Yaana

i do really enjoy where the story has been going so far, but i also realize that it is Not Written Greatly

it's not horrible by any means, to me, it could just be much better without some retcons and pacing issues and some writing decisions- But, to me it's still plenty good enough to keep me interested as long as i understand what it's going for and how the story unfolds

i will always be optimistic about this unless to story completely falls apart in MY eyes, not the fandom's

i don't think ill be leaving this fandom any time soon, either, even if a story heavily disappoints me

but so far, i think timeline of fate had been pretty good in my own standards, though i do think the most recent episode's pacing and some other stuff was a bit janky, i am VERY excited for the second half in a few days because more academy lore ... hopefully.. finally

i am also really looking forward to some sort of peak to happen again when it comes to the updates, though i do think the second half update of arcana was pretty well received within the fandom in the timeline of fate sense so that's nice

so far again, the scoop update has been the only one i find a little more ehh

kinda underwhelming AND overwhelming at the same time?? i did quite like it, but the pacing was a bit odd

i also do think the direction it's going gameplay wise is not great but kingdom has also never had. Great gameplay though im not complaining about that because i rarely play to grind anymore, just for story or for fun

but again if i understand what a story is going for even if it's not executed greatly, I'll still usually like it personally as long as it's a good idea and interesting to me and still evident in the story itself

On the topic of Kingdom’s writing I think Act 2 has been really solid so far, I’ve honestly been more invested in it than Odyssey (and I really really like Odyssey).  

I think Ep 3 needed a bit more time as an episode, its pacing is quite fast for an episode throwing so many major plot defining elements at us at once. I think everything that happened in 3 was great (except with that whole "casually mentioning witches eating cookies" thing) But it would've heavily benefited from the Gingebrave gang + PV and Madaline segment being longer, and/or the segment with the Chaos dragon also being longer. The pacing of the first 2 episodes was a little slow in my honest opinion but I was able to respect the gradual build up. In 3 they were moving a tad too fast, even though the concepts and characters have been most interesting/entertaining at this point. 

I was thinking of making a post dedicated to the whole “Witches eating cookies thing”. My take is that the story has pulled this so many times (at even worse moments that I have an issue with for a long while) that it really shouldn’t be that much of a bother as a “new low”. It's still kinda crappy writing imo but you can easily give the benefit of the explanation of “PV and Madaline probably think they are referring to the Dark Enchantress debacle they just experienced a short while ago” at that moment. But the overall moment of the Gang comforting Strawberry cookie was really sweet and it's nice to see that their trauma is still being acknowledged and built upon in the story. 

i do really enjoy where the story has been going so far, but i also realize that it is Not Written Greatly

it's not horrible by any means, to me, it could just be much better without some retcons and pacing issues and some writing decisions- But, to me it's still plenty good enough to keep me interested as long as i understand what it's going for and how the story unfolds

i will always be optimistic about this unless to story completely falls apart in MY eyes, not the fandom's

i don't think ill be leaving this fandom any time soon, either, even if a story heavily disappoints me

but so far, i think timeline of fate had been pretty good in my own standards, though i do think the most recent episode's pacing and some other stuff was a bit janky, i am VERY excited for the second half in a few days because more academy lore ... hopefully.. finally

i am also really looking forward to some sort of peak to happen again when it comes to the updates, though i do think the second half update of arcana was pretty well received within the fandom in the timeline of fate sense so that's nice

so far again, the scoop update has been the only one i find a little more ehh

kinda underwhelming AND overwhelming at the same time?? i did quite like it, but the pacing was a bit odd

i also do think the direction it's going gameplay wise is not great but kingdom has also never had. Great gameplay though im not complaining about that because i rarely play to grind anymore, just for story or for fun

but again if i understand what a story is going for even if it's not executed greatly, I'll still usually like it personally as long as it's a good idea and interesting to me and still evident in the story itself

Shadow Milk Cookie is obsessed with control. He treats everyone like his puppets and projects his problems onto them as if they were his dolls (White Lily, Ash Salt).

Yet, When you lift him in the Kingdom (you are something like a God/Witch to them) HE turns into a puppet, with strings hanging from above to control him. When he dies in the Arena, he turns into a PLUSH/DOLL after taking damage and heals himself.

Even in the story, he appears several times as a literal puppet (as well as making puppets of others for his performances).

He treats everyone like puppets, craves control, and ultimately finds himself controlled and manipulated by others. Very ironic. But there's something else that interests me. His need for control didn't come from nowhere. It's a desire for freedom, to make his own decisions, and to be whoever he wants. From the beginning of his existence, someone told him from above who he should be and what he should do. He was always treated inhumanly, as an object, a tool, exploited and betrayed by others. Ultimately, he became obsessed with being the one "pulling the strings" because then no one would use him anymore, a GOD (Witch).

My theory is that Shadow Milk may be some kind of manifestation of the witches' traumas, and how desperately they tried to create a "perfect world" of Cookies, better than theirs. Shadow Milk may have been the first truly divine and powerful cookie they created back then (he's much older than many legendaries). They created him in their image and likeness, which is why it's so hard for Shadow Milk to identify as Cookie, and sees more similarities between him and witches (since he represents knowledge, which to me is the most similar to them). I also think that Lily is also connected to this, but I'll talk about that MAYBE another time, I have a very long and crazy theory why. This perfectly explains why he appears as a doll, something that was created to hold the trauma and misfortune of his creators.

What traumas and similarities does he share with them? Well...

LOTS of similarities to First Sprinkle

Not to mention the fact that he drowned like First Milk, we also have the Witch of Light, etc. I know some of them fit other beasts, but it's still interesting how this fits Shamil. Both witches and he were exploited because of their gifts, faced injustice, and were hunted for it. They longed for a better world.

Hehe... But there is another witch who wants control over the Cookies, strangely similar to Shamil, whom I forgot to mention. Hehe...

Shadow Milk is the most Irony ridden character in this story (Dark Enchantress and Silent Salt come close though) He can never get what he wants because what he wants isn’t what he needs. 

I really like how the story is basically just using him as a catalyst for Witches both lore wise and thematically. He carries the Torch Dark Enchantress left behind but his trauma feels more personal because he actually knew/made them directly. 

I like how sugar's max ascension sprite is call back to original form as the bringer of happiness.It really shows how much she still believes that.Also while I am here,I find it interesting how sugar swan's corrupt form is bit similar.Not only does BOH crown look similar to SS's corrupt form,but both designs inspired by seraphim.

Also this is pretty cool,it hints at the fact they are connected somehow but it's unclear as of now.

I think more Shadow Vanilla conent needs to make Shadow Milk be the one to 'comfort' Pure Vanilla cookie.

Even if it just boils down to this:

Truly the Ultimate ShadowVanilla! where they both understand, comfort, and see eachother as equals! Both of them accepting eachother for who they truly are, seeing eye to eye and being a wholesome and healthy power couble! :D

Dark Enchantress represents Power:  

All of her goals and mentality is based on power 

She achieves freedom through Empowerment 

Ironically She has the same goal for freedom as Silent Salt: Give all cookies equal strength/power (by merging them into one) 

Resents Gingbrave a common cookie, for being “weak”, yet needs him for his power 

Dark Enchantress turned herself into a Witch to feel as powerful as the Gods that make her feel powerless. → if cookies are fundamentally weak she will be a cookie no longer 

Its impressive how simple it is

I love how twisted yet very understandable Dark Enchantress's perspective is: 

→ Deeply insecure about her weakness and scared the fragility/cruelty of life in general

→ Seeks the truth of the world to free herself from her insecurities

→ The truth only confirms her worse fears and is rightfully Angry at the Gods for creating such a cruel system

→ believes the only way she and cookiekind can be free is to literally rewrite the structure of the world    

→ how?: if the cause of all pain is that witches eating cookies + cookies are weak, then make cookies powerful enough to eat the Witches

→ Become the most powerful cookie on earthbread to create the most powerful being in the universe to compensate for her own feelings of weakness

When the Villian lowkey has a point but they kick a baby so fuck them actually! (except the baby is litterally everyone else except the cookies of darkness… sorta) 

The Biggest hypocrite on EarthBread: 

“How dare all of you self righteous hypocritical ‘Heroes’ stand against me! The world is fundamentally broken because the gods reduce us to objects to be consumed! Only I shall bring a just and perfect world!” 

(Reduces literally everyone around her as pawns for her plan which is to literally reduce cookie kind to food for the ultimate cookie)

“I despise the Witch's world, creating a cruel and twisted world full of suffering and despair!!!”

(Starts not one but two world wars that causes suffering and genocides of millions, not to mention the souls who were sacrificed to create the ultimate cookie dough and don’t even get me started on the dough trio (and also she becomes a witch) 

“Cookies are fundamentally weak and cruel beings who tear each other apart and friendship is a useless ideal that means nothing in the cruelty of the world!” 

(She, a cookie who is also the amalgamation of a bunch of other cookie souls, tearing the world apart and consistently gets defeated by the friendship and collaboration of other cookies.) 

So… What's the point?

My favorite Villains are the ones who do in fact have a very valid point and their point is validated by the story but their actions and mentality is ultimately disproved by the narrative. Dark Enchantress is very similar to one of my favorite Villains in fiction: Lady Bone Demon from Lego Monkie Kid. Who too believes the world is imperfect and aims to destroy it and rewrite it anew.  But Dark Enchantress fails because she has no real intention to make the world a better place but to make herself feel powerful and take revenge on those who hurt her. Instead of liberating cookie kind she oppresses it in a manner that is no better than the witches. 

Which is what makes Gingerbrave her perfect foil, he perfectly dismantles her entire philosophy. He has witnessed the exact same cruelty and yet he continues to make the world a better place for he is free. Dark Enchantress doesn’t care about freedom because she doesn't care about the individuality of every cookie. Gingerbrave is free because he embraces what makes cookies unique and has the courage to accept his weakness for his bravery is his greatest strength (and one defining trait)! 

I am genuinely fine with Dark Enchantress's Ending (I took one look at the Dough cookies and was like: “nah that's it, this bitch gotta go!!!!”) It's a cruel but ironic fate. She gained all this power to save herself from being the fate eaten by the Gods only die to the Avatar of Destiny (also an amalgamation of abandoned souls + created by witch worshiping cookies who ironically have the exact same goal as her) and herself, finding freedom by taking control of one’s own despair/finding the courage to confront own’s destiny.