Aspiring author and narrator, eternal amateur. Profile pic by @Summer2Cloudy | Link to book: https://xitter.cf/t.co/le2h5Th33h

Joined September 2024
The following is a megathread that compiles all my Malfoid writing along with additional commentary that ties everything together as well as just showing where my head was at. Short of rewriting the series, I'd consider this the "general idea" of how my approach to it would feel. In reality, I actually wouldn't rewrite a ton outside of the Draceana and Harry relationship events. That changes A LOT, don't get me wrong, but as far as trying to override Rowling's original intent with the other plot beats and characters, I would keep a lot of that as is. She wrote a world wide phenomenon for a reason, and I don't think I'm THAT good to try and one up her in that regard. So, if I did rewrite the series, you'd just be seeing most of the events happening just as they did in the book, just with my prose and habit of characters being very introspective. I would probably also switch POVs a few times, as I did with Draceana here. Hopefully, my explanations of all the following will give you the full idea of how something like that would feel, but most of all, I hope you enjoy this comprehensive list. NOTE: This does not mean that I'm done writing Malfoid stories, this just gives everyone a place to find it. Anything I write after this initial post will be added and I'll probably just list where it slots in. Also, by no means do intend for my writing to be the "definitive" version of this concept. This is just how I would do it and how I would follow my own logic. You are free to take from it, block it out, and criticize it as you please. There are many talented people out there that are putting in the work for their own version of this concept, and they are doing brilliant work. Before we begin, however, I want to shout out the following artists: @hayes_gens @ashaoguant60501 @theexileddraco @MaroonR19 @Strittposter @Tarmhell @ZetaVisualWorks @Yailluu017 Special mention to @spaz141, who did a wonderful rendition of one my pieces that truly got me right in the feels, @spookyh8r for providing inspiration for the Yule Ball with his own version of it as well as @DrowzyShroomy , who has used some of my writing for their own interpretation, and @Alessandro49472, who has been making some absolute banger musical pieces for us all to listen to. Especially big shoutout to @redteneri , without you starting this trend, none of this would have been possible. Thank you, truly. And of course, a thank you to J.K. Rowling, who's works serve as the foundation for all of this. It's been a blast and a humbling experience revisiting all your works and seeing your imagination bleeding through the pages. They inspired more than half these pieces. Without them, I probably wouldn't have written anything at all, and all this would not have been possible. Thank you all, truly. Alright, lets get cracking. (Thread is in comments, will be in chronological order according to the books)
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Aight, I think its good to call it here. From now on, the Magic Academy setting will be referred to as Of Will and Wizardry! Thank you all for participating in the poll 😄 As a treat, here's the opening passage of the first arc/book, titled The World Tree: Alexander Quinn used to dream he was a hero. Bedecked in resplendent armor, wielding a sword ablaze with golden light, all while charging towards a dragon with its maw alight by the flames building within its gullet. He would dash through the fire and drive his blade into the beast’s heart, bringing it down for good. Triumphant atop the dragon’s corpse, he would raise his sword to the sky, and cheers filled what had once been occupied by roars. Except, reality told him that his hands were not meant for the blade, that it belonged to one far stronger and skilled than he. The light of his sword dimmed to dull steel, the cheers faded, and the dragon beneath him disappeared, leaving his worn boots on dirt. Then, he dreamt that he was a king. A vision that came to him at the age of adolescence. The blade was now a scepter that sparkled with countless jewels, his armor instead a crown, and no longer was he running. He sat upon a throne that overlooked a grand hall of marble and gold, his subjects bowing before him, a countless array of faces that all knelt at his feet for permission, for opportunity… for mercy. His hand would be that which tells the hero where to go and what to slay. His words would be what destroyed lives or made them. A queen was at his side, her face shifting through visages that had sent his heart aflutter throughout the years. Except, reality told him that he had no queen, that his words held no weight, and that another who was far more charismatic deserved his throne. His scepter faded to a stick, the people before him disappeared one by one, his side remained empty, the throne beneath him crumbled into a creaky wooden chair, and his grand hall became a hut. He continued to dream of that hut. It was made of wood that smelled sweet when it rained. The size of it couldn’t have been much larger than a simple room, with a bed in the corner that was only a few paces away from a small fireplace. The rest of it was covered by shelves, filled to the brim with books. Most of the titles, he recognized, but there were also plenty with faded, unreadable words upon their spines, their purpose unknown until his fingers brushed up against them to make their