#character defense

Hello, fellow humans. Welcome to the Curiouser Chronicles!

It has been a long time since I last posted! Before I begin, I'd like to thank everyone who has liked, reblogged, and supported my work, or followed me recently. I've seen an explosive uptick in my follower count- not that it matters, because I'm not doing this for followers; I'm doing it for the love of the work- but it means a lot anyway that people are enjoying my work and writing so much.

My return post is going to be an opinion piece, one that I think is long overdue. I see people hating on Rook quite a lot, and today, I'm going to defend my favorite, eccentric hunter as best as I can. I hope that you enjoy this post!

As a reminder, my inbox is open! I cannot guarantee I'll be able to respond to everything, but I'd still love to hear from you!

Introduction: Eccentric, Yes- But Not Malicious.

People who dislike or hate Rook often point to Rook's eccentricities: his tendency to observe others from afar like a hunter observes prey, his uncanny ability to figure out people's height, weight, or other personal details about them because of how observant he is- things like that.

I am not arguing that those things are not odd. They are odd- it's a purposeful part of his character. He was based on the hunter from Snow White, after all.

My argument I am making today is that Rook is not creepy or a bad person- I'd actually argue that he has some of the best morals of anyone at Night Raven College. To see that, though, you have to look past the surface level of his character and look at what lies beneath- the intent behind his actions and the choices that he makes- to see that he is a good person.

Understanding His Intent and Magic

When deciding a character's morals, one can not simply look at one part of that character. To fully understand what a character believes and where they lie on the scale of morality, you have to look at ALL of them.

The first detail I would like to point out is Rook's magic. There are only three characters in twisted wonderland that, when they have cosmic magic, it is light magic and not dark magic: Kalim, Silver, and Rook. All three of them share the common thread of the characters they are inspired by being heroes and not villains. That in itself is a hint about their morals. Kalim is considered a ray of sunshine by many. No one doubts Silver's goodness. So why, when the canon game itself is attempting to hint at Rook's goodness, do so many people dislike him?

As I mentioned earlier, I think it is because people turn some of his eccentricities, talents, or abilities into moral failures.

Rook is genuinely very powerful, and his abilities and talents could make him a very formidable foe if crossed or if he chose to use his talents for evil. But not a single time- not one time- does he ever use the skill sets he has to hurt others. His intentions are genuinely good. Does he sometimes make bad choices? Yes. I think so. Does he cross boundaries he shouldn't cross? Yes. But to call him a terrible person is a fundamental misunderstanding of who he was intended to be.

Looking at His Actions

So, keeping his intent in mind, let's take a look at some of the things he does RIGHT that no one ever wants to seem to talk about.

Absolute, complete artistic integrity. One of the things people seem to bash Rook for the most was voting against NRC in Book 5 and voting for RSA instead. People seem to forget something very important: Rook's complete, honest integrity is one of the reasons why Vil trusts and respects Rook so much. Rook does not bend his morals for anyone, not even his dearest friend. If that doesn't show true integrity, I don't know what does. People get angry at Rook for that when even Vil himself admits that it was the right call. I've never understood why that is. His commitment to truth and integrity in a school full of chronic liars, manipulators, and people with ACTUAL shady morals is something that stands out.

Complete Loyalty. When Vil, his dearest friend, was taken, he dropped everything to go find him, knowing the consequences and the possibility of his title as Vice Housewarden being stripped. He knew the danger that could come of it, and he chose to do so anyway. He also is an incredibly supportive leader to people in Pomefiore, uplifting and encouraging people when they seem to need it most.

Radical acceptance. In a school that sometimes judges others by dorm, magical ability, status, or other factors, Rook genuinely manages to find beauty and good in everything and everyone. He has absolutely no prejudice. Also, he has an unshakable positivity that is rarely rattled, which can be very stabilizing for people who need it.

The Elephant In The Room

Something I would like to reiterate is that, yes, some of Rook's habits and actions are odd. Concerning, even. There are things he does that, if they were real-life habits in a person, of COURSE, would raise alarm bells. But I'd like everyone to really think for a moment: almost EVERYONE in NRC has those same exact blaring red flags, and yet they remain beloved, while Rook does not.

There are people in NRC who have done far, FAR worse than him. The overblot boys committed far worse acts than Rook ever has- attempted murder, world-ending apocalypses, and other very, very shady things. So why are many of them excused when Rook is not?

I think it comes down to two main factors sometimes: one, that many of the OB boys are considered much more conventionally attractive by many fans than Rook is (in other words, they have pretty privilege), and two, that Rook doesn't have a tragic backstory to show why he acts the way he does.

(I am not saying ALL people who dislike Rook are this way, but I don't think it is a stretch to say that some people are.)

Because the overblot boys are more focused on than other characters, it's only natural that people feel a greater affinity and attachment towards them than other characters. I get it. It is easier to excuse a character you know more about. But I don't think that it's fair to Rook. He is a genuinely complex and well-written character, and it hurts my heart to see people bash him in the way I often see them do.

