#punchie rambles

And on the topic was me being so baffled for Longg's colors.

Like I do think another red kwami was needed, but why the one related to weather? And specifically elements of air, lightning, and water. Shouldn't Longg have colors that reflect those elements? As usually those aren't tied to red. Elementally red's usually tied to fire. But that's the one element he's canonly not tied to. There's also the issue that he's red and black, which Tikki already is. At least mix up the 2nd color to red so Longg and Tikki don't compete as red-black kwamis. Dragon's kinda tied to yellow so he could've been red and yellow.

Anyway, given what he's tied to, Longg could've been all blue, the sky is blue, water is blue, air is usually a light blue in media, and sometimes lightning is portrayed as a pale blue.

Or, what could've been more fun, Longg could've had colors that better reflected those 3 elements, being blue with gold and white accents.

So, I do have to admit for this ramble I'm about to go on: I haven't seen HTTYD 3, I didn't want to hearing how it went with dragons and humans splitting up, I didn't like that choice and felt it went against the themes of the first two films, where the two are stronger together over being in conflict and living separately.

Especially with the ending of the 2nd film with Toothless awakening more power because of his bond with Hiccup.

So hearing where HTTYD 3 goes is a big head scratcher for me. I don't know how a majority feel about it, so hopefully I don't step on too many toes with this post, but there's info I recently learned and I just had to talk about the missed opportunity for this trilogy.

Originally, Valka was actually going to be the antagonist of HTTYD 2.

And this, I think, should've been kept. Especially knowing that the villain in HTTYD 3 is meant to be a take of "what if Hiccup had killed Toothless".

If this was kept, for the 2nd and 3rd film, Hiccup then would've been facing two sides of extremes that he could've been, two sides of what he could've become: the wily dragon defender or the cunning dragon slayer.

And I could see Valka as a solid antagonist, she would've shown expertly in this premise. She would see the dragons living with Vikings, be thrown off by it, can't forget the blood on their hands. And so she wants to take dragons away for safety. She doesn't trust the Vikings.

But she also can't help but want to reconnect with her son, to get him to join her, help her keep dragons safe.

And as an antagonist, she'd have an easier time being redeemed, to have her views changed. Not only with Hiccup building a bridge for her to reconnect with the home she left behind, but the dragons themselves could've shown a want to be with people, that they are doing better.

And she could've been used as a means to build up the villain of the 3rd film, they could've been a threat that added to her extreme fears, and that 3rd film could've been the invasion of the dragon slayers, led by a dark mirror of Hiccup, a weak boy who slayed a Night Fury and was elevated by that experience.

As I have no attachment to Grimmel, and from what I've seen, he seems to function very similarly to Drago (specifically using dragons to attack), I'd probably vote just having the 3rd villain be Drago. Plus, in terms of his design, I think he has more going for him as a dark mirror of Hiccup, being disabled by a dragon as well in his youth, and you could go with the possibility that the dark cloak he wears is the skin of the Night Fury he killed.

And personally, while I did enjoy HTTYD 2, I did feel like it was... off a little. Like there were two sorts of stories that were crammed together and weren't clicking well. Drago, for how much he was built up, was kinda lacking.

This is what I think the HTTYD trilogy should've gone, Valka should've stayed as the antagonist of the 2nd film, and Drago the villain of the 3rd, with Hiccup facing two extremes he could've become.

And I am just having another big head scratcher for the choices they decided to take things, like, in hindsight, they had a really solid set up on how to progress the story villain wise.

Nobody has mentioned once that, with this set up of Lila as the new Butterfly villain, it is a downgrade from going to imposing adult to teenage villain (unless we do get confirmation that Lila is some immortal or/and magical entity as how she works is just so bonkers).

I agree with Nobody that it would've been better to start with a teenage villain and then upgrade to an adult. Like, it doesn't even have to be Lila as the starting villain. Chloe easily can fill that role of villain, and so could've done Felix. You also could've done Adrien if you wanted to work off him being unhappy and wanting to lash out, target his father's image, be petty. And publicly, he's so nice and well meaning, could've had a nice set up mystery of who the Butterfly was. And for those who like the LS, could've had an enemies to lover scenario.

But the the icing on the cake, which prompted this whole rant, was learning there's a secret organization that Nathalie is working with. And I hear Gabriel was apart of it too, so presumably Tomoe is also apart of it.

And I just stare at this and I think just how fitting would it have been if this group of (presumably) rich assholes came around about the same time Marinette meets Fu and learns that there was an Order of Guardians of the Miraculous.

