#will analysis

[gayofthefae]

Do you ever think about how this face is also because he probably knew damn well that joy he was watching was all his doing. I do believe that he believes El feels what he said, but he also knows that this is thanks to the confidence HE gave Mike. He would never have sabotaged him but inaction would not have been wrong. He knows he pushed them together harder and more quickly than they would have been.

This isn't just him watching them like he did in episode 2 anymore. This is him lying in the bed he's made.

#byler #will byers #stranger things #van scene #will analysis #will byers analysis

[wibble-wobbegong]

there is power in non-violence btw. persistent kindness and compassion sounds cheesy but there are people in the world who have never anything but violence and hatred.

will being el’s brother was done for a reason. all she has grown up with has been violence and anger and strict, oppressive rules. she doesn’t different and nobody has ever helped her overcome that — her violence has been encouraged by all the people closest to her in one way or another. mike calling her a hero for breaking troy’s arm. hopper feeding her anger with his own and having violent reactions himself. kali who directly instructed her to use her emotions to become even stronger. even max, who laughed with her at the small action of blowing up that girl’s milkshake (even though it’s small, it’s an affirmation). all these people have encouraged or admired these parts of her that ultimately hurt her. she’s not happy doing these things but she has never seen anything elss

so, for her to become will’s sister? will’s refusal to participate in violence is a whole new world for her. all of the byers are more resistent to turning to violence, but will has never and will never resort to violence. he shows every threat kindness if they’re alive and uses his words if angered (go away!). el needs to heal this part of her that has a jerk reaction to any threat or anger or embarrassment with violence and learn to utilize her kindness which lies at the core of her person. she is kind. she just needs to be shown how to use that.

will’s non-violence is essential to his relationship with el. the reason she’s been shown to be so much closer to will and having developed more regret and sadness around her usage of violence (crying where she hadn’t before, suddenly showing aversion to this violent part of herself towards even people she views as bad) is very, very likely because he’s the one listening to her and helping her overcome this part of her. he offers solutions to her anger. he offers comfort when he can and gets annoyed with mike for making el feel worse for hurting angela

will’s refusal to be violent pairs beautifully with el’s healing process. they were paired together because his character is literally written to overcome violence with kindness.

#i dont know where this came from sorry #but also. read this and apply it to henry #anyway im in my willel feelings rn. half alseep so i hope this is coherent but them 💖💖💞💗🤨💗💖❤️💗💞❤️💖❤️💗❤️ #willel #el anaysis #will analysis

[bylertruther]

not to be dark by acknowledging the material, but it really is so crazy how involved and all-encompassing the henry-will rape plots are. not only did he give him unimaginable trauma by hunting him in the upside down, but he also violated him in, like... every possible way? and violently so?

physically at the library (tentacle slug thing down his throat), via forced impregnation (throwing up baby demoslugs from the aforementioned), again on the field (possession via particles), and via the goosebumps that result from their psychic connection. will says that it came for him and that he tried to make it go away, but it got him. when asked what that means, he breaks down in sobs and says only that he felt it everywhere--everywhere--and that he still feels it, and he just wants it to be over. he can't explain the experience that completely and utterly terrifies him. he tries, but he just breaks down again until they urge him to express himself through his art.

his body is different after, too: colder, covered in sweat. he fears the bath, can't tolerate any warmth. when he sleeps, his body is elsewhere, eyes moving this way and that beneath his lids. he isn't in control of himself while being used, forced to do things he doesn't want to do, like choking his own mother who wants only to save him. even after they get it out of him, even after he's clean, he still feels it: that phantom touch, the scars, both visible and not. he describes it like a roller coaster drop, like your body is being plunged in freezing water. he breaks out in goosebumps on the back of his neck whenever he's near. even now, even when he should be safe and free, he isn't. even now, he's still there with him in his body.

