📍 Hi People! First post here! Let's start by clarifying a couple of things
🚩QUESTIONS: I accept questions! It doesn't matter which one, i am prone to talk about any topic, including uncomfortable ones (honestly idc). Ask about requests, my OCs, characters, fandoms etc. Or just to leave a message. I accept art requests too, i only do simple things like sketches/doodles, not so complex drawings with many details but i can paint decently. I love any kind of questions, but there are limits so be respectful. If you send a question/request that makes me feel really uncomfortable, i kindly ask that you keep that on your own. Otherwise i'll either politely decline and just simply delete your ask out of my inbox. Or I'm undecided about my answer so i prefer not to answer. AND DO NOT ASK ME TO DONATE MONEY, i'm broke too💔. Violate or disrespect my blog rules several times or DNI, you're blocked. Thank u!
🧩CONTENT: I probably upload content from my ocs or other characters like drawings. Although i'm terrible sometimes (all the time). I'll also upload videos and stuff that i find funny. If you want some lil drawing tips (for cars), I have a post about that: Cars drawing tips
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🪅FANDOMS: I'm in a lot of fandoms especially series and games. The most notable are Cars and PHIGHTING! Roblox, I'll upload something from those, not very often because my content has been mostly Cars since I created this account. But a day you can see me uploading from a totally different fandom!!
📎 EXTRA THINGS: Eng is not my first language, actually I can speak Spanish/Italian. But yeah the main here is English!
Cars oc sideblog (very slow updates/posts..!!)
Roblox user: Blossom_SoftYey - OxiM (If u want to play with me someday, tell me! via DM)
Ao3
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Thesis: I talked a lot about Drift in my last post, but I want to take a closer look at the actual character design. There is a visual detail that might be more than just "cool lighting", it looks like a direct reference to the ancient Japanese custom of Ohaguro.
(And because I definitely want to give more appreciation to his design)
What is Ohaguro?: For those who don't know, Ohaguro is the practice of tooth blackening. It was a beauty standard in Japan that lasted for centuries, particularly during the Heian Period. Historically, it was used by both men and women, often as a sign of maturity, status, and commitment to the samurai and aristocratic lifestyle.
The Evidence in the Design: If you compare both images, something stands out.
Crosshairs has standard metallic, gray-toned mechanical teeth. His teeth reflect the lighting of the scene, appearing as normal, structural mechanical parts.
Drift, on the other hand, shows a deep, persistent blackness across his dental structure. Even accounting for the shadow of his faceplate, the difference between the two is striking.
Also can we talk about how non-human their teeth are?? If you look close enough it looks like they have multiple rows of sharp teeth (I also noticed this in Drift's same scene).
But theres The "Lighting" Dilemma: I’ve gone back and forth on this. Could it just be the shadows and the moody lighting of the film? It's possible. Because the lighting on Drift is less direct in that specific shot, you could argue that his teeth are just obscured by shadow. But when you place the two side-by-side, the difference in the intensity of that darkness feels intentional.
Whether the design team did this on purpose or if it’s a happy accident, It’s possible the dark appearance is just a result of his faceplate shadows and the lack of direct light. However, in a franchise known for meticulous (and sometimes obsessive) character design, the fact that his teeth look like ohaguro is a thematic "too-perfect" coincidence. It fits Drift’s character perfectly, it’s a piece of "environmental storytelling." It shows that his commitment to the "Bushido Code" goes beyond just his appearance, it’s in the very way he presents himself. And it's also worth mentioning that it makes sense in terms of lore since, if I remember correctly, Drift was active in 1860s Japan, where Ohaguro was still practiced. He is literally wearing the beauty standards and markers of maturity from that era.
The Verdict:
He's performing a version of himself so hard that he’s adopting ancient beauty standards just to feel like he truly belongs to the philosophy he’s trying to master. It’s either a genius design detail or the best bit of headcanon I’ve ever had, but either way, I’m obsessed with it :3 .
