural expectations, politeness, implication, etc.), interpreting them, forming a response, and then forming them into your own (equally incomplete and diluted) utterances.

at no point does direct communication actually happen

and so the idea is ok, when you read a book that's even less direct. you're receiving the text, which is even less a communication of their thoughts then direct conversation, and to the extent there's a back-and-forth communication at all it takes the form of you creating expectations for where the text will go next. the reason the author is dead - which is to say, not present - is because they were never here at all! the communication exists between the reader and text in the first place, so that's the only place from which meaning can arise!

if the author wanted total authority* over how they were interpreted then - well, tough luck because that's not how communication works. but if they wanted more control they should've left it as a conversation. then you can clarify and change interpretations all you want!

but when you write a text - when you make art more generally - meaning no longer belongs to you alone, because the division between the writer-text relationship (ends at creation) and the text-reader relationship (contains all interpretation) is inherent.

even as a creator looking back onto your own work you aren't engaging in the writer-text relationship anymore! you yourself have become another reader! the fact that you can say "I meant this here" rather than "the author meant this here" is very minor, all things considered.

anyway the reason i'm saying this is

I think for a lot of people who don't "get" death of the author, this is why? they don't look at communication in those terms in the first place, so it's hard to make the even further leap into how "communication" with a text (but not it's creator) occurs? (although tbh they should look at communication in those terms because. i mean that's literally just objectively how it works lol.)

I think this does help with understanding like, how the biographical details of a writer can still matter under this framework. going out of your way to ignore them isn't the point, if they color your interpretation that still matters quite a bit! but similarly, if they don't color your interpretation then they... don't! neither is inherently more correct. (in fact situations like "read once, learned about the author, read a 2nd time and saw it differently" are part of the fun of media, i think - your new interpretation might not be "more correct", but it's enjoyable to see how your new knowledge changes how you see things, you know?)

Also, helps with understanding how like. you can still be wrong in this framework lol. because the text is still part of interpretation so like, if what you're saying is contradicted by the text it's still... wrong... (and this is, of course, true for the author as well. if the author says "well actually, XYZ" where the text says ABC then... that's wrong! it is an incorrect interpretation by a reader. the fact that the reader also wrote the thing is irrelevant.)

I know I had something else but I can't remember so RIP

anyway tl;dr: death of the author isn't just arbitrarily "you can interpret things however you want", there's a very specific logic behind it. this isn't the best explanation of it though so RIP.

*sidenote: it's interesting how author and authority are from same root, eh? anyway i'm fairly certain that's why it's death of the author (as authority) and not death of the writer (i.e. the "you should never take any facts about the creator of this into account when interpreting it" understanding of death of the author). it was still made by a person, but that creation ends in the writing - the text-reader relationship stands on it's own.

#musing #which again would really be better as ''rambling'' for posts like this but too lazy to change it

[helluvapurf]

*claps* Just finished the newest HB dropped today, lets talk about it! :>

TL;DR version: Found it a... "decent" ride overall (prob among the "better" eps of the S2 lineup so far), though nothing really to write home about compared to other fave eps-

Longer Version: *warning ahead for spoilers*

So, positives out of the way first!

-Striker's back again... and YAY, didn't end up dying after all 🙏😭Was kinda scared with him going against Stolas they were gonna start watering him down to a "mwaha I'm macho~" cliche, but imo he remained pretty competent from start to finish (and even still carried that whole "f*ck the monarchy" attitude towards Goetias while interacting with Stolas (whilst simultaneously working under Stella)... which I really hope the show builds on more for any future appearances down the line)

-M&M themselves got to lead the show in chasing Striker/fighting him (no Blitz or Loona intervention whatsoever), which was also pretty refreshing! 👍 I enjoyed their antics in the Wrath ring and the eventual fight scene itself proved a fairly entertaining one too (*that music change midway though lol*)

-Ngl, I was kinda worried that with Stolas' "damsel" bit it was gonna get old quick... but I'm pleasantly surprised to see the guy actually bite back fairly strong in his own way (both with words and a bit with physical strength too like the stone-stare attempt). And with the inclusion of that "heavenly" rope voiding his powers, it helped offset him feeling too "woobified" compared to past eps .3.

-Blitz and Loona stuck together throughout their visit to the hospital, which proved sweet & funny to watch too ^^. Always nice to see some vulnerable sides in this girl aside from just being moody all the time imo.

-We finally get Andrealphus' canon debut, and he proved to be a fairly decent villain himself too. Being smart enough to recognize the risk in killing off Stolas too quickly (esp. while Via's still his only other heir), and seems to be generally manipulative in steering his sister in the "right" direction (while talking down to her at the same time like a ditzy child), which I'm curious to see played out as well as the season progresses further.

-Bit more of a "minor" point, admittedly... but yay! A Via mention~ 🥺Looks like she'll eventually be more involved in Andre & Stella's plot in the far future, so that'll be interesting to see~ :o

Now... for the negatives? ...Weeeell-

-Stella... just, *sighs*. What more can I say about her that others haven't done so before? 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️While I never really minded her being a bitchy villain tbh, I was expecting at least a little competency written in to her role trying to tear Stolas (+Blitz) apart... but, now? She's... literally just so one-tracked & immature onto wanting Stolas dead (not even reacting to Andre mentioning her daughter during their "plan"), that even her own brother is calling her out of how stupid she's being...? 😐Just... yikes, man...

And like, even all this I wouldn't so much mind if HB was a strictly comedic cartoon/Stella herself was just a one-off threat (like Martha & those old guys from the "Cherub" ep)... but with Stella clearly being framed as the new "big bad" of the series after first calling that hit on Stolas back in "Harvest Moon" (framed all dramatic-like both there and later on in "The Circus")... its otherwise embarrassing that Stella's about as complex as a slice of white bread... 😒😒

(*Heck, if you think about it I don't get why we couldn't have Andrealphus be Stolas' evil ex since he's clearly gonna be given more substance than his sister by the looks of it (esp if those potentially dangerous ice powers of his are any indicator)... but, idk I'm just rambling at this point lol >>*)

-I feel like some of the emotional beats didn't... quite hit as they should've, at points? Like, that last shot of Stolas browsing through his phone messages w/ Blitz seemed like it was trying to address what happened in "Ozzie's" (with Stolas even seeming to respect Blitz' boundaries better while their "deal" is still ongoing)... but then with the sad music playing and Stolas just turning away all sadly at the end, I wasn't sure whether to take that as hopeful or... just angsty, I guess? .-.

-In terms of the humor this time, while def a step-up from the last couple eps... I feel like some of the jokes didn't land as strongly compared to others? Like, for every decent bits like Striker (then later Millie lol) telling off the annoying music band, others like the... erm, "endowed" Striker statue & the karen fight Blitz had at the hospital just felt a bit too... "on-the-nose", I guess? 🤷‍♀️

-While I don't really mind this being a shorter episode, pacing-wise I feel like got a bit rushed at certain points (Like, I'm surprised Andre just kinda randomly showed up right at the first few seconds with how "hyped up" his initial concept was lol). Which could easily be fixed by just tweaking down some of the unnecessary filler bits imo.

#helluva boss #helluva boss spoilers #helluva boss review

[memoriastellarum]

kaname x tatsumi I guess!

Send me a ship and I will explain why I do or don't ship it

This is one of those things I could talk about forever... I just have so much to say.  Apologies in advance, but this is not going to be very organized.  Read more because I made this way, way, way longer than expected.  Some screenshots included because this is one of those cases where I think the characters themselves say it better than I ever could do for them.

tl;dr They’re each other’s first real friend after each spending a lifetime of struggling to connect with anyone on a personal level, and no matter how you look at it, they’re very, very special to one another.

What my followers will probably learn about me quickly is that I am just a sucker for endless devotion in fiction, especially when it’s misguided or reckless.  They’ve got that in spades here.  Within the short bounds of the one and only story Kaname features prominently in, you see his shift from desperately reaching for Tatsumi to help him-- just like everyone else around them-- to being the one to say he will protect Tatsumi and he will be the one to help Tatsumi.  He goes from being desperate for absolutely any way to regain what he’d lost, to throwing it away for Tatsumi’s sake once he reclaims it.  And as for Tatsumi, you see him change from someone who is recklessly, terrifyingly giving-- such as kicking everyone else out of a shared living space just to give Kaname, who he doesn’t know, the privacy to speak when he’s upset-- to playfully biting back when Kaname scolds him for not taking care of himself, and being able to be selfish in ways he hasn’t been able to express anywhere else.

One of the reoccurring things that people say about Tatsumi is that he would love anyone, he would forgive anyone.  One of the reoccurring things people say about Kaname is that he was Tatsumi’s most devout follower.  Whether or not these are true, it’s easy to see that their connection is special, and quite a bit different from what the characters around them see.  In fact, Kaname himself gets bristly when called “one of Tatsumi’s followers.”  That’s because, essentially, he isn’t.

Kaname isn’t a follower looking to Tatsumi for succor or salvation.  He has his brother for that.  There’s even a part where he mentions that he sees his brother as his god (Which.  We don’t need to get into that.  Standard Enstars dialogue LOL) And his brother is giving him evidently flawless instructions on how to have the entire school under his thumb, taking Tatsumi for everything he’s worth.  It works, too!  Kind of.  The big wrench in the plan is, simply put, Kaname’s feelings about Tatsumi.