psychically via their connection and his possession. dr. owens mistakes will's true sight experiences as being a ptsd symptom due to the anniversary effect. will is reaching out, trying to warn them, trying to get help before it's too late. he tells them that there's something watching him, something dangerous and evil that's been repeatedly trying to lure him out and get him alone, and they just... don't do anything, because they don't believe him. they tell him it's a figment of his imagination, a result of his trauma. it's not real, they say. it's not true, you're fine, nothing can hurt you now. he feels crazy for it, like no one understands or gets it, which obviously means that they must be right. he's too different now, like phineas gage. too much of a freak all because of what happened to him, and this is the proof. this, and the way that everyone treats him like a baby now, like he can't possibly handle himself anymore, because clearly he's proven himself too broken and helpless.

except... he's not crazy. he was right the entire time, but no one listened until it was too late and it got him. it wasn't enough to have him physically there inside of him before, now he's in his mind, too. they share thoughts and now-memories, feelings and experiences and sensations. rage, fear, pain, and more. him and henry, henry and him--as confirmed by season four. this was no monster above such pedestrian and foreign human concepts like morality, but a grown man that knew precisely what he was doing and was acting according to plan.

it was likely henry that followed him home that night and kidnapped him. it was henry that looked through his eyes, that wrapped his hand around joyce's throat, that robbed him of any agency and control over his own mind and body. it was henry that kept him from his memories and that stood between him and all of the people he loves. it was henry that flooded the laboratory with demodogs and sent them after him every time in effort to bring him back. it was henry that tried to kill eleven for daring to stop him. everything, that great evil that he felt in and around him, it was... a man. "some other queer," like troy and everyone else suspected, if you believe in the queer-coding. not a monster that doesn't understand the rules of their world, something abstract and inconceivable, but a human being just like him that does understand and simply doesn't care. because he thinks himself above the rules. because his plans are more important and they justify the means. because will's agency, his consent, and his entire life is nothing compared to this man's want.

and then... years later... when will is older, making steps to move forward, trying to get on with his life... there it is again: henry's presence in will's mind and at the back of his neck. the bitter realization that it was a man behind his torment. that it somehow still isn't over. that he's still there with him, in his body. that it always comes back to what happened, where it happened, and who happened.

it's, like... it's just so involved. a real and unending violation of each and every part of will: mind and body. is there anything, any part of will at all, that is truly his and only his? that has not been taken, touched, or given up for someone else? eleven was given closure with regard to her abuser, dr. brenner. when will it be his turn to be free? when will he be allowed to take his mind and body back and be just will again? when?

#rape tw #it's just ... so insane. genuinely insane and ongoing and in your face. #like... jesus fuck. you know? #making it a man behind the mind flayer is the biggest gut punch ever when you think about EVERYTHING that's happened. #mine #will #will analysis #csa tw #will & henry

[crush-like-that]

I remember one time I couldn't sleep so I was thinking about ST characters sexualities and I pretty much decided for myself that I think mostly everyone is straight except for Will (gay), Mike (bi), Max (bi), Lucas (bi), El (doesn't really understand the concept of labels, you love who you love), Robin (lesbian), Vickie (bi), Steve (bi-curious), and Eddie (bi) [I don't really like Eddie and this is not about st*ddie, I just think him not being straight supports his character arc alot]. I think other characters (Joyce [pan], Jonathan [bi], Nancy [bi], etc) have experienced mild attraction to their same gender, but they simply opt to ignore it and stick to what's "normal" because, hey, who doesn’t think that the same gender is kinndda pretty kiiinnda hot every now and then.

But I really got to thinking about Jonathan, because I do love stonathan. And I like the concept of jargyle. But I think Jonathan being straight ("normal") is important to his character and connection to Will. What I was really thinking about was their talk in the pizza shop. It would have been so much different of Jonathan was bi, if he understood Will. His acceptance would have been different. It would have been Jonathan accepting Will because he understands. Don't get me wrong, thats GREAT, it's wonderful and it would show an amazing vonnection between the two of them, fortifying their brotherly bond. But it wasn't like that. It was Jonathan accepting Will for who he was, for being different. It was Jonathan not entirely understanding it, but knowing for a fact that nothing wpuld change how he saw Will. Not only is thay important to Jonathan, but it's important to Will. It's important for Will to see that, while he's relieved hate and backlash his whole life, his brother doesn't see him any differently. His brother who's (sort of) normal, who doesn't really understand, who could turn and be like anyone else, accepts him and loves him.

So yes, I love bisexual Jonathan. I love stonathan. I like jargyle. But more than anything, I like straight Jonathan.

#jonathan byers #will byers #Byler #< target audience #Stonathan #<- target audience #jonathan and will #Byers siblings #Jonathan analysis #Will analysis #Kind of? #Stranger things

[enderlordisadumbusername]

the fact that kobolds seem to be this more "animalistic" race, with kuro talking in broken language and like improper grammar. this, coupled with the fact that he seems unaware of the fact that he's being exploited by mick, makes kobolds appear to be less intelligent than other races.

but we actually find out that the simple speech patterns are in fact due to common being kuro's second language. and in a scene where kabru talks to kuro in his native language, it's actually kabru with the simple speech patterns.

we even learn that kuro seems to actually have a much better understanding of his situation with mick than we first imagine. merely wanting to stay with them so they can have someone who they can feel relaxed around.

this, coupled with a bunch of other things, really makes dungeon meshi stand out from other fantasy media. there are no "dumb" or "evil" races, they're all just people.

#dungeon meshi #kuro #kabru dungeon meshi #mickbell #analysis

[linktoo-doodles]

resurrection is sort of romantic, isnt it

#farcille #falin touden #farlyn thorden #marcille donato #dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #dungeon meshi spoilers #my art #Linktoo art #lets get that yuri on the road. who has a good analysis of these two. they have a lot of symbolism but I want to see like #someone get into the feelings they have for each other about how they see each other romantically. if that makes sense #tw blood

[rockpapercynic]

A.I. photos are flooding social media and contributing to an Internet where we can't believe what we see. Spotting A.I. 📷s is an important media literacy skill.

None of us have time to research every image we see. We just need people to notice BEFORE THEY LIKE OR SHARE that an image might be fake. If unsure, check it or don't share.

I've started drawing some comics explaining the basic of AI spot-checking and media literacy in the age of disinformation. Follow along here or on my Twitter.

#comic #webcomic #ai #media literacy #critical thinking #media analysis

[artbyblastweave]

I'm not the first to mention this, but one bit that I thought was really clever in Steven Universe is the ways in which the show subtly justifies the cartoonism of the principle cast always wearing the same outfit for ease-of-animation purposes. The gems are a gimme in that they're all hardlight-projections, and even before that's solidified as a plot point they're otherworldly and superheroic enough that you don't really think to question it. But Steven canonically just owns hundreds and hundreds of those star shirts, which are leftover merchandise from his father's fizzled-out career as a rock star. Into which you can read a whole bunch of other stuff if you really want to, right? And I do want to. It's reflective of Greg's misplaced optimism that he got hundreds of those made in the first place, and it's a benign but visible example of how Steven's life is shaped by the knock-on effects of decisions his parents made before he was even alive. He's got his mother's superpowers and he's wearing his father's shirts.

#steven universe #steven universe analysis #greg universe #thoughts #meta #su #contrast Connie who actually does have a range of diverse outfits #and tastes in outfits which evolve over the show! #because she's part of Steven's Universe #but she has somewhere to go home to

[ambrosiagourmet]

I've seen pieces from this extra comic before, but never read the full thing until today. And holy shit does it hammer home just how much the story is about class.

Multiple times, when food comes up in this comic, it’s also in context of money:

I've seen this last panel on the right brought up before in context of like, dungeon meshi's relationship with fat and eating, but in the full context of the comic it really hits how much adventuring directly consumes bodies for money.

As much as this has been part of the story the whole time, showcased as early chapters 19 and 20...

It never fully hit me before how often adventuring comes down to having no other way to make money but to throw yourself into death repeatedly. To be used, whether it’s by individual selfish people (like the resurrection group that is happy to try and get Kabru's group to kill each other to get extra gold from them in chapter 32), or by the greater cog of the Dungeon Economy in general.

Which, to be clear, is all too often how things work in the real world, too. So many jobs burn through the health and lives of workers. Dungeon Meshi just makes it literal in a new way: by making the healing and resurrection, a core part to the adventuring loop, directly use fat, muscle, and energy from the body being healed.

Imagine Amazon, but if you got injured at work, they could literally burn up some of your body to get you back to working sooner. And that was seen as an advantage of the job.

And then you have Laios, thinking about eating monsters:

Not just because he likes monsters a lot. But because it would help. He says something similar in the actual manga too, during the chapter discussing his dream with the Winged Lion

Laios wants to be able to make a home for Falin. He wants to give her a place where she never has to eat alone. And when he gets a party, he wants to give them a way to eat well. And when he runs a country, well…

He wants to ensure that everyone has enough to eat.

Food is political. Food ties into class, and money. What is deemed "proper" to eat, what is a luxury, what is crass… so much of it comes down to money.

Being judged for eating what's available, when what is “proper” isn't affordable, is already a thing that happens. People forced into work that consumes their energy is already a thing that happens.

Dungeon Meshi has a lot of fantastical elements, but boy is its examination of food and class very real.

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #laios touden #dungeon meshi spoilers #the full thing is up on mangadex and I v much recommend giving it a read #dunmeshi analysis

[gayofthefae]

CODE RED CODE RED.

So I’m rewatching Stranger Things 4 and I got to a scene where I remember thinking “oh! Like Cyrano!” but it wasn’t the van scene. Meaning it was foreshadowing to the van scene.

“If only we could just, like combine. Think about it. I know exactly what I want and I’ve found the girl of my dreams but I just can’t get the courage to ask her out, meanwhile [you go on like a million dates and] you have no idea what you want.” - Robin to Steve, season 4 episode 2.

I distinctly remember thinking “aw, what a perfect and sad setup. A closeted queer girl conveying her feelings to her crush through a socially acceptable person.” And then I remember being relieved they didn’t do it because that would have been depressing. And then I forgot about it.

They had a monologue about a queer person in the 80s knowing who they want but not being able to get them. And their close loved one being straight in relation to said crush but needing to figure what they want. And because of that pesky one month break, I completely forgot about it after considering it a line they just must not have followed through on.

And ironically, though El and Will’s arcs seemingly weren’t both about Mike and were disconnected, this one line makes it so they are connected. Because those were their respective season arcs. Will knows exactly what he wants and can’t go for it. El is trying to figure out what it is she wants and have independence and security in her decision-making. 

We talk constantly about how their arcs complement their endings in the love triangle but this line about Vickie spells that out. The writers offered up a DIRECT Cyrano and then opted instead for the more complicated one with more history and internal ties/love triangle. If only they could just combine. Combine the easiest relationship with the character arc/personal needs.

And like Robin, that’s exactly what Will is thinking. If only the easiest relationship could meet his needs, but his desired relationship ISN’T easily accessible so that’s off the table. So he opts for the other combo. If only the current relationship that’s easiest was what SHE needs. So he convinces himself it is.

