Hot Take: The SGE movie is one of the reasons why the fandom is almost dead today.
And here's why I think so:
You cannot tell me the movie releasing the same year as the prequel duology began didn't have an impact on the amount of people who read it. Yes, I understand some people weren't a fan of the prequels, and that is opinion based. However, the data of views and interactions show significant differences when compared. And that was in 2022/2023. Now? The interaction for Coven, Soman's most recent release is down by even more. I know that a lot of the original fandom are now adults, who could care less, but most only came back for the movie. And whether you thought the movie was a success or a flop, it, in someway, marked the end of the original series for you.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, I don't expect individuals to still be hung up over a childhood fictional series, it's just heartbreaking to compare the activity in the fandom from 2016 to now.
[Perhaps, a little out of character, but we've never really seen Rafal with actual hobbies, so take this, I guess:]
⸻
Rafal: I love power vacuums—I could put my feet up and watch them go aimlessly all day, then swoop in, take over, and get the job done.
Rhian: I didn't think you valued cleaning supplies that much, considering the state of Evil's halls.
Rafal: Bah! Not that kind, you fool. [He looks back at his magical projection and leans in with widening eyes, grinning far too much.]
Rhian: Well, excuse me for thinking you had any kind of vested interest in your and your students' health and safety.
Rafal: [enthralled by the screen and not hearing one word.] Not now. Tell it to me later. Also, quick: fetch me a snack. There are no commercial breaks via Spellcast and the king of Akgul's about to be beheaded by some other crazed ninny jockeying for power. And I already bet heads would roll! The die are cast! Place your bets now, brother, if you want to cash in.
Rhian: [sighs and mutters to himself under his breath:] It's all "airtight alibis" and "motives" and "which warlord will die next" with you—why can't you just watch recreational jousts like a normal person?
Okay, I love Rafal, probably because he's like one of the main focuses of the Rise and Fall duology, but he's absolutely not my favorite. Why? because despite all the shit he goes through in the duology, he's got no life outside of his role as Schoolmaster. Literally NOTHING. this guy has the worst case of "oh-gods-it's-a-person-who's-completely-capable-of-good-things-but-won't-do-shit" syndrome that I've ever seen. Also, he tortured a bunch of kids, THAT'S WHERE I DRAW THE LINE.
WARNING! OPINIONATED INTERPRETATIONS!!
But, even if he's not my favorite, he is ranked 6th on my list. The first one is, of course, my goat, The Pirate Captain. I just kinda fell in love with his charm and his snarky behavior, and unlike certain Schoolmasters that just don't really care about their students *cough* rafal and rhian *cough*, He was portrayed to be a very caring and considerate person in the prequel books.
My second favorite is James, the same reason as The Pirate Captain, like, I kinda love his prissy ass, and also he kinda deserved better after getting his blood sucked out of him, and i love that scene in Rise! when he threw his shoe at Rafal with zero hesitation, and I just love him for that.
Third fav, is my girly Kyma, my girl deserved so much better than Aladdin, and yeah, I know it's kinda implied that James and Kyma started dating after the events of Fall!, but my ass refuses to believe that my girl started dating, so I'm just gonna headcanon it as her getting invited to nightly pirating adventures.
My fourth favorite is Midas, like HE'S MY SON GUYS, HE MY BOY. I love him so much, and he deserved much better than getting victimized by those fuckass brothers. WHY DID MY BABY DIE??!?!!
My fifth favorites are Hephaestus and Aladdin, probably because i loved them so much during the first few chapters, like AAAAAHHHHHH, they were so fricking cute, my lovelies, MY BABIES. They're boyfriends, Your Honor, and I DON'T CARE.
And of course, my sixth favorite, my baby Rafal, like, I want to throw his ass in a wet dumpster and set it on fire, but I still love him. But like, this dude was so petty, he genuinely pissed me the fuck off, but he keeps on winning my heart all over again. But his rank immediately went down when he started to torture kids. RAFALWHENIFINDYOURAFAL-
RUFIUS MY BOYYY!! Bro just wanted friends, and for that, he gets to be my seventh favorite.
And weirdly, Botic became one of my favorites, eighth specifically, because his ass was so relatable, like, he gives off Jesper Fahey vibes. Like, just that.
Peter Pan is my ninth, like he was honestly so silly to me, like I fell for his ragebaiting, like he pissed me off so bad, but that was probably his intent, and honestly, go diva, slay all day with your peterboys and stuff.
And RHIAN. Oh Rhian, Rhian, Rhian. There's a reason why his ass is my least favorite, and probably because his ass is the most infuriating I've ever seen, like GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, YOU STUPID GAY IDIOT. Also, because his ass keeps on framing Rafal for shit, and his ass lied so much, and he still considers himself good?!?! His ass must need glasses or something so his ass can see himself in the mirror.
Of course, all of these are just my opinions, and feel free to argue with me, if you see anything wrong with my interpretation of them!!
you can choose any of the following sge questions, either using a random number generator, or just your brain! you can reblog this and answer the questions you picked AND also tag some other friends you may think would be up for the challenge! (ahem ahem and get me more engagement ahem)
now, choose a number between 1-24
Who is your favorite character in the School for Good and Evil? (can be any character with a name)
Are you an Ever or a Never?
What is your favorite platonic duo in SGE?
What is your favorite romantic pairing or ship in SGE?
Who is your favorite staff member?
What is your favorite book of the series?
Which trilogy/duology did you enjoy the most? The School Years, the Camelot Years, or the Rise Duology?
What is your favorite kingdom in SGE?
Who is your favorite Evil character, and/or who is your favorite Good character?
Who is your favorite side character?
Who do you think has rushed writing?
Which character do you think has the best writing?
Do you have any SGE OC's? And if so, what is their name?
What is your favorite fantasy creature in SGE?
If you simp for any of the characters, which one/s?
Do you kin any of the characters, and if so, who do you kin?
Have you written any form of fanfiction or drawn any fanart for SGE? If so, could you show it?
One complaint about your favorite character.
One compliment about your least favorite character.
What is your favorite canon pair?
What is your favorite rare pair?
Which of the antagonists is your favorite?
When did you discover SGE?
And last but not least...
24. Will you ever leave the fandom?
I'll be tagging @liketwoswansinbalance, @luannie, and @qianzhangs !
This year I'm hosting the first annual (🤞) SGE week! This is primarily going to be run on Tumblr but you can find the AO3 collection here.
FAQ below the cut
What is SGE week?
SGE week is a fan-run event designed to bolster fandom engagement and creation on Kidnapping Day (November 10). Fanfiction, fanart, moodboards, playlists, rambles, anything is welcome!
How do the prompts work?
Every day has a "Good" and an "Evil" prompt to get you started. You can use one of these prompts as inspiration or both! You can also swap out for the bonus prompts: Coven, fingerglow, talent, princess, Mogrif.
Can I skip a day or post late?
Of course! Anything you want to contribute is welcome, regardless of what it is or when you post it.
The AO3 collection will probably be switched to "Moderated" at the end of November, meaning it might take your work a while to appear.
Is this just for the main series?
Nope! The prompts are intentionally vague so that they can be used for the movie, prequels, and any characters you want, including your OCs!
If you have any other questions, send me an ask or comment and I'll get to you!