Drift is a "Sage" and I’m the Queen of England (i.e., He’s Delusional)
Thesis: Okay, look. I love Drift. I love him so much I want to put him in a blender, drink the smoothie, and then give him a hug and a stress ball. But we need to have a serious conversation about the fact that this man is the biggest hypocrite in the entire franchise. He is a traumatized guy in a cosplay suit, but he is also a bot having a prolonged, mid-life crisis in real-time and I am going to burn at the stake for saying it like that. Btw if anyone says I'm larping maybe it's true since I'm catching up with these characters. Plus, this is the second time I've made a post like this.
(And pls read the verdict at the end ig)
Look at the facts, Drift’s transition from the Decepticon mercenary Deadlock to the noble Samurai Drift isn’t a spiritual evolution; it’s a total suppression of his original personality.
The "Puppy Dog" Projection: In Age of Extinction, he has the audacity to say, "I'm the lone sage who sees through this puppy dog eyes act, it's beneath you."
And I also want to highlight how in this line he obviously proclaims himself as a sage, which, like i said, he is not.
Let’s be real: he’s projecting 🥹. Drift spent his life as Deadlock, a brutal mercenary. He carries so much guilt and internal chaos that he’s built this "Samurai" persona as a cage for his own rage imo. When he looks at Bee, he doesn’t see a "puppy dog act", he sees someone who is allowed to be emotive and liked without having to perform a specific type of discipline. It irritates him because it reminds him that his own peace is fake. Psychology calls this Reaction Formation; he identifies the aggressive, chaotic impulses he hates in his own past, and he attacks them when he sees them in others to convince himself he’s successfully "cured" them.
For me, that wasn't a sage speaking. That was a guy who is so deeply insecure about his own suppressed rage that he’s furious at someone else for being allowed to have emotions. He’s out here trying to be better while suppressing thousands of years of Decepticon-mercenary trauma, and he’s mad that Bee doesn't have to work as hard as he does to stay "chill."
And the monologue BEFORE the little fight is the exact thing i'm trying to say: When he calls Bumblebee a "child," he is actually describing his own inability to handle the frustration of not being the one in charge. He projects his own lack of "warrior discipline" onto Bee, because a truly disciplined sage would have respected the chain of command, regardless of whether he agreed with it.
+ The "Shame" Defense: He claims Bumblebee "brings us shame". This is such a classic "I’m trying too hard to look good" tactic. By framing his personal annoyance as a matter of "honor" and "shame," he tries to elevate a petty workplace grievance into a grand moral failing. It’s hilariously transparent.
The Baby Dinobot: Fast forward to The Last Knight. We see a true, enlightened master react to a minor inconvenience with... well, extreme hostility. A tiny Dinobot lands on his foot, and he goes zero-to-a-hundred immediately. And remember what he was reciting before that: "No fear, no hate, no anger" (sure buddy)
(Btw I feel like I should say that I love how the voice actor in esp LATAM portrayed this anger issues flashes!!)
If you are a "lone sage," you find balance in the chaos. You don't have a meltdown because a metal lizard touched your damn feet. This is the moment the "Samurai mask" slips, and the old Decepticon mercenary comes roaring back to the surface. He isn't enlightened; he’s just suppressing his instincts. A true monk or sage lives by Wu Wei (non-action/effortless action). If you are a true sage, a small robot on your foot is a moment of zen. For Drift, it’s a breach of his perimeter. His immediate, violent escalation shows that his "Zen" is brittle. It isn't a state of being; it’s a state of maintenance. He’s not that peaceful; he’s just one inconvenience away from a total system reset.
Although he ends up joking about it in the end, that doesn't change the way he reacted.
Lockdown's ship scene: Also in this part of the movie, He explicitly tells the team that violence should be a last resort. It’s his way of setting the "moral bar" for the group, trying to establish himself as the voice of reason and restraint.