contents come back to life in his mind. Within those volumes were countless tales, stories from all over that told him of heroes, kings, and so many more that lived lives far grander than his meager hut. Yet, he was content to just read of them, to know these stories and sense the familiar rhythm that beat from pages written from opposite sides of the world. Occasionally, he would have visitors, the true hero and the queen who was more deserving of the throne he once dreamt of. He would laugh with them, cry with them, and even argue with them over and over, yet they always came back, asking for his thoughts. He would give them, thinking the words weightless, without meaning, but every time the hero would thank him and the queen would say she would be back for more. Both always told him to keep moving, that they believed in him, but as they walked away, he knew their backs were something he could never hope to catch. Them listening to him was enough, and it was that admittance that gave way to a revelation. His hut, the words he spoke, and the stick in his hand that he knew now to be a staff, it all made sense. He was one of the ones that lived in secluded spaces, shacked up with their own thoughts and books for hours on end to formulate words that may seem useless to even themselves, but holding some meaning that would reveal itself at the most important of moments. The ones who were never graced by fate for greatness, yet were responsible for pointing those that were in the right direction. It all became clearer the more he thought about it, and he knew what his purpose would be. He wasn’t meant for the title of hero, and he would never wear the crown of king… he was a wizard. So that's what he would be.
Ok, I’ve been wracking my brain on this but I figured I should just set up another poll here. Been trying to come up with a title for this Magic Academy series and I’m getting stuck on a few choices. I want something that feels all encompassing but isn’t too long.
24%The Wizard’s Burden
9%Alexander Quinn
23%Fate Breaker
45%Of Will and Wizardry
220 votes • Final results
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J. Y. Song retweeted
A duel at midnight...#malfoid #malfoy
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J. Y. Song retweeted
Tender Touch also on youtube: youtu.be/mZPFwunFaVw #malfoid #malfoy
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J. Y. Song retweeted
The Good Ending 🥰 (hope you like the finished version :D) #Malfoid #Malfoy #HarryPotter xitter.cf/FroggiArt/status/21126…
another WIP i'm not sure when i'll get to finish, but i felt compelled and ate into my sleep to get this started #Malfoid #Malfoy #HarryPotter
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I take a break from my regularly scheduled ranting about my own writing and Malfoid to once again stress that original IPs are out there from talented people who have been making the stories that people want to read, they just haven’t gotten the attention they deserve. With Hiraeth, this is a two person passion project made by the immensely talented @olivetart_ and @Domaffon. An entire independent, hand drawn, manga drawn with art that matches much of the industry with its own distinctive style and writing. The story follows Jael, an expert monster hunter from a mysterious clan and Lauren, a spry and cunning woman who holds his contract on various adventures. The story seeks to span the world, which draws inspiration from history to grant the setting a very distinct weight to its design. It’s in the middle of “smaller” tales, but I’d say that’s where something like this can really make itself shine, especially with how the chapters so far have been going. This is truly a gem all aspects, one that is confident enough to respect the readers to both be taken in by the art (which has some of THE BEST designs for the characters and takes the care to be much more historically accurate than many big names), and not spoonfeed them information where it doesn’t need to be. The setting is unique, Jael and Lauren are both very likable characters to follow with a charming dynamic with one another, and the characters introduced during their journeys have a multifaceted approach to their motivations that make them feel human. Combine that with tight pacing and thrilling climaxes/action, and you have one of the most underrated mangas (and an INDIE manga, at that) out there. Even more astounding is that the chapters are being released for free! With this sort of quality just given to us, more really need to be aware of what is available outside of the industry and the mainstream. There are complete gems that outshine what we’re all used to seeing, they just need to be seen. Read this, seriously. Just friggin look at this art, pure aura.
HIRAETH CH 9 is OUT! 🦇(fitting timing for Halloween) Please go read and tell us what you think! [link below]🦇👇🙃
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J. Y. Song retweeted
HIRAETH CH 9 is OUT! 🦇(fitting timing for Halloween) Please go read and tell us what you think! [link below]🦇👇🙃
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To add onto this and for more visibility, each book of the series will have its own title. This is just the name of the series itself.
Ok, I’ve been wracking my brain on this but I figured I should just set up another poll here. Been trying to come up with a title for this Magic Academy series and I’m getting stuck on a few choices. I want something that feels all encompassing but isn’t too long.