And it's at this time we get confirmation that there are more Miraculous out there. We get confirmation of the Zodiac and there's even 12 of these guys. The potential connection is RIGHT THERE. I haven't even heard what these guys want to do yet, but one idea could've been that they want to be the New Order of the Guardians, and it would've added to Fu's own involvement in the story.

And potentially, they get revealed not long after the Butterfly gets stolen. And with it, they really get to show how far this Miraculous can go in terms of power. And for the previous misuser, you now have the fun scenario that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and that could open the road to redemption and becoming an actual hero. Or you could've had the fun of them playing the long game and just wanting to go back to villainy.

Additionally, this whole thing just screams to me that THIS could've been the means to back the need for more heroes, from full time to part time. For Gabriel alone in canon, for how much he loses and how well the lead duo do most of the time, it didn't really validate the need for more heroes. But if you have a dozen villains misusing Miraculous or aiming to get Miraculous to misuse, then you have a good reason to bring in more heroes.

In hindsight of it all, it's such an obvious and sensible route. The writing and choices of this show just drives me bonkers as the potential is right there and often it's so obvious.

All the Dupains (that we know of so far) have different shades of green eyes. Though Gina is hard to see with her eyes so dark, but they are green.

I don't know if genetically if blue and green eyes are close and that could be a reason; but it is just baffling to me that Marinette clearly wasn't really factored in when designing her extended family and offering where the eye color could've come from.

I really do wish that they stuck to Marinette having dark gray eyes as she did initially in some of her concepts.

And that when she was Ladybug, her eyes would turn blue cause Tikki has blue eyes, and we do see that a human's eye color can change to match the kwami's.

That for the 7, it cycles through who the wish granters are. Maybe through the lunar years, like it's Cat and Ladybug for one year, then Peafowl and Fox, and then Butterfly with either Bee or Turtle.

The 7th could be the neutral one, mediating between pairs in time of conflict, and could help undo a wish that was made prior.

So this can keep LB/Cat as a yin-yang pair granting wishes, but also elevate the other 5 and their significance, and just add a little more on why these 7 are grouped together, and shake up other pairs that can be tied to yin-yang.

Additionally this set up can play into yin-yang existing in various ways (like existing in harmonious duality while others are conflicting forces that balance each other out) and in Wu Xing's theme of cycles and change.

It's also a nice set up to safe guard for wish making having a limited window of time for a specific pair to make a wish.

And could potentially make Fu less of an idiot, either having Ladybug and Cat just don't make the wish, and Gabriel is running on limited translation so he thinks it's them but it's a different pair OR Fu released them as their window for wish granting is near an end, which, could you imagine that when Gabriel got them in s5, his chance to make the wish had come and gone, and now he needs Fox/Peafowl, the latter of which he gave away and is now off in London.

But it's just a little thought, especially as I do just like to shake things up with canon, and I do have a fondness of thinking of other pairs that could exist for yin-yang, one of my favs to explore was Fox/Peafowl as a pair.

So, Korra herself, I didn't like as a lead, but I did genuinely really like her in that very first episode. Which she was set up as a nice contrast to Aang.

Where Aang started with one element mastered, she knows three.

Where Aang had to spend seasons amongst the other nations to learn their culture and how to embody that elemental nature, Korra by set up, should have a solid idea of the culture of the other nations, and at least have 3 of the elemental natures down.

And where AtLA ends with Aang about to step into the messy politics of post war, Korra, by set up, should have a decent idea on how to go about politics, and be a decent politician and diplomat.

If the White Lotus has the agenda of preparing the next Avatar to be the Avatar that the world needs, more than just bending should be taught to Korra. And learning politics and about other cultures is an easy stand out to me on what should be taught to her.

But, if there's one thing the White Lotus didn't teach her, was social learning and experience.

Korra knows of the world, but hasn't seen hardly any of it

And she has interacted with people, but those were really the White Lotus members, the Gaang, her family, and any major figures that can come and see the young aspiring Avatar. She just has very limited social skills, especially with people her own age.

And Korra is just so full of wanderlust and lonely, and she's ready to embrace her role as Avatar, to be the peacekeeper of all nations and protector all people, but she doesn't genuinely really know the people. She doesn't know the world.

And when she has that chance to leave, she takes it.

And, hey, she has a good excuse to learn airbending, as Tenzin won't stay at the White Lotus to teach her, so she'll go to him!

