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#what did i used to say for non animal related posts
lowpolyanimals · 9 months
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How are you doing?
hey! I am doing much better these days, PMDD is kicking my butt every month still but I am doing pretty well considering. I had to reduce my hours in work to help reclaim some of my life that PMDD takes but it helps a lot so I am very grateful I am able to do that. I got married last year and now am living with my spouse so that has been a dream come true and is such a big help too! I still have way too many hobbies and counting (thanks neopets) for my time available but I am slowly rotating them all and making the most out of my time finally!
I am really sorry that I was away for so long. At the time that I left, I was just so overwhelmed due to my PMDD getting worse and becoming unbearable, working whilst ill, trying to catch up on work / life missed due to ill health etc. and it all got a bit too much for me. Even the thought of coming back to the blog after a couple weeks was too overwhelming (because of how I was running the blog at the time). Later on I had also deleted Tumblr from my phone in an attempt to reduce screen time but it meant that I stopped using it completely and I regret that it largely contributed to me staying away for so long.
I want to give this blog a big old reboot and get it up and running again but I realised that I need to change the way that I run the blog. Previously I had this HUGE backlog of submissions that caused me to have to spend hours and hours one day of my weekend to get through so many submissions. I wanted to just power through until eventually I’d get to the point where I’d just be able to handle submissions as soon as they come in then and there but there was just too many and it took too much of a toll and I hit breaking point. :(
So I’ve decided to just run the blog now how I've always wanted to - by dealing with submissions as and when they come in and opening/closing submissions to keep it to a manageable level (I'm sure this is how other blogs do it, I think I am just dumb lol). I will also post them immediately as and when they come in and only use the queue if I’m going to be posting several posts in a row to avoid spamming. It just means posting will be a bit more sporadic sometimes that’s all. However, in order for me to do this, I am going to have to omit the backlog (for now). I can always go back to the backlog and shave some off if I can handle it (or please feel free to resubmit anything I've not already posted).
I’ll make a new pinned post in a couple of days explicitly explaining the new changes to how the blog will be run behind the scenes, although honestly it’s not going to affect much on you guys side of things, you will still see the same content and submit the same way. I just want to add a rule to say please do not submit more than one post a day and that I’ll open/close submissions to keep things manageable. Submissions will stay off until that post comes out so just bear with me (🐻) a little longer!
Just want to say before I end this really long post (they always get so out of hand lol) that I MISSED YOU GUYS TOO and I LOVE YOU ALL and your kind messages made me so very motivated to get this going again, thank you! 🥺❤️ I can’t wait to bring you more of these little critters we love so much once again :)
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deadbeat-motel · 3 months
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ᐯᗩGGIE ᗩᑎᗪ ᑕᕼᗩᖇᒪIE ᖇEᗪEᔕIGᑎ
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These two are simpler than the angel dust design I did since I didn't have a lot to go off of. Posted on Valentine's Day because yes I can.
I don't think Charlie is significantly different from her Pilot design because I genuinely think it was the best design from the cast (before the redesign).
Thoughts below, though TW for the creepy charlie image at the end:
My issues with their Original designs:
Vaggie:
The giant "X" over her eye is really distracting and even world-breaking because
1. Why had no one put 2 and 2 together that the only character in Hell who has a visible 'X' mark on her face might be related to the angels who also sport that X mark on their faces.
2. Why is it shaped like an X? Her eye was taken out via a single slash.
3. If the hair's purpose was to cover it, why would it show through it? What's the point of the hair then?
The hair that was supposed to cover that wounded eye looked so ugly and confused as to what it should be doing. I mean every shot that showed that thing in a sideview shot of Vaggie felt like the animators had to make their own guesses as to how that was supposed to look like. It was distracting for me personally and I hated it so much.
It's been said over and over again, but her clothes look like she works at McDonalds. I get needing to change her outfit so that she looks like she works at the hotel, but it's just been poorly designed.
Why change her clothes' colors from white to red? the white helped her stand out from Hell and the Hotel's majority red background. (In the finale, she at least has a non-red attire)
She's also one of the very few women in HH and she falls under the skinny stick side of it despite being an angel exterminator.
Her hair is kind of hard to visualize looking at in any way other than what it is when it's static. However, when it changed into a ponytail or a bob, it's actually really nice to look at.
Unsure of what that bow's purpose is for the design.
Charlie:
Charlie is a simple but very confused design. The pilot design was a lot more coherent than the current show design
It's disappointing to see the bouncy Pilot hair go and be replaced by that boring bubble braid of all things.
Her undershirt peaks out of her tuxedo.... why???? to separate the top jacket and the pants? You wouldn't need to do that if her pants were a different color like the pilot design.
Thought about it and was confused, as a demon with an angelic father, why didn't she have wings as well? She didn't need the 6 wings like Lucifer but maybe a pair of one would appear?
Out of all the characters for the show's redesign, Her's was by far the MOST infuriating to me. Her pilot design wasn't perfect but it was good, they had to downgrade her for some reason.
I didn't have much to say about Charlie. it basically sums up to "the Pilot design was better".
On to the thought process for these two:
Valerie the fallen:
Yes, she got a rename. Sue me.
I had to remove the moth aspect of her design because it doesn't seem like it makes sense for a heaven-born to follow the sinner's rule of "gaining features based on the life you lived" since she basically never lived right?
In this redesign (and eventual rewrite), Valerie is not ashamed of her exterminator background. In fact, she was known as the most recent "fallen" in hell. her short stature doesn't make her less of a threat to the demons.
She's also visually thick with muscle because why not let one of the show's women have a body type that isn't stick-thin?
She's using the wings that were torn off of her as both an interesting article of clothing and as a way to remind others and her that she is (or more accurately 'was') an angel who could kill them if she wanted to.
Her clothes are pure black underneath the pale feathers to show that while she is an "angel", deep down, she is far from a good person.
She's also getting an actual skin color because from what I gathered myself from the show's heaven. Most of the souls there still retain a human appearance (Adam, Lute, St. Peter, and the other random human angels up there still look human..... but just don't mind the fact that most of them are white.)
Her hair is that ponytail she had in the finale because as much as I didn't like that episode, some designs looked actually decent.
Also, her hair actually covers the eye scar properly.
I wanted to keep her ribbon as a splash of brightness on her design but the OG ribbon looks a little out of place on a warrior so It became that (Plus it pays homage to her OG moth influence with its shape looking like the fluffy antennas of the moth)
Gave the spearhead a little bit of detail on it plus a chipped side so that it has a bit of charm as an old weapon she still decides to keep around.
A note about Valerie's design is that I haven't tackled the armor of angels yet so I was unsure of what pieces of the undesigned armor to give Valerie as of now.
Charlie:
I honestly actually enjoyed her Pilot hair, so I tried to put it back and also simplify it a bit so there are not a lot of strands for me to keep track of. Plus it was a genuinely cute design for her. (There's a reason that version was used in the Verbalase video.) <- I'M JOKING
Replaced her button nose with a goat's because a friend has commented how it looked like the noses of the women in a Goofy Movie and I will never be able to unsee that.
Her hair is also a lot brighter compared to her washed-out blonde color.
She has the same design thought process as Valerie, Covering the darkness of her true nature with white fluffy fur which is stylized like feathers at its ends. She has pitch-black skin underneath and looks like a proper nightmarish demon like the image below.
I ditched the tuxedo look, since almost all the cast has a similar outfit already, and gave her a jumpersuit instead. (Idk what it's really called but that's what I think it is). It's a light grey because she's a mix of bad and good (though a bright grey because she prefers to be on the good side)
Her horns are there and visible because yeah it's cute but also helps her read as the half-angel/half-demon character she is.
Tiny goat tail because can you imagine every time Valerie holds the rare angel smile of approval, her tail is visibly wagging in glee and excitement???? My heart would die. I love these lesbians with my life.
Has wings from her father.
Anyways, those are my thoughts and redesigns... I wanted to add more details to them but I didn't really know what to add that didn't feel unnecessary.
Also bonus! Concept art of Charlie's true form:
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vidding · 7 months
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On June 23, 2021, You Tube announced that any Pre-2017 unlisted videos will be made private on July 23, 2021. Why? BTW this is an attempt to raise awareness about an event few fans may even know took place and highlight the importance of supporting archiving projects. It's written by those directly involved - any re-blogs are appreciated. An example of a rescued vid is at the end. Security update: Why? You Tube screwed up when it first developed unlisted videos. There was a loophole. Any unlisted video that was added to a playlist would automatically be made public. Oops! June 23, 2021 was when they made a formal announcement about their efforts to rectify it. You Tube's Solution? - Blanket privatization of ALL pre-2017 unlisted videos & then apply the security update for all new unlisted videos going forward. What if you don't want your pre-2017 unlisted videos to be made private? Filling out a form telling You Tube to do nothing is one option. Great for people who don't mind filling forms to send to You Tube. Make your videos public. 🤨 or download them and reupload them then make them unlisted with the new update. 🙄 You can watch the video below for descriptions of all the options. Most not ideal. Official Video: Released June 23, 2021. You can watch it whenever if you want to, but I must say contrary to what one would expect it is a very clear explanation without too much technical jargon. However, it doesn't really explain the obvious ramifications of this.
youtube
What are the freaking Ramifications: You Tube is 18 years old. What?!?!! 😲 Yeah, I know. Any pre-2017 videos would account for more than half of You Tube's history (11 years) and therefore fandom's history on You Tube. How many fans would be aware they had a 30-day notice and could act in time? Were you even aware of this?
