#birdytalk

24.) Which professor is your favorite?

This is a bit of a tough one, and it depends on if we’re talking about the games or the anime!

If we’re talking about the games, then it’s a tie between Professor Juniper and Professor Burnet.

As far as Professor Juniper goes, I’m still salty that she was somewhat overshadowed by her father, who played a decently sized role in the plot and who often showed up to explain things that Juniper herself couldn’t. Call it what you will, but none of the other professors prior to her (or after her) had that happen, and they all just so happened to be male. So I was (am) a bit salty about that, but aside from that I really love Professor Juniper a whole lot. Aside from being our first female professor in the main series games, because of the way I’ve developed and extrapolated upon Unova’s plotline and characters, I’ve always seen her as sort of . . . perhaps not surrogate mother, exactly, since they all have parents already, but almost as like a surrogate aunt to the Nuvema Trio (+Blair to a lesser extent). She was their teacher, their mentor, and because Lea was in the class scolding was something she very often had to do, but she always did it with love. Juniper is encouraging and nurturing, while at the same time able to put her foot down and be stern when necessary (though not beyond reason). I love Professor Juniper, and I also love all the times we get to see her out at various places, exploring and learning. I thought that was really great!

But that said, I love Professor Burnet a lot too, and I’m super salty that she wasn’t the main professor in Gen VII, and that she didn’t have a larger role in the plot, given that her field of study is actually plot relevant and Kukui’s isn’t. Yeah, yeah, Z-Moves this, Z-Moves that---that’s easily a side professor’s field, whereas Burnet’s study into parallel dimensions is directly relevant to the Ultra Space / Beast plot. Aside from the fact that she has the coolest field of study ever, I really love Burnet as a character. She’s clearly career focused, she knows exactly what she’s doing and has a massive lab (bigger than Kukui’s!) to back it up, but she’s also very plainly warm and caring all the same. She’s the mother that Lillie (and Gladion!) never had, but deserved. Like Juniper, she was shafted, though she was at least allowed to have a career outside of male relatives / love interests, unlike poor Juniper who had to inherit hers from her dad. Still love her, though.

That said, those are the games. As far as the anime is concerned, Sycamore is my favorite. I LOVE ANIME!SYCAMORE. Aside from moments of comedy (e.g. blatantly lampshading that his lab always gets destroyed when Ash & Co. are around, being super forward with Meyer to the point where you have to wonder how his blatant come-on got past the censors, et cetera), he is Best Dad™ by far, and is exactly the father that Alan has always needed (and deserved). He’s understanding, nurturing, compassionate, and encourages Alan (and the other kids) to find their own way and learn at their own pace. He knows how to have fun with them, he can definitely do that (and I think that part of why he’s such a great father for Alan is that they share a lot of ideas about what fun is), but he’s also fantastic for more serious moments as well. While I’m still salty that he never got to save his son on screen (or hug him, for that matter, why does the PokéAni keep denying me these simple things), they did still have good moments as well, and I’m thankful for what we got, even if I wanted more (and I don’t feel a hug is asking for very much, I’m just saying). 

rocky road: favorite songs at the moment?

Ooh, okay . . . so honestly, I have so many favorite songs, but also a lot of them are ones that I’ve loved for ages and have thus shared before, so I won’t share them again. That said, some new(ish) ones that I’ve been listening to a lot lately are (and note: I can’t link the first two because YouTube removed them due to copyright claims, despite the fact that they’re covers):

“Again (English Cover)” --- Adriana Figeuroa, original by Yui

“I won’t give up on this journey I’ve started---no, there’s still so much to learn ahead.I will conquer the uncharted, and travel to where I am led.

“I woke up from a dream,still chasing after things not quite what they seemed.On narrow, winding roads,full of faces and people I had never known.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive enoughto think that things could ever be the same againas they once were.And though you’re strong, you’ll never understandthe way I feel, so give it up and don’t pretendthat you’re so sure.

“Every sin might as well be eternal.This burden is infernal.Is there a way to escape the pain that threatens to seize my light?I just wanna erase all the mistakes,write another story on a blank slate,hoping someday the truth I seek will finally come into sight.

“I wanna scream just to prove I’m alive,‘cause I’m ready to begin and I’m ready to try.No longer blind, I have finally opened my eyes---listen to my cry!I won’t play it safe, I’m going---I won’t stay.To repay the ones I love one day (I’m on the way).I’ll fight ‘til the end---I will be the one to rise again!”

