#ff analysis

[scissorshq]

Just now remembered that if titan Liu Kang and Titan Kitana are from the same timeline than when Raiden asks Liu Kang why he chose Johnny cage, Liu Kang remembers his Johnny and his help in defeating Shao Kahn and Shinnok

[ff-cgratins]

+

(^Set before before the first scene)

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Thoughts on Dongding oolong that were supposed to be about the above scenes but then got way, way, way out of hand, more below the read more re: why I think he’s neat + some analysis and observations from this and his own event:

I probably should’ve posted more about him when his event came out, but haven’t gotten around to it, maybe eventually, but!

I really like his character

Is it the shadiness? The capacity to be ruthless but holding back? Willing to do whatever it takes to make up for a past mistake and get back that which he holds dear? Perhaps-

:readmore:

From his event, no one really really sees through him (with the closest being Royal Jelly, and them caring deeply for each other then, and perhaps still being able to read each other to a degree now). The guy has plans, layers upon layers, and when he wants something, he does his utmost to get it

He’s ruthless, and has tonnes of blood on his hand, and is well versed in underhanded means and the manipulation of people

Yet

He cares deeply and strongly and greatly about those he cares about, be it his dragonlings, Royal Jelly, etc. Those he cares about, to those he truly holds dear, he cares. He’s not above manipulation when he feels it necessary, but he worries and does whatever he has to/can to protect them, or at least he does, when he’s able to, and maybe that cherishing of them comes from loneliness from his duty and position? (Is he lonely? From all those days alone with so few people to rely on?) But besides that,

Even those who aren’t especially close to him but he somewhat likes he isn’t terrible towards. He schemes and lies but yet puts up with Yellow Tea Cake, gets concerned about her, doesn’t hold her mischief and blunders against her, is still cordial towards Junshan silver needle tea, is polite with Jinzy,

He teaches others lessons occasionally (telling Junshan silver needle tea how to convince investors to get the mountain fixed and why her approach won’t work), and is cordial, whatever the reason for it, and doesn’t seem to want to be unnecessarily cruel- to the emperor in the beginning of his event, he chides but doesn’t scold, treats him kindly when the emperor says he thinks of him as more than advisor, as his brother, even if he may not feel the same

He goes along with Yellow pea cake’s antics, when she hijacked his carriage, doesn’t kick her out before they depart, feels proud of her in one of the side stories when she makes a snarky comeback, even if he doesn’t say it and he’s manipulating her to make sure she doesn’t spill his secrets, worries about and goes after her when she doesn’t appear for a while after going to get water, doesn’t seem to harbour any grudge against her for her spilling all the deeds he’s done to get the throne for the emperor to the whole country, which, damn.

He even sees through Jinzy’s plan of giving herself up to stop Aizen and interferes to stop her, even though it wouldn’t have impacted him if she had.

He isn’t above terrible deeds when needs must, but outside of that he isn’t a terrible person, he’s complicated, and as they say, like an onion- multilayered (gotta love onions)

He’s trying to move on from stuff in the past and reconnect with Royal Jelly, and is ready and willing to do whatever he has to to get there, didn’t even hesitate to head to his hometown right after his duties concluded. He wanted to reconnect even when Royal jelly didn’t remember him at first, even though he felt weighed by it and relieved when he remembered, even if that meant he would hate him after.

He really treasured his and Royal jelly’s friendship, and really regrets what came to be between them- his concern and worries about Royal jelly’s wound, feeling regret and sharp guilt when thinking about the event. Then there’s also wanting to reconnect, but being willing to hide important things Royal jelly might want to know to maximise his chances of not getting pushed away even more- he manipulates Yellow Pea Cake into not giving up info about what he did to get the emperor his throne so that Royal jelly doesn’t think less of him. He’s selfish.