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More Issues: More importantly, how many users with abandoned accounts with noteworthy, valuable unlisted fanvids are no longer around to fill out a form. How many "Dead Embeds" would be the result of this when the videos go private. Many prefer to Unlist and Embed on other sites. Unlisted is not the same as private. It only means the videos can't be searched and found on You Tube but is available to anyone with a link or Embed. Private basically means no longer accessible and limited to people who were emailed a link directly.
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There were only 2 people in Fandom (to my knowledge) who worked on rescuing content like that. We had about 2 weeks before the July 23, 2021 deadline to archive about 11 years of Pre-2017 unlisted fanvids and ask questions later. One of those people was Morgan Dawn and the other was myself. Other archive teams did work on this but their focus was on other types of videos related gaming, political history, anime, etc. Essentially non-fandom. In a nutshell, our collaboration led to the rescue approximately 12K unlisted fan videos. 12K fanvids that would have been made private forever and unable to be seen. The Work About 50% of that total came from accounts that had never uploaded a video since 2018. The work involved required more technical knowledge & resources than we had ever used before on any prior archive projects. There were several brand-new archive techniques we developed specifically out of necessity during that intense time period. One example was renting multiple virtual machines to sift through thousands of playlists just to find a fraction of unlisted videos. There was so much at stake. What happened with the content that was archived?
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To my knowledge, there isn't an Open Doors for fanvids. There is just a few dedicated individuals who may be bad at promoting their work. Let's face it, when there is a fire at a library you marshal all resources to save as many books as you can and worry about everything else later. If archiving speaks to you whether that is fanzine, oral history or fanvid related, then there are certain things you can do:
Follow this Tumblr (we will post about relevant projects here)
If you have time, ask us how you can volunteer on projects and see if what we offer works for you. You can always opt out.
Re-blog this so that maybe someone who does have time sees this.
If you don't have time support our Patreon https://patreon.com/vidding
If you don't have time or money like this post acknowledging you appreciate that this work is being done even if you can't assist in those ways.
Choose whichever options work for you if possible.
This kind of work is done by very few people and not necessarily by those you would think would do this type of work. It can fly under the radar and so can support. This is an attempt to raise awareness which sometimes we are too busy to take time to do. If support doesn't go to the right places projects like this may never have happen or may not be as successful as they could be. This Unlisted You Tube Project is a perfect example of something a lot of fans may not be aware even took place. Thank you for whatever method of support you choose. The following experience was brought to you by archiving.
The following vid is one of the 12k saved. It's a Kirk/Spock vid. You will not find this vid anywhere but here. I know. I went to the original vidder's You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@xKelociraptor and they have other vids on there. Last vid uploaded 11 years ago and no contact info. You want to know the kicker? I looked at all the other vids they have available but the best one (in my opinion) is the one that was unlisted & rescued. Unlisted vids are not necessarily unfinished projects or bad takes of a final version that should not see the light of day. They can in some cases be the best vids you will never see.
If you liked this post you might like this:
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The last vidder friendly hosting & streaming site?
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wjbminecraft · 9 months
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"How Minecrafty is the #minecraft tag anyway": a scientific study (and also a graph I guess) by WJ Beck
Ok so I was curious about just how many people were mistagging their stuff, so I scrolled through the #minecraft tag to find out how many posts were not directly Minecraft related, and my findings were... interesting.
To start with, let's talk about classification; since this will be represented as a basic pie-chart, I needed to come up with a way to categorise posts as "tagged well" and "mistagged", so I'm using the following criteria:
If the post's main content is a Minecraft build, mod, OC etc. or to do with a Minecraft spinoff, that's a Minecraft post, and it's been tagged well! This also goes for tournament-polls involving official MC characters or mobs, regardless of opponent, and crossover fanart, regardless of how Minecrafty it is (characters from another franchise in the MC world are as valid as, say, Steve interacting with another franchise's characters) and also Smash-related stuff where Steve is there.
If the post's main content is related to any Minecraft YouTube (MCYT) content, which - in this case - refers to both role-play and animations, then that is mildly mistagged, and I can see why the OP did that if they didn't know about this specific case of mistagging.
If the post's main content is not anything to do with Minecraft (I saw a non-fandom post which had a bunch of random, irrelevant fandom-related tags, including #minecraft) or if Minecraft is tangentially mentioned once but still included in the tags, that is tagged terribly, and might even be against the terms of service (don't quote me on that though).
The posts were recorded by me scrolling and counting them, then adding them to each category until I lost count and stopped adding, resulting in 265 posts total. A couple of posts were shuffled around between categories, meaning that the numbers might not be 100% accurate, but I tried.
Graph and stats below.
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Of the 265 posts viewed,
228 (86%*) were Minecraft posts,
32 (12%*) were MCYT posts,
5 (2%*) were neither.
*(Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number)
What this means is that the tagging problem may not be as bad as I've seen at least one person claim it is, however the problem could get worse in the future.
Please, for all our sakes, tag your posts properly.
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shkika · 8 months
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Do you have a post explaining your SoS = Saint headcanon (like the hows and the whys)? I think it’s a super cool theory but I can’t find anything you’ve written in depth about it :(
Yes sure!
I have realized it is extremely difficult to search through my asks related only to a specific topic oops..
My theory stems from a specific Moon dialogue. The one in the void where she explains that the solution was something beyond their understanding. A variable out of infinity that EVEN if they found, the wouldn't know to test. Basically this this finding one single thing out of an infinity of options. Not only that, but the only way to know the answer is to cross into the void and escape the cycles. Which would mean that upon discovering it, you would ascend.
Hey. Did you know that Sliver of Straw's name suspiciously much sounds like the saying "Needle in a haystack".
I've rambled about her name before it's extremely clever. I mean it literally translates to SOS while she's known for sending the triple affirmative signal and perishing.
In my theory I want to give the idea that Sliver didn't find the answer on purpose. She stumbled on it and forcefully ascended before she had enough time to explain, share or do anything more than send it out.
So then okay she's in the void. Why did she come back as Saint. What's going on?
Well the void is described as a dream. Which would mean it gives those who have departed the cycles a peaceful existence. Think of Hunter being embraced by NSH and Survivor finding their family in the home tree. Monk finding their sibling as well.
Well Sliver no doubt went through the same experience as well... however..
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You can tell it's a dream. Or at least the iterators can, because they are much more intelligent. Sliver would know that her dreams aren't real. Her loved ones she sees are still stuck in the cycles, somewhere she can't reach. And she's stuck unwillingly, it was all an accident she can't escape from. And she had friends! She often bet on animal fights like a dumbass, you cannot tell me she was fully devoted and did nothing else, but work with that silly hobby in mind. It's a very goofy detail to add to her character.
I think she suffered a lot in the void. Being all alone and stuck. It was unfair to be the only one free of the cycles, especially when her accomplishment wasn't even purposeful. So she attempts to escape. More or less swim up just how we see Saint doing.
But there are in fact void worms guarding the sea. I imagine they dragged her back down. Again and again.
What goes in the void can't leave. That's a rule!
So what she does is basically destroy herself. Take herself appart in any way she can, mentally and physically so that she can ascend as something anew.
Which is where the last challenge in arena mode makes more sense. It's non canon. Sliver didn't die, because of Saint. But it is more so symbolic! She is ascended so that Saint can take her place.
It is difficult and painful, but she manages. It is also beyond cool how the motif of the game, but inverted is use for Saint's swim back to the world. I did a lengthy ramble about it here I highly recommend you give it a read, because even the music used adds to this theory! > (x) < Here it is.
All the creatures in rain world are helpless from the big iterators to the smallest of slug cats.
Sliver takes her fate in her own hands refusing to follow the world's rules, becoming Saint. This was he can give the answer to his family. To every creature he can save from the repeating cycles. Comic about that here > (x) Even if Saint's goal is unachievable he chases it anyway. Which is what makes him an echo!
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As Moon and Pebbles understand.. he's the only one that can. And it is why his journey is so incredibly important. He's the only one who has seen beyond the void sea and can bring back that knowledge to others! And it's what Saint does. This is why Sliver can never return to a peaceful existence in the void sea.
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ladyofrosefire · 25 days
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I’m trying to figure out what the hell the deal is with Bg3 and kink, and I think that, while it is much less precious about sex and sexuality than a lot of things are, it does fall into some of the same traps in a way that… well, it irks me. Disclaimer that while I did do some poking around, there are some romance scenes I have not seen. I’ll run through the ones I know about for those of you who haven’t picked up a brain bug about this. 
Wyll gets nothing. This is a separate post that other people have made better than I have. 
Shadowheart’s romance scene in Act 3 runs one of two ways— either you go for a swim with her, she gets poked by a rock, and you pause while she gets rid of the offending object, or you do the Nightfall Feast, where you get pushed to the ground, she tells you to stop being so gentle, and the whole thing is framed as an “act of wickedness” in parallel to you having just dumped the Nightsong’s blood on a statue of Selune. You have literal blood on your hands during this scene. 