Not only is the Japanese original one of my all-time favorite songs, but these English lyrics are p e r f e c t for Alan, so yeah, this song is definitely one that I’ve been listening to a lot lately, heh.

“Let It Out (English Cover)” --- Adriana Figueroa, original by Fukuhara Miho

“Let it all out, let it all out.You don’t have to think your heart is made of steel.Come away now from your own doubt.Like a flower of hope that’s growing in a field, you will heal.

“Although the road has changed you,and the world has often failed you,you’ve gotta carry on and show them you’re strong---you’ve gotta bury what is past and gone.Some days will be worse than others,but you’ve gotta find another way . . .

“Through pain and fear, and rain and tears,we will hold on to the light.We’ll chase the dawn that waits for usbeyond the darkest sky.Keep following that distant star,never walk away from who you are.Never forget that your future’s waiting up ahead.

“As seasons change, and rearrange,and the sands of time descend---as all your hope starts vanishing,you’ll always have a friend.In brightest day or darkest night,even if we have to say goodbye,you’ll be all right;I will always and forever be by your side.”

This is another case where I really love the Japanese original, and that I’ve always seen it as a comfort song, but these English lyrics are also perfect for a fandom I’m currently in (specifically, I always imagine this coming from Ash, directed at Alan, especially in this one AU I have for the pair of them), and as such I’ve been listening to it a lot lately. It’s literally qpp MegaBond in song form. I love it.

“Megalovania (Vocal Piano Cover)” --- Adriana Figueroa, original by Toby Fox

“Human child, depraved and vile,in your smile the terror of a killer.When you stand before the mirrordo you still hold your head high?

“Carved their sentence with a knife,stole the gift that they called life.So now you’ll stand and answer for yourself:Prepare for a living Hell.”

This is honestly my favorite Undertale cover out of all the ones I’ve heard. It’s downright chilling and I can’t help listening to it every single time it comes up on my iPod. It’s longer than the two verses I shared here, but these two are definitely my favorites. (Also: “So now you’ll stand and answer for yourself / Prepare for a living Hell” feels relevant for my Alola AU, To Devour the Sun, albeit much, much later in the fic. So. There’s that.)

“The World (English Cover)” --- Jonathan Young, original by Nightmare

“I made a promise for a change, a revolution in the night.Like a flower dark and blooming from my world, not light.I won’t let them interfere, I won’t allow them in my way.The world will know, the night will grow, it all begins today!

“I see the future and the fruit it brings;this town forgot its sense of reasoning.These ever-twisting days are blackening;the dark, it starts to turn into dreams!

“Please tell me why:Am I savior meant to save us all?The people cry;they want an end---a curtain call!

“I made a promise for a change, a revolution in the night.Like a flower dark and blooming from my world, not light.I won’t let them interfere, I won’t allow them in my way.The world will know, the light will grow, it all begins today!Some day, somehow, I’ll show the world in time:Replace these clouds above with shining sky!”

SO MANY COVERS, but this is a case where I actually prefer this English cover to the Japanese original, heh. It sounds so much more powerful and it’s so much fun to sing along to for that reason! Also, Light is so extra you know he would jam to this in his bedroom. Meanwhile his parents are just completely oblivious downstairs, and L’s suspicion percentage that Light is Kira rises by 2%.

“Running in Place” --- 10 Years

“The sounds bounce around, the noise just drowns me out.Too fast to focus, nothing is showing any sign of slowing down.Dreams fed to me in the form of a magazine.I can’t control it, channels have chosen what I’m supposed to be.

“It’s hopeless as far as I can see.There’s no rest, ‘cause we’re stuck on repeat.

“Stand here and wait for the world to finally stop running in place.Chasing after what we don’t need, keep running.I’ll stand here and wait for the world . . .

“For the world to finally stopchasing after what we want.Take it all away, flush it all away.We won’t change . . .

“I’ll stand here and wait for the world to finally stop running in place.Chasing after what we don’t need, keep running.I’ll stand here and wait for the world . . .

“For the world to stop, for the world to stop.For the world to stop, for the world to finally stop.”

So many of 10 Years’ songs are my Faves™, but this is the one that I’ve been listening to the most lately. That last verse really, really gets me. Although the song is by and large about society’s dependence on consumerism and how that drives us, I also feel the need for everything to just stop a little too strongly at the moment, so . . . I’ve been listening to this one a lot recently, heh.

