Blade-Liger-4ever

Thou meanst to say . . . there are mutuals . . . who fain decline to shew right loylety to each other in time of need . . .?

(stares into the middle distance with horror and disgust)

(resumes sharpening sword more forcefully)

”Let no hardship turn you from the path of righteousness. Stand firm in Christ, and fear no foe.”

Saint George and the Dragon (1889-1890)

As you know, every now and then I get dragged back into Transformers Universe for a while after seeing others post/talk about it. This usually compels me to watch a gameplay or some videos (or fall into a rabbit hole), my personal favorite is Sooo Mungry’s Autobot/Decepticon tour where he shows all of the characters bios and voicelines.

Usually, I just read their bios and listen to their voice lines as background noise (while trying to think of a VA for them, just for fun). Though, now I’ve decided to focus on the Playstyleand Warrior Balance(consisting of Offensive, Defensive, and Utility, ranked via an “/10” scale)…and I found something that PLEASANTLY shocked me.

Before you watch the video (or just put it at 2x speed tbh), guess which TFU Autobot has the strongest Offensive/Offense? Here’s the video.

Not gonna lie, but I genuinely thought that bots like Front–Line, Monsoon, Showdown, or Ripraw would score higher in the Offensive category (for obvious reasons). But surprisingly, they score (in order): 6, 5, 4, and 5. No shade to him, but I thought Showdown would’ve scored higher.

Though, we do need to consider their “Classes”. According to TFU’s Class Guide, Front–Line’s a Supressor, Showdown’s a Guardian while Monsoon and Ripraw are Soldier class. Each class has their own explanations (and are pretty in–character for a lot of the cast, like Showdown as a Guardian just fits) for why certain characters have certain stats. While I don’t agree with some stats (the fact that Triage only has 2/10 Offensive is CRIMINAL. Methinks he should be higher), the rest are pretty reasonable.

But with that being said, if those 4 aren’t the ones with the highest Offensive/Offense…then WHO is?

So, the Autobot with the highest Offensive/Offense stat…IS NONE OTHER THAN SWAGGER HIMSELF, AKA THE TWO–WHEELER SAMURAI, WITH A WHOPPING 8/10.

If you listen closely, you can hear the EXACT moment my JAW DROPPED TO THE FLOOR.

Though, I think it’s important to note that Offensive ≠ Physical Strength (because if that were the case, those 4 I mentioned earlier would’ve ranked WAY higher), but more so Offensive = DPS (Damage Per Second AKA Damage Dealers). But that ASIDE, TFU/Jagex seems to support the idea of Swagger as a strong DPS. According to the article/news, apparently, THOUSANDS of TFU players were told to vote for a DPS for the Autobot team…and SWAGGER was SELECTED.

In short? This guy is CRAZY STRONG AND IS 100% READY TO TAKE ON THE DECEPTICONS. Makes you wonder the kind of training regimen Drift subjected him under…*shivers*.

But honesty, it checks out. The ‘cons were responsible for his father’s death and his Master’s abandonment of him sudden disappearance. They’ve taken away the TWO bots that are important to him. NO WAY Swagger wouldlet them off easy. While he tries his hardest to obscure his anger by keeping up his cockiness/arrogance, sometimes, the “mask” slips when some battles against the ‘cons get “heated”. As a result, Swagger would get borderline aggressive in such cases.

Though, there’s a downside. Despite having the highest Offensive/Offense among the Autobots…Swagger has, unfortunately, the LOWEST Defensive/Defense at just *checks notes*…1/10.

Yikes.

((Note: An interesting tidbit I found is that Swagger’s Offensive and Defensive stats are nearly the complete opposite of Meltdown’s. So, Meltdown’s Offensive is 1/10…while his Defensive stats are NEARLY MAXED OUT AT 9/10.

The mental imagery of Swagger being frustrated at Meltdown for closing his optics whenever he shoots his missiles/beam gun at a ‘con (thereby missing at times), and Meltdown having spark attacks 24/7 whenever Swagger’s deployed in battle (because the kid has ZERO DEFENSES), is pretty funny, heh.