Karlach pegs you in Act 3. I, personally, do not count this as being particularly kinky. The whole concept of measuring kink is a little silly, in my humble opinion, but it seems strange to say penetration gets kinkier when it’s not a flesh-and-blood penis. (If you have sex with her in Act 2, it is kinkless.)
Gale’s got his whole astral projection thing going, which brings us solidly into kink territory. Tav mostly hangs out. We’ll circle back to this. There is also a non-illusory version, but it is exclusively fade-to-black. 
Astarion does a whole seduction act in Act 1, which leads to a short and honestly quite tame (although fun!) scene. Act 3, you either get the spawn ending where you have sex on his grave (he pushes you down, and it is later flagged as ‘had sex as equals’), or you get the ascension and the whole “on your knees” bit. 
Lae’zel very explicitly talks in terms of obedience and dominance and submission, and you can tell her to submit to you. We will also circle back to this scene. In act 2, you beat the crap out of each other, and either you get the option to say, “you are mine,” or you lose, and you get, “I am yours” after she also says she doesn’t want to hurt you.
Halsin has the bear scene. Or he tries very hard not to turn into a bear. Tav is once again mostly hanging out. There was a dev note at one point saying Tav was meant to hold onto his head while he went down on them, but that does not happen in this scene. 
Minthara shows Tav exactly where to put their hands and mouth. Repeatedly. At length. There is no option to take control of the scene. 
A pattern emerges from these scenes fairly quickly: if Tav is active, they are either actively submitting (i.e., the Minthara scene) or engaging without power exchange (Shadowheart, Karlach, Astarion’s act 1 and spawn scenes). Gale’s scene is a special case since he’s controlling the illusion, but Larian could have decided Tav was allowed to imagine themself with a few extra limbs. They probably chose not to do this to spare the poor animators. However, with the rest of the pattern, it still makes me raise an eyebrow. The Halsin scene, to me, is especially egregious as you do precisely fuck-all. At multiple times, you get very clear camera angles of Tav’s completely relaxed hands that give the distinct impression that Tav is in full pillow princess mode. 
You will also note kink and morality seem to have an… interesting relationship. Explicit powerplay occurs with Lae’zel in Act 1 (she is still solidly in the mindset inspired by Vlaakith and is arguably evil-aligned at this point), Minthara (you get this scene by slaughtering the grove), and Ascended Astarion (you just killed 7,000 people and he thinks you’re, and I quote, “degrading yourself”). You also get a hint of this in the contrast between Shadowheart’s Selunite Swim and the Nightfall Feast. This feels related to why when you try to flip the script on Lae’zel, you use an intimidation check rather than persuasion or performance. This could be explained by saying that Larian has decided that orders are best represented by intimidation, even in a romantic context, but most of the intimidation checks we get are open threats, often of physical violence. I’m not entirely sure how much Lae’zel drops her powerplay as she becomes a kinder person. I’d love to hear from people who have done more of her romance than I have. 
Abdirak is a torturer serving an evil goddess. He gets the player’s consent and is reasonably sweet to them if they obtain his goddess’s blessing. There are even two seconds of aftercare! His actual purpose, however, is to torture the man next door, and the two companions who cheer him on are Astarion and Shadowheart, both of whom are having some struggles with morality at this point in the game. 
And then there’s the Drow twins— and specifically Sorn. If someone other than Tav approaches him, he says you need a “rear of cast-iron” to take what he dishes out. His ambient dialogue talks about scaring off clients who were paying him to apply a clamping device to something delicate. But if you see him alone, your options are roleplay, sensation play, or size kink. I did say I wouldn’t try to measure kink, but it feels like false advertising. (You can wrestle him in the Drizzt Do’urden roleplay scenario. It is an ability check. This raises questions for me about how this was negotiated, but it’s not a deal breaker.) Where’s the sadism promised in his ambient dialogue? Some characters just aren’t subs, that’s fine, but this is about patterns, not individual characters. 
I should pause here to say that the only thing in the above with which I have an actual issue on an individual level is Tav being so limp in the Halsin scene. It would be nice if Tav touched back in a way more significant than holding onto his arms a bit and laying a limp hand on his thigh if he stays elf shaped. This is not a moral complaint— it’s aesthetic. Frankly, none of this is saying Larian has done anything immoral.
However. I’m a little frustrated, as someone who does not have a submissive bone in my body, that all but one romance scene in this game is designed for a submissive Tav or a Tav who does not want powerplay. It’s not uncommon to find people who are okay with impact play if you don’t want to hit, CNC if you don’t want to be the faux-aggressor, ageplay or petplay if you don’t want to be the adult/owner. This is not a kink-positive stance or even kink-neutral. I should also note here that I do not judge any of the characters mentioned, not even Abdirak, for their interest in consensual kink. If I judge them, it’s for unrelated reasons. Or reasons that should be unrelated but often don’t feel like it, as it seems like Larian has set them up to be interested in powerplay and sadism because of their less-than-decent moral leanings. Abdirak wants to whip Tav because he’s a follower of the Lady of Pain. Ascended Astarion isn’t playing when he tells Tav he wants to own them, body, mind, and soul, and there’s no safewording out of every other interaction after that. Shadowheart tells you to stop being gentle because she has become a Dark Justiciar. Lae’zel stops wanting to hurt Tav— and you consent to the fight— because she’s learning about care and softness. I don’t think she stops being kinky, but there are patterns, and patterns that extend beyond the boundaries of the game. 
Frankly, I’m not sure what sort of conclusion I’m aiming for here. There are patterns in Larian’s approach to sex, power, and pain that indicate some very familiar hangups. It would be nice if there were more room for a dominant Tav, not even with every character, but with a few of them. Some people don’t sub. Some characters don’t sub. It makes sense. But I’ll be rotating this further. And writing fic. To anyone else who likes writing a dominant Tav: hi! Keep doing what you’re doing!
I wouldn’t be posting this if I didn’t want to hear other people’s thoughts, but quick disclaimer: I will block anyone who comes onto this post to talk about how great the vampire ascendant is. It’s not personal. I simply would blacklist anything to do with that if I could, and the way the tag’s been going, I can’t. You saw the tags on this, and you clicked anyway. Similarly, if you’re going to throw a shitfit about how no one should like whipping a consenting partner, don’t waste your breath. You get the picture. 
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smalltimidbean · 2 months
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hi again! So I have a lot I wanna say following the anatomy post, as I'll be calling it, because even though it's fresh I read the whole thing and I'm glad we know more about the clones :D and also I assume now would be a good time to ask about because of how fresh it is. ANYWAYS let's get to it!
So I wanted to ask about these specific parts, and what I could tell from them:
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To summarize, a clone bearing a toothy grin is threatening, and a clone sticking its tongue out/drooling/licking it lips is not threatening. This is the premise I worked under when I made this:
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(In like, 2 minutes. I wonder if anyone can tell!)
As you can see, I added a few facial expressions that weren't mentioned l, and that I wonder their meaning in relation to what has already been stated. I think I can confidently predict what the first two mean, thanks to the fact that clones have made those facial expressions before. Though anyone is welcome to correct me if I'm wrong!
Closed-mouth and open-mouth smiles are not threats, unlike the toothy "smiles" which are. The quotation mark around "smile" in the original post(as well as a part of pep's toyhouse page(which didn't appear in the Tumblr post from several months past)) also indicate that the threatening smiles are not genuine, and so smiles without teeth are genuine expressions of joy.
The other one, though, seems to send somewhat mixed messages. That expression is saying both that "I am a threat" and "I am not a threat, " which when a applied to the only clone we ever see donning this face, Pep, is true. Though, whenever he smiles like that, it is genuine and not an attempt to threaten anyone. Is this because he's smiling at something or someone other than a fellow clone, and he knows that, in order to communicate the same emotion he has to make a different facial expression depending on if he's making it at clones on non-clones?
But uhh yeah :D hope this wasn't too long winded and that I made any sort of sense lol!
Yaya! I have a ton of clone info I wanna post, but I have been trying to figure out how/where to do that, so I might just unload it all here in chunks kjlfdkfg
Asking questions about clone stuff is alright, and it helps me figure out stuff, or point out if I have contradicted myself - which happens more than I would like kjfgkjfg
Although for these points, perhaps I spoke too broadly as this post was supposed to be on anatomy and not behaviour, but I guess I can't help myself kjdfgk - it is also why I did not mention other types of smile
But for clones there are genuine smiles, and there are threat 'smiles', like this;
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Threat smiles are not expressions of joy, they are meant to convey 'I have teeth, and I will use them if you continue to upset me' or simply 'you are bothering me' if they are not showing teeth - whereas genuine smiles are just that, they are happy
If you add a tongue to a threat 'smile', it is still considered a threat due to other aspects like the eyes and stance etc, but more along the lines of either a submissive threat ('I am scared, please leave, or I will attack') or the clone is hungry ('I will eat you if approached, so back off for your own good') - but honestly it depends on the situation, sometimes clones already have their tongues out before threat 'smiling' and it ends up hanging out regardless dhfsdh
And yes, most of Pep's smiles have been genuine - there has been at least two with a threat 'smile' (both directed at or implied to be directed at Peppino) - but most of the time he is genuinely happy
It can be a bit confusing since clones are kinda animal, kinda people, so they get both that 'smiling is a threat' (animal side) and 'smiling is friendly' (people side) lfglgfd
When I make a post(s) on clone behaviours, I will be sure to make this more clear! But I still appreciate the questions!
