Issue 965 Discussion (Meridell vs Darigan - Great Collab)
Aug 16, 2022 8:07:20 GMT -5
Carolyn likes this
Post by Nut on Aug 16, 2022 8:07:20 GMT -5
I need to go back and do more reviews, but I felt like this one should come first. I love the collabs and love how they encourage the community to come together! And even more so, it makes me happiest to see new friends or old friends joining in the fray. That's the best feeling. A huge thank you to the reviewers! I'll try to reply back as I can!
Nut
Neither Here Nor There
Something I always loved about the Citadel was that it had sympathetic characters. That there was this grey morality in the first war especially that drew me to the plot and its characters. And your story captures the complexity of a people that have dealt with the consequences of another nation's actions, and how slowly things change if left to the status quo. But how one action--one meant with honest sincerity--can make a difference to a community.
Your MC is really interesting--I was invested in her. I liked that because she was purple-furred, she could chameleon in Darigan society. Her anxiety is really well written here--you can see full well how hard standing up and speaking up is for her. And when your family, friends, society has told you one thing but you have seen the "other side" so intimately, it can definitely lead to internal conflict. I like how her kindness changed the heart of her employer, or that her desire to bring fresh vegetables to the Citadel made her have the courage to speak up. Her grandfather's off-handed "why do they just take care of their own" comment is so reminiscent of real world conflicts. Where those who have no idea how to fix the problem apply their own logic and resources as if every box could fit a circular peg.
Loved your way of narrating the MC's voice and the message of the story. I look forward to seeing your future entries in the Times! Welcome back!
Firstly I have to say, Carolyn thank you so much for the incredibly thoughtful and in-depth review!! I didn't expect anyone to remember me or for my return to be meaningful to anyone, so I'm really touched that you were happy I got into the issue and took the time to leave such a thought-out review, thank you so much!!
I am so happy that a Citadel fan felt that I was able to reflect the sympathetic characters and grey morality of Darigan in my story!! I will admit, the first plot I was on Neopets for was Battle for Meridell and I was very young then, so initially I tended to accept the coding as Meridell = good, Darigan = bad. Only later did I find out about the first plot, and it was really interesting to me that Meridell taking the Orb is what caused Darigan to have its "evil" appearance.
Unquestionably Darigan was hurt there, and the fact that they never regained their bounty would surely be a deep wound. It means a lot to me that you say I was able to capture the complexity of a nation hurt by another's actions, even by portraying such a simple scene.
I feel I am not terribly savvy in such matters--I'm not the type to keep track of writing back-and-forth intrigue or games of chess between rulers--but I approached it in the way that feels natural to me, on a small scale, of how these things would impact pets on an everyday, personal level. And I am really so happy that portrayal came across as genuine, and that you could feel the honest sincerity in MC's actions, and how it would make a difference to the community.
I'm really happy you found MC interesting enough to be invested in! I'm so happy you picked up on how her purple fur allows her to chameleon into society. Though it is meant to be a bit of a double-edged sword--she doesn't strongly stand out as an outsider, yet she also doesn't perfectly belong in either place. I'm so happy you could sense her anxiety and feel how difficult it was for her to speak up; it means a lot to me that this came across!
When family, friends, and society say one thing, it certainly can be difficult to tell them another side, especially if it's one they haven't or refuse to see for themselves. But one thing I did want to come across was that it's not quite as simple as "MC learns to understand 'the other side'"--she is caught between both sides. Her family does fear and misunderstand Darigans, but she also feels rejected and like she can't be herself in Darigan society.
She does understand why they play their games, but she doesn't want to participate because she's not built for it and could be seriously injured--but, because she was unable to communicate this, they think she's being unfriendly and turn away from her. She then feels like they reject her because she's not like them, and withdraws from society in turn. She feels like she could lose her job if she talked about her family, due to the (arguably justified) negative impression of Meridell farmers. She fears for her family's safety (it's implied that Meridell pets have been hurt by Darigans in the raids).
Darigan's feelings and actions are sympathetic, but it's still not an ideal scenario for either side. Both sides are hurting and fearing each other, and it won't stop unless they find a way to talk and work together towards a further goal, regardless of the original fault or blame.