Another interesting tidbit is that, on the Decepticons’ side, Swagger shares a similar Offensive and Defensive stats with Duststorm. Her Offensive is at 7/10, the highest of the Leviathan crew, while her Defensive also sits at 1/10, the lowest of the crew. And here’s the kicker; both Duststorm and Swagger are both from the Interceptor class, AKA “highly–destructive” bots. Yeah, their Offensive stats make much more sense now. I know we rarely touch on them, but seeing them clash would be pretty interesting…))

But all jokes aside, the two contrasts between his Offensive and Defensive suits him scarily well imho. Swagger may not be the physically strongest of the Arclight crew, but he CAN dish out a LOT OF DAMAGE (courtesy of his martial prowess and weaponry), if need be. But at the same time, he needs to be careful.

There’s a general HC/observation floating around that Two–Wheelers are, for lack of a better word, “glass cannons”. For reference, look no further than the many times Arcee got one–shotted and KO’d by hits/attacks, with her also needing longer time to recover. Bottom line is that smaller/lighter frames are more vulnerable to attacks

That aside, I do recall seeing Swagger being referred as a “glass cannon” in some forums (and his playstyle…also reflects that tbh). He’s NOT weak (in fact, I HC him to have a scarily high pain tolerance), it’s just that… his frame isn’t as sturdy as the other non–Two–Wheeler crewmates, is all.

But he’s not backing down without a fight! He could handle getting injured, really!

Triage, kneeling down: What happened?

Swagger, slurring a bit with a gash on his side: ‘s no biggie. Fought her off.

Macro, serious: Diabla’s Venom Arm Blades happened. That’s what.

Triage: …”No biggie” my AFT! Help me carry him to the Medbay! NOW!!!

On a more serious note, while we know how Swagger’s now living out of sheer spite and that he’s holding on to everything and everyone he has right now with a death grip…I think that some of his extreme gung–ho nature can be attributed him having the Bushido code ingrained within him stemming from Drift’s tutelage (specifically the “fight to the end” belief/mentality). But as we’ve also talked about, Swagger’s the kind of Samurai that follows his own code after his Master’s departure. In this case, he will meet any challenges head on (even if it means putting down his life in the process)…but at the same time, he wants to keep going. To be there when Drift returns and to stand with the Arclight crew.

(While his intentions are noble and honorable…you best believe that Doubletake, Limelight, and Showdown are all keeping an eye on him. Heck, in a display of Two–Wheeler solidarity, Cameo and Wildcard might also be in on it. Swagger might grumble and complain a bit from their focus…but deep down, he appreciates their care and concern. But good luck making him admit that).

Hope you don't mind my Swagger-centric ramblings, Blade! Because really, the more info I find about him, the more I grow to respect him (and that I thank Jagex for creating a VERY interesting character). You could tell they put a LOT of thought into him, even if the evidence isn’t as obvious, but that’s what makes connecting–the–dots all the more fun, hehe.   

But anyways, that’s all from me, Blade! Thank you very much for reading, and I look forward to your thoughts! Happy weekend!

Hi Jazzi! It's going well so far, thank you. I hope yours is treating you well too!

Nice. I should look more into the footage, too - and you know what, I think I'll make a fan-cast post for the crews some time. I might even link videos to the names as a general voice ref for how I envision them myself.

Neat! I definitely need to go back and watch their promo/gameplay vids myself. It's fun!

This all fits most of the crew (though I'm biased in thinking Monsoon should be in the Medic class thanks to his bio - though Demolisher might also fit), but if anything I feel Triage should be in the Hybrid or Demolisher class. The man is too feral and unhinged for simply the Medic class, imo.

.....holy shoot kid, you don't mess around!

Though that really makes sense. Between his musculature, hard life, and general disposition, Swagger is going to gear himself toward dishing out heavy damage to his opponents. Not to mention, if you stop and think about it, Two-Wheelers are naturally small and light, so they'd either have to fight from a distance constantly or specialize in dealing out speedruns of death.