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gale-gentlepenguin · 9 months
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Gale Reviews: Miraculous: Ladybug & Chat Noir. The Movie
Welp I finally got the miraculous Movie so now I get to review it.
So For this review, I plan viewing this SOLELY on the movie. I will not be judging it completely based on the show. This is Zag's take. (The view on who did it better will be for another Post)
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(Thanks @knightsweeties for the picture)
How I will be reviewing it.
Plot
Characters
Lesson
Animation
Music (Because yes, this is a Musical and should be judged)
Final Thoughts.
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Plot
So its pretty simple. A villain named Hawkmoth appears that wants to use the power of the butterfly miraculous to get the two miraculous he needs to attain his goal. But two heroes will rise in order to fight him, Ladybug and Chat noir. We will see another take on the show that inspired the movie. A new world for Ladybug and Chat noir.
Overall, this movie's plot is pretty generic, its not going to be winning anything for originality. BUT it sticks to the script and does everything it needs to do to set up Ladybug and Chat noir's respective character arcs and setting up one heck of a final confrontation with hawkmoth. The emotional drama is there and mostly hits the points it needs to. And while not everything got a laugh out of me, some things did.
It also ties up a good amount of loose ends while leaving Sequel bait.
For the most part. 7/10 for non-fans
9/10 for fans.
Its engaging enough and does what it needs to do.
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Characters:
Marinette: She is likable and you do enjoy seeing her on screen when she starts getting confident. I do think the pacing of the movie does impact her a bit, but its never to the point where its unbelievable. Also as Ladybug, her banter with Chat noir is top notch. There is some really good chemistry there. That being said, I find it harder to believe that she fell in love with Adrien over chat noir. But its a nit pick.
Adrien: I admit it took a bit for me to actually like this adrien, but I think thats intentional. Chat noir starts out arrogant and annoying, while Adrien starts shut off and quiet. He is a boy mourning the loss of his mother and his father is so distant that he seems gone to. But then he meets Ladybug, he sees this girl and how incredible she is. He finds someone he can relate to and his heart opens. Its beautiful seeing him fall in love with her and pull out all the stops opening up to her. He even gets to confront his father. Its quite a biting scene. I must say this maybe my favorite iteration of Adrien. (Careless whisper is the only song he listens to.) I do wish he was in it a bit more as adrien, but its not that bad.
Gabriel: I dont know how they did it, but they managed to make Gabriel sympathetic. Showing the lengths he is going, how lost he is, the survivor's guilt he has. He blames himself and wants to bring his family back together again. And Hawkmoth they made wacky and yet TERRIFYING. And we see this especially in the finale and the moment we think he wins, he sees his son. He sees it was Adrien, the one thing left in his life that he wants to protect him. This is a gabriel that deserves some sympathy but doesnt shy away from the fact he committed crimes.
Alya and Nino: Now they are both not in this as much as the actual show, but they are great supports and some of the changes done to both of them are wonderful. Alya being supportive of Marinette, Nino being such a bro to adrien while also simping for Alya (Chef's kiss). I do wish Nino and Adrien's meeting but their friendship is good.
Chloé: This chloé is exactly what she needs to be. A bully character but never so excessive that it detracts from the plot. She is spoiled and she is probably the funniest character. (For those that know the show, think Season 1 chloé with a dash of season 2) I think they got a different english VA for her, and honestly it works.
Plagg and Tikki: I found Plagg a bit annoying with the fart jokes, but outside of that he is pretty similar to his canon counterpart. Tikki on the other hand SHINES in this movie. This is what I wanted from Tikki, motivational, curious, fun loving. this is what I picture with the kwami of Creativity.
Fu: He is the mysterious old man character. He plays it well, though he is hardly in the movie. But at least he actually shows up for Ladybug and Chat noir almost right away, instead of just hiding.
The other characters play their roles and there are some funny bits, the akumatized villains are fun and play their role. Lady Magician and the Mime are both phenomenal.
Also the Gargoyle, I feel so bad for him. He wins the award for most Tragic akumatization.
Overall Solid 8.5/10
I do wish we got more Alya and Nino, and less fart jokes from Plagg
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Lesson
There are 3 lessons to take away from this movie.
The first one "Stronger together"
Having help and working with those around us can help us grow, we have to be willing to let others in and help us be our best selves.
The second is "Believe in yourself"
Marinette's main character arc is coming to terms with what she can do and finding the inner strength that she always had, even without powers. (Done better than a chunk of films these days)
The Third lesson, "Power of Love"
It was love that helped stop Hawkmoth, it was love that helped chat noir and ladybug overcome their weaknesses and fix paris. It was even love that helped them at the very end.
That being said... the execution on all of the lessons was not perfect, the first one sort of fell off by the end, but the second one and third lesson still applied. There could be some work but I still enjoyed it.
6/10
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Animation:
The Animation looks great, the character designs look great, and while I was originally iffy on them, after seeing it I must say the designs work.
The Lighting in itself if Heavenly to say the least. Whoever was in charge of the lighting needs to be given a deep tissue massage and a raise.
It does feel a bit Disney for my personal taste but I cant complain with how crisp the fights look. Great Choreography and it really sells the intensity of the scenes. The details and call backs, the foreshadowing.
Its solid animation, I would say that it is missing a few bits to really make it stand out, some sort of Stylization. But outside of that. Its good.
The scenes that they want to focus on look great, the imagination bits are grandiose. There was care put into this and not just a cheap cash grab.
9/10
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The Music
This movie is a musical, very disney-sque.
And as a courteous, I listened to the songs in French and english. I know the english VA's arent the one's singing. And I have to say, it feels SO WEIRD for Marinette in the english dub. But Its not that bad. I think the French one is just more consistent sounding. But english and french both sound fine. Also Chat noir's VA isnt singing, but I think the singing voice for him fits him a bit closer but the french is still the best. "My Lady" is a great song for Chat noir.
The songs are fine, nothing that really blew me away, but they were fun. "I believed in me" fits Marinette well as an opening song.
Tikki's rapping in english is surprisingly decent. But SO WEIRD.
But Gabriel's singing voice, THAT through me off.
Villain song 101. Love it in the english dub. "Chaos Reigns"
But the song "Stronger together." That hit me. The duet in both iterations are great.
The Background music always seems to fit the mood... Except Careless whisper (But that was always used in amusing ways). The BG should be praised
7.5/10
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Final Thoughts
Overall, if I had to rate it objectively, without knowing the show or series. 7/10. Nothing ground breaking but its a good film in itself, its entertaining and fun, and it has some good moments. Pacing is a bit all over but it’s under 2 hours so it’s more of a pick your battles thing
If I had to rate this as the Show fan that I am and my personal enjoyment.
8/10
It does nearly everything I wanted it to do, and added to flair and changes.
Now not everything is perfect, since limited time to tell a story. But its coherent and cuts some of the bloat that was a problem in the OG series. Now some things I enjoyed were also cut though.
I like how it isnt a 1 for 1, it changes some things and gives a fresh tale.
Now which one is better I will address in another post
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antiradqueer · 7 days
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hi. this is probably going to be a long ask, but i don’t do discourse on my public blog and i want this to be somewhere relevant and visible
i am an autistic bipolar trans man with scizophrenia symptoms. i have had, and still struggle with: very unpleasant intrusive thoughts that are sexual or violent, maladaptive daydreams, delusions, and pathological lying. i’ve encountered transid identities before, but i didn’t know about the radqueer “community.” i also want to add that i’m a psychology student and aim to be non-judgmental under any circumstances relating to mental health.
it seems to me like a lot of people who identify as radqueer are just kids or young adults who are still learning about themselves, their identities and their mental health
i’ve read a lot of posts from transtrauma folks, and my initial impression is that a lot of them are attention starved and need validation in their outside lives, or have minor or complex traumas that they don’t realise are valid due to them not being one recognised traumatic event. you don’t need to have gone through something completely life-ruining to deserve sympathy, nor do you need to be mentally ill.
the same applies to transabled identities as well - i know from my own experience as a person with a chronic illness that affects my physical ability, but i don’t identify as physically disabled - that the disabled and cripplepunk communities are full of love and acceptance, and it seems like a lot of radqueers are seeking that same acceptance.
i saw a coining post for the term “transvegan” - one who wants to be vegan, identifies as vegan, but isn’t vegan right now due to life circumstances. and the way i see it is that these people have discovered queer identities as a way to label themselves, eg “i feel this way because i am lesbian”, and as a result have chosen to label all their personality traits as queer identities. you don’t have to call yourself transvegan! you can say “i’m not vegan right now because that’s not feasible for me but i agree with their ideas and advocacy,” and that’s okay. most decent vegans will respect you for that anyways.
before i knew about my bipolar disorder, i thought i might be a system - so guess what, i tried it out for a few days, using tools like pluralkit and a system tracker. it turned out that it wasn’t an experience i shared, but that was okay. at the time, i did want to be a system as that would help me understand why i was the way i was - but after i realised i wasn’t, i kept going and eventually got my bipolar diagnosis that has brought me a lot of comfort.