24%The Wizard’s Burden
9%Alexander Quinn
23%Fate Breaker
45%Of Will and Wizardry
220 votes • Final results
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Ok, I’ve been wracking my brain on this but I figured I should just set up another poll here. Been trying to come up with a title for this Magic Academy series and I’m getting stuck on a few choices. I want something that feels all encompassing but isn’t too long.
24%The Wizard’s Burden
9%Alexander Quinn
23%Fate Breaker
45%Of Will and Wizardry
220 votes • Final results
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A Missed Dance The Yule Ball is here, and...well...it's not a night the Harry, nor Malfoy will remember fondly. 1/3
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Alrighty, the character you guys were probably waiting for with this Magic Academy setting lol, my Malfoid-esque character, Cassandra Lysander! Character Summary: The eldest child and daughter of the waning Lysander family, Cassandra is her bloodline’s greatest hope at regaining their former glory. The union of her father, an Aspect of Water, and her mother, an Aspect of Lightning, and a supreme stroke of luck has granted Cassandra the abilities of both, making her an anomaly among anomalies. Where this is a boon in many places, it also serves as a bane, making it harder to control both elements. While she possesses some control of water and ice thanks to her father’s instructions, she has been without a teacher for her lightning magic due to the disappearance of her mother when she was a child. Beyond keeping that ability mostly under restraint, her skills with lightning remain lacking, no matter how hard she tries. This, along with the significant pressure of restoring her family’s reputation in the magical world, has instilled Cassandra with an immense pride in her bloodline and sense of duty to defend its honor. She retains a cold, curt demeanor with most people, keeping them at a distance not only because she does not wish to make unwanted ties, but also because her nature as an Aspect, of two elements, no less, often causes her to freeze or shock people who touch her. A trait common to most Aspects still developing their abilities, but one that she especially has had a hard time controlling due to both elements being unstable within her. Her relationship with her father is best described as professional, as he is frequently away on business or some errand to build or maintain connections. This divide was furthered when her father took a new wife years after Cassandra’s mother disappeared. She and her step-mother, while they do not hate one another, rarely interact, but the same cannot be said of her half-brother. The boy, only ten years of age, has clung to her side since he was old enough to crawl, uncaring of their differences and forming one of the few “chinks” in her armor due to his persistence. The other belongs to her personal maid, who has been with her since she was a baby and has been her mentor/mother figure since her own mother’s disappearance. Her acceptance into the Yggradsil Academy of the Magic was all but guaranteed from birth, but as she arrives onto the campus, only one goal sticks out most in her mind: to protect her family’s honor, and to make them rise beyond the heights they held before. Appearance: 5’7 Lithe and athletic figure Platinum blonde hair Frost blue eyes with flecks of purple (“As if a sapphire and amethyst collided and forged themselves anew with the fragments) A cold look about her, keeps people at a distance Signature Equipment: A silver needle hairpin with a snowflake on it and a sapphire set at the center gifted to her by her personal maid. A bracelet fixed with amethysts and sapphires, gifted to her by her father A pair of white silk gloves, enchanted to dampen the magic in her hands so she can touch things A locket with a faded picture of her mother inside. Inspirations: My version of Draceana Malfoy (Malfoid) Eowyn Jill Warrick Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca
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Results are in! Time to write up a character introduction
I honestly did not expect these to get so balanced lol. To be fair, I’ll make a decision once both polls they both time out. (Link to the other in reply)
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Sectumsempra is highly dependent on what the writer has established prior to the scene. If Harry and Draceana are more consistently antagonistic for each other while their affection is hidden beneath it all, it makes sense and this feels like a natural inclusion to their flow. That natural spitefulness combined with her stress would make Draceana use Crucio, and Harry’s anger and suspicion to her resuls results in a paranoid reflex that makes him throw out the spell, unaware of what it does until the horrifying result. If Harry and Draceana haven’t been antagonistic towards each other that much and it’s more a tempered “understanding”as well as more overt affection being shown (a successful Yule Ball dance, Draceana not being spiteful and abusive as the leader of the Inquisitorial squad), despite them being torn apart by circumstance you can logically and emotionally come to the conclusion that Draceana wouldn’t just drop an Unforgivable curse on Harry and that in turn wouldn’t make him use the spell. Remember, in the original, Harry hears Draco crying and having a near panic attack in the bathroom first. He absolutely hates Draco here, and his paranoia throughout Book 6 magnifies this. If Harry had some affection, one that was reciprocated in some way, do you think his temperament would even be the same league as in the original? You can obviously write this in a way that would justify that reaction, absolutely, but saying it MUST be done is again just trying to set a rule in something that is an AU in the first place. The majority is free to prefer it and want to keep it, but we don’t need to try and say it’s a golden rule every single writer must follow, especially if they’re being meticulous enough to lay out why it wouldn’t happen in the first place. Full transparency, I didn’t write him doing it when did my version of the scene, and that was because everything I laid out until then didn’t make either of them going for something so potent feel that organic. We can argue that people do stupid things when emotional, but that’s how we get scenes like Hal’s death in Lanterns (out of nowhere reference, I know, but bear with me) where Kerry shoots a man she says she loves in the head because she was panicking, and then it’s excused away by people since “she was just really emotional, ok?” Execution of a concept is what matters here, you can make Harry using it or not using it compelling, but you need to set up the pieces to make it come to that conclusion. If something is setting up a different board, you don’t need to come in and say there can only be ONE conclusion at the end of it. That really stifles the creative instinct here.
I don't think people are being honest with themselves with the whole SectumSempra thing... Making the argument "But what if Harry practiced or learned what the spell did beforehand", or arguing that they should be lovers at that point, or arguing that Malfoid's actions wouldn't have an impact on Harry's choice of use because she's a girl and a girl he cares about.... You're all just looking for reasons and excuses not to put it in because you prefer him not to hurt the one he loves. You are fabricating reasons to avoid having it, justifying that fabrication with "Its fanfiction, we can do what we want." You can. Absolutely, you can. You can also ruin a story by not adhering to the needs of the narrative, or diminish it from what it could be. Kind of like making Malfoid male did, just because Jo wanted to distance her schoolyard bully from herself. Kind of like how she denied Draco's redemption out of spite for her own childhood bully. You can certainly do that, and you'd be following your personal impulse in doing so. And in doing so, would rob the story of one of its most pivotal, weighty, emotional moments. And one of the moments which most people universally agreed with as being NECESSARY for their romantic climax. So yes. You can write that, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop you. Go right ahead.
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To add onto his, I’ll link to my megathread to show how I tried to address the scene and the follow up all the way to the manor. I don’t use him not using Sectumsempra as a reason for them to start dating, I use it as a false hope that leads to a deeper rock bottom emotionally, but from a different angle.
Replying to @Critical_Scribe
Half-Blood Prince As we all know, in the interim between the last book and this one, Draceana gets the Dark Mark and is tasks with the assassination of Dumbledore. She is savvy enough to know that this is essentially being sentenced to death, and feels nearly nihilistic about her situation. Still, to keep up her family's reputation, she goes about her task diligently, but the cracks are already there, as shown in the following: xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status…
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I forgot to include the megathread by @DavidBenedict0! Lots of talent and stories to discover there as well!
A non-comprehensive list of Malfoid fics on X, in relatively correct order. (feel free to put any others in the comments): Early Years: xitter.cf/NWBroJaneway/status/21… archiveofourown.org/works/93… Struggling with feelings: xitter.cf/moonlightbro/status/21… xitter.cf/moonlightbro/status/21… xitter.cf/Devon_Eriksen_/status/… Triwizard Tournament: wattpad.com/story/416982533-… Hogsmead Village: xitter.cf/Florida_Boi1/status/21… Dare to ask Malfoy: xitter.cf/Devon_Eriksen_/status/… xitter.cf/spookyh8r/status/21055… Yule Ball: xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… Umbridge Interrogation: xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… Felix Felicis: xitter.cf/Aloofcannon/status/210… Sectumsempra: xitter.cf/zer0chroma/status/2105… (absolute gem) archiveofourown.org/works/93… xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… On the Run: xitter.cf/TheChroNikler/status/2… xitter.cf/TheChroNikler/status/2… Room of Requirement: xitter.cf/VladVoice/status/21060… Death of Dumbledore: xitter.cf/HariSel57511397/status… (absolute gem) xitter.cf/HariSel57511397/status… xitter.cf/SunshineSchmdt2/status… Final Stand: xitter.cf/ZeldaZealot/status/210… xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… archiveofourown.org/works/93… xitter.cf/S_16135/status/2105790… xitter.cf/S_16135/status/2105952… xitter.cf/S_16135/status/2106075… xitter.cf/S_16135/status/2106489… xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… Marriage and Family: xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… xitter.cf/Critical_Scribe/status… xitter.cf/FunnyNameForMe1/status… Multi-Scene Works: xitter.cf/Florida_Boi1/status/21… xitter.cf/VladVoice/status/21057… wattpad.com/story/416789252-… Honorable Mention Illustrated Scene: xitter.cf/theexileddraco/status/… Authors: @HariSel57511397 @Critical_Scribe @VladVoice @spookyh8r @Devon_Eriksen_ @moonlightbro @Florida_Boi1 @S_16135 @SunshineSchmdt2 @ZeldaZealot @nightowl_trades @NWBroJaneway @zer0chroma @theexileddraco @Aloofcannon @TheChroNikler @FunnyNameForMe1 #Malfoid #HarryPotterAU #Malfoy
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Adding this short to the megathread. This is another one that just popped into my head when looking at the art, so I had to get it down. It takes place during the couple’s last year at Hogwarts, but where they’re shopping for supplies. I wanted to it sort of be juxtaposed against their first meeting, but rather than make it some internal thing having them banter about it made it feel more natural to me. (Art credit for this post goes to @hayes_gens)