+ The Zero-to-One-Hundred Reaction: As I noted, the moment that alien caterpillar-like creature appears seconds after him saying that, he doesn't just neutralize the threat; he goes nuclear. He starts shouting "I'll kill you!" which is the absolute opposite of the persona he is trying to project. The fact that he yells this with genuine, raw aggression rather than the calm, detached bot act is just that—an act. His immediate go-to response is lethal, over-the-top violence. Even if the writers intended it as a bit of comic relief, it serves the narrative purpose of showing that Drift is deeply stressed by his own rigid code. He isn't actually calm; he is terrified of his own impulses, and a surprise bug is enough to make him lose control and contradict oneself.
This moment is key for me because it shows that for Drift, "discipline" is a choice he has to make every single second, and he is exhausting himself trying to keep the "old" Drift buried. When he screams at that bug, he isn't just killing a creature; (maybe) he’s taking out his frustration at being forced to act like a pacifist when every fiber of his being wants to go back to being a brawler.
It makes him so much more relatable, doesn't it? Because we’ve all had those moments where we’re trying to be the "bigger person" or act all calm and good, and then one minor thing happens and we just lose it.
It’s a Canon Habit:
This isn't just movie-exclusive, either. If you look at his lore across various Transformers continuities (like the IDW comics), where we see his origins as Deadlock, the theme remains constant: Extreme Polarization. Whether he is a merciless Decepticon or a "noble" Autobot, he always operates at 100%. He is constantly oscillating between extreme violence and extreme meditation because he doesn't know how to exist in the middle ground. He forces himself into this binary "either I am a mindless killer or I am a silent, stoic samurai" because he is terrified of what happens if he just tries to be... a normal person. Well, bot.
He lacks the "middle path" because his brain is wired for absolute, black-and-white extremes. Drift is defined by his struggle to overcome his past. Drift is a character in constant conflict. He probably thinks being a "sage" means suppressing his personality until there’s nothing left but stoic one-liners. But because he holds himself to such an impossibly high standard, he becomes the most hyper-critical person in the room. He’s not a master of the blade; he’s a guy trying to convince himself that if he says enough "wise" things, he’ll eventually stop wanting to punch everything in sight.
The Verdict:
Like i said, i love him, but let’s stop acting like he’s actually got it all figured out. I don't hate him. I’m not being a hater. I’m being realistic. Drift is a tragic, complex, messy, deeply human character trapped in a Cybertronian body. He is trying so hard to be something he isn't that he’s become sometimes hyper-critical of everyone else's "lack of this or that" to distract from his own internal war.
He is an emotional disaster, a hypocritical mess, and honestly, a bit of a diva about his own aesthetic. And that is exactly why he’s one of the best-written characters in the Bayverse and outside it because he is the only one actively lying to himself (although well, this topic wasn't even touched upon in the movie). He’s not a sage, he’s a looong work in progress who is barely holding it together. But hey, thats the good thing, he is making progress and is aware of his shortcomings. But trying to change after like, MILLIONS of years of being a bad person is difficult. One meditation session at a time.
Anyway, that’s my hill to die on and for saying he’s a neurotic performative mess but at least he’s a mess with a sword.
Plus, criticism is accepted!!
Whenever I do these writings I feel like I'm overthinking or am I misunderstanding something lmao that's why😭
Hi!! :D I'm doing well thank uu, yeah It's been a while since i post something, especially Cars.
As for Michi & Max,,, I haven't drawn them again in quite a while BUT, there's actually been a bit of a canon update i fear 🥹. As I kept developing Michi's story, I realized their relationship worked better as an important part of her past rather than her endgame.
So here's the context:
Michi and Max were together for about three to four years, beginning sometime around 2008. They met through the international racing scene, where they kept running into each other at events, and clicked almost by accident. Michi wasn't what Max expected at all. On track she was incredibly focused, but off track she was surprisingly easygoing, loved joking around, wandered off to explore cities during race weekends, and had this habit of making almost everyone around her laugh. She wasn't trying to impress anyone, and I think that's part of what drew him in. Max liked that she treated him like... well, just Max. Not as some famous racer. She'd tease him, challenge him, and if he said something ridiculous, she'd tell him it was ridiculous. They were competitive, loved pushing each other, and genuinely enjoyed spending time together whenever their schedules allowed.