i relate to the feeling of wanting to have a severe, labelable trauma as well. i was desperate for a reason why i was struggling and mentally ill even though nothing “big” and “horrible” had happened to me.
transracial identities seem to stem from a similar thing imo - i love japanese folklore and history, and actively do research into it in my free time. i enjoy hearing accounts from japanese people about their personal experiences with their mythology, and while i don’t want to live in japan, i think other people like me might. if the radqueer community had existed when i was a young teenager, i might even have identified as transjapanese. however, it seems to me like trace identities stem from misattributing an interest (and again, a specific desire for respect and inclusion from those with a culture they’re interested in) to wanting to be their specific race.
i identify as asexual, and don’t relate to any feelings of attraction, nevermind paraphilias, but i do have intrusive thoughts, and dealing with that has taught me the attitude that your thoughts are not your fault. i love and respect people with paraphilias, even the “weird” ones, but the important part is understanding that if your actions due to your attraction could harm others, like children and animals, it’s your responsibility not to act on those thoughts. whether you want to seek therapy and try and stop having them is a personal choice and up to you, but you cannot refuse the responsibility not to harm others.
if you want to think or write about societally unacceptable scenarios such as grooming or rape, you can - thoughtcrime isn’t real and censorship is a slippery slope - and if the point of your work is not to condone or encourage that kind of thing, and you are clear and do not make people read it if they don’t want to, it does no harm.
unfortunately, that ties in to the other part of the radqueer community who have harmful opinions, like ableism, racism, and pedophila, who simply use the guise of “queerness” to try and get away with it. at its core, queerness is about playing with gender norms and identity, and how you are perceived by society; not “having sex with someone you aren’t “supposed” to be having sex with,” or “having views not agreed with by current society.”
animals and children cannot consent. period. it is not about knowing what sex is, it is about understanding the meaning and gravity of what you are doing, and to take advantage of someone or something that doesn’t is inherently violating. if you think any actions that cause harm to others, sexually or violently, are normal or justifiable then you are not a good person. you are not respectable.
i can’t speak on racism in the radqueer circle and the concept of winterqueer because i don’t know enough, but i can tell you now that the queer and punk communities do not accept racism, and that it goes against the core of who we are. you are not and will not be part of us.
i also think there’s something to be said about how transid views trans people as not truly what they are. if i fully physically transitioned, i wouldn’t stop being transgender, but it feels like a lot of transid identities are only defined by the wanting of, not the being. a trans man is not a woman who wants to be a man. he is a man who at some point used to be viewed as female, and no longer feels that way.
(not adressing anyone on this blog, just things i have seen) i think my point was that the argument of “these people will never be accepted by society” does more harm than it does good - i don’t think their beliefs are normal or will be accepted, but by arguing that the people themselves will never be accepted when they are in the community in the first place because they want to be respected and seen only serves to push them back into the circle of people who genuinely desire harm.
on a similar note, harrasment and death threats on either side are also horrible. you are not helping, you are not getting one up on them, you are just hurting people, and wasn’t the entire point of being anti-radqueer trying to prevent people hurting others?
idk. this was long and rambling, but it’s just. you can want things that are unachievable but you’ve gotta come to terms with the fact they’re unachievable. there’s a difference between “fiction is not reality” (true) and “fiction does not affect reality” (provably false). radqueerism is not as progressive as it claims to be. and there are a lot of people out there who refuse to grow or learn.
.
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lai-mar · 9 days
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You know, I really appreciate that you’re out here defending this widely hated relationship. Maybe it’s because the anime-only fans are a very vocal majority right now, but I’ve seen people who ‘watched the anime then read the manga’ *still* shit on Laios and Marcille’s friendship. Like you don’t have to ship it but if you deny that they care about each other or deny that they have chemistry, did you even read the comic?? ‘Oh they’re just siblings/siblings-in-law!’ have you ever had a sibling. have you ever had a sibling-in-law. they do not act like siblings they act like *intimate* best friends. ‘Ridiculously comfortable around each other’ best friends. They have a relationship outside of Falin, that is what develops over the entire damn story. 90 chapters. What comic were you reading where you think Marcille can barely stand him.
Thanks for the ask! Very cathartic to see this. About to go on another rant again lol (will be repeating some of my old points but yeah I need to get it out of my system)
"Defending widely hated relationship" + "anime-only fans are a very vocal majority"
Okay, let me play devil's advocate for a second here. Let's say I despise L/M as a ship and it squicks me out greatly and I think it's a boring ship of pairing the male lead and the female lead. What should I do? Obviously go into L/M posts and argue about it instead of blocking the tag and stating my stance my calmly when someone asks me like your average fan who knows how to curate their fandom experience.
Okay, more devil's advocating. I despise L/M as a ship but I have read the manga and engaged with it critically and understood its themes. Which means I like L+M as a friendship in the same way I like the themes of eating and life cycle and the friendship between the party and the worldbuilding. Because all of these are core parts of the story told. So what I do is to block all shippers and ship tag and look for platonic fics and fanart like Your Average Fan Who Curates Their Experience.
Like I'm sorry. I genuinely feel some people are so caught up in the intense fanonisation of DM that they start forgetting about canon. And I KNOW I am not the only one feeling this way because I read the notes on my posts and other people's posts and there's a lot of good thoughts on this. Plenty of people appreciate them. But to some people in the wider fandom, are we reading the same manga? Our male lead and female lead are friends who save each other. They are not together canonically. So canonically, they don't even get into the way of shipping?????? People can have important intimate friendships outside of romance??? And it's a canon well established friendship? I would say it's one of the most well developed dynamics in the series that we see? We get shown and not told? We see images and words and interpret them in our brains?
Devil's advocate level 3. Let's say mainstream fanonisation of DM is real. F/M is a canon ship and they get together and they get married in the end and L+M become sibling in laws. Maybe L/K is a thing. This still does not erase the entire journey L+M and co went on to save Falin. This still does not erase their friendship and chemistry.
"‘Oh they’re just siblings/siblings-in-law!’ have you ever had a sibling. have you ever had a sibling-in-law."
Okay. I do have a sibling. At this point I've long accepted this much be some sort of cultural difference and some weird American / Western thing I am not used to. And the hilarious thing about DM is that we do get canon siblings!!! It's the fucking premise! Falin and Laios!! And they're fun!
I'm sorry but this must be some cultural difference. Like no younger sibling is calling their older sibling by their GIVEN NAME. The sheer disrespect. I'll be scandalised. As a person with a sibling I don't understand the fandomisation of making non related people siblings in fanon? I'm calling my friends my friends, not siblings. My sibling is like a sibling to me. My friends are like friends to me. Idk. I've written the word sibling so many times that it doesn't seem like a word anymore.
Obviously these are just my personal thoughts but I feel like objectively, there has been a fandomwide trend of grabbing a canon friendship between a man and a woman and going "THEY ARE SO SIBLINGS CORE XD" (not siblings in canon) (not related) (don't even look similar) (they're friends). A lot of times this is valid and even fun but sometimes I get the feeling people sometimes push the fanon sibling thing to show they're squicky about them romantically. To which I can only say: a man and a woman can genuinely only be friends. If you need to magically make them related so you / other people won't see their friendship romantically... it feels like a step back. Why are we doing heteronormativity.
I think I'm the type of person who enjoys and mains man + woman friendships in fandoms (which are, unsurprisingly, unpopular as ships and even as friendships until I start spreading propaganda and pumping fics on Ao3), and I think one of the things that get me is. A man who could be attracted to women + a woman who could be attracted to men having great chemistry but staying friends. I want to stress this is different from a man who is not interested in women / romance + a woman who is not interested in men / romance because there is almost zero chance of a reciprocal romantic relationship going on. But for the first case, which I feel like many people dumb down to "straight people shipping", it's even more precious for them to stay friends and not give into the heternormative expectations despite one or both of them possibly (but not necessarily) being heterosexual. Like, here are two people who could date each other but they're like "nah we work better as friends, so we stay friends". To me, this is one fantastic argument for friendship. Not everything has to be romantic. Even better if they considered and thought about the logistics, but decide their relationship is more special non romantically. Having a taste of how their relationship could go and going "thanks, but no thanks". Is this not a great display of sincere and stable friendship compared to people going "lol they can't work as a ship because they simply physically cannot tolerate the thought of each other romantically". I'm rambling here but I feel like this is what I feel across various dynamics and fandoms. At this point, I think somehow non romantic relationships genuinely fascinate me more than ships. Save me QPR save me.
"They have a relationship outside of Falin"
I feel like some manga readers have missed the point so badly when it comes to this. It's hilarious. They have a relationship outside of Falin it's the whole fucking point about coming to terms with grief and death! You know, one of the core themes of this story that you finished!
And of course this doesn't erase the love they have for Falin. Falin is clearly beloved and their main motivation, but hilariously enough (for the L+M deniers), the manga shows Laios and Marcille's "true" innermost desires being granted and it's not about reviving Falin even though they both clearly want her back and it's at the forefront of their minds. Laios turns into a monster. His curse isn't about Falin not coming back (even though that was his immediate thought), it's about him not being able to interact with monsters ever again. Marcille was traumatised by what happened to Falin (nightmare chapter) but when she turns into a dungeon lord, she goes about trying to fix the lifespans, showing her fear of loneliness and all her loved ones (NOT just a single person!!!!!!!!) dying before her. You can argue they didn't revive Falin with magic lord powers because they don't trust the lion / trust their own plan of eating her, but I think the manga focuses enough on their desires for the interpretation of "the lion fulfills their innermost desires that define their existence" to work. Marcille is the one who finds Laios first after he turned back and Laios broke Marcille free from the lion's influence etc etc we know they play a part in each other's arcs. Laios says they wouldn't be on this journey if Falin hadn't been digested. Marcille says in the end she was okay with Falin not being brought back this time. Laios invites Marcille to stay with him. It's in the text.