(I did have some pause wondering what would heal the original hurt. I feel like restoring the Citadel to its previous state is out of the question because the Darigan pets' current look is so emblematic of who they are, so I thought that going forward they would just embrace that. I thought they must hunt the animals that are able to live on the Citadel's rocks/weeds, or range further and hunt in greener areas. But I've been enjoying seeing other people's takes on farming solutions; surely they can end up growing their own food that tastes good and nourishing yet still has the now-iconic Darigan look.)
I'm so happy it came across to you that her kindness changed her employer's heart, and that her desire to help and work with the Citadel gave her the courage to speak up! I'm glad her grandfather's comment felt real to you--applying "their own logic and resources as if every box could fit a circular peg" is exactly the kind of misguided comment it was meant to be. I did want the conflict to feel real while building it on the Neopian scenario, and I'm so happy it seems to have been believable!
I'm so glad you liked MC's voice and the message--thank you so much again for such a thoughtful review! Your warm welcome and encouragement mean so much!! I can't say when I'd have the time/inspiration to submit again, but I've very much enjoyed joining in again and I hope to keep up a bit more with the Times myself!
Unquestionably Darigan was hurt there, and the fact that they never regained their bounty would surely be a deep wound. It means a lot to me that you say I was able to capture the complexity of a nation hurt by another's actions, even by portraying such a simple scene.
I feel I am not terribly savvy in such matters--I'm not the type to keep track of writing back-and-forth intrigue or games of chess between rulers--but I approached it in the way that feels natural to me, on a small scale, of how these things would impact pets on an everyday, personal level. And I am really so happy that portrayal came across as genuine, and that you could feel the honest sincerity in MC's actions, and how it would make a difference to the community.
I'm really happy you found MC interesting enough to be invested in! I'm so happy you picked up on how her purple fur allows her to chameleon into society. Though it is meant to be a bit of a double-edged sword--she doesn't strongly stand out as an outsider, yet she also doesn't perfectly belong in either place. I'm so happy you could sense her anxiety and feel how difficult it was for her to speak up; it means a lot to me that this came across!
When family, friends, and society say one thing, it certainly can be difficult to tell them another side, especially if it's one they haven't or refuse to see for themselves. But one thing I did want to come across was that it's not quite as simple as "MC learns to understand 'the other side'"--she is caught between both sides. Her family does fear and misunderstand Darigans, but she also feels rejected and like she can't be herself in Darigan society.
She does understand why they play their games, but she doesn't want to participate because she's not built for it and could be seriously injured--but, because she was unable to communicate this, they think she's being unfriendly and turn away from her. She then feels like they reject her because she's not like them, and withdraws from society in turn. She feels like she could lose her job if she talked about her family, due to the (arguably justified) negative impression of Meridell farmers. She fears for her family's safety (it's implied that Meridell pets have been hurt by Darigans in the raids).
Darigan's feelings and actions are sympathetic, but it's still not an ideal scenario for either side. Both sides are hurting and fearing each other, and it won't stop unless they find a way to talk and work together towards a further goal, regardless of the original fault or blame.
(I did have some pause wondering what would heal the original hurt. I feel like restoring the Citadel to its previous state is out of the question because the Darigan pets' current look is so emblematic of who they are, so I thought that going forward they would just embrace that. I thought they must hunt the animals that are able to live on the Citadel's rocks/weeds, or range further and hunt in greener areas. But I've been enjoying seeing other people's takes on farming solutions; surely they can end up growing their own food that tastes good and nourishing yet still has the now-iconic Darigan look.)
I'm so happy it came across to you that her kindness changed her employer's heart, and that her desire to help and work with the Citadel gave her the courage to speak up! I'm glad her grandfather's comment felt real to you--applying "their own logic and resources as if every box could fit a circular peg" is exactly the kind of misguided comment it was meant to be. I did want the conflict to feel real while building it on the Neopian scenario, and I'm so happy it seems to have been believable!
I'm so glad you liked MC's voice and the message--thank you so much again for such a thoughtful review! Your warm welcome and encouragement mean so much!! I can't say when I'd have the time/inspiration to submit again, but I've very much enjoyed joining in again and I hope to keep up a bit more with the Times myself!