Oh yeah! But DPS/Damage Dealers makes sense for the likes of Swagger; it's not quite like the paladin class I hear of in D&D, but the Guardian class is the Transformers: Universe equivalent of the paladin because they're both tanks. And as we can see here, Swagger can deal damage but can't take it himself (1/10 defense, ouch.)

Woo! Atta boy Swagger! You made the cut my guy!

But yeah, the training (and diet probably) from Drift definitely was intense for Swagger to eventually be able to deliver such brutal attacks to the Decepticons. They'd better watch out when he's on the field, even if he isn't a physical powerhouse like Showdown. If a battle ever got heated and fury guided Swagger (while not blinding him *cough*Arcee*cough*), then there's likely both gonna be dead bodies and a few critical injuries on our boy.

(Oh. Now that makes Meltdown a bit more interesting - I'm a little tired of conscientious objectors in fiction, but now that you point that out, that's hilarious! XD

Oh wow. So not only are the Interceptors what Universe calls their Glass Cannons, but Swagger and Duststorm are the only ones in the game who qualify for the trope. Now that'd be an interesting 1v1...)

It is indeed a perfect contrast, especially with his personality in mind. Swagger's an aggressive combatant who specializes in heavy damage, but at the cost of defense. He definitely needs to be buddied up with with likes of Showdown in a battle.

(Ngl, I thought he did a burnout on her for a few seconds after this scene.)

Yeah that should have been instant death.

.....Why didn't she move -? Oh right, it's Miss Attack On Sight *rolls eyes*

Yep, accurate depiction of a Glass Cannon getting lasered.

I have many concerns about both Arcee's inability to MOVE when an unstoppable force is heading her way as well as how often the writers made it a point of her getting her teeth kicked in.

Okay, THAT'S funny!

But yes, the Glass Cannon can deal out pain, but can't take it themselves. As evidenced too by the ease with which you can ragebait Arcee

Oh by no means is Swagger weak. He's just not physically the strongest/most durable. His pain tolerance however, that's another matter (of Spark attack for Meltdown and yelling matches between him and Triage).

Doubletake: Henceforth, we're taking rotations on who gets partnered up with Swagger during a battle. Literally anyone just stick by him like Terran superglue until the battle's over.

*everyone nods as Triage growls over Swagger as he repairs him*

Yeah, despite his death grip on what little he has left, despite Swagger holding on out of sheer spite against the universe, a lot of it is the Bushido code Drift imparted to him. Fighting until the end was likely always his sort of thing, but it got dialed up a notch when he began his training, and then Drift's disappearance made him go a little overboard. But he has real friends now - a real chance at being reunited with Drift. So he'll keep fighting to the end, but he still wants to be around to see his mentor again.

(Oh yes, they're all keeping an eye on him! Swagger's still their friend/teammate, they're gonna make sure he doesn't go dying on them. Cameo and Wildcard would absolutely help out in that, and though Swagger complains about it, he oddly never pushes them away from their self-appointed duty. So far though, no one has gotten him to admit that he appreciates their care.)

I don't mind at all, Jazzi! I just hope I answered your ask properly - I know I didn't answer in proper order. Swagger is such a fun character, and you gotta love how Jagex put so much thought and effort into him (as well as the others, of course.) Indeed, being able to connect the dots makes the trips to Transformers: Universe all the more fun!

You're welcome, and I hope I satisfied with my answers! Who knows, maybe I'll manage to make some observations of my own soon!

Though, I hope you don’t mind my lengthy reblog, and please reblog/reply at your pace! Swagger is that interesting of a character, I’m afraid.

Anyways, a fan–cast of the crew sounds super interesting! Since I’m loving Taylor Gray as Swagger (as you mentioned elsewhere) I’m looking forward to your takes on the rest!