And man, thematically, her needing to learn air while struggling with social skills is just so

while air is an element of freedom, festivity, and ideas, it's also an element that represents communication and social skills. And that's what she lacks. She's set up to have everything else, the empathy and expansiveness of water, the passion and power of fire, the precision and dedication of earth; now she just needs to learn air, and with it, connection and fun.

And so she goes to Republic City and she thinks she has this in the bag, she's a decent politician, she knows the other nation's cultures, she's the freaking Avatar.

Only she gets to learn that Republic City is a whole new beast of culture, and there's social etiquette she wasn't taught. Like, apparently, you can't go destroying a shop while fighting some thugs, you get in trouble for that. And it's bonkers to her that she's in trouble for this? Because this is what she was taught? To fight and defend those in need?

But it kinda works out as Tenzin gets her out, and it's agreed upon that she'll stay and get to learn airbending from him, and she'll get to stay at Republic City! She'll get a chance at new experiences, a chance to meet actual people, to genuinely learn of this world and--

she's immediately pulled into attending a gala hosted in celebration of her visit, meeting the rich of Republic City who are oh so eager to meet her. And this is where she meets Asami, who echoes her father's interest in having a close friendship with the Avatar, knowing it's going to boost their status and give them a powerful ally.

And Asami quickly gets to learn how naive and lonely Korra is. Korra is quick to accept anyone as a friend, as this party isn't about politics, it's a celebration of her, and it's her chance to make friends! And get a feel of the people here!

And Asami is quick to think she's got this in the bag, that she can manipulate Korra to meet her agenda and will have a powerful ally, only to quickly realize Korra will be a handful as she straight up punched Tahno in the face.

In Korra's defense, she was never taught how to deal with bullying as the White Lotus never thought she'd have to deal with bullying.

And as Tenzin proclaims Korra just can't go punching people in the face when they try to pick fights with her, Asami is learning then and there that Korra has no social etiquette. And if she wants to keep Korra as an ally, she's going to have to teach her how to go about society.

But the day after the party, Korra is grounded, and being the spitfire that she is, runs away to go explore Republic City. And through shenanigans I haven't thought of yet, she comes across Bolin and Mako, both of whom are floored and excited to meet the Avatar (though Mako won't admit it because he's trying to be "cool"), and Bolin is quick to realize not only does Korra not really know how to have fun, but it's her first time in Republic City, and it's his duty to be her guide and show her a good time, starting off their friendship.

And throughout season one of LoK, you have Korra learning social skills through Asami and the brothers. She learns the complexity and elegance of it through Asami, and the fun and open mindedness of social interactions through the brothers. And it bleeds into her learning airbending, learning to be more flexible, and not force her way forward.

And instead of the love triangles for their interactions, you got a petty silly rivalry between Asami and the brothers, as they're on an opposite spectrum of wealth and morals, and they have this idea that the other is leading Korra down a "dark" path with Asami seeing the brothers as "beneath" Korra while they see Asami as a snob who wants to "use" Korra (and she did initially and now Korra is her precious friend). So they're competing for Korra in the background, being passive aggressive, and Korra is just oblivious, thinking they're all good friends (and she's more focused on Amon who's clearly her Ozai to take out and she is so ready, she's been training for years!).

And throughout the season, Asami and the brothers learn to work together, to back Korra, to compromise and learn about each other, and they just become a genuine friend group, all who care about their very powerful though socially limited friend.

And when Asami's father shows his true colors and his villainy, and she looses all wealth and reputation, the Krew is there for her. She is welcomed into their home, finds their support and love. The brothers feel their small sad circle of family expanded to so much more and feel whole. And Korra's just, so happy to have friends. She feels happier. She's more whole. She grows wiser with them, learning things the White Lotus never taught, expanding her knowledge of the world and it's people.

As a heads up, I'm leaning to making changes to the Bagua set.

Spider I'm thinking to bring back and make official to represent Creativity and Production. I've been trying to think of how to make Deer work but still haven't come up anything, at least, not without taking Goat's power and moving it there, but I'd have to figure out what to do for Goat then. But for powers I've thought of for Spider, it just makes the most sense to be there in the Bagua set.

And with the Bugettes au in development, I'm thinking Mantis can go, as it'll appear there, and Deer could easily be fitted into it's slot for Wisdom and Knowledge.

And man, sometimes it is a real challenge to do the 1 power limit, to figure out something that will best cover the animal in symbolism and mythology, or at least most of it. But sometimes there are some different ideas you can do as they aren't limited to just one theme.

Sometimes I really make things hard for myself.

I am my own worst enemy.