After they spend a bit of time together (or, as other characters put it, after they become practically inseparable) it’s no longer about regaining his place.  He does regain his special student status, thanks to his brother.  That could-- and should-- be the end of it.  But somewhere along the way, Tatsumi’s dream becomes his dream-- although, it might be just as accurate to say that Tatsumi, himself, becomes his dream.  He believes enough in Tatsumi’s ideals that he’s willing to throw away his own goals to help make them a reality.  He lies to his brother about his progress.  He spreads himself thin and performs poorly on many of the jobs he takes on, despite special instruction and all of his hard work.  And, despite how he’s already struggling, he does everything he can to alleviate Tatsumi’s pressure, at high cost to all of the excruciating effort he’s put in thus far.

Side note: it seems Kaname is one of only a few, and perhaps the only one, to be concerned enough about Tatsumi’s declining health to actually really try to help.  I should point out that Tatsumi won’t let anyone help him, although it seems a few people may have offered.  He’d been in and out of the hospital a few times before finally giving in and leaning on Kaname.  And that’s something in and of itself.  Tatsumi steadfastly refuses to allow anyone else to take on any burdens for him.  The reason why Kaname is different, from Tatsumi’s perspective, is because he’s the only one who is trying to walk beside him on his level, rather than follow behind him with him as the leader.

Kaname believes in the kind of person that Tatsumi truly is, most of all.  More than what he hopes to accomplish with his revolution, and more than the seemingly endless forgiveness and boundless love.  Despite how he seems, Kaname is a very vulnerable (and frankly, childish) person and is drawn more to Tatsumi’s kindness than his progress, which is the thing that sets him apart in the end from everyone else who follows him.  By the end, it’s not all about Tatsumi’s groundbreaking success as an idol anymore.  It’s about the personal conversations they’ve had.  It’s about their connection.  In short, it’s because he cares deeply about Tatsumi that he’s willing to go to extreme lengths for him, not as a follower, but as a friend.

It’s in Tatsumi’s nature to do his best to conceal his pain and bear it alone, as already stated.  During his revolution, there was no possible way for him to conceal it, as his health-- physical and mental-- was frequently in such crisis that he was hospitalized.  But many of his first interactions with HiMERU seem to convey someone who is deeply pained by the distance between himself and his friend.  It slips through mostly in wording.  There’s a time where he seems a little taken aback by HiMERU not remembering the conversation where Kaname first told him his real name, as he says it’s one of his most precious memories.  He brushes it off by saying that it makes sense that HiMERU wouldn’t remember, and that it’s been so long that it makes sense that things have changed, but the way and manner he continues to talk about it says to me that it does trouble him.  He’s very quick to show his support for HiMERU, in a way that isn’t really shown for anyone else but his own unit.

I really shouldn’t get into the whole HiMERU thing because that will probably double this post’s length.  But rest assured, I have a lot of thoughts on THAT, too, and how the heart of their miscommunication is solely, 100%, love for Kaname and how differently they experience that.

I think the best way to say what I want to say about them is to post a little of their final conversation, which I absolutely will.  I absolutely recommend taking a look, especially if I did a bad job of convincing you.

#ANON LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE... I'm feral and unsocialized. #long post #I mean it's under a read more but still. #Out of Character. #Meme Response; #okay okay okay i gotta post it now i gotta stop #''THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT'' will never fail to get my heart acting up #tatsukana

[crisscross-inksauce]

First thoughts on BATDR as a long-time BATIM fan...

Okay, first of all it was not what I was expecting at all! Almost everything I had thought previously was completely wrong. I expected that because we didn’t really know THAT much about the game all things considered. Even then, it went places I never thought Bendy would go.

For example, Ink Bendy and Toon Bendy being the same entity. I mentioned it as a half-joke to my friend after Bendy had shown up. I recognized it as a possibility but didn’t think it would happen because it had been such a huge meta in the fandom (especially the early days) that it seemed too easy. I literally said, “You know, we’ve never seen them in the same room, so...” But, whaddya know, I was unitentionally correct.

Also, I expected either the Ink Demon OR Wilson to be the villain not both of them. The subversion of expectation I expected came in a way I didn’t expect (lol).

Another example, there were NEVER souls in the ink machine???? How much of the first game was real??? What information should we keep and what information should we discard as being no longer canon??? This game clears up as much as it confuses. It’s so frustrating. (I feel like I might be missing something but I’m not sure, feel free to explain it to me lol)

Also, (in my opinion) both BATIM and BATDR are less impactful if there aren’t any real world consequences (Well, I suppose there will be in the future). I guess no-souls explains a lot but it leaves me dissatisfied. Maybe I’ll come around to the idea, but idk.

Also, Henry did NOT look how I thought he would (mostly thanks to Doberart lol.) I also wish he had a more important role in the story, being the protagonist of the first game. But I suppose it’s better that he isn’t for the story they’re trying to tell. Idk though, I feel like they could’ve given the og characters more of a limelight (besides alice, she got everything.)

Final thoughts: At this moment, I recognize that BATDR is a technically better game. But, I JUST watched it and it doesn’t stick in my mind nearly as much as the first game did. The old characters were barely present (except for Alice.) The new characters didn’t make up for it, since they’re not that memorable (except maybe Porter). The environments all look very similar to me and the cluttered art style doesn’t help. Most of the new levels don’t stick out in my mind as visually interesting. This game was touted to be SO much scarier than BATIM, but it really isn’t, like at all. There were a few moments, but not enough for the level of reiteration the devs were giving XD. I’m not sure I like how this game handled the first one, but I’m not crossing my arms just yet. I’m keeping my heart open, hopefully the next game will be better.

TL;DR: I feel very conflicted about this game. It feels like a setup and not a payoff. I found myself thinking “That’s it?” instead of, “That was awesome!!!” when the end screen came up (kinda like the first game hmm). I’m not sure I like where things are headed, but am still open to it. To be fair, I didn’t know what to think about the ending of BATIM when it first came out either but grew to love it more than anything I had originally theorized. Maybe that’ll happen here too once some theories come out (looking at you SuperHorrorBro.)

But, for the moment, BATDR is just okay. Certainly not bad, but not that great either. I feel like we didn’t really NEED it, y’know.

At this point, I'm not sure whether or not my expectations affected my enjoyment of the game. I didn't expect something better, I just expected something different. Something a little more fulfilling, I guess. Maybe that's gonna be the next game, idk. All I know is I left feeling confused(normal) and unsatisfied(abnormal)

P.S. I am not hating on this game, I think it is a good game. But I also think it has issues. I love BATIM, and am very easily pleased. So me having negative feelings about it is very surprising to me. And again, I may come around to it in the future these are just my feelings straight off the game.

This was not in an orderly fashion at all but it’s 3 in the AM and I’m tired so whatever

I'll post a more coherent version l8tr

#also the level of disrespect to my mans Sammy was hilarious but sad #like cmon throw us sammy fans a bone here #The alice fans were getting fed what about us #badtr #batdr spoilers #bendy spoilers #bendy and the dark revival

[squadron-of-damned]

hmmmmmm...

what do you think of pink/rose?

This is always a good baited question to stir some shit and discourse, lol. Not that I think you are up to it, but anything online can breach containment whenever.

Pink grew up as the Gem version of the only child from a rich family: she had anything she wanted except attention and control of her own life. She thinks that be accepting some responsibilities (a colony) she could get an acknowledgement from her fellow Diamonds and some control over what she does and the order she issues, only to find out that no, she is shown her mistakes only, her good performance is expected, so it is not something to be praised. And then by accient she finds out she has some empathy.

The crucial thing about Pink-becoming-Rose is that she is actively learning to be nice and kind and caring and empathic and sympathetic, to do things for others rather than just for herself. And, this is crucial, she doesn't have any teacher other than what she copies off of the humans. She is pioneering this shit for the Gems. And like with everything you start learning, she fails and makes mistakes all the time. She panics, she acts rashly and without thinking things through. She tries to do better, she tries to know better, but frequently she fails.

She is so thrilled to meet Garnet (The first cross-gem Fusion besides Rainbow Quartz! Do you have any idea how validating that had to be for Rose?) that she doesn't consider realise that Garnet herself is mostly just confused. She doesn't realise that the Diamonds care about her, in a way, and even if they didn't, the shattering of Pink Diamond would still call from a retribution directly from the Diamond Authority, because such an attack is an attack on the Diamond authority, not just a single gem. She doesn't realise Spinel would wait the whole time and that she wouldn't like that.

Rose had the most empathy out of the Homeworld Gems who were made without it and trained not to have it by design. She still does not have much of it. She tries to do her best and she fails again and again. And she makes the realisation that unless she changes more drastically, practically stops being Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz, she can never have enough empathy, the thing so solely lacking in Homeworld, to fix things with it.