He’s selfish, yet extremely wary, and suspicious, and yet cares a lot, and is cordial, and is trying to be different and better (inner thought in his event when debating whether to just ditch Yellow pea cake and gun it after she leaves) after all he did to ensure the current emperor’s succession. He has regrets while still being unabashedly able to do whatever he needs for his goals, and I think that’s just majorly cool of him

—

As a continuation of that, I know that I’ve mentioned it before, but I just really find his character interesting

He’s shady, but not bad, he cares about others, but is willing to play them to meet his goals, yet will step in if things go awry, like in the above screencaps

What I find interesting is that he let himself be discovered this time- not in this instance in the theatre, but in the beginning, when getting support for the two to get into the theatre. He called out his support, and let himself be heard while helping them get the support they needed

Was it because it didn’t come at high cost for him? Did he just want Yellow pea cake to know and get annoyed over it for shits and giggles? Did he just feel like doing it? Enigma of a man, 👑

He predicted or found out that they were heading to the town, (again, he wasn’t mad at Yellow pea cake, I don’t think he’s been actually really upset/enraged at her actions that we’ve seen, with him just being exasperated/annoyed normally) trailed along, saw them get themselves into a sticky but hilarious situation, and decided to play along and see how things turned out. He then somehow got excellent tickets, from a stellar vantage point, and when watching, “a towering figure leisurely figure clapped his hands and smiled faintly”

He cares! There was no one there who he would have to hold back around! He went to their impromptu show, bothered to somehow get excellent tickets for a hot event, and when no one was watching, supported them and felt happy for the show they were putting on, for them! No one knew he was there watching either, until he revealed himself! He was there because he wanted to be.

He’s somehow soft, yet sharp, yet kind, yet terrifying when need be. He cares for his friends! He has no need to do underhanded things as of now anymore! He can relax! And relax he is, getting to use his skills to just leisurely enjoy, instead of for whatever vital operation or the other to throw a country into upheaval, and I’m genuinely so incredibly glad for him, he deserves it

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Final analysis part, the first screenshots of the post:

Dongding Oolong stepped in the moment things started getting awry. He was watching the whole thing, and with his experience, could also tell when things were getting real.

He also did not kill nekomata. He restrained him. Dongding Oolong is, among many things, observant. With food souls and their hostility towards fallen angels, and with Dongding Oolong being as cautious as he is, he would have to have been trusting Junshan silver needle tea and Yellow pea cake to a certain degree to restrain, to do no more than restrain. Also, sending Fire and Thunder also added to the mood of the performance, making it not stand out at all while getting the objective done, hella sick.

The audience too, also visibly liked that, and took Fire and Thunder to be signs from/the great green dragon lord, to which Dongding Oolong scowled. Nothing confirmed here, but I like to think that that’s him not liking that help rendered equating rescue from the divine to others. He certainly doesn’t want to be identified as the one sending the dragonlings, but doesn’t like that they were taken to be from literally their god instead either. Maybe he doesn’t like that others don’t think to check for help from other sources (eg. Those organised by the non-divine) first and jump straight to the divine? Really interesting, and real glad we got to see that

Last screenshot here because formatting is wack already and why not, yea junshan silver needle tea and the others defo didn’t know he was there! Also unsure how canon it is, but maybe Thunder and Fire, being linked to Dongding Oolong, knows that they weren’t originally supposed to be found out then? Hence being meek? They’re so cute, gotta love them noodlies aa

No thoughts left and these here aren’t leading anywhere specific, but thought they were cool to share! And kudos if you read till here aha hope you enjoyed o7 (also wow aha this sure took a bit to write woogh)

As a final conclusion,

I just think he’s neat,

Dongding oolong my(our?) beloved <3

[misterpoofin]

You know if I make a full analysis on Sachertorte's design, that would be a lot of bullet points if you think about it but in reality it'll just be small. But if you want a nutshell of it: his design is just referencing the cake itself down to his eyes and little details like the flower on his scarf. However all we know about him is vaguely similar to his backstory on "protecting others" and having a "huge authority" removing others from Eyes of Horus said in the very 1st part of Marshmallow's skin story which is when Baguette states how much power this dude even has.

These 2 are a possible refference to Sachertorte's backstory, being labled the famous cake from Austria, The King of all Chocolate cakes, and just having a long shelf life is maybe why I think why he's deffense.

Baguette also has things refferenced like Sachertorte which is his design (Ex. He's skinny because the bread itself is long and skinny lol) and the backstory is probably mentioning the French bread's history which is "going through hard times" and finding a way to solve those problems by making a Baguette due to barely any bread during that time and needed something quick... Making well.. Baguette!

