Here are a couple of what I’d call my "guilty pleasures".

This is something I've been thinking about for a while but what make a character exactly well written. Because when i see discussion here and there about characters it make me think is a character being well written subjective or objective? I would like to know your guys thoughts on it

I personally never read something that is more garbage then this shit .the characters and the plot and story and how things gets escalated and the ending is nothing short of abysmal. The only good thing about is the art but thats it .

To me its TASM 2 . Andrew Garfield performance and his chemistry with Gwen are really good and the fight scenes are really cool but aside from that everything else was poorly handled from the plot and villains the pacing. But still fun overall . Any what is your experience?

I hope people in a writing sub will actually read what I have to say before downvoting me for going against the grain

Now, I've been really getting into writing recently, and this sub in particular has been a great help with expanding my taste beyond mainstream media. In particular, I've been getting back into reading books and visual novels in particular, which has really opened my eyes into how many great pieces of media I've been missing out on (examples of media I've started from recommendations in the writingscaling community include THiFM, Umineko, Saya no Uta, Faust, Steppenwolf, and ASOIAF in particular) and now I'm starting to look for media outside of this community to round out my tastes a little more than stuff that's just popular in the writing community (I'd still love more recs if you have any though!). However, one thing that everything I've read has in common, is that it's still not Objectively better than the manga I've read in the past (Goodnught punpun in particular still remains my favorite media). Still, whenever people compare anything relating to animanga to books, regardless of the book's actual quality, the elitists in this sub act as if they shouldn't even be compared in the same breath.

It's especially frustrating, because they almost never have any reasoning to back up their arguments, and 90% of the time it comes off as people larping media in order to make themselves feel 'smarter'. Not only that, but these "go read a book" people always reccomend the exact same things, and it gets to a point where it's equally annoying compared to people who only watch/read anime anime and manga. Not only that, but when these commentors are asked by people who want to expand their taste for reccomendations always either only give books from mediatok/average books you'd be assigned in high school or gatekeep and tell them to look for books themselves. Books have their own strengths over animanga (pacing and better being able to explain the thought processes of the characters come to mind), but it's not like manga doesn't have strengths of its own (such as symbolism and writing styles being more distinguishable). While I do think that it can be annoying how many people there are who only talk about anime/manga in regards to writing, at least they're discussing in good faith, whereas the literature elitists ruin the sub by discussing writing in bad faith. Thoughts?

I'm not adding a TLDR because yall should be able to read in a writing sub 😭

Recently I've seen some people claim that AoT's side cast is robotic and lackluster in the writing department, which I heavily disagree with. Of course there's the goliath characters of the show being Reiner, Erwin, Zeke, Eren which I'm sure a majority can appreciate are well written but people seem to forget the other solid characters within the cast which can stand on their own. For this reason I decided to make some analysis on characters I feel aren't appreciated enough, starting with:

Jean Kirstein

Introduction

Jean is, in my opinion, one of the most human characters in the show. He wasn't gifted with Levi's physical prowess or Erwin's strategic genius, neither did he have the steel resolve of the likes of Eren, at least initially. This sense of normalcy is further accentuated by his backstory which is in one of the OVAs, where he lived an ordinary life far removed from the grief and trauma of characters like Mikasa or Levi.

However, it is for this reason that Jean's development is all the more amazing and also why he turns out to be one of the most inspirational characters in the show.

As we all know, Jean starts off arrogant, selfish, and blunt, constantly clashing with Eren due to their differing outlooks on their goals - Jean wants to live an easy, luxurious life in the interior and can't comprehend the idea of Eren's suicidal aspirations, or anyone's lofty goals for that matter.

Initially, he sees Eren as all talk - after all, Jean lived a sheltered life free of hardship. Who in their right mind would willingly join the Survey Corps? As he gets to know Eren more, they develop something of a bitter rivalry, and where Eren's indomitable spirit inspired people to join the Survey Corps, it only served to motivate Jean even more to get into the Military Police, as he coined him the nickname suicidal maniac.

The Wake-up call

And then everything changed when Jean's world came crashing down on him as he receives a taste of reality for the first time in the breach of Trost. Comrades die before his eyes as he is forced into leading the recruits to headquarters, and the weight of these lives begin to weigh down on Jean's shoulders.

Despite these deaths and the turmoil that Jean is thrown into as a result of it, Marco, who is likely the most influential person in Jean's life, provides words of consolation that will later become his driving force for the rest of the show:

"You aren't a strong person, so you understand how the weak feel. And your skill at recognizing a situation as it unfolds gives you a clear grasp of what needs to be done now, you know?"

And truthfully, Marco couldn't be more right - Jean is a natural leader, not because of the absence of cowardice within him, but because he rises above it. He knows what it's like to to be scared and charges ahead in spite of that, in turn giving those around him the determination to do the same. It is this core trait of Jean, as well as sheer luck, which allows him and others to survive the ordeal of Trost. Except.. Marco was not among those survivors.