Life Improvised [Part 1] by Kengplant
I love the establishing shot of the Kougra and Eyrie framed by all the thorny Darigan plants, with the Citadel in the background! The Kougra looks so cautiously inquisitive as they question whether this is safe, and the Eyrie so confident as they reply with a smile--safe or not, they're clearly at ease doing this. I love how the barbed towers of the distant Citadel frame one corner while the spiky, twisting tree mirrors it in the other, with the round puffy plants in the foreground and the wispy clouds drifting between them--the plants all feel like the kind of thing that would grow at the Citadel, and it really sets the scene and makes me feel what the environment is like.
"I just need to keep my fingers clear"--I love how carefully and lovingly the Eyrie is holding the plant as they attach the snapper! The jaws look so much like they could just be a natural part of the plant that at first I thought they were just carnivorous plants growing at the Citadel, haha.
I love how cheerful and positive the Eyrie is (and fittingly chill/laid-back for an Island pet!)--they look sturdy and strong in the upper body, I love how you draw their beak and wings with such sharp angles flowing into smooth curves. They seem really upbeat about the Tri-Kingdom Summit they went to, and the solutions they're finding for Darigan's farming challenges, like they know things are moving forward in a good direction.
Meridell would have a lot of ..fertilizer, wouldn't it. XD I love how the Acara is so critically studying the colorful fruits in each paw, I feel the intensity of their expression--of course Brightvale would take an innovative and scholarly approach. I was also trying to figure out how Darigan would solve its food problems for my own entry, so I really enjoy seeing your take on the solutions! Replacing toxic soils and increasing plants' resilience with hybrid fruit techniques both seem like great ideas that Meridell and Brightvale could help with.
I can feel how far the Kougra is looking out across the farm, all the way to Meridell beyond the clouds--I love how we can see the contrast between the rocky Darigan soil and Meridell's lush green fields, yet also how close the two lands are. The visual of looking out across the distance really drives home the words about how far they've come since the wars. The cheerful look on the Eyrie's face as they hang out in the corner, holding.the folded paper they're about to show, makes me feel how positively they're looking towards the future and how much they're all willing to work to make it happen.
The Eyrie looks a bit shy about unfolding the paper--it feels like they really want this and are a bit nervous about sharing their idea. The logo of the three kingdoms' emblems joined with vines, each ringed with a matching colored flower, looks like a fitting representation of their union if they start to patrol together. I love all the positive ideas in this comic for how they can work together, and I hope this new venture will be a success!
"I just need to keep my fingers clear"--I love how carefully and lovingly the Eyrie is holding the plant as they attach the snapper! The jaws look so much like they could just be a natural part of the plant that at first I thought they were just carnivorous plants growing at the Citadel, haha.
I love how cheerful and positive the Eyrie is (and fittingly chill/laid-back for an Island pet!)--they look sturdy and strong in the upper body, I love how you draw their beak and wings with such sharp angles flowing into smooth curves. They seem really upbeat about the Tri-Kingdom Summit they went to, and the solutions they're finding for Darigan's farming challenges, like they know things are moving forward in a good direction.
Meridell would have a lot of ..fertilizer, wouldn't it. XD I love how the Acara is so critically studying the colorful fruits in each paw, I feel the intensity of their expression--of course Brightvale would take an innovative and scholarly approach. I was also trying to figure out how Darigan would solve its food problems for my own entry, so I really enjoy seeing your take on the solutions! Replacing toxic soils and increasing plants' resilience with hybrid fruit techniques both seem like great ideas that Meridell and Brightvale could help with.
I can feel how far the Kougra is looking out across the farm, all the way to Meridell beyond the clouds--I love how we can see the contrast between the rocky Darigan soil and Meridell's lush green fields, yet also how close the two lands are. The visual of looking out across the distance really drives home the words about how far they've come since the wars. The cheerful look on the Eyrie's face as they hang out in the corner, holding.the folded paper they're about to show, makes me feel how positively they're looking towards the future and how much they're all willing to work to make it happen.
The Eyrie looks a bit shy about unfolding the paper--it feels like they really want this and are a bit nervous about sharing their idea. The logo of the three kingdoms' emblems joined with vines, each ringed with a matching colored flower, looks like a fitting representation of their union if they start to patrol together. I love all the positive ideas in this comic for how they can work together, and I hope this new venture will be a success!