The problem wasn't a lack of feelings, it was that their lives kept pulling them in different directions. Both were deeply committed to their careers, constantly traveling and chasing new goals. Neither wanted to give up that part of themselves, and over time they realized they were trying to make a long-distance, high-pressure relationship work without either of them truly slowing down.
Rather than ending in a argument, the relationship slowly reached its conclusion through a series of honest conversations. They still cared about each other, but eventually accepted that love alone wasn't enough to bridge the differences in the lives they wanted to lead.
The breakup happened around 2011 or 2012, well before Michi adopted Akira (I posted a drawing of him a time ago!). It wasn't caused by betrayal or resentment, just different priorities, and two people growing in different directions.
Did Max get over it quickly? Not really. He probably held onto the relationship emotionally for longer. Not in an unhealthy way, just... Yeah it took him more time. Max took the breakup harder.
Michi processed it differently. She was sad, absolutely. She wouldn't pretend she wasn't. But once she'd made the decision, she believed it was kinder not to keep reopening the wound.
As the years passed, the awkwardness faded. Their relationship had never been a huge public spectacle. People within the racing world knew they were together, and there were occasional photos or interviews where they appeared side by side, but they intentionally kept their private life out of the spotlight. They're best described as former partners who genuinely respect one another. They're friendly when they meet at races, can chat comfortably, and still understand each other's personalities remarkably well after all these years. So... were they still friends? Kind of. More like two people who shared an important chapter of their lives and never stopped respecting each other.nor are they strangers—they're simply two people who shared an important chapter of their lives, accepted that it had reached its natural end and moved on without bitterness.
I apologize to any fan of these two who are still alive
Speaking of OCs, since I haven't done it in a while lol
Umm, I've been getting back into the Transformers fandom after a looong time of not thinking about 'em ever since I saw Rescue Bots as a child, and I'm hyped after watching the Bayverse saga. And uh huh I always end up making an OC when I'm in a fandom so–
although, well I really did it more as a little "what if" where I imagined Michi (an OC from Cars) as a Transformer named Cloudstrike (with the rest of the WGP haha) then turn them all into independent OCs with lore 🥹. Yeah now i have thirteen tf ocs. So, Cloud' is the creator and leader of her own faction, which I suppose we can consider somewhat neutral. Besides, they've been around for a long time, but I can't give specifics because it's still complicated for me to calculate allat; long ass lore-drop incoming 🤤 (with a sketch):
“Strength is proven by those you protect.” (hehe their motto)
"The Stratos Vanguard" is an independent Cybertronian organization allied with the Autobots, led by Commander Cloudstrike. Although they share many of the Autobots' ideals: protecting innocent life, opposing tyranny, and resisting the Decepticons, they are not part of the Autobot chain of command and operate under their own leadership, structure, and objectives.
Originally formed as a specialized rapid-response force, the Stratos Vanguard is built around speed, precision, intelligence, and coordinated action. Their members are known for now choosing highly optimized racing vehicles as their alternate modes, reflecting a culture that values efficiency, engineering excellence, and control. While this makes them stand out among most Cybertronians, the Vanguard sees these forms as practical tools rather than status symbols.
The organization is relatively small, with only a handful of elite members (thirteen members in total), each fulfilling a specific role within the team. Rather than acting as a conventional army, they function as a mobile task force capable of reconnaissance, strategic intervention, asset protection, intelligence gathering, and high-risk operations across vast distances.
Among allies, members are simply referred to as Vanguards, while many Decepticons know them by the nickname "Skywardens." The name originated from their habit of appearing unexpectedly on rooftops, ridgelines, elevated structures, and strategic vantage points long before anyone realizes they are present. To their enemies, the Stratos Vanguard has earned a reputation for always watching first and arriving exactly when they are least wanted.