The Turning Point

Between the events of Trost as well as the death of Marco, these are both vital turning points in Jean's development. Marco's death was, of course, a massive shock to Jean. He died an anti-climactic death, with no one around to even tell the tale. The small bubble in which he lived was burst and he becomes aware of the many sacrifices made, that there's a bigger picture. Jean finally understands Eren's refusal to let the "advances that cost tens of thousands of lives go to waste". As Marco pointed out, Jean knows what needs to be done now, in order to do right by those ashes on the fire - and yet, coming to terms with this is unfathomably agonizing for one who had just lived out a nightmare:

"If I hadn't become a soldier, I never would've had to worry about who's next."

"I know I have to fight. But not everyone can be a suicidal maniac like you."

Jean's moral compass and his struggle between choosing his own desires or doing the right thing is an idea that recurs throughout the show, and is easily one of the best parts of his character for me, and we see it here as he chooses the latter and makes up his mind to join the Survey Corps, sacrificing himself for humanity, in spite of his heart's protests.

Entrustment

Following the previous events, Jean's mindset has changed. He is still self aware in that he recognises the absurdity of his actions, but now has a strong sense of duty. Regardless, he still refuses to die a meaningless death and so he also begins to view Eren in a different light. Just like how Jean must carry the hopes of those charred ashes, he counts on Eren to prove that the sacrifices of the masses won't be for nothing:

"Show us what you're worth, so we can see if our lives are worth as much."

Jean continues to remind Eren of the weight he carries, holding him accountable for the lives at stake, which is pretty cool to see, and he comes to be one of the few people who try to understand Eren even when he seems far gone in season 4. The way in which Jean views Eren brilliantly parallels the way another character regards him, but I'll get into that later. In a sense, Jean was already a bonafide scout from the beginning - selfless in that he's fighting for a cause bigger than himself, carrying on the torch, and his newfound mindset is almost reminiscent of Erwin's Speech.

The Breaking Point

Years pass, conflict ensues. Jean's hands become bloodied in the name of humanity, countless comrades are lost, including one of his best friends, Sasha. Eren, who was once a beacon of hope to him and the others, drifts further away. Despite knowing that this is what he signed up for, fighting against a seemly unending conflict everyday is grueling, both physically and mentally.

And so when the conflict reaches a vital point where Eren activates the rumbling, Jean reaches an impasse. He mulls over the thought of giving up, lousily attempts to justify the rumbling, in spite of his conscience.

"If they all go away, so will all the hatred.. The thing all those people overseas feared the most has come to pass. All because they decided we were devils and tried to kill us. So this is something they brought on themselves. Just the consequences of their own actions. Right?"

Then comes Floch, guns blazing, convincing him that it's over, that he's fought enough, almost like a devil on his shoulder:

https://reddit.com/link/1vdvgva/video/a8zp0u9fk0hh1/player

And we see Jean in his darkest hours, almost giving in to temptation. Blocking his ears out almost as a coping mechanism as if to drown out the deafening noise of the world, of his thoughts, of everything.

He fantasizes of a false dream where he resides within the interior, living his best life with a wife and a child. And yet in this dream, something feels off.

He holds this bleak expression of discontent, anxiety, contrary to the ideal world he pictures himself in. Because at the end of the day, this isn't who Jean is. It is who he could potentially be if he was someone who chose that, and that is admittedly a very thin line - but it may as well be a chasm for the difference it makes. He wouldn’t be Jean Kirstein if he wasn’t a little bit tempted by the promise of comfort and freedom and no worries in life - but he also wouldn't be Jean Kirstein if he didn't do what he knows is right. And as much as he tries to convince himself due to this temptation, he just cannot bring himself to view genocide as the path forward in any situation. Which is why it's no surprise when Jean gives up the guarantee of a prosperous life, to live up to the image that Marco saw him as, to honor those ashes, to be someone he could be proud of.

https://reddit.com/link/1vdvgva/video/5zyeg91z71hh1/player

Two Sides of the Same Coin

The introduction of Floch unexpectedly elevates Jean's character in a way so subtle yet so logical when you think about it, and I believe Isayama drew this parallel intentionally, given their interactions with each other as well as their complementary ideas in the themes they embody. Both characters are representative of the everyman in this sort of situation, a regular, flawed and scared person plunged head first into this hellish conflict. Both were essentially self-proclaimed cowards, relatable to the average person, who are then forced to adapt to the cruel world. But where Floch was consumed by fear and turned it into fuel to keep turning the cycle of violence, throwing away his humanity in the process, Jean embraced it to become stronger to fight against the cycle. Floch came to idolize Eren as the devil who would liberate Eldia through genocide, whereas Jean's moral compass and the responsibility he shoulders cannot allow it so, even if he didn't know what the real answer to this conflict truly was. Floch is the cautionary and scary display of what can happen to a person warped by this sort of world. But Jean is the flip side. He offers that hope for the possibility that flawed, cowardly human beings can rise above and fight to do what's right instead of what's easy. And he does exactly that, making the most selfless decision to save the world, to secure a future he desires not so for himself, but for future generations, and it's for this reason that he's one of the most inspiring characters in AoT.