...Might be why he's an adjudictor and "wants to protect the brightness of the world"

[fuckyeahfoodfantasy]

Some musings on motifs used in Whisky’s design and how it may relate to his character arc and traits- may be a series? might do a personality analysis like I did with Hotdog?????

Throughout Whiskey’s design, the motif of two snakes is used repeatedly, from his waist coat to his earrings. This is mostly a reference to the caduceus, which is commonly (and incorrectly) used as a medical symbol in North America. There was a post while back further explaining Whiskey’s symbols and their meanings, which I can’t seem to find anymore? do tell if you can, however!

It should be known that the caduceus was mistaken for Asclepius’s Rod, which he used to raise the dead. Now that we know Whiskey’s backstory, it makes a lot of sense- Whiskey is aiming to revive his old “soulmate,” to give her a second chance that life refused her. However- Whiskey has the caduceus, not the Rod of Asclepius. Prior to the 16th century, the caduceus was rarely used in a medical context. Perhaps the fact that Whiskey has the wrong symbol is hinting at his inevitable failure in the quest to reverse death. 

The caduceus also has other meanings besides being mixed up with the rod of Asclepius. In fact, the caduceus is actually more often symbolized, “Azoth ,” the alchemical ‘universal solvent.’ Azoth, or mercury, was believed to be the essential agent of transformation, the animating spirit hidden in all matter that makes transmutation possible. Similarly, snakes are also seen as a symbol of change and rebirth. Snakes shed their skin constantly, becoming anew even after birth, symbolizing transformation and change. It’s quite fitting that Whiskey’s symbols all mean change, as he himself is a great force of change. (The dude’s literally upended entire kingdoms) Not only that, but he seeks to enact the greatest force of change of all- reversing death and the age old cycle of death and rebirth. Whether or not he will succeed is yet to be seen.

You will also notice that Whiskey has the motif of the sun on him- he has a golden sun collarpiece and a black sun on his waist chain. In alchemy, the sun takes on many meanings, as well as its color variations. According to Hermetic and alchemical traditions, there exists two suns- a hidden sun of pure “philosophical gold,” fire combined with aether, and the physical one of profane “material gold.” The dark consuming fire of the material sun is why it’s called the “Black Sun,” according to the Book of the Holy Trinity, a 15th century German alchemical treatise. This shows that Whiskey’s character is filled with duality and seeming contradictions- he wants to undo one of the most lofty institutions of time, death, and going through hell and back to do so. And yet, he doesn’t do it for any deep philosophical or analytic reasons, it’s entirely personal reasons, the very human emotions of grief and loss. 

Perhaps it also symbolizes his inherent nature as a Food Soul- Food Souls may be created by humans to be weapons, but clearly, one can’t help but take on some characteristics from their creators, especially when you are constantly around them, serving them.

[toodetudpimedas]

"... B-52’s disappearance didn’t impact our lives that much, though that was only to Borscht and me.

His disappearance must have been a great loss to Spaghetti. Though he didn’t show it, I could feel his mood shift."

I'm sure, Spaghetti regrets. He feels bad for what he said, for his anger. He never wanted him to leave. He never thought that he really leave someday. He never thought that he wouldn't come back.

B52 always was here, but then he is gone, and Spaghetti feels lonely. Again.

I'm sure Spaghetti thought about going and bringing him back, but then he realize that it was too late, and B52 was most likely dead.

I'm sure, he miss him.

[hrhowling]

Here’s something I noticed about Whiskey…

Word of warning, I got carried away and this post became much longer than I expected. TL;DR @ the bottom

When confronting the Magician about he Ringmaster, Pizza describes Whiskey as this:

Note that Pizza mentions a ‘strange seal’ and that Whiskey seems to commonly refer to himself as a merchant; a travelling salesman. This is important.

The ‘seal’ that Pizza brings up turns out to be this, which I recognised:

This is a caduceus; two snakes winding around a winged staff.

Look familiar?

Good, because this is a very common medical symbol in America, often found on hospitals, ambulances, and medial offices, etc.