I see your vision with Medic Monsoon! The “he’ll bring life back to his wilting allies” is very medic–coded, and it’d be neat to have a medic with a non–emergency vehicle alt–mode.  But most importantly, I’d love to see the “big guy” as a medic for once! Though, I do think he’d need Meltdown and Triage’s assistance in treating/operating on smaller bots tbh (plus, someone also has to be the emotionally stable one among the medic trio imho)

I completely agree with you on Triage. While the Hybrid description fits him better…I vote for Demolisher Triage. Besides, the contrast between Triage’s Ambulance alt–mode and his Demolisher role is VERY interesting!

“Speedruns of death” is a VERY apt description for Swagger’s playstyle. Though, lethal as he may be towards the Decepticons, it’s VERY concerning that he apparently “sacrifices his shield to inflict heavy damage on enemies”. The fact that the game specifically notes that Swagger DROPPED his Defenses in favor of INCREASING Offense is CRAZY.

(When his decision was made known/found out, Monsoon had to keep both Meltdown and Triage from fainting and flying into a fit of rage, respectively)

Like you said, Swagger does NOT mess around. Even his combat ready stance screams, “Come at me!”

(Note: This is out of topic but…I’m looking at Swagger in the “Dream Team” picture, and I realized that he and Smokescreen share the SAME optics, especially their blue “scleras” and “irises”. You think that a more insecure part of Swagger’s mind ever wondered if Drift specifically chose him because of how much he resembled Smokescreen…? If Drift truly saw him as himself and not a mirror of her biological son? Okay, I’ll stop).

Mhm, you can say that again. While Drift did raise and cared for Swagger…she also “created”  a weapon in the process. Given that Swagger shares Drift’s disdain towards the Decepticons (and his trauma of losing his father)…the ‘cons are gonna get it.

(Note: Honestly, I HC Swagger as someone quips a bit during combat, mostly to keep up the arrogant/cocky persona. He has in–game victory lines where he says, “Bang! Bang! You’re Gone!” and “Did ANYONE see that?” after defeating an enemy. Though, conversely, one of the signs he’s furious is if he suddenly got quiet and LOCK IN. He might also pull something borderline violent like this).

While Drift’s training made him unnaturally strong (for a Two–Wheeler), even Swagger has his limits. Poor guy probably passed out on the field on more than once due to injury and/or overexertion (he’s a “regular” at the Medbay, much to the medic trio’s dismay).  

Out of frustration, Triage once yelled, “Do you want to DIE that BADLY?!”. But when Swagger just stared at him, without his usual complaints or denials before quietly averting his gaze…oof. And when it’s revealed that the young bikeformer is ACTUALLY a Samurai, and was the student of former Decepticon Drift…suddenly, everything made sense.

Triage would apologize, and Swagger would be genuinely surprised…before huffing a little and saying something like, “It’s alright, ‘doc. I don’tblame you. I’ll try to be more careful, but…you know I can’t promise that.” For once? Triage could only sigh. Nothing he could do about an ingrained mindset, after all. But what he CAN do is to patch the kid up like he always does.

(Note: I know, right?! Meltdown’s interesting if you make him act like his namesake, as in he STRUGGLES to be calm because his fellow crewmates’ antics often leave him on the verge of a meltdown. That said, I HC him and Triage as having high energon pressure. Be nice to your medics, guys…

Yep, interceptors are the Glass Cannons of TFU. If these two ever clash, I thinkDuststorm would focus on putting as much distance as possible, while Swagger intends to close the distance. The rage in their sparks towards each other’s factions doesn’t help. It’d be an interesting and intense fight, for sure).

TFU stuff aside…*sighs*. We’re not huge fans of TFP Arcee, but even WE know how severely OOC for her to MOVE TOWARDS AN INCOMING ATTACK. Given the writers’ favoritism, you’d think they’d either make her magically tank said attack or dodge it via flips…but instead, they insist on showing her getting beaten up, which is bizarre and weird imho.

You could say that again. Whether they’d admit it or not, Glass Cannons have to be SELF–AWARE of their fragility/vulnerability and NOT engage in unnecessary fights/confrontations. Take a LOT of notes, Arcee.