"Boring straight ship" or whatever
This comes from what a friend said about my main duo of another fandom but it's like "why isn't [ship] more popular" "because it's easy to fall into the boring trope of pairing a man and a woman together".
And this is a thing that does happen! But not to pairings with strong canon foundation and chemistry sorry. Don't look at me, look at canon. A male/female ship with good canon support is a good ship. Why are you surprised. People like shipping characters who spend lots of time together saving each other and all that. Dare I say: sometimes (sometimes) shipping "straight people" is more respectful to their canon friendship than shoehorning them as siblings. Which I believe is true in the case of L+M.
Anyways. Well that was a nice angry rant. Sorry I had to get it out of my system. I've spend too much time writing this so I won't be doing much proofreading lol. If you've reached this point, thanks for reading <3
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secretoreimo · 16 days
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Hello I can't resist the obnoxious urge to blabber about my feelings so long analysis under the cut!? JHSDHJKJS
Okay, so. Indeed, while I understand that the game couldn't keep them blood-related for censorship reasons and such, I do think it killed the impact of them getting together a good bit.
My suspension of disbelief kind of tanked when Kirino asked Kyousuke to be her boyfriend right after he poured his heart out, expressing his insecurities that something might change between them. The game really does treat it like it's not only a non-issue but also a logical step to take, now, and I honestly have the capacity to ignore that for what I'm here for (them interacting, period), but it was definitely jarring.
I will say though, I did like that this began because they sat down to have a genuine talk about it. That felt much more organic and in-character than the nonsense we got in season 2, with the screaming in public and whatnot. And it did a lot more to stress the lengths they've changed since the beginning of the series, letting them sit down and confess to each other nervously. Well, I'd have liked if it were significantly more nervous, personally.
The thing about their relationship is it is inherently fucked up, like. It is at the center of all of their problems. Kirino has a crippling obsession with "imouto eroge" and this stemmed from the fact that, from a VERY young age, she believed herself to be a freak who had improper and disgusting feelings for her older brother, and eroge was something she latched onto as an escape from that reality. Sure, it did end up just being plain her favorite thing, but it came from that place.
I think if there's one thing I'd credit the anime for, it's that she didn't admit to her feelings ever, not until the very end when it was absolutely undeniable that they were reciprocated. She was repressed for so long I truly don't believe there'd be a reality where she'd say it first. Kyousuke has his own daddy issues, but there's something to be said regardless of a guy who is otherwise pretty normal, but finds himself falling in love with his little sister, however estranged. He's pretty fucked up, himself. Although I wish he hadn't screamed it in the center of the street at the top of his lungs in the most soulless loss for his character ever, I think the only way for them to actually move forward in a relationship would be for him to come to terms with it and say something first, however long a process that may or may not be.
I love the scenario the game poses where their relationship starts to take a "maybe I'll invite her out, just the two of us" turn, and she actually agrees instead of being flat out disgusted and disparaging. Sure, the beach was a little random and the game could have picked a better excuse than "idk why im inviting her to the beach it's almost like i got her route in a video game", but like. Idk, I like it when they interact, it feels natural for the most part. The game feels really good when you scoop out those little moments of "we're not siblings actually we're just a boy and a girl and it's natural".
Even just this scene post-confession, if I were to pretend that part had happened a different way, the banter over how they're gonna continue as a couple is pretty cute and in character.
I'm rambling about all of this not like to bitch I just have so many feelings and things I like and don't like and there are parts that I'd mix and match between anime canon and game canon and things... it's kind of fun. All in all I'd say this feels like an extremely well-written (and well-voiced) fanfiction. I'd accept these things in a fanfiction and move on, just as I'm gonna do for the game, but since it's official I get to be a freak on the internet and write paragraphs about it jhfhjsg
I am ultimately of the opinion that them being blood-related is the better story, it says more about their flaws and their personalities, and tbh I'm a sucker for characters who shouldn't be in love falling in love. Especially when they're as lovingly crafted as the characters in oreimo are. This series really is something special, I think, and it's kind of impossible to describe that to someone who hasn't seen it and just knows it for its reputation as "the anime where the brother and sister get married and kiss on the mouth at the end", which I guess is all anyone was gonna get from season 2
I rambled so long that I don't even have time to continue playing past their confession!! Now I have to go to sleep, but continue I shall soon, because... I love them...
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elbiotipo · 11 months
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the 'why do they have potatoes' thing is a generally good worldbuilding question though. like if you wanna say your fantasy world is at all realistic you SHOULD be thinking about what kinds of flora/fauna are native to the ecosystem youre writing in and if there are non-native plants and animals, how did they get there? like its JUST either being too lazy to think about """boring""" worldbuilding questions or being too lazy to care about implying that your fantasy europe colonized fantasy south america bc corn is not native to medieval france. equivalent of that post thats like "people will spend 30 years designing elf lingerie but if you ask them why their orcs have monolids suddenly research is impossible"
FGJKLSDJGFKJDSKJGSDK GOD THAT LAST PART
Yeah, I've seen that a lot, let's try to fix it and make literal races with fixed traits in the original material (the literal Monster Manual) more diverse. bro. just ditch the whole thing. I promise you don't need to cling to Tolkien's stereotypes or put stat numbers into races to make fantasy.
Leaving aside this, yes, it is because I'm an ethnobotanist, but asking "where the food comes from" is perhaps the single most important question you can ask in any kind of worldbuilding, at any scale. It defines everything: social organization (that alone determines a lot), the technology, the culture, economics, population, down from history and social changes to whatever fun quirk you want like "hey, isn't that funny that in this world they use magic to make coffee ice cream?"
You don't necessarily have to have an equivalent to every world culture -though I insist in a fantasy South America to make people realize just how much this continent contributed to the history of the world, and how much of what we consider "European" actually comes from other cultures-, you can have magical or fantasy or more wacky explanations. Maybe bears domesticated them, maybe they actually ARE a different plant and you notice that they're cooked just a little different, whatever. Just why, in a world of fantasy, you limit yourself to the exact same setting and things that are established? I don't particulary care if they are grounding or relatable or whatever, I do't read fantasy or play fantasy to be "grounded", it's to immerse myself in a world and story and say "damn, that's creative". Even the best characters are completely interchangable and generic if they don't come from a living world (and if you set it on Earth, I personally demand even more care to your research)
And also it's just plain fun to answer, you learn a lot about the world, and get more creative ideas for your story! Also, I won't shoot you.
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ryuichirou · 3 months
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Replies
Today’s replies! We’re covering a lot of topics today: some are related to our posts from this week so far, then there is one about Scott Pilgrim Takes off, and one about the Shingeki no Kyojin fanart. Let’s start with the latter one.
amydesailes asked:
Hi!
I remember a few years ago you were drawing a lot of snk related stuff. Do you think that you are making a comeback sometime? I feel like the fandom is much more calmer now.
Ohh that was such a long time ago and it was such fun time… well, a lot of it was stressful as hell because of the fandom and the shipwars and the non-shipping crowd who are quick to shit on artists who draw niche things; but to be honest, this isn’t the only reason why we stopped posting snk fanart. The main reason was that we were getting burnt out and wanted to consume some new media, and it’s nothing unusual or bad: it happens all the time. We dive deep into the title, have a lot of ideas, create AUs, draw and post stuff, and then after some time we move on. There are some titles that we revisit every other year or so, without diving too deep into them, and sometimes we just randomly remember about the characters and get the urge to draw something with them (we’ve done a couple of Zevi sketches even after technically stopping posting snk, as you might’ve seen).
With SnK, even though it’s been quite a few years already, I think it’s still kind of fresh in our minds, so we don’t have anything new to say with our posts or my art…yet. So I can’t really predict when we’ll come back, but you know what they say; a criminal always returns to the scene of the crime lol We love Shingeki very much, so even if it takes a long time, it’s inevitable.
Also, we are very grateful to have people who remember our stuff from back then and even wait for us, I am honestly surprised by it... So thank you so much for asking <3
Anonymous asked:
Which one of the Scott Pilgrim girls do you like? And other than Todd and Wallace, which other male character do you like?
My absolute favourite is probably Julie, and it’s partially because I have the Aubrey Plaza Bias, but I also really liked what they did with her character in the anime. She has the best faces, she’s so animated and so evil. I would love the second season (that we won’t get) simply to look at her more lol
I am also super weak for Kim, she and Julie both are my “best girls”. Kim’s personality just perfectly fits the type of character that I usually like, and I really like the bitter-sweetness that comes with it.
Speaking of the anime specifically, I also really like what they did with Ramona and Roxie. Their relationship didn’t get much depth in the movie (for obvious reasons, they didn’t have time to dive deeply into any relationship), and it was very delightful to see them work through what happened between them… in a way, I guess. Plus, Roxie is an idiot and that’s awesome lol
Ep3 was too much for me in general, all the girls’ interactions were very good + oh my god Hollie’s hot.