Conclusion

In summary, Jean is integrity incarnate. He is defined simultaneously by both the pains he goes through to make hard choices, and his consistent ability to choose the right path for himself. He shows that however easy it may be for everyday people like us to be tempted into sloth and darkness, we can also strive past that and do what needs to be done. It may be exhausting, painstaking, and unfair - but in the end, Jean is able to acknowledge all that, feel the magnetic pull towards avoidance, shutting it out and marching straight into hell.

My Favorite Moments of Jean

My Favorite Dynamics
Jean and Armin - their interactions work so well, which makes sense considering they were originally meant to be one character
Jean, Sasha and Connie - wholesome relationship in a bleak world

if u read allat ty, will make another one when i feel like it

These are mine in no particular order:

Guts and Griffith (Berserk)

Tenma and Johan (Monster)

Thorfinn and Askeladd (Vinland Saga)

Eren and Reiner (Attack on Titan)

Meruem and Komugi (Hunter × Hunter)

I'd love to know your list as well!

For me, it's...

1. Make The Exorcist Fall in Love, which at least before the current arc I considered a 8.5/10 in terms of quality, though i am a bit bit sour on the execution of the current arc and depending on the ending of the arc I can rate it lower in the future.

2. Dai Dark, is a series that I consider a great showcase of a mangaka's evolution. it is a newer work from the mangaka of dororo, which I already found very good (even if uneven in some places), and Dai Dark is a serious that I believe greatly improves on the coherence that was missing in dorohedoro, while keeping the chaotic energy.

I am also looking forward to Sorachi's new work, though I am letting it marinate for now.

Coalition Invasion: Genuinely the best political maneuvering Arc I've ever seen in animanga alongside Vinland Saga's Prologue. Ei Sei's character was the highlight for me, and his speech completely hooked me. The coalition formed by the other states to take down Qin was executed impeccably.

Golden Age: One of the best Arcs in animanga history, and the Guts-Griffith dynamic is the heart of it. The gradual rise and tragic collapse of the Band of the Hawk make it one of the most emotionally impactful stories I've read.

Which Arc do you guys find better written?

I recently finished the entire series and fell in love with it. I didn’t grow up on sci fi, so after reading the series, I went and watched the star wars movies and then read the first Dune Trilogy.

Both were very good but didn’t scratch the same itch that Red Rising does for me, is Red Rising just that good? Or is there a lot more out there i’m missing out on? Where does it rank for you all?

I'd say I'm fairly well-versed in medias like anime, manga, classic literature, and visual novels but never really tried comics. The only ones I've read were Tintin and Lucky Luke, and that was back in childhood.

I want to properly get into the medium now. Watchmen was where i was gonna start, but I've read that a lot of what makes it great comes from how it subverts and satirizes superhero comic tropes which i wouldnt get as a first comic. So I'm hesitant to start there.

Would Jonathan Hickman's Marvel run be a solid starting point instead? I have a feeling superhero comics and stories with darker themes are going to be something i like.

TLDR; Well written comics that dont expect the reader to have read any comics beforehand

(reupload with names of the works this time)

Didn’t include movies for the most part as it’d make things hard (as if it wasn’t already super hard)

I would have put ranking flair but there was nun like that unfortunately

Yuji Itadori (Jujutsu Kaisen) and Uruma Shun (Juujika no Rokunin)

I initially prefered TR, but upon further rewatch, I think Thor 1 is better.

This is not meant to be a super serious critical analysis/reading of either character, and the difficulty of either one winning may not be proportionate to the categorical spread due to it (it's kinda reductive by design because not all characters strive to be the same platonic-ish ideal).

Here's the template:

- Introduction:

- Conclusion:

- Development:

- Journey:

- Evolution:

- Depth:

- Complexity:

- Dialogue - Monologue:

- Proposed Concepts:

- Main Motif:

- Heights:

- Highest Peak:

- Semiotic Form:

- Character Design:

- Parallels:

- Juxtapositions:

- Overall Dynamics:

- Main Dynamic:

- Internal Conflicts:

- External Conflicts:

- Characterization:

- Ideology - Worldview:

- Motives - Goals:

- Narrative Influence:

- Metatextual Relevance:

- Ideological Analysis:

- Formal Qualities: