Casting a Feeble Shadow · 10:14pm Aug 31st, 2018
So I read, "I Cast A Deadly Shadow". Oh god, another petty revenge fic playing on fan heart strings. Seen THOUSANDS of these dime-a-dozen, lazy things.
It's just another serial killer-suicide story where a bunch of characters from the show are bumped off by a sociopath we don't know because, I guess this is supposed to make us feel bad? Only as well as being the same as every other fic of its type and progressing in a blandly predictable manner, it adds insult to injury with the face-palming absurdity that something in a dream physically happens in reality. It was stupid in "The Matrix", it's still stupid here. Even magic can't cover how ridiculous that is to have DREAM ROCKS actually crush a physical skull.
Had he merely cloaked himself in dream form brought out into the waking world and murdered as a phantom in apparition form which could vanish once the work was complete, that would have been ok. He'd still be left a generic loser with a petulant revenge complex for minor slights, the stuff of some truly dreadful films I've seen reviewed by Redlettermedia's "Best of the Worst" and elsewhere, but at least it'd be a method better thought out.
But let's dig deeper for a moment: he's killing in DREAMS!! The writing could make all manner of surreal events take place to horrify the victims. Where's the horror of nightmares? Where are the impossible visions and specters of the ponies' own fears used against them? No, Shining has rocks fall on him and Rarity gets drowned in quicksand... which is fetish-fuel, I might add. Everything about this story is impersonal and feels so mechanical, I'd sooner believe a robot was the pony doing the killing, as that would explain why it's so utterly un-creative.
And too, this has the fanfic problem that without the source material, we know nothing of these other named characters. All the attempted emotional manipulation comes from the over-played cliche of killing off characters in a show. It might as well have been Blueblood, Spoiled Milk, and Flim and Flam for all the impact they actually had within the story itself. We don't know these particular characters WITHIN THE STORY enough to care, and Gizmo, his relation to them is quite shallow... he's basically a typical OC of this set-up. He exists to kill off characters people tend to like, nothing more. His motivations are as thin as the single sheet of paper this story could fit upon. He's just a garden-variety psycho of paperback slasher novels.
And he dies just as blandly.
What was even the point of the last paragraph? Are we supposed to now sympathize with a non-character who's a mindless killer plot-conveniently granted a miraculous power which he's too stupid to even utilize? How did he even get such a thing other than because it's the plot? You have to generate something to feel for first.
I've seen THOUSANDS of this type of story. They all run exactly the same way, and they were never good, not even from the very first one. Mainly they've always been just infuriating as I could spot the weakness of the storytelling from the start.
Seriously?
I... okay
Look, I'm hardly one to talk, my stuff is shit, but... come on. Its like this guy has literally never actually seen a movie, just heard about it or read about it and went from there.
You can make a sympathetic villian
What happened Alondro... where did Pinhead go?
Yeah I haven't read the story, nor do I plan to based off it's synopsis alone, but I did find it mildly surprising that the guy who wrote Biblical Monsters could turn out something so....meh. But I'm guessing the fact he has a lot of followers explains why the story got boosted so much.
4929806 Lol, it's pretty sad when you can use Pinhead as a POSITIVE example of a sympathetic villain!
4929922 It's why I think the fandom is withering. The 'true fans', as with any fandom, are willing to accept mediocrity and outright bad writing so long as it's 'moar pones'.
As I've said, it's that mentality that led to the current dismal states of Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who.... well, that and the invasion of SJW 'diversity' politics over actual talent, skill, and devotion to quality.
SJWs destroy EVERYTHING they touch.
4930168
Well that's because SJW's actively shun diversity of thought and independent creativity. Quite ironic but then again a lot of these political extremist groups say one thing but do the opposite.
Also most people keep failing in attempting to employ a post-modern lens to deconstruct various genres and franchises when they haven't actually looked to see how they're actually crafted to begin with.
To deconstruct something you first need to at least have a slight grasp on how it's constructed, otherwise it's just plain normal destruction.
4930205 Exactly. It's for that reason the central comics industry has started imploding, while indy comics are finding enormouse new success.
The SJW comics are preaching an agenda, the indy comics are either telling a story... or in a few instances mocking the agenda with some rather cutting satire, and doing so very hilariously. Those are actually genuine instances of 'deconstruction', since the indy comic artist knows what the SJWs are all about and how to tear into them properly!
4930216
Well to be fair, comedic criticism of the SJW agenda is the 'low hanging fruit' of our age when it comes to comedy. It's easy to poke holes in their philosophy and the simple act of pointing out the faults in their reasoning is so easy that it becomes comedic to anyone observing.
But it stops being funny when you realize these people actually believe their own insanity and often get violent if you oppose their views. We live in interesting times, that much is certain.
4930226 The clever comics are the ones who manage a really subtle trope-inversion, where you can recognize exactly what's it's doing while the inversion isn't necessarily the focus of the story. It becomes incidental, part of the setting and background. But the ribbing 'I see what you did there' is present just enough to draw frequent smirks.
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Well alondro, I'd say the Hell Priest was less a sympathetic villian as he was a well written and acted one. Sorry for the confusion.
I do have a theory though as to comics... its partly what you guys have said, but also they know dick about western comics. I mean, I've seen shit I've only watched in kid anime! And so they've never grown past the teenage lol kawaii desu stage. the writers don't know dick about the western style comics, so they take the very next best thing, manga, but they don't know crap about that either, so they take anime, but they are not interested in adult-orientated anime (No, not those ones, you dinks. Ones like, say, Cowboy Bebop or Akira. Oh sure they've seen them, but they don't understand them. Something like Ghost In the Shell, which is heavily influenced by a western work, would probably make their brains pop like zits. And they'd probably skip Big O because eww, west cooties!) , so they take use only the childish anime.
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Actually I've seen a few childish anime. It's more accurate to say they're trying to stick with either a 'cartoons are for kids' mentality with zany plot-less antics or they try too hard to push their agenda with a plot that's a hollow shell with their message stuffed inside.
The kawaii desu kid anime actually has a better grasp on reality then the SJW 'artists'. Hell perhaps the best view on a non-standard family I've ever seen is Kobayashii's Dragon Maid yet I've seen to no SJW praise for as they're too busy getting enrages about how no-one likes the female Thor or some such.
But I suppose they'd find a fault with that too and I should be more happen they didn't notice something I loved.
4930433
Ehh... it really comes down to them believing kids are stupid. Not that their too young to be able to handle things. Just stupid. And since their evil, right wing, trump voting parents object to the usual means of mental ingress, or worse might inspire the grub to question the shit or worse still turn it off, they have to either dress it up or take something already well loved and have it espouse nonsense.
You know whats weird. Norse mythology really seems to sink up with sjw stuff. Loki getting knocked up by the frost giants stonker of a stallion, a cross dressing thor wedding (insert its a trap joke here).
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Well the Norse stories you're referring to are simply the well known ones because they're so absurd in regards to modern sensibilities. I'm pretty sure most SJW's would conflict with a culture that says dying in battle is the preferred way to die (TBH I think most SJW's have never considered the fact of their mortality and assume they're going to be here forever).
Also most SJW's seem to buy into the collectivist mindset that they cut just file people away in little categories and that they can appeal to people in those categories by following a simple checklist. And in some ways they're right, the tyrant majority of a group do usually live down to the standards the SJW's predict but they react poorly when someone goes against type or (le gasp!) has a unique opinion among their peers.
I think MiB summed up society best. " A 'person' can be smart and intelligent. But 'people' are stupid cowardly masses."
4930429 Well, he WAS sympathetic compared to the jackass main character in the story my blog discusses. And he was certainly more interesting.
4930433 I'm pretty darn conservative and even I like Dragon Maid.
Though... Quetzl is clearly a creepy pedo. We need to give her lethal injection! With Bleach! (You mean sodium hypochlorite! That's terrible!) No, I mean "Bleach". (That's... THAT'S INHUMAN, YOU INSANE BASTARD!!)
4930449 SJWs are in denial about everything regarding reality. As such, they live in a state of perpetual fear and anger as they cannot accept anything less than their vision of utopian perfection. And since this always fails, they only end up more enraged and fanatical.
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Yeah I'll agree that the skits with Lucoa made me uncomfortable, almost as much so as poor Shota. I think it had a lot to do with they over-sexualized her and effectively reduced her to the 'gag-boobs' character you see in a lot of harem series. Thing is I actually liked her character otherwise but ironically her massive bust wasn't attractive, just weird.
Of course now that I stopped to think on it I can already imagine an angle SJW's could use to attack the show using the way Kobayashii and Tohru conform to standard gender norms despite their non-standard relationship... Yeah I'm just gonna stick to being glad SJW's ignored something I liked.
4930488 Given how insane the Steven Universe fandom became... actually sending death threats to the creator because the lesbian themes weren't overt enough to satisfy them... yeah. Be very glad they haven't latched onto "Dragon Maid" yet.
If any of the SJWs finds it, we may have to kill them to stop them from informing the others.
It should be noted, I do not object to this course of action.
4930453
ehh... I'm not sure about that. Yeah, I can see how people see it that way, definitely. But remember they aren't human, and in terms of affection have all the subtlety of a bag of oatmeal to the face.
So, what may seem to dragons a bout of normal perfectly innocent behavior, such as Quotzl and Shota, would seem, at the very least inappropiate to humans. Keep in mind also she was removed from her position as goddess after a drunken bout of sister boinking, so its clear dragons do have some standards
4930488
Yeah, but luckily they have no one to complain too. They can't or won't address the matter because that would be racist because japan, and even if they did the whole of the Rising Sun will give a collective lack of fucks and just enjoy the story. And since there are gender norms in japan, and rather stringent ones at that, to them its seen as Kobyashi just going full circle in performing a male role and adopting male mannerisms to blend in easier.
And all the while the sjw seem blissfully ignorant of the japanese vehement racism because not white
4931462 Shota seems too coincidentally close to 'shouta' to me... (looks it up) Oh... oh... so 'shota' is the proper spelling and actually does mean... oh wow... they knew all along...
The Japanese are also not racist. They are simply aware of their superiority.
4931479
Always fun to see someone realize the joke.
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4931479
I think another problem is, well, frankly, animation and comics aren't taken as seriously as they are over across the pond. Its largely regarded as a kids thing.
Because bronies aren't a thing that happened. Ever. This is a lie. Your documentary does not exist alondro. Stop lying
4931857
True, anime and manga, even video games and light novels are all considered 'niche hobbies'. I don't agree that most countries still consider such things as 'childish' as much as I think they view them as very specific.
Unlike here where apparently all entertainment must be made fit for consumption by the masses and offend no one or else REEE!
4931921
Oh come now, its not like Japan is any better.
Japanese culture is specifically one against originality, and is one for the commitee approved and designed stock characters, tropes, and stereotypes. Why is obvious: it's cheaper to go safely into the same cookie cutter bog standard because of the viral nature of weeb culture constantly watching whatever is popular. Go to Japan right now and all the stores are marketing whatever is currently popular; anything that's even a few years old is nowhere to be found because its no longer the weekly flavor.
But the interesting thing is it isn't just because of the green; it's tied to culture.
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I wasn't saying that anime was exempt from 'flavor of the month' syndrome. In fact I agree and in recent years the concept of 'seasonal anime' has actually made it harder for me to find shows I like.
I can't really make any statements about current Japanese culture as I've never been nor do I have the means to. Even though I do accept the idea of them having a more traditional and 'group>individual' culture I can't say for certain as I've never been. /shrug
4931973
At least American entertainment dispensaries are at least honest outside the sjw circles.
Wanna see this in action? Look at nintendo. Mario a face. Thats it. They march him out because he makes money. Who has the personality? Luigi. Look at the Zelda franchise. Same generic dullard with no personality because it sells. Windwakers lauded and praised and Link has a personality, a bit of a dolt but in an endearing way. But his subsequent games sold dick, so out with the ocean water so goes he
4931857 Actually, the Japanese take their anime movies quite seriously. The film "Your Name" came out in 2016 and had one of the highest box office returns in Japan of all time. I think it was #4, which was just behind #3, Studio Ghibli's "Spirited Away". And overall it was the 8th highest grossing traditionally animated film ever.
But yes, bronies do not exist. It was all Russian trolls and bots...
RUN BY ME!! (Alondro is Vladimir Putin!!!)