“Heh.” Draceana looked up from her newly fitted robes to Harry, who was standing on the stool next to her. “What is it, Potter?” He lifted an arm for Madam Malkin to check the length of his uniform. “Just a bit of remembering, is all.” His girlfriend furrowed her brow, thinking for a moment before it lifted. “This is where we first met.” “Indeed.” “Far younger.” Malkin checked Harry’s other arm. “And far smaller too, you’ve grown a lot Mr. Potter.” “That’s right.” A teasing smile tugged at Draceana’s lips. “You were shorter than me then.” Harry frowned. “That’s the first thing that you think of?” “I thought it was cute. You were sort of just standing there in a daze, like a lost kitten.” He snorted. “While you were the properly groomed and refined cat that sat on the windowsill?” Draceana swept her hair. “Of course.” “Well, you were better prepared, I’ll admit that much. I had no idea what I was in for… though you were quick to inform me of all sorts of things.” She titled her head up. “Those in our position have a duty to inform those lost in ignorance.” “You reminded me of Dudley.” Draceana gasped and swatted Harry on the shoulder. “Miss Malfoy, do keep your hands to yourself.” Malkin’s words slipped between barely contained giggles. “He compared me to a muggle brat!” Harry shrugged. “I’m just being honest.” “His family made you live under the stairs, in a cupboard!” “And at the time, would you say that Dobby lived any better?” She winced. “…it still stings.” Harry reached over and patted her on the back. “I know you’re of a different mind now.” Draceana fluttered her lips. “You could have at least told me you thought I was pretty.” “Well, that goes without saying.” “Nice words are still good to hear, Potter.” Harry waited for Malkin to step back before leaning over and kissing Draceana on the cheek. “You were pretty, but the you I see before me is far more beautiful.” She huffed despite the blush on her cheeks. “I don’t know where you found your silver tongue, but it’s not fair.” “You are welcome to set my heart aflutter whenever you please. It’s not hard, either.” He grinned. “All you have to do is smile.” She hit him on the shoulder again, softer this time, and looked away. “Completely unfair.” Madam Malkin looked over her sewing tools, a mischievous light in her eyes. “I’ll have you know, Mr. Potter, that Miss Malfoy couldn’t stop talking about you after you left.” Draceana looked at her, aghast. “You don’t need to bring that up!” “I thought it was adorable, a girl who found herself a boy she fancied, but dressing it up in airs of ‘Oh, if I run into him again I’ll have to show him the ways,’, and wondering what your name was.” Draceana puffed out her cheek. “That was supposed to be private.” “And it is, between all of us.” Malkin flashed her a grin. Harry chuckled. “Now that is very good to know. I must have left far more of an impression than a lost kitten, then.” Draceana clicked her teeth. “Barely.” He raised an eyebrow and waited. “…you were the first person to look and just see… me. Not the heir of the Malfoy family, just a girl, and that made me excited, so my words got ahead of me.” She pressed her lips thin. “Of course, now that I know you thought of a fat muggle boy the whole time, it feels extra silly to bring up.” Harry scratched his cheek. “That’s not all I thought of.” “Oh? Do tell, it’s only right.” “I felt self conscious about how much I didn’t know about everything, and there you were, so full of confidence and talking like you had everything figured out… it made me feel small.” “I see…” Draceana looked him up and down. “Well, you’re rather big now.” Harry smiled. “I suppose I am.” He looked out the window. “Oh look! There’s Hagrid, wonder what he’s up to.” “‘Official McGonagall Business’,” Draceana did her best impression of the large man’s voice. “Merlin knows what that even entails.” “Something tamer than Dumbledore business, I hope.” He looked over at her. “Still think him a savage?” She crossed her arms. “No, but he will remain a bit of an oaf.” “With a heart of gold.” She nodded. “I could never deny that now. We should catch up to him after we’re done here.” “A fine idea. Am I all set, Madam Malkin?” The seamstress looked him over again. “Everything appears to be in order, my dear.” She walked over to Draceana. “What about you, Miss Malfoy? Any adjustments you think you need?” Draceana looked up at the mirror, seeing both her and Harry standing side by side, and smiled. “No, everything’s perfect.”