This could be insight into what sort of Food Soul Whiskey is. He carries around symbols of medicine, so it’s possible that he’s a Support-type, which is rather unique as we’ve yet to come across a Support Soul with such twisted morals.

Something else you might have seen this in is depictions of the Greek god Hermes. Any fellow former Percy Jackson/Greek myth is nerds out there?

How is this relevant? Well, Hermes is the messenger for the other Greek Gods, And was associated with such. He is also considered the god of thieves, liars, travellers, and merchants.

Whiskey calls himself a merchant.

He is also a two-faced liar, and has an apparent interest in raising the dead. Hermes was also known as a guide for the dead.

However, his caduceus is actually incorrectly seen as a symbol of medicine as it has apparently been confused with the Rod of Asclepius, which only has one snake and no wings. This could tie in with Whiskey’s deception, or just be a happy back-stabbing oversight.

Moving on from the Greeks, when the Roman Empire began to form and the Greek Gods evolved with them, Hermes was rebranded as Mercury, and he caduceus remained as his astrological symbol.

Mercury soon becam associated with alchemy, which Whiskey apparently used to raise the ringmaster from the dead.

So it’s more than just an FMA reference, folks.

Tying into this, whiskey, along with mercury, were both used for medicinal purposes before proper antibiotics were invented, and both of them turned out to be detrimental for your health, especially mercury. This could also tie into Whiskey’s potential as a Support Soul.

I’m somewhat surprised, because I never expected to get this much insight on a character we know nearly nothing about, and putting just up this symbol is an excellent form of visual storytelling that I really hope was a deliberate choice, because if it is, Elex deserves a pat on the back for their storytelling if anything. Hell, Whiskey’s main avatar is shown with snakes as a form of magic, I refuse to believe that this is all a coincidence. This one symbol ties in with so many different aspects of what we know about him and is also part of a massive misconception, which I find even more fitting, especially given the history of whiskey as a drink and a medicine.

Elex, please tell me that at least half of this was deliberate. Also

Screw you for being interesting… it’s too fucking late for me to be researching this shit.

TL;DR: Whiskey carries around a symbol of merchants and alchemy, describes himself as the firs and uses the latter to raise the dead. The caduceus is a symbol of Hermes who was a guide for the dead. It is also incorrectly used as a medical symbol, and whiskey was once used for medical purposes before people knew any better. Whiskey could possibly be a Support Soul, or pretends to be one to go with the gimmick, and I really hope at least half of this isn’t a coincidence.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. I might make a more in-depth discussion on Whiskey’s potential as a Support Soul and what it may mean for his own backstory later.

[justlookatthosesausages]

The BEDS??!?

I’m honestly so confused by the way Disney animators switched again and again the beds placements in Frozen, Frozen Fever and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure

like, you may think i’m a details-obsessed psycho but you’ll see how obvious it is it’s ridiculous

at the beggining of Frozen 1 (oh boy it’s so cool to call it that way now), normal setting, blablabla, Elsa on left hand side and Anna on right hand side

(yes, my handwriting in MS paint is terrible shhhh)

later on, Elsa gets isolated in her own room, but doesn’t change her bed emplacement - which, may I say, is both natural and terribly heartbreaking knowing she forever lost her roommate sister -

oh and also the bed’s still on the left during that lovely heartbreaking scene. :D

moving onnnnn, now that the girls are all grown ups we can see that in Frozen 1′s present time Anna’s bed hasn’t moved too

BUT then she apparently switches it to the left hand wall during december celebrations (???? wtf)

then again she put her bed to the right on the following Spring/Summer??

and when you think that’s because it’s Anna and well, that hyperactive cutie probably impulsively moved furniture around many times, thEN YOU NOTICE ELSA CHANGED HER BED’S PLACEMENT IN FROZEN FEVER TOO?????

I am sO MAD asdfghhjkjdsfhakdshf

tl;dr : either Disney animators can’t take notes about bed emplacements (and I would doubt it seeing the amount of details they always put in their movies) or Elsa and Anna are two little brats who really really enjoy to test the muscle mass of their servants

[winterune]

This is an awesome analysis and one of the reasons why FF9 is my favorite FF