THE BEST ACE ATTORNEY SHIP.

There are all of the obvious reasons to be pulled toward this ship---all of the obvious ship teases between them, from suggestive lines like Edgeworth’s infamous “unnecessary feelings” line, to the fact that Phoenix literally chose his career just because Edgeworth wouldn’t talk to him, and he knew that Edgeworth would have to talk to him in court. That is Extra™, even for Phoenix. But outside of all of the ship tease, the suggestions, and the parallels that exist within the series---outside of all of that, I think what you have at the end of the day is two characters who are, undoubtedly, each other’s equals, and who complement each other in such a way that they do make each other better.

To begin with, they are equals. Phoenix is a defense attorney while Edgeworth is a prosecutor. Although Edgeworth does make more money and has more “power” than Phoenix in the courtroom (in the sense that the cases are always weighted to favor the prosecution), that doesn’t directly affect Phoenix. Phoenix doesn’t have to answer to Edgeworth. To be honest, he doesn’t even have to work with him, although he chooses to because they’re stronger together (something both of them think about and acknowledge time and again). They’re the same age, so there isn’t an issue of power imbalance due to an age gap. And though Phoenix obviously wanted to reach out to Edgeworth when he saw that Edgeworth was suffering, and though Edgeworth credits Phoenix (and only Phoenix) with having saved him from his trauma, it’s clear that neither one of them has hero worship hangups, either. They see each other for who they are, clearly and without obstruction. They see, acknowledge, accept, and love each other for who they are, regardless of anything else.

And this is important, because they both need an equal partner, someone who they don’t have to take care of without being taken care of in return. Both Phoenix and Edgeworth need support in different ways; Phoenix very often flies by the seat of his pants and doesn’t think things through beforehand, and the fact that he’s a defense attorney (and then a disbarred attorney, and then a return-from-the-ashes defense attorney again) means that he doesn’t have a lot of clout in the legal system, even and especially when things are stacked to deliberately bring him down. Phoenix is smart, compassionate, and capable, but a lot of his strength comes from the connections he has, and the people around him who think things through even when he does not. Edgeworth provides that for Phoenix. He grounds him, not in a restraining way, but in a way that keeps him tethered to reality and safety when he might otherwise run off and create a disaster. Similarly, however, Edgeworth needs Phoenix’s support, because although Edgeworth has the rationale and power needed to get things done, he has been completely alone for the longest time, and has been battling his inner demons and traumas in solitude. Phoenix reaches out to him and gives him the support he needs for this. He, in Edgeworth’s own perception, is the one that saves Edgeworth from that. And most importantly, he doesn’t coddle Edgeworth through this. Phoenix is not afraid to call Edgeworth on his nonsense, or to continue helping even when Edgeworth tries to shut him down. And vice versa, Edgeworth is always there to give the truth to Phoenix when needed. Again, the fact that they are equals allows them to give this much needed support to each other. They’re compassionate when they need to be (and that goes both ways---Phoenix says in AA6 that he wouldn’t have made it through 6-5 without Edgeworth’s support), but they’re also firm and truth-telling when they need to be, no holds barred. They’re there for each other in their darkest hours.

And again, that’s canon! Phoenix is the one who saved Edgeworth in 1-4, when Edgeworth would have certainly been sentenced to death otherwise. (Note: Maya helped as well by getting herself held in contempt by challenging Lotta so that the trial would be prolonged.) And we know thanks to 5-5 that Edgeworth continuously worked to help Phoenix get his badge back behind the scenes. When things are at their bleakest, Phoenix and Edgeworth fall back on each other. They’re there for each other, even when logic and reason (two of Edgeworth’s most prized tools!) say otherwise. We’ve seen this, time and again, in canon.

And they enjoy spending time with each other, too! We know that they go to Trucy’s magic shows together (5-5), meaning that they clearly enjoy spending time with each other outside of court. We know that Edgeworth is a closet Steel Samurai fan, showing us his goofier, dorkier side (among many other instances of that). They have things to bond over and enjoy together, meaning that their relationship isn’t all serious and drama all the time. They clearly enjoy each other’s company, even outside of that.

