Notice how I don’t have to dishonestly erase and ignore the actual context of Finn and Rey’s interactions in order to make these? That’s because these are the beats of an actual meet-cute and not disingenuous distortions of canon. I am critical of how violently Finn was struck in the face and how it was played comedically, but it is part of a common pattern with these stories.
Yes, the Rey and Kyle visuals could look similar if you took their scenes out of all context while disregarding the characters and stories–and that’s the point. These shitty “parallel” posts are attempts to sanitize the context of the originals, as though kidnap, torture, and manipulation constitute a normal meet-cute.
Also isn’t it interesting how these posts disregard an actual “Reylow” parallel where the Light Fury is trapped and terrified, then appears to be borne away against her will? For all that shippers insist the abduction was romantic as hell, it seems they don’t like actually acknowledging Rey’s pain and fear…
…or the fact that this means Kyle’s actual parallel in HTTYD 3 is this wavy-haired douche dressed in black.
Also saying “they’re kid’s movies” to discourage critique is an ass move. Do you think children are immune to issues like abuse and violence in real life? You don’t think children, like the rest of us, use stories to understand and cope with their lives? I know I relied on fiction as a child to deal with things I couldn’t tell people and didn’t even have the vocabulary to express. If anything children’s media need to be scrutinized more, not less, for the ways they’re framing these and other issues.
You’re also a raging hypocrite if you’re fine with kidnap, torture, and manipulation being disguised as a cute and harmless romance and being deliberately put in the tags for a children’s movie (especially when many of the shippers openly admit the ship is a kink for them), but think the people who criticize that practice need to “chill a little.” Fuck. Off.
Rebloging this because of the damn good quality of content and editing
Aww, thank you kindly! While I did make the edits frame-accurate to get side-by-side gifs, the footage did most of the work for me and even I was surprised by how good the match was. The facial expressions, the angles, right down to Finn and Toothless’s swagger in their “mating dances” sequences (literal for Toothless, more sublimated for Finn). Just look at the way they shake their bodies side to side while they try to impress and the way Rey and the lady Fury look at them, from “d’awww you are the most adorable thing ever and I could eat you up” to “should have quit while you were ahead, pal.”
It just goes to show what old and common tropes TFA was drawing from, and demonstrates that the Finnrey scenes were by no means subtle. It’s just fandom swearing up and down that these scenes can’t possibly be romantic for Reasons.
I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. It moves through and surrounds every living thing.
@lj-writes Boba, Padme, Finn, and Luke in a gif! This post is a blessing
Stella and Dotty, two elderly women, laugh against a sunset sky with the words “live fully” superimposed on the image
Two women in late 19th century period dress, Henriette and Louise, kiss each other with the words “Live passionately” superimposed on the image
Valencia Perez sobs with the words “Live disastrously” superimposed on the image
Vi and Allie laugh together on a beach with the words “Live” superimposed on the image
Sook-Hee and Hideko run across a field at dawn with the words “Let’s live” superimposed on the image
Adena and Kat smile at each other with the words “You and I” superimposed on the image
Anissa Pierce (Thunder) spins through the air and slams the ground with her fists, shaking it, with the words “As none ever lived before” superimposed on the image
Bringing this back in celebration of Queer Culture Festival in Korea! Below are the shows these edits were made from and a couple of outtakes.
Cloudburst (2011)
Bad summary: Old married couple run off to get married.
This is a great, funny movie about an elderly American lesbian couple Stella (Olympia Dukakis) and Dot (Brenda Fricker) who become forcibly separated when Dot, blind and increasingly frail, is moved into a nursing home by her granddaughter. Stella breaks Dot out, and together they head to Canada to get married.
Mystère à la Tour Eiffel (2015)
Bad summary: Divorcee discovers sexuality, murderer.
In late 19th century Paris, architects who worked on the Eiffel tower are being murdered one by one. The father of Louise (Marie Denarnaud) is also killed, and she is framed for the murder. Louise investigates together with stage magician Henriette (Aïssa Maïga) who had caught her eye during a performance and with whom she has been flirting ever since.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-)
Bad summary: Crazy ex-girlfriend gets a girlfriend.