Having a high pain tolerance isn’t necessarily a good thing. You may be used to it, but that doesn’t mean your teammates/medics won’t have a collective spark attack at the amount of energon you’re losing…

On a lighter note, while the Arclight crew is definitely keeping an eye on Swagger…I can’t help but imagine Doubletake specifically appointing Macro to physically remove Swagger from the battlefield, if need be. Why Macro? One, he has a Camouflage Shield (which comes in handy as they retreat). And Two, Macro knows how to take Swagger’s mind off of the fact that he has to “retreat”. Which leads to point three, Macro’s allowed to be a menace when Swagger’s getting  too mouthy about being “saved”.

Swagger: What the FRAG, Macro?! BRIDAL STYLE? You know how dishonorable I look right now?!

Macro: Honor, shmonor. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re injured, and you’re bleeding a LOT.

Swagger: Yeah, that’s what happens when you’re OUT ON THE FIELD! Anything else you wanna add, Captain Obvious?

Macro, smirking: Only that Doubletake ordered me to get you out of here. No buts, little samurai.

Swagger: Ugh. Again? But I was–”LITTLE SAMURAI”?! I’LL BREAK YOUR KNEECAPS AND I’LL KILL YOU!!!

Macro, chuckling as Swagger repeatedly hits his chassis with his fists: Heh. Works every time.

But anyways, you summed up Swagger’s journey perfectly, Blade! One would assume he’s a Death Seeker…but he isn’t, really. Giving it his all and risking his life when fighting is just…second nature. But it DOESN’T mean he’s throwing away his life just like that. He is NOT leavinghis found family, and he is NOT abandoning the chance to reunite with his master…not when he’s already waited for SO long.

Okay, I think I’ve rambled quite enough. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you’re having a great day, Blade! :D

(P. S. Since we’re talking about Swagger, and that you've also mentioned/tagged me in songs…hear me out. A while ago, I found this song, and for some reason, it really reminded me of him tbh.

I think the beginning really represents Swagger’s depressive spiral after Drift abandoned him. I’m not very familiar about the religious aspects of Transformers, but I personally interpret the chorus part as of someone that is  forsaken by everything/everyone. That said, I’ve also heard that Transformers tends to depict Drift as spiritual…if so, maybe your Drift also imparted some of her spiritualism to Swagger? And that, following her departure, he also underwent some kind of a spiritual/personal crisis…?)

I don't mind, and thank you! Yep, Swagger is just that fascinating of a dude, never mind the writing potential he opens up.

I'm glad to hear it! I'll be writing it out later methinks, and Taylor Gray has the ability to deliver lines with the right level of sass and pain as the dialogue requires that fits perfectly with Swagger's character.

Thanks! That means a lot! Yeah, and given the Decepticon medics all have varying alt-modes, it'd only make sense for some Autobot medics to not always line up with the ambulance alt-mode image. Good point: between the two extremes that are Meltdown and Triage, you need someone to be the calm one. And I can see Triage and Meltdown being more experienced with surgery/otherwise having the proper servos for "delicate work" with either small patients or smaller wounds.

Thanks! And honestly? Demolisher Triage just fits that guy. Hybrid makes the most sense, but not nearly as much as Demolisher fits with how I've always just envisioned Triage chasing after a Decepticon with his defibrillators while screaming at the top of his lungs XD.

Thank you! Oh. Oh man, that kid needs some serious help, or at least back up. Willingly/consciously ditching defenses in favor of increased offense capabilities....yikes.

(Yep. I'm sure Monsoon would, and it's only because of his ginormous build that he was able to hold back Triage - and even then, that was a struggle because Meltdown probably nearly collapsed right then and there.)

Oh yeah. He's locked in and ready for a fight.

(Oh. Oh snap, I just saw that too - even their faces are similar. Swagger would definitely be asking himself these questions once he and Smokescreen meet....ouch, poor boys.)

See, people like Drift can and will do a good job of caring for and raising a child, but much like Batman, that child will be a force of nature unto him/herself once grown. Swagger's no different, and if anything, he'd be a lot like Jason Todd, but slimmer [@somereaderinblue in case you want a bit of Batfamily added into the mix, even if only for a descriptor.]