But wouldn't you know it, she is on a world that is full of creatures that are born with empathy, to whom empathy and reliance on each other's kindness is what carried them through the ages. So here Rose probably thinks that if she manages to make a being that is a Gem with these intrinsic human traits, that creature should be able to fix not only her mistakes, but the Homeworld as is. She can't sacrifice any other Gem for it, you can't just ask someone to sacrifice themselves for your aspiration.

Rose thinks she isn't going to miss Greg or Pearl or her friends, because she is going to be no longer there. But she forgets once again that they are going to miss her.

But the catch in the storytelling is that Pink/Rose's story is told backwards. You first learn of her from the most recent memories the Crystal Gems and Greg have of her, when she was her best self. And everything you learn afterwards is from before further and further back, her earlier stages, when she was less good or even a bad person, culminating ultimately in Spinel's reminiscence of her. Back in the day a good post which nicely summed it up and which I no longer can said it kinda like this: A rise to greatness viewed backwards is a fall from grace. This modern age has a bit of a problem with media literacy and a lot of people doesn't realise they re looking at it backwards, they don't realise that Pink/Rose grew as a person.

With that being said, a thing that Pink/Rose had not grown out of and what has wrought so many disasters on others: She never learned to accept and bear the consequences of her actions. The closest she got to it was to bubble them for "later".

TL;DR: Rose wasn't a good person, but was always trying to do better, which is admirable and everyone could learn a lesson from that: No batter how horrible you were yesterday, you have a whole day today to do a bit better, so you can try. Also try to think of the impact your actions are going to have on other people in the long term. That *clap clap* will be all.

#su things #su rose quartz #su pink diamond #su spoilers

[tvitr]

uwu I don’t make the ruwules

(Okay fine, reasons/opinions below the cut but be warned! I won’t be holding back on game or book spoilers. Or rambling. This got longer than I anticipated lol)

BETTER IN THE BOOK

Eis “Fireman Sam” Glover: I don’t know what the game was trying to do with this one. I guess he gets overwhelmed by the fire and loses his composure or gets scared or... something?  Also why did he not bring a hose. Or a mask.  This is why so many reviewers thought Wonderworld was a metaphor for purgatory and all the inhabitants are dead I swear. Who cares, the book handled it a lot better. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but there’s definitely a good idea here with some interesting themes. The gist is that he feels ashamed following his captain’s orders to retreat during a serious blaze, which his colleagues disobeyed, and his colleagues are later hailed as heroes by the press.  Is Balan the Book trying to take on toxic masculinity...? How brave. Tl;dr, the book conveyed the story a Hell of lot better than the game. Honestly I’m surprised this is the only one.

BETTER IN THE GAME

Haoyu “Airplane Boi” Chang: So the book tried waaaay too hard to draw a parallel between Haoyu and Fiona (aka, Dolphin Girl) to the point that they both share a similar backstory, in that they had a hobby which led to a near-fatal accident and now they’re too traumatised to resume said hobby. And that’s not a bad thing per se but... “near fatal accident” was already Fiona’s backstory. We didn’t need a duplicate. And this is more personal preference, but I kinda liked Haoyu’s story in the game anyway. His failure at building a functioning aeroplane out of crap he found in his garage is endearingly funny in the game, and the resolution of him taking time out to sit down and study before building anything is a nice spin on the whole “if at first you don’t succeed” theme the chapter wanted. 

Sana “Bird Lady” Hudson: So the book decided they didn’t want to make Cal an angry sore loser so guess what? They made Sana an angry misanthrope. Wonderful. Okay maybe that’s harsh, but she definitely came off as very bitter and unsympathetic in the book. Like there’s a scene at the end where she harasses a firefighter and tries to steal a fire engine because they’re working on a building fire and not supervising her park. That’s not a character you wanna root for. That’s a Karen. The game had a better plot thread and resolution to her story rather than a boring cookie-cutter “humans vs. nature grrrr humans are so evil” story, like the game story here had a bit more depth to it and approached the topic more maturely than the book did. Which is ironic considering how hilariously edgy the book gets sometimes, but I guess throwing a few smashed eggs and frozen bird skeletons into your story doesn’t mean anything if you’re still going to paint such a black-and-white narrative.

Iben “Frozen Elsa” Bia: This story didn’t need dialogue. Like... we don’t need her to justify why she’s upset her parents are dead because we’d already assume that. They’re her parents! Of course we’d assume she’d be upset! They died! Simultaneously! That’s horrible! WE DON’T NEED HER TO EXPLAIN THIS! Also her dialogue in the book was... pretty terrible, not gonna lie. Like if you’re gonna insist on dialogue at least make it gOOD. I’m actually planning on just reviewing her book scene so I can fully articulate just how bad it is anyway, so stay tuned for that mess lol.

FINE IN BOTH

I mean there’s not really too much to say here but anyways:

Jose/”The Farmer” having a family in the book gives him a bit more depth, even if we never hear from them again after his backstory dump.

Fiona/”Dolphin Girl” almost drowns in a slightly different way, with a dolphin straight up pulling her mask off rather than knocking it out of her mouth, and the book also goes more into detail about her love for diving and dolphins. Also the book ships her and Haoyu like. So hard. Like they never shut up about how similar they are or what they other’s doing or if the other’s okay or not. By the end of it I was expecting them to just start making out in front of everyone, they’re that obsessed with each other. And it would be funny if they didn’t use this to wreck Haoyu’s backstory like I mentioned earlier.

Yuri/”Bug Kid”/”Is that a Pokémon reference?” is now being kinda bullied for liking bugs, which yeah gives her more depth and reason to be upset but I also kinda related to her just being that One Kid with interests that nobody else had. But it’s not as bad as some of the other changes, so I can let it slide.

Atillio/Clown and Bruce/Old Man are the same, nothing to say here.

Lucy/”The Artist” is a total drama queen but then again so are Art People so I can let it slide. I did like them changing her problem from “artist’s block” (seriously?) to her feeling too under pressure to create masterpieces, unless that’s what the game was aiming for? Oh who cares.

JUST A BIG MESS

Cass “Dead Cat Girl” Milligan: This is a weird one because the story is the same between the game and book (though the book mentions she witnessed a more severe car accident rather than a speeding car which she assumes kills the cat, and the cat isn’t even her cat, it’s a stray) but the story itself is... flawed. According to the book, they wanted to convey the idea that running away from the accident was irresponsible, and she just needed to look back and she’d see her cat is okay, but the game kind of makes it look more like Balan turned back time to save her cat, and the book mentions a serious car crash which I don’t think anyone would willingly return to. I feel there’s a better way to convey this idea of being responsible for your pets, like say her cat escapes from the house and gets lost, and her resolution is going out and properly looking for it. That’s a more effective (and natural) way to relay that message, especially as they weren’t going to commit to the idea of grieving a lost pet.

I’M CONFLICTED

Cal “Chess Daddy” Suresh: God this was a tough call. On one hand Cal’s game backstory is one of the ones most YouTube players single out as the weakest backstory in the game. He’s just “that guy who lost one game of chess”. Being right before Iben’s level certainly doesn’t help. I could honestly write a separate post about how bad the story placements are in this game but that’s too long for here.  On the other hand, I still... kinda like it? Like I like this idea of him being a sore loser with a bad temper who needs to learn some humility, sure it’s not as serious as “I almost drowned” or “my parents are dead” but one of the few good things about the game is that it balanced “serious” stories with “benign” ones, if that makes sense. HOWEVER His book scene is... probably one of the best written in the whole book. Which isn’t saying much, but it felt like it hit the intended degree of darkness that the rest of the book was trying to hit. One of my main issues with the book is how much it edged up everyone’s backstory, which doesn’t sound bad but when you have 12 characters with edgy backstories to sit through, it starts to feel like a 14 year old's first attempt at writing an angsty fanfiction very quickly. And yes, Cal’s story is dark and angsty but it felt like the perfect balance of dark and angsty. Or as perfect as the book can get. Like even Balan’s annoying rhyming dialogue sounded good for the tone of the scene. Man maybe I should just do a review of both his backstories in a bigger post.  Obviously I could be biased because I’m a sucker for chess aesthetics and dark skinned men with long permed hair so I’m just putting more thought into him but still.

#at the end of the say i'm just some schmuck who talks too much lmao #balan wonderworld

[sipsteainanxiety]

*context is trying to write a fanfic*

Me: *gets an awesome idea from scrolling on MHA TikTok that is featuring our resident blonde hot head*

Also me: *HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU WRITE FOR THIS ANGRY POMERANIAN?!*

I have two fantastic fanfics that I wanna write, but how tf do you write for him??

Maybe I gotta channel my inner Deku lol

tl;dr (bc this got much longer than i expected): bkg is an easy character to write for once you build your own interpretation of him, practice, consider how he would act in certain situations, & ask others for help if you get stuck!

