My Opinions on the Barbie film that no one cares about!
+ Ken Analysis
Warning: I'm gonna say too many things at once. If you understand then you understand.
The whole 'neurodivergent people see the world differently' is starting to actually hit me. I watched the Barbie movie to celebrate my birthday and enjoyed the experience, but what I find wild is the responses from the audience and how it clashes with my response.
I read about how some people cried when Barbie had a conversation with the old woman. How the movie is super deep, when I memorised it for how wacky it is. There are a bunch of reactions I came across on the internet that I did not understand and couldn't relate to. The debate on the matriarchy and politics, and how it goes against men, I cannot be asked.
The lesson I got from Barbie is that it was a movie to enjoy but also teach young girls that Barbie is not something to look down on but cherish. She isn't a fascist nor was she created to look like any girl, which is such a breath of fresh air. Barbie is a doll, to play with and enjoy. There's nothing realistic about her when she's literally not even a real living breathing person. I left the film with priorities, and that was to compliment as many people as I can.
The only thing I did find disturbing is the dynamic between Ken and Barbie, and it only made sense once the movie was finished. Considering I had consumed the entire film by that point.
Ken tries to get Barbie's attention and pretty much follows her around, and it's very obvious that he is interested in her but she didn't show signs of that same interest. I also recall a few times that she seemed a bit dismissive towards him, which is understandable since he snuck into her car and joined her adventure without her wanting him to.
There's that party scene, well... after the party, where Ken is kissing Barbie but they aren't actually kissing. Ken is 'kissing' Barbie but Barbie isn't 'kissing' back, which I immediately found odd, because not only does it go against the point of Ken's existence, but Barbie and Ken are the canon couple to always root for. It was strange seeing a view of them where everything is one-sided. It is solidified when Barbie straight up admits that she doesn't love Ken nearing the end of the film. I was caught off guard in a way where I felt like I wasn't supposed to be, but I suddenly realised that they aren't a couple. Ken was created to be Barbie's lover, yet his fate isn't being completed because of Barbie's disinterest. Once it's recognised that he cannot complete his fate he becomes Ken-nough. Who cares about becoming a real woman when Ken's purpose wasn't being fulfilled?
I'm not going to excuse Ken's behaviour in the film, but I interpreted that he just wanted acknowledgement. He even shows off his arm muscles for Barbie to see while they are arguing. Ken says to Barbie after the discovery of the Mojo Dojo Casa house "Now you know how it feels" or something along those lines. Ken felt recognised and respected. Before he was just Ken who wasn't good at Beach Offs but now he has some kind of name for himself.
Ken's story was a messy self discovery. I mean he grew disinterested in what he created once he realised it wasn't about horses. He's a horse man, not a beach man. Horses are not in Barbie land.
Judging by his rivalry with pompadour Ken (Simu Liu) he just wanted to prove himself as a capable Ken. He sees pompadour Ken as cool despite their dislike towards one another, which may have been a foreshadow of what's to come. Ken desired respect, Barbie's respect but wasn't aware of the growing resentment he felt towards her until views from the outside world were planted into his mind.
I found Ken's identity crisis more relatable. He can live with that void in peace, knowing it's alright for it to not be fulfilled. His mission is being himself and not an accessory. He's not just Ken if his purpose hasn't been fulfilled, he is Ken-nough.
WARNING: I'M GONNA GO ON A LONG RANT
The somewhat forgotten character of Mortal Kombat. Kira is a product of her time, the Midway era. Love or hate her, there was potential. Kira is evidently a blend of Sonya and Kano, yet there is zero explanation for why. So, it's time to make a giant headcanon.
Kira and Sonya were trained by the same master, if we're going with the Midway era of everyone knowing Kung Fu or some other Asian Martial Art. Like any old teacher with morals, she sprouted about the good stuff and being fair. Kira was like a YN, she didn't care about all that. She's not learning martial arts to protect or defend, but to harm (growing up with bad people probably influenced this, creating a similarity with Skarlet) for her own self gain. Once this became more evident, especially with her bad attitude, and rebellious nature that reeks of fatherless behaviour. Sonya recognises this, and tells off Kira for having that mentality. In her mind she's looking out for Kira, but Kira takes it as a personal insult, and starts to believe Sonya looks down on "people like her".