A Final Side Note

One final note I would like to make is that I am not trying to demand that you HAVE to like Rook Hunt, nor am I saying it's bad if you dislike him. I am also not trying to justify some of his concerning habits. But I see a lot of people fundamentally misunderstanding his character and slandering him for reasons that have never made sense to me.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments (just stay respectful, please!). Have a great day, wherever you are!

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Every single day, I wake up on this blue rock and have to witness some of the absolute worst media literacy takes regarding early-season Korra, and honestly? I am tired. I am so deeply tired of people rewriting canonical history to pretend our girl was just a hot-headed, muscle-brained disaster, when the text literally hands us proof that she was a tactical savant. Let’s talk about Book 1, Episode 9, "Out of the Past," because some of y'all desperately need a refresher course.

Let’s set the scene: Korra is stripped of her freedom, locked in a literal platinum box, physically exhausted, and isolated from her support system by Tarrlok. She is facing the Equalists—a highly organized, technologically advanced anti-bending militia led by a man who can literally strip away a person's cultural and spiritual identity with a single touch.

And what does Korra do? Does she blindly smash her fists against the metal until her knuckles bleed like an "overly aggressive dumbass" would?

No. She plays possum.

She uses absolute, calculated restraint. She weaponizes her enemy’s patriarchal and anti-bender assumptions against them. She waits for the exact microscopic window of opportunity, tricks them into thinking she’s completely incapacitated, and then explodes into a masterclass of close-quarters combat. She systematically dismantles multiple Equalists, handles the Lieutenant like it's a casual Tuesday warm-up, and manages to hold off Amon himself—a man who has terrified the entire underworld of Republic City—just long enough to secure her own escape.

That isn't just "cool." It isn't just "badass." It is clever, cunning, and deeply strategic.

But hey, don’t take my word for it. Let's look at the literal narrative text. After Korra escapes his grasp, Amon turns to his subordinates and says:

"I thought I told you not to underestimate her."

AMON. The most terrifyingly intelligent, cool-headed, manipulative antagonist of the entire season, explicitly reprimands his own men because they made the mistake of thinking Korra was just a mindless powerhouse. Amon respected her mind. Amon recognized her survival instincts. Amon knew that backing Avatar Korra into a corner didn't make her weak—it made her a brilliant, unpredictable threat.

So why, pray tell, does a loud portion of the fandom still reduce Book 1 and 2 Korra to a reckless, arrogant brawler?

It is the exact same exhausting, misogynistic phenomenon we see in other fandom spaces. It’s the exact same way people look at Adora from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and dismiss her as a "Dumb Blonde" or a clueless jock.

Excuse me? Adora was literally a top-of-the-class former Horde Force Captain trained from infancy in military strategy, cartography, and tactical warfare. Korra was isolated and trained by the highest-ranking elemental masters on the planet since she was a toddler. Both of these young women are physical prodigies. Because they lead with their strength and possess fierce, passionate personalities, bad-faith critics completely erase their high situational awareness, their adaptability, and their intellect.

Stop confusing a character’s youthful arrogance or emotional trauma with a lack of intelligence. Korra wasn't stupid; she was a teenager fighting a psychological and political war she was never prepared for, and she still outsmarted a cult leader in a horror-movie scenario.

Negging is manipulation. Negging is when a man insults a woman or gives her backhanded compliments to break down her self-esteem. The point is to make her grateful that he likes her despite all "flaws," to stop her from thinking she's too good for him, and/or to make her think no one else would want her.

Darcy isn't negging Elizabeth when he insults her looks at the beginning: he's genuinely not interested in her and genuinely doesn't find her pretty at first. The omniscient narrator tells us that he only gradually becomes attracted to her as he gets to know her better.

Nor is he negging during his first proposal when he makes such a big, insulting deal of Elizabeth's lower social status. He's not trying to manipulate her into accepting him: he thinks she's already been flirting with him and has no doubt that she'll accept. He's just being excessively, brutally honest.

You never know what a fictional character or a piece of fanfiction is doing for someone’s mental health. For some, these worlds are the only thing keeping the darkness at bay. I believe in addressing things head-on, and I know that makes some people uncomfortable—and that’s okay.

Because of that, I don’t "just ignore" hate or minimization. I’m going to address it. Every single time. I’m at a point in my life where I’d rather be "too controversial" than stay silent while something beautiful is being torn down.

If my energy is too much for you, feel infollow. I’m here for the people who need someone to stand up for their safe haven.

A common joke made about Tenten is how obvious her mirror and line contraption, used to share answers with Rock Lee during the written exam, is. In this post, I'll show how her solution is perfectly reasonable and why she wasn't disqualified by the ninja proctors.

Like how she smiles knowingly when the three fairies try to get her out of the house so they can secretly prepare her birthday. They tell her to go pick berry’s but she mostly uses the time to wander off and be with her friends.

Or this scene where she actively defies her ‘aunts’ who raised her, by wanting to meet someone. And she tricks the animals into thinking she has actually met someone until revealing she only did this in her dream.