LMAO yeah bkg is a piece of work to deal with. i still grapple with his character sometimes, just in terms of like.. okay, what would he say in response to x? how would he act?! i think "mastering" characterization comes with practice. or at least for me, i feel i definitely got better at writing him the more i did it

before i even started writing for him, all i did was read fics for him. idk how some people are just able to dive right into writing for a character without at least reading SOME fics for said character, they're on a different level frl. i just read and read and then read some analyses of his character. i also looked at authors who i blv wrote him perfectly and took inspo from that. of course, everyone characterizes him differently, has different interpretations of what he would or would not do in specific situations. but when writing fic i think it's important to just build your own interpretation.

bkg is a very complex character that changed a lot in the manga. so depending on what age he is when you write your fic makes a HUUGE impact on how his personality will be. high school bkg is rude and loud as hell. he comes off as aggressive, shouts a lot at his friends, and finds a lot of things to be below him. if his friends want to go to an amusement park, he will most likely not go (even if he wants to) unless they trick him into it or goad him by saying some shit like "he just cant stomach roller coasters lmao!" he is very short tempered, but we all know that already lol

but yet, we also know he studies a lot. he cares about his grades. he cares about how others see him, which is why the comment that he could be a villain hits him so hard. he's organized and he's still an all might fan no matter how hard he tries to push him away. he doesnt do well with any kind of affection at all, which, i think, has to do with the harsh way he was brought up. poor baby doesn't know how to express himself properly. my point is, there are things to him other than how loud and aggressive and rude he is that shows his personality: how neat he is. how meticulous he is when he cooks. how he wants to be the best at everything and will thus put all his effort in.

he does have his soft moments - moments where he's quiet and contemplative and aware of how his friends feel. he is very perceptive after all!! but these moments in hs - particularly early hs - are rare and we only see more of that bkg as he grows up. you could say that he's always had a soft side to him ofc, but it shows up more once he slowly realizes that he is not the best, and the people around him are not looking down on him and that he can rely on them for help.

adult bakugou, pro hero bakugou, tends to be much quieter, more thoughtful, in my opinion. of course, he's still aggressive. still shouts a lot. still gets irritated. still has high expectations for himself. still curses like nobody's business. still wants to do a majority of things by himself. but, if you asked him to go to an amusement park with you, he would simply huff and agree instead of saying no like he's got better things to do. adult bkg has likely overcome many of the obstacles he's faced as a kid and would no longer be a hero just to show he's the strongest. he would do it to save people no matter how much harm comes to his body - something he would've picked up from deku lol

i like to think he gets better with affection, platonic or not, and learns to accept it more as he grows. he's still a hardass, don't get me wrong. he probably still doesn't know how to deal with certain emotions (cough romance cough) properly. but he's trying, and that's what's important

on the surface level, you could probably write him as yelling, cursing, screaming, being stubborn as hell and that's it. but there's more to him than that and this is shown through specific actions of his or specific pieces of dialogue. for instance, that scene in season two where he fights uraraka and goes all out only to say "what part of her was weak?" after all the spectators were saying she was a girl & weaker than him etc etc. like this SHOWS he's more complex than just someone who yells and seems to not think abt his actions.

i could talk more about how i think he would be as an adult bc there's more to him, obviously. but basically i think my interpretation tends to lean to the softer side of how he is haha, while still making him competitive and rude as hell.

idk how this turned into my analysis of his character but anyways KJHSDFKD when writing him, you hv to consider certain factors and apply them to how you think bkg would react. for instance, if the reader is someone he's meeting for the first time he will probably be pretty short with them until he sees them as someone he respects. or someone he can trust. of course, depending on how they meet exactly, i can see him either 1) being rude to their face or 2) being a bit quieter. and then you gotta consider his first impression of the reader, like - does he see them as someone badass? someone gentle that can't be dealt with in his usual rough way? there are just a lot of factors lol and i can't cover everything.

there's also things like... how long has he known the reader for? because with people he's known for a while he knows he can behave in his usual rough way and they'll know it's all just a front he puts up. and depending on how close emotionally he is to this person will determine how much of that squishy interior of his he would reveal to them.

looking back on everything i've said here, there's just no solid way for me to explain to you how to write bakugou's character, i think. there are too many variables LOL. just getting a grasp of how he is, forming your own interpretation, and writing what comes to mind is a good place to start. you could ask others to help you with making sure his character is in check too! writing fanfic doesn't have to be a one man show, you know! getting help is also very sexy and cool B)

#dame-umbra #idk if this will help u at all but #hopefully it puts him more in perspective for you? #i def recommend reading more character analyses of him #bc i did not do him much justice i think LOL #keep in mind this is just how i see him lol #if u wanna drop like something you're considering for your fic #like in terms of bkg's situation/age/how he meets the reader #(im assuming youre writing an x reader) #i could try to help in a more specific way? #idk #sipping tea with shay

[citrus-cactus]

Finished the story of Psychonauts 2 last week! It was really good. Like, REALLY, really good. I don’t have anything profound to say, but here are my thoughts if you wanna read ‘em. Obviously there are SPOILERS BELOW, so click at your own risk if you haven’t played into post-game! (FWIW, I HIGHLY recommend playing this game as spoiler-free as possible. And play the original, while you’re at it!).

Here’s a pretty tame spoiler that I don’t think anyone will mind me sharing though: RAZ IS A CUTE. JUST LOOK AT HIM:

Things I appreciated:

Raz asking permission before entering almost every brain

PET THE GOATS

BOBBY DANCE

Getting to see Whispering Rock a couple of different ways! Actually, the theme of showing events from multiple perspectives (and the different forms of trauma resulting from certain events) was really good.

Raz helping the Psychic Seven help themselves. The game is so gentle with these old damaged hippies. SO GOOD.

QUEEPIE AND FRAZIE and just… all the Aquatos, man. What a group.

The family being given space to grieve together (important) before yeeting their middle boy into the whirlpool (badass). And them still having a lot to unpack/figure out post-game. It’s complicated, man! Of COURSE they wouldn’t have it all figured out yet!

Larry and Pam! LOL.

SAM BOOLE, WTH. Best dialogue tree in the game??? XDDDD

WHOMST in-universe put the graffiti on the back side of the funicular? Oleander?? :O

I have not finished the Scavenger Hunt yet, so idk if Raz gets his clothes back. I’m betting not *shakes psychic fist at Norma* XD

Powers and combat were all really cool!

ANIMATION! ALSO!! REALLY!!! GOOD!!!!!

I’M STILL LOSING MY DANG MIND OVER RAZ’S ARCHETYPE, good god. Double Fine, you mad geniuses, how DARE you stage a Zim/Gir reunion in the year 2021??? If anyone has ever equipped the pin that mutes that delightful little paper lad, I cannot emphasize enough how dead you are to me XD

I thought Cassie sounded a little like Mona Marshall?? The credits proved me wrong, but there were several moments I thought “…maybe??” (I have a much easier time ID’ing her when she’s playing a boyish character than a woman, whoops!)

So much symbolism in the brains! “Subtle” is maybe the wrong word to use, but between some of the throwaway dialogue, the different subsections in each, and the different set designs, most of the mental states just felt more… complex? nuanced? than the first game.

I don’t actually know if I could pick a favorite level! Compton’s Cookoff was definitely the most unique (I would have appreciated the option to try the food challenges again, but “getting the best time” is obviously NOT THE POINT, so kudos to the game making it about the story/character and not about the player here!), and I really enjoyed the paper-and-book-aesthetic of Cassie’s! Bob’s boss battle was one of the most poignant, but the 60’s psychedelic aesthetic and Nona’s different layers were really creative and fun. I also liked that we got a few different styles for Raz (especially in the 2D sections!) but I always could have used more!

On that note though, CENSORS! IN!! SEQUINS!!! XDDDDDDD

THE MUSIC!!! My husband and I JUST realized that Peter McConnell scored the Sly Cooper series as well, so we have newfound RESPECT and AWE for this guy’s ability to write absolutely fantastic music in so many distinct styles and genres. Both of the songs w/ lyrics also slap.

The return/spiritual successor of Goggalor (Pootie-lor???). Amazing. Incredible. Did not expect it, loved it for how narratively important it was. The ending in general just made me quite emotional.

The post-game conversation between Truman and Lilli. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but it absolutely RADIATES Tim Schafer dad/real-life daughter energy.

The Grulovia level was a really interesting way to introduce a villain. Based on every level previous, I was actually prepared for the game to offer some sympathetic facet of Gristol (such as finding out the ride was something he had been conditioned to think from a lifetime of hearing an idealized version of the story from his parents, and it was somewhere he would go to rationalize his actions despite not really believing them… or something), but obviously the longer you spend there, the more you realize it’s something he constructed himself, and he is actually delusional (er, delugional) about Maligula and his family’s legacy. Really sets up an interesting parallel with Raz, in a way. Gristol’s mental state is essentially that of a child… but Raz is an ACTUAL child, and demonstrates more maturity, empathy and understanding than both Gristol the kid (see the Mental Vaults) and Gristol the adult. Kind of amazing he was able to fool a whole building full of psychics for as long as he did (and I guess he was a fine mail clerk too??), but tl;dr I like how the game’s “true” villain is the only one who is unable to change/experience any sort of remorse for his actions (maybe the jury’s still out on Dr. Loboto though XD)

A little concerned that Hollis said Gristol’s fate was to be “experimentation,” and only corrected to say “therapy” when questioned by Raz. UM. This game does make it part of its point showing us the flaws in the Psychonauts, both as an organization and as individuals, leaving them in a bit of a mortally grey area (who are clearly mismanaging their resources if they have a whole Motherlobe of agents doing who-knows-what and their primary source of funding is running summer camps for psychic children). I am… definitely concerned about what Hollis said (as well as Otto’s assertion that he would be picking up where the Seven left off!), but I guess I can accept it as part of the theme that no one and nothing is perfect. Maybe that’s sequel fodder though??? (hey, I can dream about Psychonauts 3, can’t I? XD)

Genuinely though, I’m just… SO PROUD OF RAZ. He’s going to be such a good agent someday!!!*cries forever over one begoggled psychic acrobat son boy*

#psychonauts 2 #psychonauts 2 spoilers #double fine #the cactus speaks #video james

[quinintheclouds]

YES YES YES YES YES

Spoilers for RWBY Volume 8 Chapter 6

THAT WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN I HAD EVEN LET MYSELF HOPE FOR

It really looks like this is the Volume the writers realized how many answers we’ve needed for years and years, and is answering them now. I wish it’d come sooner, of course, but since they can’t go back and fix the pacing or writing, I’m really impressed and optimistic about how Volume 8 is going!

BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY

I would like to GUSH about how they handled the Oscar and Ozpin scenes. We have needed, nay, BEGGED for this sort of development, and it’s finally here. There’s too much I want to rave about so bullet point time! 

[Note: I love the farmboy so this wound up longer than expected -- have a read more for your scrolling convenience -- TL;DR at the end]

We got confirmation that Ozpin has been pleading with Oscar to let him take over so he can burden the pain and torture instead. Oscar is the one refusing, choosing to take it himself because he knows Salem and Hazel will be much harsher on Oz. I thought that was the case, but I’m so glad they addressed it because otherwise we’d be wondering why Oz hasn’t offered. It does make me wonder, is Oz still able to take control without asking? Oscar was able to fight it in vol 6, and he’s come a long way.

Hazel is holding back -- at least, Oscar says he can tell that he is. This would keep in line with the battle at Haven, when Hazel was suspiciously playing defense and stalling by letting Ozpin monologue, then letting Oscar give a little protagonist speech... I mean, it sure doesn’t LOOK like he’s holding back. Look at this kid:

moving on before I cry,

Ozpin suggests he take over and try to escape.

Oscar says no, he has a better idea. “This is our chance.”

Oz: “Hm. Maybe you’ve taken one too many hits.” I like this for two reasons: one, because it gives us a taste of the ol’ lighthearted Ozpin humor we’ve missed since he’s been gone, and two, because it shows that he and Oscar think differently. They have different thought processes, ideas, etc. Oz didn’t immediately know what Oscar was planning.

Oscar explains that Salem can’t take on everyone at once, and thus has been sending people to infiltrate all of remnant first, to attack from within. 

I LOVE that they had Oscar come up with this, because it is so in line with his character development in Volume 7. Not to mention how in volume 6 he was the one to figure out how to defeat Cordovin’s mecha. It’s cool to see him as a strategist, because while he’s a sweet kid from the middle of nowhere, he’s proven to be really smart and quick.

Plus, this gives him agency. People wanted Ozpin to return and save Oscar, but this is so, so much better. Oscar’s idea, Oscar’s choice, and Oz gets right on board. They’re agreeing to work together, despite their unresolved conflict. “Ozma learned the importance of living with the souls with which he’d been paired.”

AND THEN, A MOMENT I CANNOT THANK RT ENOUGH FOR:

The captions don’t show it, but Oscar AND Ozpin said this in unison. Now, this and the few seconds that follow were a rollercoaster of emotions. Let’s break it down:

When they said this together, I was positively GIDDY with excitement: they’re leaning into the “like-minded souls” thing and calling attention to the situation! Surely this must be a sign that Oscar and Ozpin will indeed both exist when their souls are one, as they are both equally parts of the combination of lives that is Ozma. Well, maybe not equally (yet?). 

Then, my elation was replaced with dread. What if this was actually an indication of them “merging” in the way some of the FNDM interpret it will go, rather than how I think it does? Or what if that’s not what RT is doing, but what if the FNDM takes it as a sign Ozpin is taking over?? I can’t last the whole break without knowing!

AND THEN!!! Ugh, this made me so relieved. Ozpin says, in a slightly amused tone of voice with a trace of a laugh, “We certainly are similar, you and I.” YESSSSS more references to them being like-minded souls!! But still having differences!! 

“Maybe we have been presented with an opportunity.” I’m really glad they went the route where Oscar is changing Ozpin’s mind on things. Oz no longer thinks he knows best, and is allowing Oscar to come into his own. Now he’s seeing how far Oscar’s come and the person he is.

Related note: The commentary for the vol 7 finale said that it was Oscar’s speeches to Ironwood about fear and trust that made Oz realize he’s been keeping secrets and hiding out of fear, and inspired him to come back. This is so promising for Oscar’s character going forward.

[Side note: Would love more info on what Oscar meant in volume 7 when he said “these memories... you’re back, aren’t you?” because? Is he just referring to the scenes with things like how he talked about Atlas’ history as if he were there, or does he have access to Oz’s memories now? 2 chapters ago we saw that he doesn’t yet know the location of the Beacon Relic. So unless he was lying really well, he doesn’t have ALL the memories yet. So which ones does he have? RT EXPLAIN]

Next,

I would like to call attention to the fact that Oscar smiled here. After Ozpin said they were similar, I was worried Oscar would react the way he has in the past: sad and conflicted about his identity, worried he’s becoming less of himself. But no. Like we saw in Volume 7, THIS is who Oscar Pine is. His development was his own, and we get to see that when Ozpin returned because Oscar had made him rethink his choices. Oscar Pine is more himself now than he’s been at any other point in the series. 

It’s really brilliant how the writers have used these last 2 volumes to show that Penny, the robot, is one of the most human characters on the show; and Oscar, the boy cursed to death and rebirth with a soul that was not his own, is one of the most individualistic ones. It’s just really cool how they’re playing with our expectations of the characters. (They’re doing great with Salem, too!)

[Side note: Penny’s soul/aura was given to her by Pietro, and they still have distinct personalities and identities. It’s possible that’s a parallel to Oscar’s situation, but I do feel the merge’s completion will result in one remaining soul/identity - just not a “taking over” situation]

Okay, that’s the last of that rollercoaster I mentioned. 

Time to get on a new one!

At long last, this episode finally gave us something we haven’t had since chapter 4 of volume SIX*:

*(I am not counting the one second of "Oscar." *glowy eyes* *Oscar blinks and is back in control* in the vol 7 finale)

OZPIN IS BACK!!!!

First, HELL YES I WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN!!!

Second, wow, they can change really quickly now. At first it took effort and was super visible, then just shook Oscar up a bit with the glowy eyes, and now it seems almost effortless, seamless. The eyes glow and the transition is smooth. I like it.

We didn’t get to hear Oscar’s thoughts after Oz said “Oscar, please,” begging him again to let him take control. So we don’t know whether Oscar allowed it out of pain, exhaustion, their plan, or a decision to trust Oz and work together here. Alternatively, Ozpin may have simply taken over of his own accord. I wish the writers would give us more insight to Oscar’s thoughts, because those scenes already have him talking inside/to his own head, so leaving some of his thoughts out can seem intentional and open-ended, which could mean more dragging out answers, but I think this was fine. Not the worst case of this by far lol

WHEN! HE! SPOKE!

I was hoping for this with all my heart. Over the course of volume 7 in particular, we saw Oscar’s voice, mannerisms, and speech patters start to resemble Ozpin’s. However, he still sounds and feels like Oscar. Going back to Volume 5, heck, even Volume 6 (which is when we last saw Ozpin in control), the voice of Ozpin speaking through Oscar is similar, but distinctly different from how Oscar’s speaking now. So I’ve been theorizing and hoping, and it CAME TRUE! Ozpin sounds more like Oscar now, while still managing to clearly be Ozpin.

Right from the first “Hello,” it was noticeable. It sounded almost like Oscar. I know it’s the same voice actor when one of them is in control (same body, same vocal cords), but that just makes it even more impressive. This is the first time we’ve heard Ozpin’s voice speaking through Oscar since QRWBY yelled at him in the snow in vol 6. And I was NOT disappointed.

“Why do you follow her?” I’ll keep saying it, but he sounds so much like Oscar confronting Ironwood. 

“I know how you see me. But her? Look at what she does, how is she the answer, why not stop her??” This gives me serious deja vu to Oscar’s speech towards Hazel in the Battle of Haven (and his speech towards Ironwood in v7′s finale). That speech had given Hazel pause then, and this one does as well, now. Ozpin sounds angrier, though, more aware of just how far gone these people are, but knowing they can change.

Hazel calls Ozpin out for the same thing the FNDM has been, and honestly, it’s been a long time coming. Hazel’s motivations are extremely misguided, Oscar was right to stand up for Oz/Gretchen at Haven, and the show really needed to reinforce the Ozpin-isn’t-bad-actually thing. Now it’s all out in the open. But it’s Ozpin’s response to this that elevated this scene even more:

That’s it. Ozma has spent countless lives fighting a war that may be impossible to win. But if no one tries, no one will survive. The gods will destroy all of Remnant. Still, every single lifetime, he chooses to try. Like Oscar said in volume 5 (about Hazel’s sister but writing-wise also kinda about Pyrrha), “She made a choice! A choice to put others before herself. So do I.” Like-minded souls.