With all of this said, this is still very clearly a slow burn relationship---and I love that. I love it not only because it has to be (Edgeworth pulls his stupid “Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death” stunt right after 1-5, and then he’s in an out of the country for a long while after that), but also because it makes the most sense for both of these characters. Edgeworth has been emotionally closed off from others for so long that learning how to open up enough for friendships is new to him. He’s socially awkward because he was socially isolated, and this means that leaping right into a romantic relationship is not in his best interest. But this is great for Phoenix, who was severely burned (and dare I say traumatized) thanks to the Dahlia fiasco. Phoenix loved her, however foolishly, and yet she was willing to frame him for murder without a second thought. True, it was actually Iris that he was dating, but that doesn’t matter because he didn’t know that. He thought she was Dahlia. And I think that the entire experience with Dahlia soured and scarred him for a long time, so that during the time frame of the original trilogy, he wasn’t ready for a relationship yet either. (And then with everything that happens with his disbarment, well . . . I could see them beginning to seriously date starting with the second trilogy. It honestly might take them that long and, tbh, I’m okay with this. I approve it, even.)

not my favorite │ average │ cute │ adorable │ best │ ultimate fave

HMMM, this is another tough one . . . but I think I’m probably going to have to go with Higashizawa. 

It’s not that Higashizawa is a bad character, per se, it’s just that I find him to be somewhat forgettable (fun fact, I had to google “the world ends with you ram crotch” just to remember what his name was orz), and I also feel like he was perhaps a bit . . . too gimmicky? Like, several of the characters (and especially Game Masters) have their gimmicks; Minamimoto, for instance, is obsessed with math and trash art, and it shows. But even then, Minamimoto’s math obsession feels like a believable quirk of his character. He still feels like a character despite speaking in math puns and math related insults. With Higashizawa, on the other hand, his food puns felt forced. It didn’t really feel like a believable part of his character, but rather something they shoved in there in lieu of an actual personality. He had some interesting bits to him, like how he wanted to take advantage of Shiki’s jealousy in order to try and dismantle her will to fight even before the final battle, but in the end he’s just not as interesting, fun, or useful as the other characters. I’m more likely to think about the Reaper Review reaper than I am to think about Higashiawa. (Like a bolt from the blue . . .)

So yeah, Higashizawa is probably my least fave. Sorry, Ram Crotch. :/

I didn’t totally hate it, but I agree that the mermaid episode was a waste of time. I would have much rather had some actual meaningful development for lance and hunk instead of just relegating them to comic relief

Yes! Like, I have nothing against Lance and Hunk as characters, and I wouldn’t have minded them having an entire episode to themselves if the episode in question was important. Because here’s the thing: At any given point, a narrative should be doing one of two things:

Advancing the plot

Developing the characters

Ideally, your narrative should be doing both at the same time, but in a twenty-two minute episode of a cartoon aimed primarily at children that’s not always possible, and I accept that. So if Lance and Hunk had an entire episode to themselves (which they did), then it either should have advanced the plot somehow (e.g. maybe they crashed on another planet that needs Voltron’s help, maybe they crashed on another Galra base, who knows!), or it should have developed their characters, and in particular their relationship to each other.

Because as interested as I am in Shiro and Keith’s backstory, and as much we already know what Lance and Hunk’s relationship was prior to the show beginning (they were friends/squadmates), we could still see their relationship develop more! We don’t necessarily need more flashbacks to their garrison days (though I wouldn’t say no to that), but we could perhaps learn how they’re each feeling about their friendship now that they’re part of Team Voltron, we could have them open up to each other more about being homesick, we could see them bond and grow closer, or even squabble if they feel like there’s been some distance between them (e.g. they seem to have been best friends prior to this, so maybe Hunk feels as if Lance has been ignoring him lately due to his intense focus on his rivalry with Keith + his hero worship of Shiro + his attraction to Allura; conversely, maybe Lance that Hunk has been mostly disengaged from what is going on, because he doesn’t see where Hunk is coming from, doesn’t really get his perspective, or feels that Hunk doesn’t understand and is judging him). If we were going to stick them somewhere where the plot couldn’t be advanced, fine, but in that case we should take the opportunity to advance their characters, to learn more about them as individuals and as friends/teammates, especially since, like I said, we get the feeling that they were each other’s best friend prior to the plot thrusting them into an intergalactic war with no hope of returning home for the foreseeable future. (And since they’re the only two we know of that still have families back on Earth, that’s a pretty big deal and something they could commiserate with together! But nope, apparently that was impossible. We had to waste an entire episode on mermaids instead.)

right?? once I got five hard stones and a pearl and that was IT