Crane's blog :D

Writing Backlog:

Tsumugi-Darumi compare/contrast (can't be done until THL is complete)

Tokonalysis (ongoing)

DR Execution comparisons

Sakuranalysis

OC Backstory- Haru Suzuki

Leonalysis

Game Backlog:

DR2x2 (dropping everything to play this once it releases)

Rain Code (ongoing)

Kill/Cure Beautiful Vice (waiting on ch 1 release)

THL/Shuten Order (planning to alternate between routes) (THL- 3/21. Shuten Order- 0/?)

Kumitantei (if I take long enough I can play the full game 💀)

Character Analyses: Taka, Mondo, Sayaka, Hiro, Junko, Hifumi, Toko(WIP)

Asks are (almost) always open! Anons may go down for brief periods after I release a complete analysis though, for preventative measures. The analyses are meant to be as objective as possible, which means they go into some dark shit from time to time. DR is a dark series sometimes lol.

Transfem Chihiro propaganda: unreliable narrator, misogyny breakdown, personal interpretations,

My fav DR characters: Tsumugi Shirogane, Toko Fukawa, Sayaka Maizono, Komaru Naegi, Chiaki Nanami, Maki Harukawa, Akane Owari, Peko Pekoyama, Himiko Yumeno, Ryoko Otonashi, Kaede Akamatsu, Chihiro Fujisaki, Genocider Syo, Angie Yonaga, Jataro Kemuri

I am and always will be a "blue-haired girls VA'd by Dorothy Fahn in their localization" defender. Someone's gotta do it 🫡

My top 10 DR ships: Syo/Tokomaru, Komahinanami, Kuzupekowari, Sakuraoi, Junkan, Leosaya, Fujisaba, Shiromeno, Shinsai, Irumatsu

Fav QPR hcs: Fuyukane, Chifumi, Saimakimeno, Tsumiotaposter, Traffic-Light-Trio, Sakazome, Saimatsu

+ my sexuality and gender headcanons for anyone interested :D (update I now hc Shuichi as transfem)

My tags:

crane-talk: mostly either me talking about my writing. Usually has updates about my analyseries

crane-talks: same thing as above but there's an 's' at the end

crane campaign: I run a DnD campaign with some friends, and I like to yap about my evil DM plans that they don't know about. If you're one of my players, block this tag plz, ik at least one of you is on here <3

crane's perfect au: little rambles about my ideal Danganronpa au, including but not limited to Celeste Protag, Mikan Mastermind, Angie Antag, etc

dangancoffee: Starbucks orders themed after Danganronpa and fangan characters!

shsl love: any posts about Chiaki Nanami. She's literally the SHSL Love guys

crane's ocs: any posts talking about or drawing my ocs :D I have those btw

screaming at my moots: when I'm yapping about nothing in particular or complaining or whatever

crane-plays: me playing games for the first time and live posting & reacting, essentially

tddr: Danganronpa characters but they're on total drama Island. Why? Uh, for fun, mind your beeswax

crane-plays-2x2: a tag for specifically playing Danganronpa 2x2 once it drops. Be prepared! I will be screaming in digital public about this game >:)

crane-watching: for watching shows/movies instead of playing games. Currently watching the Pokemon anime (Indigo League)

Sideblogs:

@vi-gilante-1010 (Arcane fanfic & criticism)

@shsl-talent-tourney (tournament sideblog)

The Legendaries/Prophecy

This movie involves 4 legendaries- the 3 legendary birds from the first generation(Moltres, Zapdos, & Articuno) and Lugia, a Johto legendary. This movie came out before Gold/Silver, so having a new legendary on the big screen is one hell of a way to introduce it.

The 'core lore' of the movie centers around these 4 and how they're connected- the 3 we're familiar with all maintain balance over their respective islands, while Lugia resides deep underneath the sea until disaster calls it forth, and a classic 'ancient prophecy' is used to direct the story. Nothing wrong with a prophecy storyline, and the way they connect Ash to the prophecy by using his name while making it sound like "the world falls to ash" is a dooming prophecy until you as the audience member figure it out(it probably takes longer than the first time they say 'ash' if you're the target audience's age), or when Slowking spells it out for you.

Lugia is an interesting addition as a peacekeeper, and its direct collaboration with Ash & co. after finally surfacing immediately makes it feel heroic. In addition, the elemental connection to an apocalyptic doom unless the Ancient Orbs are collected and put into the Ancient Structure offer a lot of mystique.

The Collector (??)