Although independent, the relationship between the Stratos Vanguard and the Autobots is exceptionally close. Optimus Prime and Cloudstrike have worked together for thousands of years, and mutual trust between the two organizations runs deep. When a crisis exceeds the capabilities of a single Autobot team, the arrival of the Stratos Vanguard often signals that the situation has become truly serious.
I mean, I wanted to go the more original route instead of making them all Autobots or Decepticons; having your own faction is cool, right? I haven't seen much of this. And doing them in the Bayverse isn't for the weak (but I think they would look good in TP or RiD)💔.
Okay here's a sketch of Cloudstrike not even painted done with sweat blood and tears omg why are they so hard to draw
I have a lot to say, but I really don't know if I'm going to 🥹...... But at the very least, as I said before, they mainly scanned race cars (it wasn't always like that, before it was more normal/sport cars); Cloudstrike's car is now a Dome S102 LMP1; the previous one (around DOTM) was the Lexus LFA! Although she still has it as an alt along the Dome, I don't want to make this post more longer 🥲.
Being a demideity and one of the handful who possess wings, I had to do this a while ago, so!
WING LORE & BREAKDOWN! ↓
The Weight & Lift Physics:
The Aerodynamics: Firework possesses a highly dense, muscular Inphernal frame weighing approx 110kg (240lbs). In standard aerodynamics, a heavy payload requires massive amounts of kinetic energy (flapping) to maintain altitude, which would completely drain a mortal’s stamina. So we got The Passive Soaring Solution! To offset her immense mass, her wings utilize a Passive Soaring profile rather than a high-frequency flapping model. The massive 8-9 meter span combined with a deep 1.5 meter chord creates a huge surface area that generates immense static lift.
Thermal Gliding: So Instead of actively fighting gravity, Firework uses her wings to catch thermal updrafts and air currents, allowing her to stay airborne and glide for hours with virtually zero muscle exertion! The separated, "fingered" primary feathers at the tips act as winglets, reducing drag and turbulence at low speeds so she remains perfectly stable while coasting.
Present-Day Utility:
The "Air Brake" Technique: Because of her high-density weight, falling from heights can be incredibly destructive to the ground beneath her. When landing or descending rapidly, Firework flares part of her massive wings completely open perpendicular to her path. The sudden, immense surface area acts like an instant parachute, trapping a massive volume of air and creating a powerful aerodynamic cushion that halts her heavy downward momentum for a gentle, controlled landing.
Propulsion Dashes: While she rarely engages in long-distance flying nowadays, she can violently snap her wings shut or flap them once with immense force to displace air instantly. This acts as a heavy kinetic propulsion boost, allowing her to dash quickly across a battlefield or launch herself into the air, though it burns througt a lot of sudden physical energy.
The Injury Factor & Nerve Damage:
The Patagium Trauma: Her right wing features a prominent, healed burn scars directly on the patagium, the leading skin membrane responsible for controlling the wing's aerodynamic tension and angle of attack. Because scar tissue is rigid and lacks the natural elasticity of healthy skin, this membrane cannot stretch or flex properly.
Asymmetrical Fatigue: When gliding or performing propulsion dashes, her right wing muscles have to work *twice* as hard to compensate for the stiff, unyielding scar tissue. This results in rapid fatigue on the right side.
The Lopsided Flight Path: Because her right wing tires out much faster than her healthy left wing, her steering can become slightly lopsided during extended flights. If she pushes herself too hard, she has a natural tendency to bank or drift slightly to the right as her strength flags.
Historical Backstory (8 Years Ago):
The Outward Journey: almost eight years ago, Firework used the full extent of her soaring capabilities to permanently flee from her family and her father, Venomshank.
Traveling the Desolate Wilds: So to escape their reach, she had to cover massive, punishing distances without being spotted. Her wings were her greatest asset during this era; by flying at extremely high altitudes where the air was cold and catching long-range wind currents, she was able to travel across entire territories undetected. It was a grueling test of endurance that permanently tested her limits before she finally found a place to settle down.