Or how she plays along when the animals dress up as a prince. It so cute and if this does not show personality then I don’t know what will.

When she first meets Philip she is a little shocked because he just joined her in her song. And from her perspective kinda came out of nowhere.

She does two oh’s in a row and the first ‘oh!’ Is surprise but the second is more ‘oh!’ He’s cute!’

And she pretty quickly lets him in and can I just say their romance is so believable? I mean for a fairytale you have to believe in love at first sight and there has te be chemistry for that. And Philip and Aurora really make you believe love at first sight is truly a thing.

This scene is so sad. Because she just fell in love and now thinks she will never see him again. And very suddenly everything in her live has changed, she is not who she thinks she is and she had to move and has new sudden responsibilities and is betrothed to a to her knowledge stranger. Yet she goed with the fairies and only starts crying when they get there. Having been holding it all in the whole way there. She’s not screaming and denying she accepts her faith and caries it. She’s just so strong. And I really admire her.

I couldn’t find a very good picture of this specific moment. But she holds her finger back just a second before pricking herself. It’s really short. But she is able to defy a powerful spell cast by the mistress of evil herself.

Throughout the show “Criminal Minds,” the BAU not only bonds as a spectacular team, but a loving family (despite its sometimes unhinged nature.) This is sweet, and it’s warm, but it isn’t required. If anything, it’s dangerous. Incredibly so. Strauss wasn’t harsh on the team for no reason; time and time again the family dynamics of the BAU, although heart-warming, put the bureau in danger (take Emily erasing evidence whilst Reid was in prison, for example.)

Back to Gideon. As a character, Jason is very standoffish and keen on doing his job right. This makes sense, he and Rossi were literally the founders. Dare I say the guys autistic, but that’s for another time. As someone who’s trying to better the team that he’s dedicated to, and the world itself, it’s natural that he’d want the best of the best (that being 22-year-old Spencer Reid.) And that’s it. Jason sought out a good agent, and found one. That sounds cruel, but it isn’t.. not really. It’s realistic. Never once had Gideon ever given off the impression that he wanted to be a surrogate father, pretty sure he didn’t do well with his BIOLOGICAL son.

What I think? We saw their relationship through Spencer’s eyes more than anyone else, and Spencer likely wanted Gideon to play the role of his absent father— perhaps even subconsciously. It was, sadly, one-sided. That isn’t anyone’s fault. I think Spencer just saw something that wasn’t there. They’re there to do a job, not play house (that sounds harsh, I know, but I’m trying to stay objective to what the FBI ((probably??)) should be.)

The shows slice-of-life subtext, contrasted with Jason Gideons very not-paternal nature, created this misconception that Gideon is this cruel jerk that used Spencer like a toy and nothing else. I don’t think so, and I’m honestly pretty tired of people mischaracterizing him that way. Especially when it comes to Gideon leaving!! People always hyperfocus on how he left a note like William did, but how could he have known? (Assuming Reid didn’t tell him off-screen.) Frank MURDERED his partner and tried to FRAME HIM FOR IT, going against EVERYTHING Gideon stood for. This isn’t (completely) about Spencer. Gideon served his time, and it burned him for the last time. Let that man breathe. If anything, it’s pretty thoughtful that he knew how Spencer would react— and took the time to leave him something to tie up loose ends. (Again, he likely didn’t know about William Reid.)

The first idea, was a Stolas character analysis (or defense) video. I mentioned Helluva Boss a couple of times in my recent Hazbin Hotel video, and I don’t know if I’ll ever do a whole video on it similar to what I did with Hazbin. But Stolas is a character I definitely want to share my thoughts on, because he is a character I feel like I am losing my mind whenever I see video essays about him, like “he is the worst character”, or how “he ruined Helluva Boss”. Both of those things I don’t agree with. Basically, I would do a rundown on his story throughout both seasons 1 and 2, and then break down his dynamics with Stella, Octavia, and finally Blitzø. I think the only problem is that I don’t think I would have said video ready before Part 1 of Season 3 drops, so that video might have to come before or after that time.

The second idea, and this is the idea I really wanna do the most, is a Nanbaka read-through/review. Let me admit something here. Years ago, I ran a blog here on Tumblr called @nanbaka-confessions where Nanbaka fans can chime in, tell me their thoughts and feelings about the series, from story arcs, characters, ships, theories, etc. But because it was harder to access the manga in English, it became harder for me to keep up, and eventually I haven’t updated the blog since late 2020. The manga, from what I have heard, has concluded back in late 2024. So I wanna redeem myself and pick the series back up, so I can continue running the blog.

The third and final idea, very similar to the Nanbaka read-through/review, would be a One Piece read-through/review! One Piece is one of my favorite series of all time, and I have been a huge fan for 13 years now. I think it would be fun to revisit the series from the start in the manga! And because the series is long and ongoing, and I am currently up on its material, I don’t have any real pressure to blitz through it as fast as possible.