AND THIS!!! Good gods I’m glad he said this. The show went way too long before anyone even questioned the “You can’t” answer from Jinn. Nora mentioned it in passing earlier, which I liked a lot (though this really should’ve been discussed in volume 6, but better late than never). But here? We see that Oz never gave up, never planned on losing, not sending people to a battle he “knows they can’t win.” While Salem is immortal, she is not infallible. Not even the gods were. Salem can be fought. Even Hazel has a moment of hesitation, perhaps even realization, before Salem enters.

Salem manipulates Cinder, offering her the maiden powers she wants so badly, and Ozpin interjects. “You’ll only be helping her bring about the end, for all of you!”

I just wanted to show these shots because again, just as we’ve seen Oscar’s mannerisms become increasingly similar to Ozpin’s, now that he’s back, we get to see the other way around. Look at the surprise and fear on his face. Look at how he widens his eyes and raises his eyebrows instead of narrowing/furrowing them now. Listen to the sounds he makes when tortured or thrown about. Listen to the desperation and earnest passion held in his pleas. He’s no longer hiding -- he’s being honest with the people who scare him most, and truly trying to help them see the light. 

[Side note: Cinder is not showing remorse in this scene, but I wonder how she’d react to Oscar, not Ozpin, being tortured. In the same episode, we have Cinder being tortured with a shock collar, AND we have Oscar decide to try to appeal to the humanity left in these villains. Last time we saw Oscar, Salem was torturing him with intense, almost electric magic. She might not care, but I wonder...]

ANYWAY I’m done for now. Have a TL;DR that wound up being long too

TL;DR: 

Basically, I’m super happy with the writers for the detail put into these scenes: 

they confirmed Oz has been begging to take over and bear the torture instead

had Oscar come up with an idea himself instead of getting rescued or immediately escaping

had Oscar view his dire situation as an opportunity, reminding us of his optimism and capabilities as a strategist

had Ozpin not know what Oscar’s plan was before he explained it (this might change as the souls become one, but it at least shows they think differently)

Oscar’s plan to appeal to the villains’ humanity and infiltrate Salem’s forces from within lining up with his volume 7 character development

had Oz trust Oscar and put his faith in him, which is progress for Oz

Oz and Oscar speaking in unison and agreeing to work together

Ozpin’s comment about them being similar, not the same

had Ozpin take control to speak to Hazel

Ozpin’s speech to Hazel and Cinder as parallels to Oscar’s speeches to Hazel and Ironwood, which CRWBY said were the reason Oz realized his secrecy is out of fear of trust, and Oscar’s points are what inspired him to come back.

Ozpin sounding and acting more like Oscar just like we’ve seen happen the other way around (though with Oscar, he’s holding true to his own ideas/morals, with Oz meeting him there)

established hope for some of our villains to defect, setting it in motion.

#oscar pine #professor ozpin #rwby ozma #the merge #rwby ozcar #hate calling them that lol but it's a useful tag #rwby8 #rwby #quinpost

[vanillabutspicy]

Do you think that the show would have been better with love triangles or the main Gaang having other relationships before the endgame relationship? I kinda feel like Sukka is seen as the most stable canon relationship because Sokka had a love interest before Suki.

Sorry this got longer than you probably wanted it to be LOL but here goes:

TBH I never personally thought that Sokka's thing with Yue would translate to sukka being stronger, because he knew her for very little time, and I don't really know what he might have learned from it? I mean I don't think it was long enough for him to learn what traits he does or doesn't like in a romantic partner's personality. And in my past relationships those were always my takeaways: what can I compromise on and what am I not willing to tolerate, and how can I tell sooner on if we're compatible or not.

Yes he experienced love, but that on its own doesn't make for stronger future relationships. Yes he experienced loss and heartache, but he already knew what that felt like.

I like Sokka with just about anyone in the series, so I'm not trying to throw shade on any ship with this. These are just things that came to mind.

I think it just depends on how well the pairings are written. Too many shows have love triangles just for drama and it's not interesting and it doesn't grow the characters. I think this might be an unpopular opinion, but people can learn about and prepare for romantic love without having romantic relationships. And not every romantic relationship translates to personal growth for someone. And some people get lucky and find their forever love on the first try.

I don't think it's realistic to expect to stay with your first love forever, but I also despise the concept of ending a good first relationship that's getting serious just for the sake of getting more experience with other people. What will you learn? How to deprive yourself of something good? How to tell someone you don't know if you love them because you don't know what other people feel like?

I just feel like a lot of people are too afraid of doing love the wrong way and it doesn't do them any good. There isn't a scientific formula of N lovers for X years before you can Know What Love Is or Be A Good Partner. Knowing what love is can come from stories, or watching other romances, or just recognizing it when it hits you in the face like a brick wall. Being a good partner comes from trying to communicate well in general, knowing and enforcing your own boundaries, and making an honest effort.

And physically... a person can know what they're attracted to and what kind of touch they enjoy without feeling that touch from another person. And they can also learn what they like with another person and then still stay with that person. Or they could learn what they like and then leave that person because they don't like the same things. The possibilities are vast, there isn't a Right Way.

I didn't marry my first love, so this isn't me trying to defend my own life story. I learned plenty of things about myself from the relationships I had before I met my husband. But I'm certain I could have learned those things without the romantic experience too, just by examining other platonic relationships in my life.

tl;dr: no, there are never guarantees in love, and expecting more experience to mean greater success is as foolish as expecting to stay with your first love forever. In real life, just have the experiences and do what feels good. In fiction, just appreciate the stories that are told for what they are.

#anon #long post #sorry #i have feelings about love

[narahairline]

not necessarily a doodle prompt but like. since your characterizations mean the world to me id really love to hear what you'd do if you got the chance to write boruto :]

tysm!! im so happy they resonate with u!! 🥺🌻✨

my reply got way longer than expected so im gonna put a cut

also took this more seriously than necessary but my god. do i have opinions on this.. 🤪

tl;dr pretty much nothing the writers are doing gbhfjsdk just have it be ninja adventure slice of life

tbh theres a lot of things i feel just.. dont really work about the entire concept of it as a sequel

imo its pretty apparent that theyre struggling to form a cohesive plot based on a series that didnt have the most cohesive writing/worldbuilding/lore to begin with and there’s the whole issue of trying to shift focus on a new set of protagonists when the old ones are considered the strongest in their universe and literally killed a god. it leaves the writers with no other options than going even bigger and bigger (like idk. implanting boruto with aliengod.zip) and at some point it just feels.. very out of proportion and like the writers are struggling to bring it all together in a way that makes sense 🤔

not to even mention the original series theme of revolution resulting in... none of the systems changing... the protagonists complacency in the very systems that traumatized them, that became their drive to fight for change... idk its so disheartening lol

as for what i do think would work, its probably short stories or arcs 🤔

little snippets of their life like the hokage inauguration short, which i think showcased the best of boruto lol juxtaposing their everyday life with them all just having these immense powers, having the older and younger generations conflicts intertwine, showing them adusted/adjusting to a different life entirely

also really liked the anime’s mitsuki arc since it linked established conflicts from the original series to those of the newer generation in a way that doesnt alienate the viewer if they havent seen naruto. focused on processing the war and how to move forward, change things for the better, trying and failing. what it means to be human and what it means to create life. worked really well imo.

but yeah more of that basically!! how has the world changed, what remains, how are the systems changing; focussing the legacy theme on the last 3 generations instead of the otsutsuki

for example i really like the parent/child training filler episodes or the idea with the internships and differing career options lol (tho i still think they shouldnt make kids work full time jobs at age 12 but what do i know)

so basically just more of that!! and more actual change lol. when they said they hadnt done a single thing for ame in those 15 years.. oh rage. theres kids living in sewer systems.. literally killing themselves for an organization promising them the change they desperately want... sounds familiar 🤔

you know (boruto spoiler!!) maybe konoha deserved to have kara snatch some of jiraiyas corpse dna idk

all that being said i still think the best option for a sequel wouldve been one set ~5 years after the end of shippuden. have team 7 lead their own teams. have kakashi be hokage if there really has to be one. theyre still relevant, can still show their powers without taking away from the new teams developement too much. put more focus on how the world is changing after what happened with pain and the 4th war. show how theyre rebuilding and reforming the systems that lead to those events.