Okay, so the Cozy Cone Motel has about 5-6 cones, right? And let's assume (hypothetically because obviously we don't know if it happened lol) that in Cars 2 the WGP racers probably decided to stay for a day or so after the RS race. Well, to get to know the place and visit more places and that....
We have 10 racers, (Idk if I should count McQueen but okay)
So again, if there are only 5 cones, where the hell did the other 5 racers sleep?
Bringing my Phighting oc charts to light (tap for more quality!)
Firework;
Firework has intentionally lost or underperformed in matches to avoid drawing attention. And also for this, Firework has had to left matches early before they even begin the moment certain individuals entered/start to check on her (bud just let her play and get the mf money 💔)
She has been mistaken for a completely different phighter/person more than once already because of her big changes in appearance.
Firework treats most relationships as temporary by default. She makes exceptions..
This unc hasn't had a job since she left Thieves' Den.
(past fun fact!) For a while, Medkit would take a moment to check Firework's scars properly almost whenever he visited Sword. Sword had once asked him to, and it had become a habit./like, Firework never had–so to speak, professional attention in that.
Shark Shooter;
She assumes anyone stronger than her is “cool” by default. This admiration can disappear just as quickly if they ignore her.
In the Red Phone dialogues between The Broker and Shark Shooter, this one presents himself has friendly on the surface, manipulative underneath. (He acts almost kind, but everything he says is meant to steer her).
Shark talks about Firework like they’ve known each other forever/Firework does not correct her but also doesn’t confirm anything.
She has a habit of giving people nicknames instead of learning their actual names. Sometimes she never realizes she got it wrong.
If someone is neutral toward her, she assumes they dislike her. If someone actually dislikes her, she assumes she can “fix it.”
Authority figures tend to remember her. Not for good reasons/she doesn’t see the problem.
If anyone needs it, the empty images are below the cut↓
Speaking of Pixar and that new kids' series they're releasing in 2027. MAYBE hot take: I do not think Pixar is making a smart move with this new Cars: Lightning Racers’ series. And I am not saying that just because I dislike change or because I am clinging to nostalgia.
I am saying it because, from a creative standpoint, it already feels like a very strange decision. Cars has always had a very specific visual identity, and THAT identity is part of why the franchise worked in the first place. It did not need a drastic redesign to feel appealing. So changing the style this much, especially in a way that looks cheap, uneven, or even a little like AI slop, feels less like innovation and more like Pixar misunderstanding what people actually liked about Cars to begin with.
And yes, I understand that this is meant for kids. That part is obvious, Cars was always for kids and family. But that does not automatically make the new direction better. There is a difference between making something accessible for kids and stripping away the visual consistency, change the characters WAY too much, losing their identity completly and the things that made the franchise unique and recognizable. The older fans are not just random people complaining for anything no reason; they are the audience that kept this franchise alive for two whole decades even when Pixar itself was doing nothing super mega interesting with it. So it is hard to take this as some brilliant new move when it already looks like it is pushing away the people who cared enough to keep asking for more.
What makes it worse is the character choice. There are already so many iconic Cars characters that could be brought back and actually used well. Francesco Bernoulli, the WGP racers, Chick Hicks, The King, and plenty of others all had potential that was barely touched or simply make a comeback. Some of them were memorable despite having little screen time, which is exactly why bringing them back would have made sense. It would have been a chance to do something the movies never fully did: expand on characters that already exist, already have fans, and already belong in this universe. Instead, Pixar seems to be choosing new characters that do not even feel especially necessary, and from what has been shown, they do not seem to match the tone or charm that made Cars work in the first place. My point is, there are so many interesting themes and characters in Cars to explore, and they choose to go in this direction.
So, no, I do not think this is some bold reinvention. I think it is a questionable decision that risks weakening the franchise instead of helping it. At best, it will probably be forgettable. At worst, it will end up feeling like a pointless waste of money and effort, because it is solving a problem that did not need to exist in the first place. And I think many people already share this opinion.
I’m calling it now: this series is not going to land the way they think it will.