(I can see that too! I don't like the "hip" voice/voicelines they went with, but Swagger is just that sassy. Him getting quiet during a battle is a surefire way to get the team realizing "something ain't right" before Swagger starts dropping bodies by the dozens. Hahaha, yeah I'm not sharing that pic, but that sounds about right.)

Definitely. The aggressive ones always end up seeing the medic(s) the most - and the medical officers would Not Be Happy to see Swagger there almost 24/7.

It's not a pretty picture that the Arclight crew put together after Swagger's uncharacteristic silence following his latest appointment with Triage, but it makes undeniable sense to everyone.

Yep! They'd make amends, each in their own way, but between Swagger's "no guarantees" and Triage's better than average knowledge of ingrained mindsets (maybe he's a head surgeon? Lol wouldn't that be funny!), all Triage can do is keep putting the poor kid back together.

(Yes! Exactly! Oh man the visual of Meltdown seconds away from falling apart is both funny and saddening. Yes, those two definitely have high energon pressure. Yes, be nice to your medics guys - ESPECIALLY since they know how to incapacitate y'all....

Ooooo, totally! Man, that'd be an intense fight alright [hey I rhymed!])

Indeed.....and yeah, this is just flat out weird and borderline disturbing to me now. Moving on.

Yes Arcee, please take notes on how ACTUAL GLASS CANNONS HAVE TO OPERATE ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE.

That is true too. Triage would probably be the only medic not losing fifty or more years of his life in that moment simply because he copes by getting angry.

That is an excellent point! Macro, between his weapons/gear and his combat experience, would be the ideal "retrieval man" for hauling Swagger off the field (yes, let Macro be a menace!!!)

LOL, I love that exchange!!! Thank you for it!

Thank you, I'm glad I did. Swagger's lost plenty, but that just means the little he has left is going to give him all the more reason to stay alive - even if it means going to lengths in battle that will scare the daylights outta his teammates.

That's fine, this has been fun! You're welcome, it was a pleasure as always to read. Thanks, and I hope you have a good day, too! :D

(P.S. That's a good point, and the song does fit Swagger pretty well tbh. Drift is usually a spiritual person, and given how too, in my take, she's turned her whole life around after doing a lot of bad things, it'd make all the more sense for her to become spiritual. She likely did impart a fair bit of it to Swagger as a result, and he likely would have had a crisis, material and spiritual, once she left.)

I personally didn't hear much of a hopeful theme, but I was/am distracted. But I do like it, it does fit Swagger - and now that you mention it, I think Swagger would primarily enjoy electronic/synth songs.

who’s your celebrity crush?

are you single or taken?

rant. just do it

do you think its ok to separate the artist from the art?

how many accounts do you have?

how many pairs of shoes do you have?

opinion on… (specify to the person you’re asking to)

how many accounts do you follow?

favorite brand of clothing?

name a dog

what unusual talent do you have?

what’s the most interesting schools gossip you’ve ever heard?

ever prank called a store?

what’s your coffee order?

what’s a question do you constantly get asked?

if you had to get a tattoo right now, what would you get and where?

google the top song from the year you were born

rant about your favorite musician 

what’s your favorite teacher you’ve ever had?

describe your blog in 3-5 words

what’s a conspiracy you believe in?

if you could see any concert tonight what would you choose?

if you could break one of your bad habits which would you choose?

can you dance? sing?

what’s something you can’t stop buying?

crowds or small groups?

how long before a trip do you pack?

what celebrity would you rate a PERFECT 10?

what quote or inspirational setting do you think is bs?

if you had to dye your hair an unnatural color right now, what would you choose?

you can change one thing about your life right now. what are you changing?

how old do you get mistaken for?

what do you think about a lot

do you like your hogwarts house or do you wish you were a different one?

what does home mean to you?

what do you think you’d be arrested for?

have you ever been called down to the principals office?

post a picture of the outfit you would choose if you could have any outfit you wanted

describe your aesthetic

answer with one of your ‘school memes’ (inside jokes you have with your class/grade) with no explanation 

Thank you for tagging me, @galaxymagitech.