Now for the guys… Oh, Gideon, absolutely, he is great. He is such a highlight of the movie, we adore him a lot. So it was interesting to see his trajectory in the anime, and I am very happy that he is just… naturally evil and controlling fuck lol
Matthew was very enjoyable in the anime and I’m glad he got more attention, Lucas was animated very nicely and had a couple of very funny lines. I also think I developed a soft spot for Stephen at some point lol
hipsterteller asked:
I saw Vil and Neige they look so cute together…
characharing asked:
neige and vil look so smallll it's cute!
Thank you so much!! <3 I’m happy you like them hehe.
Anonymous asked:
Aw...that's cute. What life be like if those two were friends or more?
Rook wants a picture of Neige and Vil as kids
Vil would have a much calmer life, that’s for sure… I honestly can’t think of any downside of that scenario, other than it would’ve robbed us of Vil’s meltdowns over Mira’s search results lol
Oh Rook will get that picture; I am 100% that he would somehow manage to get it. This is his treasure, his most important possession; he’ll be buried with that photo…
blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:
AWWWWWEEEE BABY VIL AND BABY NEIGH!!!!
I for sure feel like it should be canon that Neige fell for Vil around a certain part of their youths, like maybe it was for a show scene and Neige sees Vil by a tree for the scene and BOOM! CUPID STRUCK OUR BOY HARD
HEHEHE IT’S THEMMM!!!!
Yeah I’m 100% sure that Neige fell for Vil back then. Not only Vil was so cool and professional and mature, but he was also so so so pretty. Even if their characters weren’t supposed to fall in love and Neige’s character was supposed to be bullied by Vil’s character, Neige just couldn’t stop thinking about how pretty Vil is. And not a single person noticed… That’s why he’s a great actor lol
Anonymous asked:
Honestly who in the cast do you think could actually settle down with one another in some type of lasting relationship? I think Trey/Riddle for example or Azul/Idia (I feel like they count because even it is business, it's a binding thing yk)
~ 🐩 anon 
Oh good question! Other than Trey/Riddle and Azul/Idia, the first couple that comes to mind is Rook/Vil, who pretty much already feel like a couple that’s been together for quite some time. Their household situation would probably be complicated, but in general they’re each other’s partners for life I think.
I would also say ADeuce but they’re the type of couple who is always together but just can’t settle down because of some stupid reasons. Jack might steal Deuce from Ace and settle down with him lol Who else… Kalim and Jamil are stuck together, they don’t count lol
Anonymous asked:
Imagine Jamil spending eternity being in Azul's captivity.
(this is related to our latest AzuJami art… I think)
Not only this sounds hot, this sounds like Azul’s absolute dream… And he sees that dream every night, and this is why he sleeps with a smile on his face, that creep.
Anonymous asked:
Even if you don't see him as a top
Vil would be amazing at aftercare and you know it!
(this one is related to our aftercare hc post)
I agree, Anon! I actually wanted to mention him in the post because of that. He knows everything there is to know about aftercare and which products work the best. He is so well-prepared for that it’s almost ridiculous.
Jamil is also good at it, but he basically had no choice but to get good lol
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hifumihime · 5 months
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Not sure anyone will read/care about this but I need a spot to vent about this whole "Idols "recommending" Made in Abyss" thing that's currently trending on twitter because I feel like I'm losing my mind (also I have no one else to talk about this).
So, one tweet from an unverified account posted that several idols were out here promoting and recommending the manga/anime Made in Abyss to their fans... and like... that's not at all what happened? One of them mentioned in a live off hand that he was going to watch it (along with a list of other shows), but stated he probably wouldn't finish them because he was currently touring. He apparently has never brought it up again. Another had a volume on the floor in the corner of a photo he took on his instagram story. He has also never talked about it before or since.
I have not read or watched Made in Abyss, but I follow several anime accounts online and basically every single person was recommending this show when it came out in 2017. It's still highly regarded in the anime community. I have never seen a single person ever speak about the "sexual" moments in it. I was curious and decided to read the first 3 chapters and... yeah, there's one part right in chapter 1 that has a pretty gross illustration of the child protagonist, which I'm not going to go into more detail here because it did make me extremely uncomfortable. I will note that apparently the South Korean version of the manga/anime is heavily censored and also rated mature, but I've not seen what the censoring in question looks like, so I don't know how much they could have read/watched that in, say, the North American/Japanese versions.
My overall opinion, after sleeping on this, is that calling these idols predators or worse is an extreme over-exaggeration. I'm not surprised people are saying this because the tendency for fandoms to overreact and be the morality police are worse than ever before, but if we're really cancelling these people for reading "problematic" fiction/dead dove content, then I'd be right alongside them.
From my physical manga collection alone, I can name three series I own that would get me cancelled:
After the Rain: protagonist, a high school girl, falls in love with an older man (mid-40s?) who serves her at a family diner. She starts working there, and they develop a friendship. Spoiler: nothing happens between them
Cardcaptor Sakura: pretty well known magical girl series so I won't go into the plot, but like.... looking back on it, there were a TON of age-gap romances in here, one of which being a teacher and an elementary school student. I remember being in elementary school and reading it for the first time and being weirded out by it. Spoiler: nothing happens here either (though I have not read the clear card sequel series)
Daytime Shooting Star: Romance with a love triangle between her teacher (wow I'm realizing I read a lot of age gap/teacher/student stuff) and a classmate. Spoiler: she doesn't end up with her teacher!!
I can think of a ton of other non-anime related examples of "problematic"/dark fiction that I love too: Game of Thrones, Last of Us, House of Leaves, My Dark Vanessa.... One of the best books I've read last year was about a cannibal. I guess to twitter, I am also a cannibal?
I think the unfortunate reality of being an anime fan is that basically 80% of the shit out there has "problematic" elements to it, or as I like to call it, "anime bullshit". And I think a lot of kpop fans have not actually watched anime or read manga and aren't aware of this.
You're allowed to feel uncomfortable with fiction. You're allowed to be weirded out that an idol likes a dark manga that has children as the main protagonists, where awful things happen to them. But at the same time, people are allowed to read dark content as well and that does NOT make them pedos, abusers, etc. That is a horrible accusation to make against someone, especially with no proof other than the fact that they may or may not own a volume of an extremely popular manga series. I really feel like the internet as a whole does not realize that words have meaning, and accusing someone of such vile behavior because of the fiction they may or may not read is just... insane. It's insane behavior. Please go outside.
Anyway if you read all of this, congrats. I'm basically word vomiting this all out at 6 am because I'm bad at sleeping. Would love to hear anyone else's thoughts on the matter honestly!
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beeden96 · 1 year
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Chiron as guide to the Dao
I am used to seeing people in the astrological community describe Chiron as "the wounded healer" and stop there. But I have been reading more about Chiron, and doing a lot of introspective work about him, and I want to help everyone see him in a deeper, more well-rounded light.
For those who are familiar with Daoism, and the concept of the Dao, this post will be easier to grasp. But just as a brief description, Daoism (as illuminated in Daoist texts) is essentially the synthesized philosophy of much older Earth-based spiritual traditions in what is now known as China.
Because Daoism is a synthesized philosophy coming out of a much older animist tradition, and because all human societies and cultures once practiced animism (and most still do in various ways), it has a massive amount of resonance cross-culturally.
Anyway, back to Chiron. I see him as a mediator, a sage, who was a kindred spirit to LaoZi and other spiritual teachers. He taught those around him how to reconcile the different parts of their nature, how to integrate their base level instincts with their higher awareness. Astronomically, he is the mediator between the inner and outer planets, at the boundary of Saturn and Uranus.
In his lifetime, Chiron was trying to reconcile the differences and misunderstandings between centaurs (representing "nature," "instincts," "barbarism" etc.) and gods (representing "humanity," "rationality," "civilization" etc. ). He was trying to teach everyone that these concepts are a false dichotomy, and that it is possible for all of these things to coexist in a single form- after all, he was living proof!
His injury, which is why people refer to him as "the wounded healer" happened by accident during a fight between centaurs and gods. He was wounded in this battle specifically, but I think the story is just emblematic of the lifelong wound of rejection and misunderstanding he carried as a result of who he was, and the message he was trying to convey (which others were not always receptive to).
I find it important to say that Chiron was wounded by circumstance, and this myth takes place in a specific historical context, where ideas about "civilization" versus "barbarism" (read: empire versus indigeneity) were rapidly being formed. This is ancient Greece and Rome we're talking about here. This myth was being actively created through retellings in a context where the idea of someone like Chiron NOT being wounded was unimaginable.
I think that the difference between Chiron as an archetype, and Chiron in mythological/historical context, is really important. Because at least in theory, Chiron did not have to be wounded by that poisoned arrow. It was not an inevitable outcome. And I think that as a collective, humanity is now being faced with the task of integrating Chiron's awareness, and healing everyone who has been hurt in the process of global patriarchal/colonial/capitalist expansion (which is actually literally everyone, in one way or another). We have the option now, to re-write the story. To stop the wounding.