On one fateful training match, Kira is pitted against Sonya. Kira's only ambition was to win, and to deliver a pain to Sonya that made her wish she never opened her mouth. That's not what happens, though. Sonya lays her flat on her ass, and Kira's ego is crushed. Every time she sees Sonya she starts to feel hate instead of just annoyance and frustration.
We find a revelation of why Kira was attending Kung Fu lessons in the first place. She wants to become an underground fighter, or already is an underground fighter making ends meet. She decides to forget the whole "fight fair" thing and bring a weapon with her, which may or may not be against the rules. She wins, of course. The only thing that Kira could remember is how great it felt to succeed, no matter how dirty the method was. This is where Kabal recruits her, seeing a power and cruelty he is eager to raise like his own (Kabal's a dad now).
Kira becomes obsessed, vowing to one day prove Sonya wrong. As much as she hates Sonya, she seeks something from her. Approval? Respect? It's something she doesn't focus too much on, otherwise she'd have to confront herself.
She joins the black dragon under Kabal's guidance, and Kano even teaches her a few things. Unlike Sonya, she doesn't value relations nor does she grow attached to anyone.
She's pretending loyalty to the black dragon, but as soon as Kano gets close to Sonya, Kira will not hesitate to take the opportunity for herself.
Sonya and Kira are much like Kitana and Mileena. One is original, and a highly respected person, with the other one being a cracked reflection. There is Chaos and Order, but Kira is the resistance against Order. Born from Order, but influenced by the love of Chaos.
It's pretty simple. Order, Chaos and Resistance, with resistance being a toss and turn of both, choosing one element to serve the other: Like using Chaos to bring Order, or using Order to bring Chaos.
Jax (Order), Kano (Chaos), Johnny (Resistance against Chaos)
Sub-Zero (Order), Sektor (Chaos) Frost (Resistance against Order)
Sonya (Order), Kabal (Chaos), Kira (Resistance against Order)
The sad part is, Sonya doesn't think of Kira once, while Sonya lives rent free in Kira's mind.
Yukako Yamagishi - People often think her to be related to Josuke and she doesn't understand why. She refuses to believe there are any facial similarities. If not Josuke then Tomoko. Her stand is Bruford reincarnated.
Holly Joestar Kujo - Holly was a rebellious teenager: She was going around crashing cars, and dated a foreigner just to spite Joseph, only to actually fall in love with him. Holly has Hamon, but just like George 2nd she doesn't really use it. She has an overwhelming amount of physical strength, so she never needs help with shopping.
Tomoko Higashikata - Has a thing for older men, not interested in men her own age. Bonus if the guy is foreign. Her rage reminds the Morioh residents of Yukako. (I just really love the twins au). She's the hottest woman at her workplace.
Shizuka Joestar - She grows up having the same personality as Suzy Q, but has the wit and quick thinking of Joseph. She's been taught how to use hamon since Joseph had to halt his own ageing process when raising her.
Santana - He was a teenager when he woke up from him slumber. He finds a way to escape the Speedwagon foundation. He has a lot of internalised inferiority due to the treatment he experienced under Kars and Esidisi, and the constant comparison to Wamuu. He gets annoyed easily.
Narciso Anasui - He's also on the spectrum. Has a tendency to take things apart, and his intentions are often misread, which puts him in a sticky limelight. He has a hard time understanding why certain things are wrong (like creepy behaviour that was intended as romantic gestures). Picks and chooses when he wants to feel the weather. Doesn't like the rain's wetness, so he'll wear a hat. Definitely explains his fashion sense.
Hey I was wondering I rlly love Liu kang x bimbo reader
CAN YOU MAKE IT INTO A SERIES PLZ AN HAVE THE READER CALL HIM LIU LIU?! 🙆🏽🙇🏽♀️
Hey, sorry it took a long time to write this. I'm not sure if I'll make this into a series, but here is an attempt. I hope you enjoy.
Warning: I don't write NSFW but there is some sexual references and hints.
"Why don't you try raspberry?"
Liu didn't understand makeup one bit, but his attempt to help you choose colours was very endearing. Raspberry was his favourite lipgloss to see on you. Maybe it was the shade. Maybe it was the taste.