#stranger things #textual analysis #cyrano #byler #van scene #will analysis

[wibble-wobbegong]

man the fact that will used a baseball bat, something he directly associated with lonnie, to destroy castle byers hurts like hell everytime i remember it

the symbolism of homophobia destroying will’s childhood? of will’s own internalized homophobia being taken by his bare hands and used to tear down his childhood? the safest place he’s ever had? the way both of those things are directly associated with mike???

he really did feel like he had to grow up, abandon all those things and push his feelings for mike away. he used lonnie’s abuse towards him against himself and against the things he loves because of that fight with mike. the amount of self hatred he’s been carrying around physically manifesting itself like that is one of the most heart wrenching pieces of symbolism we get in the entire show

#will byers #byler #will analysis

[bylertruther]

+ insert that one excerpt from a shawn levy interview where he said they're bringing all the big ideas they had for will and eleven from season two to season five

#me? breaking my silence to be annoying about will? more likely than u think #will #<- for me to release my demons don't look @ me #long post #mine #will analysis

[laughableillusions]

You! American fan of foreign or otherwise un-American media! Are you aware of the nuances and cultural differences that are portrayed in that media and have an understanding that you as an outsider looking in should be careful with the lenses you analyze that media in because you have a different perspective that is not catered to?

#media analysis #this post was made by an American btw #fandom culture #fandom #also that subtitles and translations are not always exactly correct

[swampjawn]

Time to talk an unnecessary amount about floors!

Episode 6 of Dungeon Meshi was produced in collaboration with a smaller studio, Enishiya - and it went way harder than I expected, for being made up of two relatively simple and self contained stories focusing on one character each.

And you can really see how those extra resources meant the animators could give full focus to both halves of the episode. Let's take a look at one piece that stole the show.

The first half was handled primarily by episode director/storyboard artist Keita Nagahara and co-animation director Hirotoshi (or Hiroaki? [1]) Arai. It's actually kinda insane how much of this section can be attributed to these two.

But the real star of the show is the second half, Chilchuck vs the mimic, led by co-animation director Toya Ooshima in his first animation director role for TV anime!

And the biggest aspect that knocked my dang boots off was something that's very consistent with Ooshima's style: background animation!

By animating the backgrounds rather than using painted still images, Ooshima and the team of other similarly skilled animators are able to create these beautiful dynamic camera movements that wouldn't be possible otherwise. Like these cuts by Takeshi Maenami where the camera becomes an expressive part of the scene, zipping forward and backward, and tilting to emphasize the speed of this murderous hermit crab. (Maenami's style is also very recognizable here - snappy timing and quick camera movements)

Or this cut by the incredible Kaito Tomioka which cleverly combines a traditional background for the walls with a fully animated floor. The level of detail in these tiles is just completely insane, and used to great effect with this wide, diagonal angle, and the way the camera tentatively drifts forward before reversing direction, and the tiles blur out as it speeds up.

I don't think I'm the only one caught off guard by how much they full-assed this little side story, but it was a pleasant surprise!

I broke down the entire episode in this video here. A lot of research went into this one, and I think it's the best one of these videos I've made so far, so if you're at all interested in more of this type of analysis in video form, I would really appreciate it if you checked it out, or re-blogged this post! Thanks

[1] It's listed as Hirotoshi on Anime News Network, but Hiroaki on a key frame that Studio Trigger shared on Twitter, so I'm not sure which one is wrong.

#dungeon meshi #animation analysis #studio trigger #laios touden #chilchuck #video #original #mini essay #Youtube

[shyjusticewarrior]

Jason is an "I'd kill for you" person stuck in a "live for me" family.

#dc #comics #dc comics #comic books #jason todd #red hood #jason peter todd #the red hood #batfamily #batfam #batkids #batsiblings #found family #media analysis #media commentary #character analysis #character dynamics #funny

[faeyuh]

guys. going insane.

in these scenes, his hair gets way spikier than normal, they look like knives for gods sake. this only happens when he wants to seem THREATENING

but when around people he trusts like ROSIE his hair (probably unintentionally) gets ROUNDER and SOFTER, even his coat has less spikes than usual.

GUYS HE HAS A LITERAL SOFT SIDE IM GOING INSANE

#or i could be reading too much into these frames #hazbin hotel rosie #hazbin #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel spoilers #alastor hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel #rosie hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor #alastor the radio demon #hazbin rosie #the radio demon #hazbin spoilers #hazbin hotel analysis #alastor analysis #alastor character analysis #10k?? what the freak?