#Anonymous

[clustxr]

actually. dream is a fuckin sore loser when it comes to competitions LMAO i would hate to win against him in mcc only for him to whine about how it’s unfair and “disproportionate […] statistically”

this got longer than expected so tl,dr: dream should suck it up and admit that he just isn’t very good at buildmart instead of bitching about it every time it gets played just because he isn’t guaranteed a spot on the leaderboard

this is about buildmart btw. like he’s all ”oh i can‘t focus it’s too hard to remember all of the stuff“ MEMORY IS JUST AS MUCH A SKILL AS PVP… and you have chat + teammates to help you out??? just bc pete (and specifically *pete only* and in just that one event) doesn’t always use those resources doesn’t mean that using them makes you automatically suck. fuckin complain about “but PETE doesn’t use them so i shouldnt need to!!“ sometimes people are better than you idk what to say. and sometimes you don’t always need to compare yourself to other people and use the most individually focused strategies possible in every game.

the REASON why dream thinks that buildmart sucks as a team communication game is because he doesn’t see it as one. he treats it like an individual game, so he gets its experience as an individual game, and then complains when it’s not working as an individual game. when it is very much a team communication game unless you are incredibly aware of the builds & needs of others without needing that verbal communication and have a good memory & rapid response time. when people like grian play buildmart, a large part of their success is reliant on teammates discussing needs, communicating priorities, and checking in with each other frequently in order to get builds done. this is highly effective, as seen in grian‘s teams’ consistent good placements in buildmart. however when you look at dream‘s efforts, he’s more focused on doing his own thing. i think if he instead learned how to direct his team in buildmart like he does in pvp oriented games (and take a leaf out of grian’s book strategy-wise) he could make a great leader and get a better score.

of course, buildmart doesn’t force teamwork like grid runners does, which is probably a source of frustration for dream (& others, no doubt) but honestly? yeah maybe it’s not strictly necessary but it certainly *helps* if you’re not fuckin insane at the game.

part of his rant which sort of confused me is the “i’m not bad at buildmart but i don’t like it, except i’ve never placed above grian and even with my best efforts i still haven’t won“ like no offense but maybe you ARE bad at it lol just admit that non-forced teamwork isn’t your strongest suit and go. there’s no shame in admitting that you just aren’t good at something! but insisting that you are, when you’re clearly *not*, is not going to help.

“there are ways for people who are worse to do good, but there’s not in buildmart”… the same could be said about other team based games like sot and grid runners imo. if you’re a good team there’s a chance that you might fuck it up with a game like buildmart but if you don’t have that teamwork then you won’t do well. that‘s the whole point of the game. and let’s be real here even with the occasional pop-off of a ”worse” team in another game it’s pretty much guaranteed to be the same outcome either way. and again buildmart is supposed to be something that challenges a pvp-oriented team (i.e. a standard dream mcc team) and forces them out of their comfort zone and puts them i an environment where the “worse” teams will almost certainly do better than them, or at least have a chance. in other words, buildmart is the pop-off *game* rather than a pop-off *moment*. it could actually make an impact on the leaderboard compared to the moments that a team would have in another game.

even way back in aug 2020 he had a tendency to whine about minor inconveniences. remember when 1.16 dropped and he tried to petition mojang to revert changes to fortress generation instead of a) continuing to speedrun in older versions, b) trying out 1.16 and getting used to the high amounts of resets/etc, c) figuring out new speedrunning strats or digging deeper into world generation to find a workaround to this problem, or d) waiting for someone else to do all of the work until new speedrunning strats were figured out that would revolutionize 1.16+ speedrunning and make a sub10 rsg igt wr possible? yeah. (i guarantee that if this happened nowadays, dream stans would be bitching about it too and dream antis would fucking hate it lmao.) at this point the tantrums just come with the guy i guess lol hell if i know what to do about it at the end of the day

#to be clear: i do not dislike the guy i just think his constant complaints about buildmart are annoying as fuck #and i strongly disagree with him on these points #and he’s being a baby about it lmao L #but ye all of this isnt meant to be taken super seriously i’m playing up my saltiness for the entertainment lol #i really am not that invested in it all #it’s just a lighthearted post #mcc #mcyt #minecraft championship #dreamwastaken #buildmart #dream neg / #(i dont rly think it is but just in case i guess)

[phdna]

Curious about your thoughts as a long time comic fan: what do you think of the whole White Wolf narrative that marvel seems to be taking with Bucky in the MCU?

I simply love him and his arc as the WS in the comics, and am unsure about making him the white wolf, even though it's very clear that his journey to becoming the Winter Soldier in the movies is quite different from the comics. Idk, what do you think?

Yeah, so. I do have Thoughts about it. I started writing about it and ended up writing you a whole novel, sorry lol

The tl;dr version would be that I don’t know that I vibe with the White Wolf thing. The longer version... is long.

Since I grew up reading about perma-dead Bucky, his Winter Soldier arc in the comics was always going to be a hard sell for me - how can you convince me that undoing decades of canon is Actually A Good Choice and not just a gimmick? Ultimately, what won me over is how careful Brubaker was to pick a theme and follow it across its many facets. We see Bucky as a child struggling with the shame and regret of feeling like he can’t live up to his father’s orders. We see Bucky as a teenager being trained to follow whatever cruel order the army gives him because it’s For The Greater Good, and at the same time, we see how desperate he is for Steve’s approval at all times and how that’s tied up in his head with respect and authority and a lot of unresolved issues with his father. Then comes the Winter Soldier, and Bucky’s entire existence becomes about following orders, even though there are some orders he can’t be made to follow. Then comes the BuckyCap days, in which he more or less feels like he has no choice but to pick up the shield, but he starts exploring his agency in small and big ways. And then he becomes the Winter Soldier again, but - crucially - this time he’s taking the name that represents him at his most powerless and he’s reclaiming it in a wonderful way because only Bucky can be the Winter Soldier - there’s no other hero I can think of who has the gruesome skills and the modus operandi of an antihero combined with the idealistic, almost naive attitude of a Golden Age hero. For me it works because it’s amazing to have Bucky figure out that his identity includes everything he’s ever been while at the same time being something he can choose by himself according to what he wants and needs from life. It really is just a very beautiful way to wrap up this entire theme.

Now, the MCU. For all the changes the MCU has made to Bucky’s character, they’ve done a decent job of keeping this theme more or less alive throughout his appearances imho, which makes me very happy! It’s less well-developed because he’s not given too much screentime, but even fans who have never picked up a comic book got the theme from the subtext in the movies - how Bucky’s story is about agency. TFatWS explored it further. But I just don’t see what the White Wolf adds to this theme? I mean, it sure is a way of having him leave the Winter Soldier mantle behind for a while before he’s ready to take it up again. But he could, y’know... be Bucky. There’s no need to come up a whole new identity to him.

The thing is, imho, that people who aren’t into comics don’t have any reaction to the White Wolf because it’s not a household name, and people who are into comics are like “Why. He has nothing in common with 616!White Wolf.” Nobody is going to hear “Bucky is the White Wolf” and go “Oh my god that is awesome I’m gonna go talk to all my friends about this right now!!!” So the MCU really needed to develop the White Wolf angle like they do whenever they introduce a new mantle to the MCU, but they never do develop it, they just seem to expect the fans to come up with a plot in their heads with almost no clues to work with. To be honest, I’m still not even 100% sure whether White Wolf is a hero name or a civilian nickname! Because titles in Wakandan culture seem to be a big deal and come with a specific duty, but Bucky is implied to have been essentially a civilian under royal care and protection, not someone who was expected to do anything in particular. I had initially guessed that was just a code name to avoid other people finding out his identity, but if it’s a code name, then Marvel sure is clinging on to it more than they’ve ever done with other code names used in the MCU. (”Natalie Rushman” doesn’t follow Natasha all over the MCU!)

Of course, if we had a movie exploring Bucky’s days as the White Wolf, or even if we got a single poignant scene specifically about what being the White Wolf actually means, then sure! That could’ve been interesting and meaningful. But almost all of the White Wolf saga happens offscreen, so imho this detail doesn’t explore anything as much as it adds a random unconnected subplot to the Bucky’s main plot. And I don’t think everything in the MCU has to be Very Important! For instance, I think these random name drops could’ve worked if they were just fanservice, you know? It’s hard because Bucky doesn’t have many mantles, but I don’t know, maybe have him be The Sargeant and people would guess that’s a reference to The Captain or whatever - at least it comes from his corner of the 616 instead of stealing a Black Panther character who has nothing in common with Bucky.

Basically, I find the whole thing to be WAY more confusing than it’s worth being. I’m sure there are fans out there who are making amazing things with this concept, but it’s just not for me. I wish Marvel had 1) developed this mini-arc better, 2) picked another name and made it just a fun easter egg or 3) not given Bucky a Wakandan title at all and just let him spend his time between HYDRA!Winter Soldier and hero!Winter Soldier as Bucky Barnes.

So. Yeah. I have many thoughts and they’re not very positive! I can’t say that it bothers me enough for me to spend much of my time feeling bad about this storyline (the way I do with other storylines I dislike), but whenever I do stop to think about it I just have a hard time understanding where this story even came from and why Marvel keeps bringing it up. I don’t think it’s even a bad idea, it’s just so random that I find it more... weird than awful, I guess. Thinking about it doesn’t make me go “THIS SUCKS, I HATE IT!!!!” just “...okay. sure. why tho.”

...now I’m thinking about it, this whole post could’ve just been “???????????” and that would’ve summed up my feelings just as well.