"Anything for you, Liu Liu."
What was even more endearing was seeing his reactions to your little nickname for him. The way he would blush and get all shy was so adorable.
If shopping and crushing the dreams of losers wasn't on your to do list then smothering Liu Liu with kisses certainly was, which was everyday.
"Are you going to keep talking to us with a serious face even though you haven't washed your face?" Johnny would often ask Liu, or something along those lines.
You knew your kiss marks were like a trophy to him, so it made you flutter whenever he showed them off proudly to his students. If you truly had your way you would stick yourself to his side.
To say you two were an odd couple was just the beginning of the observation. You shared nothing in common, and both of you had a different outlook on life. And in another life, maybe he would hate your guts. Thankfully that wasn't the case.
"I love this perfume of yours." his voice was a bit muffled from where his face was digging into your neck.
There was a hungry look in his eyes, and somehow you could tell there was something going on in his mind. Normally you wouldn't mind, but there was something different. It wasn't the usual softness, he was possessive. There was an intent behind that possessiveness and you just had to know what.
"Is there something on your mind?" you asked him.
"Flower, I've been wondering-" he started, which made you alert for what he would say next. "If we should make changes to ourselves."
That was one way to word it, and Liu Kang's words came out wrong when his romantic feelings were intense, an adorable tick of his.
"What kind of changes?" you asked him, batting your eyes.
His face was all flushed, and you could hear his heart beating. "I've been considering the two of us... how we should go about this. Since we've been intimate, I was thinking of courting you."
Courting was different to dating. Courting meant looking for marriage.
"You want to make things official?" you started to grin, "Aw, Liu Liu." you smothered him with kisses again. This time it wasn't just his face.
A time lord could handle a lot, but you always surprised him with your energy. This time it was your turn to be surprised.
As you lay in the bed you felt like the wind had been knocked out of you, and Liu Liu was still up and about.
"Darling, do you just want to court me?" you asked him.
He came over to the bed and kissed your cheek, "I wish for much more." his eyes trailed over to your stomach but he quickly averted his eyes.
He wanted permission to do that to you. To have that with you. You weren't too young, and you weren't old. For whatever reason you felt honoured that he saw you that way. None of your past partners could picture you as anything other than a girlfriend. Sometimes you were even an experiment, to see how long the pretty girl lasted before she lost her mind drowning herself in makeup.
There was just something endearing about Liu Kang wanting more. It made your knees weak, and your hands twitch in eagerness.
"I do." you smiled, as if at a wedding, which you have always wanted to experience at least once but never got to consider.
"I do too." he returned, immediately understanding the vows you made to him.
For two people with grace and decorum it didn't occur that a ring should be present.
Natalie Portman as Andromeda Black Tonks
Keira Knightley as Nymphadora Tonks
The rebellious old money mother, and her alternative daughter.
Nymphadora inherited a lot of her mother's personality, despite the house thing. Both of them went against the system and fell in love with men that society looked down upon.
I genuinely think these actresses look related.
I want him to talk down on me too.
I want him to look at me menacingly too.
I wanna be on thin ice too. I want him to get close to my face too.
He was defo jealous about Kuai here.
I once saw a fanart of Johnny Cage and Cassie celebrating Hanukkah (I think) together (Sonya was there too). I can't remember if it was Hanukkah specifically, but it was a Jewish related celebration. Now I can't unsee Johnny Cage as Jewish, and desperately headcanon him as such.
Any thoughts?
Notes: I originally wrote this in youtube comment section and decided to post it here. Watch Cynical Warlock's Rewriting Kung Lao video, its super interesting.
Kung Lao seemed pretty badass in MKX, and I'm talking about the old man version that's not seen in the storymode. I first interpreted MKX version of Lao appeared more humble and secure, no longer needing to prove himself as Liu Kang's equal. He even gave me the impression that he could be a mentor figure, appearance wise, whereas Old Liu Kang didn't give me that same vibe. Also, Kung Lao has a special hat that he uses as a weapon... How does he not outshine Liu Kang?
We do see his hat origin in MK1, so we can assume that it's similar to the past timelines on why he uses it. With that being said, he's great at coming up with random weapons, and very effective ones too. In another timeline he might be a weapons specialist, maybe even a maker. He even has another version of the hat that looks like daggers have been glued onto it, which we see in the game (I think it was a variant), and that might have been his first hat before he made a perfected version.