The Collector's name was never stated in the movie, and he exists primarily so that there'll be an inciting incident for the prophecy to be set in motion. He's greedy, presumably very well-off and/or technologically gifted, and wants to collect all 4 legendary bird pokemon from the prophecy because special print cards aren't enough for the elite, I guess.

I have issues with this character. After accidentally scooping up the main cast, he just releases them into his sanctum despite them having already expressed hatred for what he's doing and have pokemon on them. They manage to free Moltres and Zapdos, and at that point, he just lets the birds keep fighting to wait for Lugia. We could assume this is due to the damages his massive floating castle's taken, but still, despite being the instigator, he disappears as the prophecy takes over until after Lugia's already been knocked out once before. When he attempts to capture Lugia, he fails, gets what remains of his ship blasted with a hyper beam(I think?), and picks up his Mew card from the wreckage. And that's... kind of it?

Everything about his involvement in the movie feels disconnected from the rest of the plot, and his character feels very devoid of purpose to me. He causes an apocalypse, loses what he gained through incredibly easy-to-avoid self-made circumstances, and then remains standing with his original collector's card after everything's said and done without so much as his name being said aloud. You could remove him from the plot and make the inciting incident be "the legendary birds will awake after X years" and virtually nothing would change. The birds would awaken and begin clashing, the power struggle would cause grand storms, their attacks can still hit Lugia and knock him (+ Ash & Pikachu) into the water. The only thing he could theoretically be adding is character, but they don't do anything with his character.

The only positive I could really give him is that human greed inciting the apocalypse is conceptually interesting, but considering how they lean into the clash and ensuing storms being more of a natural disaster affecting the weather and tides, even that feels like unnecessary excess.

Ash & Pikachu

Ash being the Chosen One in a prophecy story is about as clear-cut as you can get. Pikachu helping guide him through it as one of the many pokemon tuned into the shift in balance gives Pikachu something to do. There's not a whole ton I can say about it. It's kind of just A Prophecy Story. There's nothing wrong with a prophecy story. It just doesn't mean a whole lot for Ash as a character, or Pikachu as a character, or their bond. It's not a weakness, but for me, somebody who much prefers a story driven by the characters' aspirations and principles and connections than predetermind fate, it's not really a strength either.

Misty and Melody

Melody is actually the most interesting addition to this movie for me, as her role in the prophecy being something she claims to be uninterested in and yet knows everything about, even being the one to recognize and play Lugia's song and save it, is a good addition to the prophecy being an established part of the world and offers some layers to a character we aren't gonna get to see very much of. She's a modern day girl that treats her tradition as a chore, and yet when it comes down to it, she clearly valued it, or at least her sister/community, enough to learn the song and perform in the legend festival, and thus the prophecy itself.

Unfortunately, her other role is to push forward more tell-don't-show with Ash and Misty being pushed as a couple, which is getting sillier by the minute because you could've had her say absolutely nothing and Misty's fear for Ash and rushing in to save him several times over could've done that just fine in a way that was subtle enough to not make the movie required watching, but clear enough for her real feelings to cut through. Considering how much attention they put on her relationship with him specifically and turning Tracey into a cardboard cutout with a backpack, yeah, it shows without everyone and their mother telling them to prepare for marriage as 10 year olds.

Team Rocket

Finally, an aspect I have no complaints about! Team Rocket actually get involved in this one, as the second they learn what's going on, they immediately start helping Team Twerp free Moltres and Zapdos, and they end up saving Ash and Pikachu by rigging up helicopter parts to their lifeboat. It's honestly very sweet to see the three of them actually wanting to help for once, and excusing the desire to do good and be seen as good with "if the world ends, we can't commit crimes anymore!!" is very endearing. Yes, keep that front up with the 10 year old. You're very intimidating. Also, we got more fear hugs, and they include Meowth instead of having him screaming off to the side which is always welcome.

Tracey

is a cardboard cutout. You could remove him from the movie and literally nothing would change, like at all.

Final Thoughts

Talk about a downgrade. This is leagues below the Mewtwo movie in every non-Team-Rocket aspect. I mean, it's a passable movie, it's not like there are any glaring plot holes or inconsistencies that make it *bad* but it's kind of just A Movie That Exists, which sucks when the first one was so enjoyable to me. It's very middle of the road.

I believe the idea behind the movie was supposed to be that when the need arises, anybody can step up for the people around them, as is seen by the multitudes of pokemon showing up from across the world just in case they could help, Team Rocket's temporary turnaround for Ash, and the highlighting of Misty's feelings for Ash and their bond from her perspective. I don't think that's a bad message, and despite my gripes I would still let a 10 year old watch this. I just wouldn't get sucked in by accident.