#uh #marvel negativity #i need a marvel confusion tag #where i don't have anything negative to say #but i sure have a lot of questions

[triforce-princess]

well, i finally 100% completed hyrule warriors age of calamity in its entirety, including post game content, so i’m finally going to write a full review. beware this review will contain every spoiler imaginable so please do not click the read more if you haven’t finished the game yet and don’t want to be spoiled!

tl,dr; this game is a lot of fun despite some of its shortcomings and it’s really nice to see characters get the development they needed in breath of the wild. also a huge improvement gameplay-wise from the first game. if you’re a fan of breath of the wild it’s worth a try, just don’t expect breath of the wild style of gameplay! and if you’re a fan of the original hyrule warriors, you are going to love this a lot. ok now to get into the details. this is extremely long;

about the gameplay; it took me a while to fully adjust to the new controls and mechanics, but once i finally understood it it was so much fun. i originally wasn’t crazy about the sheikah slate runes since it was difficult at first to remember that a. i had that ability, and b. when the proper time to use it was. but when it finally clicked for me it brought a whole new interesting layer to the gameplay that challenged my memory in a fun way. it took me even longer to learn what the use of the rods were but those were great in a pinch once i figured it out. i also loved the flurry rush mechanic since dodging is a pretty important aspect of the gameplay. all these new layers added to this gameplay makes me wonder how i ever put up with the original hyrule warriors gameplay lol. something i wasn’t entirely crazy about was the wall jumping and paraglider stuff? i never really found it useful and it always just became a problem when i was trying to dodge and i’d be confused about why my character was slowly flying around at critical moments.

the camera in this game was pretty frustrating. with the more organic map & lots of tight spaces (which i’ll get more into later), the camera would get stuck a lot and you’d be unable to really see what’s going on and it got pretty frustrating at times. i wish there were some way they could fix that but i’m not sure what they could do without having the camera go out of bounds & show the edges of the map. maybe they could’ve made some of the objects that are in the middle not be things the camera get stuck on though.

i also felt like there were too many special effects going on with some enemies and attacks, sometimes it would cover up large parts of the screen & you wouldn’t be able to see what you were fighting and that was pretty stressful (i found myself frequently yelling “i can’t see!!” when i’d defeat a guardian or something in a room with lots of other enemies. this only became an issue in the later parts of the game though.

now about the maps, i do love how much more organic and natural they are. it’s a big upgrade from the original which had a lot of wide corridors leading into square rooms which were allied/enemy basses. but unfortunately, this causes issues with navigation and the camera getting stuck (like i mentioned before). i had a lot of problems where the map was too natural and i was confused about why i was getting stuck on level geometry when it looked like i could walk through there. i think the breath of the wild style makes this confusing too because you can’t really undo a thousand hours of being able to walk through nearly everything. but also it was just really unclear what was a wall and what wasn’t sometimes. i was surprised i actually had to zoom in on the mini map and look at that to move around at times. definitely an ambitious aspect of the game & i appreciate the effort and detail, but i don’t know if it works that great for this style of gameplay. i also don’t know why they bothered putting so many small details on the ground if they’re just going to pop in so close to the camera. it was kind of awkward when you cleared out all the enemies & were traveling to another location and it was the only noticable thing on screen.

speaking of ambitious, we can’t ignore this game’s framerate issues. it’s the first thing on everyone’s minds when talking about this game. most of the time, it was pretty acceptable. but they definitely pushed this game farther than the switch can go and it shows. i really appreciate the love they put into making this game as detailed as they did, but i don’t know if it was worth it in the long run. there’s only a couple times i can think of where the framerates got absolutely unacceptable, and it always seemed to be when there was a lot of electricity and enemies on screen at the same time. it happened once during the final vah naboris mission and another time where there were a ton of electric lizalfos all shooting electricity at once at the same time you have to fight an electric lynel. but, i’m not the kind of gamer that loses my shit over dropped framerates, i grew up with the n64 & have had to put up with poor early emulation many times in my life so framerates don’t really phase me until it just gets unplayable.

wasn’t crazy about how many late game missions were just boss rushes, but that’s pretty standard hyrule warriors fare. at least it was more fair in this game where most of the time you only had to fight one boss at a time and the next boss wouldn’t spawn in until you beat the first one, so there was no risk of accidentally aggro-ing a boss in another part of the map & have an unfair fight on your hands like in the first game. it was pretty anti-climactic how the seemingly final mission which had the highest recommended level was just another boss rush, and not even the hardest one (it was just a bunch of regular malice bosses in a row).

bit of a side note but i didn’t like having to grind for materials and find koroks for 100%. the koroks weren’t nearly as bad as breath of the wild though, thank god.

i’m pretty disappointed that some content that’s clearly in the game isn’t unlocked in the base game, it’s looking pretty likely that they’ll add it as dlc later & pretend it’s new content to make the game relevant again...i’ve always firmly believed dlc should be extra content that’s added in later. hopefully they’ll add some really cool stuff as dlc alongside the stuff that’s in the game & it won’t be so disappointing. there’s two characters i was sure would be unlocked as playable characters (sooga and astor) but i found it weird that you don’t get them in the post game and instead you get to play as the egg guardian (terrako) and calamity ganon???? talk about subverting expectations. also really frustrated to learn that zelda’s royal dress isn’t available in the base game but its in the files & is just missing one body part?? really hope that’s just a free update and not like, paid dlc. kind of dumb that they didn’t give the devs one extra day to model feet on the character.

about the story; the story starts out really strong i feel, i loved seeing characters get the development they didn’t get in breath of the wild and this game’s story makes breath of the wild’s story feel even more incomplete than it did before this game came out. and actually seeing the story play out in chronological order in real time without link having amnesia gave the story so much more feeling and connection. this is probably my favorite aspect of this game because i was always so disappointed with how disconnected you feel in breath of the wild because of the way the story is told. and it does so much of a better job illustrating link and zelda’s feelings. i’m probably the single most difficult person to convince when it comes to link and zelda being in a relationship or having feelings for eachother and i thought this was quite possibly the best master sword scene in any zelda game;

in previous games link has always had to prove his courage in a variety of trials spread across the land and to me its really boring, especially after how many times its been done. the thing that gets me about this scene is the master sword deems him worthy because of his desire to protect zelda even when he’s been beaten down & disarmed. that was a really beautiful moment to me & i’m glad they wrote the scene this way.

speaking of being worthy of power because you want to protect someone, i wasn’t really that crazy of zelda unlocking her power just because she loves link but honestly this game illustrated it in a much better way & i’m more down with it now. i loved this shot how it really captured what she was feeling;

it’s also in general awesome to see the champions in action, both in gameplay and in cutscenes. i remember being in awe the first time i got to play as urbosa. it feels like we finally really got to know them and how powerful they really were, instead of breath of the wild just telling us they were cool & we just had to believe it.

now for the part i know people say this game is shit because of; the time travel aspect. yeah, it’s a little silly and nonsensical, but honestly, it was kind of fun. and i don’t get how a time travel plot is somehow weird for the zelda series. the most critically acclaimed game of this series, ocarina of time, is entirely revolved around a time travel plot & the heroes would not have won if it weren’t for time travel in that game. yeah, it’s goofy, but this series is known for its nonsensical aspects & plotholes. there’s always some kind of unexplainable magic in this series that solves problems. i don’t think that makes this game shit. plus i was kind of starstruck when i first got to play as sidon lol. i was thinking to myself, man, who would’ve known 3 years later we’d get to play as sidon! crazy! none of the champion descendants were really my favorite to play as but it was still cool to see them & play as them.

something i didn’t understand was why kohga and the yiga clan joined zelda’s cause? i feel like a vital scene got cut. i don’t get why he’d join even when astor betrayed him, considering his group’s ambitions and how many times they tried to kill zelda. and where’d sooga go? the scene of astor betraying them kind of implied he was going to die but we never got confirmation of that, and he even shows up in a post game mission as an ally (no cutscene, just one line of dialogue during gameplay)

as for the ending, i guess it was alright? astor was a really lazily written villain and i just did not care for him at all. kinda don’t even care that we don’t get to play as him (yet, probably). calamity ganon’s design in this game was terrible. and i guess it would’ve been hard to make it work, but no beast ganon? just felt a little to easy to wrap up. despite this i guess it was nice to see hyrule get a happier ending even if it was a bit nonsensical at times. also this is just a bit of a personal thing for me but i liked seeing  hyrule before it was destroyed. it always bums me out when you find a locaiton in game that’s been destroyed & you can only think about what it mightve looked like before. this is something that’s bummed me out since wind waker (was always disappointed you don’t get to see what greatfish isle is like!!) and breath of the wild gave me so much disappointment in that aspect lol.

one final thought but it was odd to me how many lines revali got & how often he interacted with link lol. was weird to see him slowly warm up to link a little towards the end (but of course he’s still a little mean...). no other character acknowledges link as much as revali. this scene confused me the most??

there were so many other people revali could’ve spoken to. he barely even acknowledges teba who was the one who specifically came to his aid!! and the way link looks at him with big puppy eyes?? link barely makes a facial expression at anyone else! and how revali expresses gratitude for the first time in his life after looking at link’s stupid cute anime face and smiles (but he turns around because he would be too ashamed to smile at link i guess)

anyway that’s it, i finally got out all my thoughts about this game. this went on way longer than i intended and i’m sorry if you read the whole thing & it took forever lol. this game is fun, get it.

#legend of zelda #hyrule warriors: age of calamity #breath of the wild #text #hwaoc spoilers