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Just got done watching the second season of Cyberpunk Edgerunners and I’m gonna leave a quick review while it’s still fresh. Objective Score: 6/10 Subjective Score: 6/10 More thoughts below. SPOILERS Objective Critique: To be plain from the start, this is just an overall weaker effort compared to season one. It both felt like it was rushing and dragging its feet, but in places where it was less tolerable overall. The ending especially felt like they just wanted it all to be over with, which left its overall more “we’re gonna struggle and make it” theming feel jaded in a way, which is something that clashes with what they clearly wanted to convey. The plot itself feels much more scattershot as well, with essentially two A plots running in tandem with their own B plots along with a C plot that was meant to tie them altogether, but just made it all feel cluttered and lacking focus in the end. D is the character that gets the most focus overall, and while I think his “revenge is bad, m’kay” is execution is better than a lot of recent attempts at the theme, it just doesn’t tread ground where we haven’t heard this a thousand times before. Were this more balanced with the other “main cast members” I think I would have tolerated it more, but it wore out its welcome because it started to make the other cast members feel extraneous at points. Roman, Talia, and Weak all feel really underutilized overall, which is crazy because that’s three of the people on the poster. Roman and Weak both feel like total bystanders for the most part, and that may have been the point, but where they’re lacking is the total amount if interaction that you would assume this cast. D only interacts with Roman in a meaningful manner and has like less than 5 minutes with Talia and Weak. He interacts with two other characters far more to the point where THEY feel like the crew more than Weak and Talia do. Where this is most wasted is Talia and Roman, who have the potential to have chemistry equal to David and Lucy from season 1, but the issue was that they were kept apart for so long that even when they had their moment to truly connect, it feels but there out of obligation rather than something of substance. Capri was a cool concept and her interaction with D was actually really well done at the beginning, but again that doesn’t last long enough for anyone to really latch onto because they literally strip Capri of her personality for most of the show when it comes to D. I also wasn’t really a fan of her abilities. I get that she was supposed to be extremely powerful, but after a certain point it stopped feeling like Cyberpunk powerful and just plain magic. Where this show starts to fall apart is when all four of the poster characters meet at the diner. Up until then, the pieces are being laid out and you can feel the potential, see the dynamic that COULD be there, and then it proceeds to throw a wrench in that to split them up for nearly the entire show afterwards. If it was deliberate to subvert expectations, then it gave a loose and relatively meandering plot as a replacement, which is a poor execution of the concept. The pacing and plotting also feels very “so I guess this just happens, I guess” at points. The biggest offender of this is when they just decide to dump D into the junkyard without verifying if they were supposed to kill him or not. Like wtf, I get they wanted a “oh well they were just stupid” moment but it just felt weak. Not to mention one character just serves as a mcguffin dispenser so the plot just happens. And the relic mechanics for Capri are never really convincingly good explained, they, again, just kinda happen that way. The animation was really stunning at moments and I loved the framing of many scenes through the camera and other means as well, but I think it was also lacking in some regards where a lot felt very “slide-y” at moments. Overall, just feels like a lot of wasted potential. Subjective critique in reply.