I think if MKX had better writing, then Kung Lao could've been brought back from the dead (like Sub Zero, Scorpion & Jax) and become another mentor figure to the combat kids instead of just being another yes man revenant who obey's revenant Liu Kang.
Both Liu Kang and Kung Lao were playable in MKX, they could've at least brought one of them back. Since they made Liu Kang king of the Neatherrealm, it would have to be Kung Lao.
Just as Sub Zero has a sort of friendship with Johnny, Kung Lao could be the same, separating him from Liu Kang on who they keep close to them. Personality wise, he's less harsh and strict than Liu Kang, and is more friendly, so I can picture him and Johnny having a friendship.
He can teach the combat kids that weapons can be formed from anything, basically ensuring that no one becomes a copy paste of their parents (Cassie & Jacqui), and has something unique about them, like having knives in their shoes and doing capoeira to cut the opponent or something (idk).
Just like Johnny, he isn't treated or spoken to very nicely by Sonya and some others because they keep mistaking his current self to his past self. He doesn't like it when people do this (I certainly wouldn't), but he is mostly civil with cutting remarks every now and then. Think of it as visiting a toxic family you've been in low contact with, and they occasionally make jokes and jabs about you copying your golden child sibling, and how you'll never be like them or escape their shadow. Even though you stand up for yourself, you're still seen as being bitter and jealous.
Another reason why I think Johnny and Kung Lao have a shot at friendship is because Johnny doesn't mention Liu Kang once, or anything linked to the past, or even his personality. Kung Lao is also said to "smile too much" according to Ferra, meaning he has a tendency to smile when he's about to face off with an opponent. Remind you of someone we know?
Here's how he can be introduced: The combat kids have a mission, however, the combat kids cannot go with weapons, at least weapons that are seen. In this au Johnny is with the Wu Shi instead of the Special Forces (as seen in my Havik post), so he sends the combat kids (mainly Cassie and Jacqui) to meet Kung Lao. The combat kids find out that Kung Lao, while still maintaining his teachings, has left the Shaolin and works as a weapons maker in some random town or city in China, and lives in solitude (a metaphor for no longer seeking the validation of others). Instead of giving the weapons straight up, he tests every single one of them. He ends up letting them have the weapons of course, and watches them go on their day.
MK11 made him so cocky to the point he was a Johnny Cage clone, and Kung Lao never struck me as the cocky type during MK9. It was actually Liu Kang that came off as egotistical to me, and the fact that he rebels against Raiden kind of proves that. Liu Kang went against a literal god. There's even an ending that shows he will be corrupt if he replaced Raiden. Earthrealm's champion, ladies and gentlemen.
I never viewed Kung Lao as cocky, so his MK11 version was a complete 180, and the fact that NRS continued that into MK1 disappointed me. Kung Lao is impulsive, but not always. He is capable of being reserved and calculating. While Kung Lao is also quite ruthless, Liu Kang is the hot headed one that refuses to listen to reason at times.
People make all kinds of jokes about Kung Lao and him getting his neck snapped, when Shao Kahn went about it cowardly. I'll elaborate by saying Shao Kahn snuck up on him, it wasn't face to face. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, "when I catch flight, it's gon' be direct". Shao Kahn is Drake in this situation, sneak dissing. When people make fun of Kung Lao's neck snap they're technically meat riding Shao Kahn.
I always figured that Howleen's redesign was some kind of character development that was being shown physically. The last time I saw her she was acting childish and her outfit was messy, in a way that made her look like she was on Nickelodeon or Disney (she was so me). It made her look like she wasn't on par with the others, which would make sense because she's a side character that pops up every now and then, but there are minor characters whose designs have been given that Monster High runway fashion, and we don't see that with Howleen.
The new design was like a sign that she was ready to embrace maturity, and wear her style in a way that didn't look like it was all over the place. Ready to step out of her sister's shadow and make a name for herself. You can see that she's still an artist, she's just ready to grow up (she gave me graffiti vibes even though I never saw her with a spray can). We can see that she's still Howleen with the fish net tights, the paw prints, and her head being covered. She also gives me 'Rihanna' vibes, and I see that with both designs. I can't explain, but if you get it then you get it.
The new hairstyle suited her, and I honestly thought it was weave/a wig. I'm not sure if this is common with African American families since I'm British, but in my family it's expected that your hair must always be well taken care of and nicely done once you're old enough to take care of it yourself. That includes wearing weave, since it's much easier instead of constantly braiding or doing something other with your natural curls. I never understood why people had a problem with the hair change, since weave is very common within the black community. Her skin was also made darker for some reason, so it's not like they completely white washed her either.
Edenian supremacism probably comes with the Sindel retcon. They were originally allies of Earthrealm and as much victims of Shao Kahn as anyone else - Kitana and Jade were actually freedom fighters for Edenia. Why they're now apparently all soulless pieces of shit (and why the narrative turns against Kitana beginning with Aftermath, seriously listen to how Spawn just dunks on her), I think, has to do with a change in society as a whole.
As more and more previously unheard people speak up and tell their stories, more and more narratives are getting flipped, and rightly so - those we've been told to admire all our lives are turning out to be bigots at best and greedy, power-hungry butchers or heartless religious zealots at worst. Conversely, the people society whose voices society wishes it could silence - BIPOC, LGBTIA+, workers, those with disabilities (ND included), really anyone who's suffered at the hands of the powerful and privileged - are finally starting to be vindicated, to have their complaints validated, and their stories heard.
In other words, our heroes are turning out to be way worse people than our villains ever were, and fiction is starting to reflect this; The Boys would be a textbook example, nobody with superpowers in that franchise is anywhere near heroic, and honestly I'm a little disturbed that anyone would want to play Homelander in MK. The Edenians were presented as the most virtuous in the original universe, so they were the obvious choice to be the rotten bastards in MK11 (not a choice I exactly agree with, or even the Sindel retcon at all, but if I got to make every choice cheese curds would grow on trees, so)
Having made that observation, I still consider having villains more sympathetic than your heroes to be an immense failure on the part of the author. Let's be real, "princess" is part of Kitana's identity, and that implies she's up to her eyeballs in some sort of privilege. The thing is, free will exists, and privilege does not (or should not) hard-lock you into being an asshole. Even Kitana could have chosen integrity and real compassion, to do what's best for the people even when it came at expense to herself, but nope, she chose to play footsie with Kotal's buddies and attack people for not meeting her sky-high standards.
This is not the Kitana Outworld deserves, and this is not the Kitana the MK community deserves.
I'm falling asleep at my laptop rn, so good night and thank you for pointing out that Sonya is trash.
Goodnight.
Not gonna lie, I always saw Sindel as an evil character even with the whole mind control thing. If their own queen was willing to kill her own husband, an Edenian, to have a stronger one (Outworld-ian) then they shouldn't be flabbering about supremacy.
I've been meaning to vent out about Sonya but didn't know when.
"I'm a little disturbed that anyone would want to play Homelander in MK" I thought this was a joke when I first heard it, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone actually meant it.
When it comes to villainising the heroes I think it's more of a Severus Snape situation, where we the viewers find out there's more to the villains and the heroes. I think NRS figured we were tired of goody two shoes and wanted to see those goody two shoes be more humanised, if humanised means less decent. And then proceeded to butcher some beloved characters, I guess. Harry's been told his parents were good people only to find out they did terrible things. When shown that Mileena just wanted a family we can hold some kind of sympathy for her, even though it doesn't excuse the fact that she's a blood thirsty killer.
One thing to be noted is that there's a lack of consistency when it comes to the games, and not just designs, so when you're talking about "those we've been told to admire all our lives are turning out to be bigots at best and greedy, power-hungry butchers or heartless religious zealots at worst." I think it's the writers changing their minds to fit the mindset of current audiences, acknowledging that it's not just kids playing the games nowadays and it's their way of making things more realistic.
As a Johnny Cage stan, I can very much tell you that there's a lot of things wrong with him, but he's an angel in comparison to the other heroes. (even if he was sexist and mouthy in the past, he is the most relatable) He is a good example when making a flawed character in my opinion, or maybe I'm being too soft on the guy.
I don't think Scorpion was held accountable for screwing everyone over, either. Or killing Bi Han. Poor Bi Han.