Last Song: I've been listening to Moonlight Densetsu a lot recently.

Favorite color: Purple, with blue as a second favorite.

Last book: The Torch That Ignites the Stars (Arcane Ascension book 3) by Andrew Rowe

Last game: Phase 10

Last show: Doctor Who (specifically, The Curse of Peladon)

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Sweet

Relationship: Single (I'm too focused on school at the moment)

Last thing I googled: Random thing generator, because I'm setting up a Sims 2 neighborhood and wanted to randomly pick aspirations, personality, and turn-ons/offs for some sims.

Last song: I Need an Hero, by Bonnie Tyler

Favorite color: blue, followed by pink and purple

Last book: "My London", by Simonetta Agnello Hornby

Last game: Snake (google version)

Last show: NCIS

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: sweet

Relationship: single

Last thing I googled: Tv tropes druids

Last song: I think it was Automatic Singer's SG Megatron song "Hunger for Justice".

Favorite color: Red!

Last book: I think it was Wings of Starlight by Alison Saft.

Last game: N/A.

Last show: The Legend of Calamity Jane. 'Tis very good!

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Uh...yes? Depends on my mood I think.

That one is nobody's business

Last thing I googled: ...........I think it was Anson Mount?

Last song: PREP – Cheapest Flight

Favorite color: Blue

Last book: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (borrowing it from a friend atm)

Last game: Genshin Impact

Last show: Our Blooming Youth

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: All three tbh, but I’m leaning more towards savory

Relationship: In this economy???

Last thing I googled: “Do instrumental OSTs count as songs?” for the first question. The answer was no

Another thing and I find this one chilling is that they warned us what TV for kids would become when it was censored, obsessed with "good messaging" and being nothing more than a distraction than an actual show. In other words... what kid's TV has become now. I am not saying TV back in the day was perfect. Stereotyping, gender role casting and keeping certain groups invisible was wrong, but a show should be a show and some of them aren't meant to educate.

Kids like to escape reality too and be kids. They want to laugh, play and pretend. And they should. They're kids after all. I find the obsession with making all kids' media educational and wholesome actually made it less intelligent and worse for their intellect especially when you take the blinding bright colours, the artificial dialogue and constant excitement into account.

It's why I find G1 Transformers was in fact wholesome for small children. Optimus Prime along with many of the other characters actually acted like adults and walked the walk. And even that series had moments of calmness which is saying a lot for an action series. Heck, even the action seemed... calm. The bots aren't running around screaming and brawling. The fighting is precise, strategic and professional like a duel. They wait for their chance to strike and take aim. It is NOT mindless violence. Yes, it's still action, but it's nearly as much "sugar" as there is in the much more censored modern kids media. Even the colour palette was calmer and more soothing as was the music which was orchestral with trumpets, violins, pianos, flutes and just a touch of techno. Plus, the tempo was calmer. And I can prove it. Here is the opening of the Transformers G1.

And here is the intro of the show Puppy Dog Pals which is not even an action series.

The contrast is like night and day with a hint of irony. A show that is actually an action cartoon is calmer than a show that's just meant to be cute. This is why I also banned shows like Puppy Dog Pals. They are like psychological straight up sugar. At least you get something "nutritious" out of old shows like G1 Transformers like life lessons, a story with a plot, actions with consequences, and moments that make you stop and think.

Don't get me wrong. Some modern media gets it right and some old cartoons like Tom & Jerry are clearly not something for small children, but a lot of the new stuff has work to do and I will not let my son watch it. A wholesome cartoon isn't one that is devoid of all violence and seriousness. It's one that is actually speaking to the child audience and working with them rather than just being a distraction.

It's why also cartoons like G1 Transformers still hold up. It was and still is great with kids and it's good for them.

Cybertron, the Pony World, the world of Jem and the Holograms and the version of the USA in GI Joe, they aren't just escapes. They're actual worlds and yes, the fact that they are structured matters.