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Subjective Critique: Somehow, even with a brighter and more hopeful framing, I found the ending to Season 2 to be less moving and inspirational than Season 1. Season 1 ends in tragedy, but David accomplishes his goal in the end and gives Lucy a future. Season 2 leaves D’s fate ambiguous (for his mind at least), Roman comes out relatively unscathed but emotionally hurt, while Talia and Weak approach what appears to be a grim fate for Talia but with a gumption and optimistic mindset. That’s not bad in concept, but again, the build up to all of this makes it land in on a flat note rather than something more poignant like Season 1. And I gotta be honest, the characters from season 1 just landed much better for me. It’s probably the focus that really helped them shine, and the main crew actually interacts much more overall to build that investment in them that makes you want to see them succeed and get hit harder when you see most of their fates. There was much that felt like the Season 2 crew, besides D and a little bit of Roman, were really edgerunning anyhow. The soundtrack for season 1 also just clears 2 in every way. I should probably move this to the objective critique section lol (I ran out of space) I enjoyed what I saw to some extent, but it just kinda felt lacking by the end and I just didn’t feel as sucked in here. But, don’t let my emotions thoughts dampen your enjoyment of the show if you did like it. I just felt like it wasn’t nearly as good as the previous season.
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An alternate opinion! This nails down what people may resonate more in this season, and the poster has more experience with the cyberpunk genre and franchise than I do.
Okay here's my review. IMO it's an 8/10 What it did worse than S1? Memability: it's story and songs are less bombastic - action scenes ferwer, songs more subtle and melancholic. Lesser mass appeal Action: definetly less action Pacing: there is too many characters for too little time What it did better? story is more coherent, S1 is not fresh in memory, but things just jump around a lot, character personalities just seem to switch. characters feel and act more human. What I think made a huge difference in mass appeal for this season is which path it took "Would you rather live in peace as Mr. Nobody, die ripe, old and smelling slightly of urine? Or go down for all times in a blaze of glory, smelling near like posies, without seeing your thirtieth?". Season 1 was the path of glory, Season 2, was showing the Mr. Nobody option. The story thus follows a very different and weird story progression which may be hard to relate to and mainly consists of "Actually, why do I even care? Maybe I should give up and focus on something else?" being the core arc of every character. Okay I got a bit too long winded so I'll summarize my points instead. The stories of all 4 main MCs are about giving up the thing they strive for most. King gives up being a top dog mercenary, finding a purpose in life around helping someone else. Talia learns to accept herself and her limitations letting go of her father's expectations. D let's go of his guilt and hatred to chase love and happiness. And Roman no longer even wants to make a movie by the end, but he is left hollow because he actually finds no new purpose at all. It's not a story that's ever written really. It's like if someone tried to write the story of Troy, but the main character says he actually does not care much about the war and instead wants to stay with his wife and farm. The contrast to that is Talia's Father a man who does in some twisted way clearly care about her and Avida, but is a brainwashed corporate drone and chose himself and the corpo over the people he loves. People say that D is the closest David pararell, but it's actually this guy. He has a dream and pushes ahead with it no matter what even if it hurts the people around him even if he deludes himself that he was doing it for them to begin with. What I think this leads to is the story feeling really disappointing throughout. The climax of a character's journey is not them going full power warrior and rampaging winning the day, it's swallowing the pain and running away. This happens both when Weak flees with Avida and when Talia sees D being taken away and just walks back. The story structure of S1 was impulsive epic moments leading to an escalation of stakes which lead to an explosive tragic finale. It was a classic tragedy, where characters made all the wrong choices and refused to look back at the people around them. S2 feels more like a collection of anti-climaxes which leads to a somber bittersweet ending. It's a drama, with the moments that move the story forward not being those in which people charge ahead recklessly, but the moments of somber introspection about what the things that truly matter in life are. The moments where the characters think about what really matters and let go of something. And as the story ends you don't really see any possible happier ending for the characters than what they got. This is also why I subjectively find season 2 more impressive. S1 has a much safer approach to storytelling. S2 tried something very different and not just from the usual Studio trigger/Cyberpunk approach, but in fiction generally.
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Malfoid: “How bout a bit of the ultra violence Potter?” Harry: “Huh?” Malfoid: “There is me, that is Dracaena, and my three droogs, that is Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. And we sat in the Hogsmeade butterbeer bar trying to make out rassoodocks up about what to do with the evening.” Harry: “I don’t get it…” Malfoid: “I saw it in a muggle film once! Hehe ❤️”
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