What if the whole "mind vs. body, humans vs. nature" thing didn't exist? What if we learned how to relate to ourselves and all other beings in a non-dominating, loving way? What would it mean to let go of control? What would it mean to allow the Dao to flow, to stop trying to escape change and death, and just surrender to being a part of everything? These lessons are what I believe Chiron is trying to teach.
I think that the most painful separation for most of us alive today, is the separation we have from our own humanity- as contextualized by, and produced by, our relationships to all other beings. This pain is amplified for those of us who are especially spiritually sensitive, and who are the targets of dominating systems.
Dominating systems, extractivist systems, do not understand the lessons of Chiron. They position themselves as gods, ruling over nature and taking what they please.
It has been argued that Chiron rules Virgo and the 6th house. I think this is an interesting and keen observation. Chiron, as mediator between "heaven and earth" so to speak, rules over the connection between the mundane and the divine. He is the bridge between the two, as Barbara Hand Clow says.
I am reminded of a Zen Buddhist saying (which I suspect has Daoist origins): "Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.”
I am also reminded of the line in Everything Everywhere All At Once, where Ke Huy Quan's character says: "So, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say, in another life I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you."
...
So then, what to make of Chiron as an astrological object? He has not really been labeled, which I think is part of the beauty of his symbolism. Nobody can fully decide if he's a planetoid or asteroid or comet, or something else entirely. And that is okay. As an archetype, Chiron represents embodied forms that cannot be easily categorized.
In a natal chart, Chiron is said to represent a person's deepest wound, but also the area of life where they have the most wisdom. I think this is true, but I also want to move beyond the surface-level symbolism.
I have come to see Chiron as representing the area where a person can experience their greatest sense of connection or disconnection from the Dao. From "God" or the "ground of being" or whatever other words people use to describe it. This makes it extremely powerful as a gateway, and because it unleashes all of these fraught themes about mind vs. body, humans vs. nature, etc. it is not easy to deal with.
Chiron is a reminder of all the ways we are limited in our connection to the Dao. All the ways we struggle to let go of power and control, the ways we get ourselves stuck in material issues or stuck in spiritual issues and struggle to find the balance between them. Chiron is about balance- I think the greatest balancing act of all. Think of the Yin-Yang symbol, which represents the Dao.
It takes a high level of spiritual awareness, coupled with a high level of skill in navigating mundane reality, in order to fully integrate Chiron. But Chiron in itself is the guide to the mastery of those realms. So I would say that in order to reach that place, we have to listen to what Chiron is asking of us.
In a natal chart, I feel that Chiron represents our potential. Where we could find our greatest sense of integration, wisdom, and joyful embodiment. Where we could find our connection to the Dao. It's getting there in this world, where "gods" and "centaurs" are fighting, which is the major challenge. The process of getting there is usually painful. But it can also be full of love, and beautiful lessons that are profoundly healing. It depends on how you approach the themes that are being brought up.
In synastry, I think of Chiron contacts as areas where the other person is supporting or pushing us to get into deeper contact with the Dao. It depends on whether the aspect is hard or soft. I think hard aspects with Chiron can be difficult to wrangle when people are young, but they are likely the most transformative.
In a composite chart, I think Chiron represents the greatest potential of the relationship itself. It is the area where, if it is focused on, both people in the relationship would feel most connected to the Dao. Any aspects it makes, especially conjunctions, are representative of planetary energies that are key to Chiron's mission and what it is asking of us in that relationship.
Chiron says: "This is the most difficult thing for you to achieve, but it is the thing that will be the most rewarding if you can get there."
Chiron sees potential. It pushes people to their outer limits, tries to help them break through to the other side (past Saturn to Uranus), then guides them to come back and tell the tale.
Not everybody makes it back. Not everybody even accepts being pushed to their limits like that in the first place. But those who DO make it back, especially those who have willingly gone on the journey, are essential guides for the rest of us.
Chiron is intimately connected to ecology. To relationships, to polarities, and to balance. Now more than ever, the world needs people who are ready to harness the power of their natal Chirons, and to harness the power of Chiron in their composite charts with people who they have important relationships with.
We can't do this work on our own. Even though Chiron was often depicted as a loner, in reality he had a large network of friends, and he even had a wife! Her name is Chariklo- but that's a story for another time.
I want to encourage people to start seeing Chiron in a new light. Let's not fear him, and run away from the pain. The pain is trying to tell us something. If we are in pain because of Chiron, that is because he is highlighting an area of life where we are disconnected from the Dao. He is telling us to "chop wood, carry water" and to maintain spiritual awareness at the same time. He is telling us to recognize and respect our limits, while pushing them at the same time. Chiron is paradox. He is Yin and Yang. He is the relationship of opposites. If we allow these lessons to sink in, our area of immeasurable pain can transform into the area of our greatest ecstasy.
Let us learn!
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weirdcat1213 · 1 year
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STEVEN UNIVERSE FANS: WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH TRIGUN STAMPEDE (SPOILER FREE)
Hi there, it's been a while, isn't it? The whole show ended 3 years ago and honestly, nothing has felt the same. Most shows get axed/are on streaming which makes you binge them and you don't get to emotionally bond with that show.
Well let me tell you I got something that you may like
Ok so this post will summarize Trigun Stampede, its similarities to SU/SUF, questions you may have as someone who doesn't like anime that much and why it needs a shit ton of support.
Trigun Stampede:
The story is set on this desert planet where humans need special machines to survive called plants because they produce all the resources humans need to survive. In a world where fighting is the only way to survive, the outlaw Vash the Stampede decides to help people with their plants/personal problems without using violence. If he is a pacifist then why is he an outlaw? Watch the show.
SU/SUF similarities and pros:
-Did you like the sci-fi element in SU? Stampede has so much of that and they actually get deep into it. It has an important role in the story. (I wish I could say more but spoilers)
-Did you like the message of love and peace? Our beloved main character lives by that motto and yes there is conflict.
-Did you like cool villains with good reasons and grey morals? OH, WE GOT YOU ALRIGHT. Vash's main antagonist has that covered (again, spoilers) BUT I PROMISE YOU HE IS EVERYTHING YOU WANTED IN SU FROM A VILLAIN.
-Did you like pretty art? Orange, although mainly known for its CGI has done beautiful backgrounds + art concepts for the show.
-Did you like the gorgeous and smooth animation: Orange is the best studio when it comes to CGI and that doesn't mean "ok this is decent" kind of CGI, this is "I'm gonna eat this scene" kind of CGI. SU only got smooth animation when they brought guest animators but Stampede has that level on every. single. episode.
-Did you like SUF specifically for the trauma, growth and mental health themes? You will love Vash and some of the other characters. But Vash...dear god.
-Did you like the angst? Stampede is for you but don't blame me for the therapy bills
-Did you love the music? Stampede isn't a musical sadly the ost fucking slaps and it's so cool. It's on Spotify if you want to support it legally.
-Did you love the likable secondary characters? Stampede has a few characters but they are likable characters and feel real instead of NPCs. None of them follows an archetype strictly except maybe for one who is still pretty cool.
-Did you like the representation? Nothing can be perfect and it would be misleading to not mention this considering it's a great part of what makes SU special to me and others. Although it's not explicitly queer, there are some themes/ characters to whom queer people (myself included) have connected a lot. There's a non-binary character, and Vash's struggle with (spoiler) is relatable to a lot of queer people. Also, the guy really gives gender. Cmon, look at him. There's a fanon gay ship but the original creator (Nightow) and the Orange team really made Stampede *gay*. Like Yuri on Ice but better IMO
You can literally send me a dm with a "what about X" and I will reply.
Questions you may have as someone who doesn't like anime:
-I don't like Japanese voices and how they scream: The english dub is really good (like, omg VAs I will give you my life) good. They all fit and care for their characters, and the direction was amazing. If you're a zach callison fan I reassure you, Vash's voice actor GAVE that kind of emotion.
-I don't like generic anime looks: Guess what! Stampede is pure CGI and it looks awesome! If you don't like the generic design anime characters get you're in for a treat.
-I don't want to read the manga/watch the 98 anime to understand whats happening: And you won't have to! A lot of people got into Trigun as a whole with Stampede and the people watching the 98 anime now are doing so cuz they miss the characters, not because its crucial to understand Stampede.
-I don't like CGI, non of it: watch the 1st episode then come back to me. Not even that, just watch the trailer.
Why it needs a shit ton of support
Apparently, anime is just starting to take outside-of-Japan fans into consideration for things like renewals, so at the Orange panel, the staff told people to support the studio and Stampede if we want more of it. It sucks that this is the only way a show can get renewed but we already know what's that like because of SU. Even if we didn't know it, people talking about it, going to cons cosplaying characters from the show, and buying merch was giving power to Rebecca to keep pushing for the show. Even if we got season 5 cut we managed to get Future and maybe the movie thanks to the fan support. Stampede is so new and although its popular it got cast away just for being CGI and for not being the exact same as the 98 anime. It's literally a passion project and the staff (including Nightow) are so in love with it. They want us to look for clues and give us more content because they love Trigun as a whole. Animation is suffering and I know there are 100000 shows that need support but please keep this show in mind. It's made of love, you could say.
Here's the ways you can support it!
-Where to watch (sub/dub): crunchyroll/ the DVD is coming out soon but I dont think that has the dub.
-OST: Spotify, Applemusic
-Merch: I recommend CD Japan but there are other websites
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