The character Valencia Perez (Gabrielle Ruiz) dated Josh Chan for years before she broke up with him, then ended up planning his wedding to Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) which he never showed up to. Valencia later went into the party planning business with, then started dating, Beth (Emma Willmann). I did make an earlier edit of a shot featuring Valencia and Beth, which did not make it into the final cut.
Her Story (2015-)
Bad summary: Well-intentioned wingmanning by an ex actually works, for once.
Her Story, a web show available for viewing online (link), follows the story Vi (Jen Richards) and Allie (Laura Zak) who grow close after Allie interviews Vi for a story on trans people. This show is short but incredibly well written, acted, and produced, with amazing representation of trans women and the interpersonal and institutional transphobia they face.
The Handmaiden (2016)
Bad summary: Desperate to meet up, the gays turn to crime.
In early 20th-century Korea under Japanese rule, thief and forger Sook-Hee (Kim Tae-Ri) starts work as a domestic servant at the home of colonial collaborator Kouzuki to lure his heiress niece Hideko (Kim Min-hee) into falling in love with a con man. Complications arise, foremost among them the two women’s feelings for each other.
The Bold Type (2017-)
Bad summary: Area woman discovers her inner boob girl.
Kat (Aisha Dee), the social media director of women’s magazine Scarlet, meets professional photographer Adena (Nikohl Boosheri) over permission to print Adena’s essay. The two grow increasingly close despite complications including Kat’s confusion over her own sexuality, Adena being in a long-term relationship, and the pair often being continents apart.
Black Lightning (2018-)
Bad summary: Eligible lesbian’s family is loving, supportive, totally trouble-free. Honest.
Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Wiliams) discovers her superpowers and grows into a superhero while navigating the violence that has infected her hometown Freeland, secrets in her own family, government conspiracies, and a budding relationship with Grace Choi (Chantal Thuy).
Bonus outtake: Carol (2015)
Bad summary: Selling a toy train upends retail worker’s life.
Therese (Rooney Mara) meets and becomes fast friends, and then girlfriends, with Carol (Cate Blanchett). The price ends up being high, however, when Carol’s ex-husband sees an opportunity in the custody dispute over their daughter.
This edit from Carol was originally going to take the “live disastrously” spot, but I ended up actually having too many works to draw from after having Cloudburst and The Bold Type recommended to me and decided to leave out the Carol edit.
“We don’t adjust what happens to her in this movie. Emotionally, you can’t help recontextualize it, now that she’s gone. It’s almost eerie how there are scenes that have an emotional resonance and a meaning, especially now. She gives a beautiful and complete performance in this film.”
Screw writing “strong” women. Write interesting women. Write well-rounded women. Write complicated women. Write a woman who kicks ass, write a woman who cowers in a corner. Write a woman who’s desperate for a husband. Write a woman who doesn’t need a man. Write women who cry, women who rant, women who are shy, women who don’t take no shit, women who need validation and women who don’t care what anybody thinks. THEY ARE ALL OKAY, and all those things could exist in THE SAME WOMAN. Women shouldn’t be valued because we are strong, or kick-ass, but because we are people. So don’t focus on writing characters who are strong. Write characters who are people. (x)
Disclaimer: intense and excise language, so you’ve been warned
When they first met
Finn might of been the dehydrated one, but Rey is fucking THIRSTY! Eyes fluttering, timidly smiling, and holy fuck she even gulps. Rey is ogling Finn like a drink! First man she’s met that isn’t demanding anything from her or trying TJ take something.
Rey might be sweating, but Finn is shook! 20 years of First Order Woman and the First Woman runs into after abandoning them is a badass who kicked 3 Different asses! One of those asses beat his ass. He’s scared and turned on at the same time.
When they were impressed with the other
You thought these two motherfucking peanuts only had a fucking physical attraction? Shut the fuck up! They actually get along too! After impressing the other with their shooting and pilot skills, both of them cannot do anything but smile and laugh at how cool the other is. It doesn’t feel forced either because we are equally as impressed with them and we are getting to know them.
When they argued
The two characters are very different as well. Rey is more naïve of the political and dangerous aspects of the galaxy. Not knowing that Luke Skywalker was real, not understanding how dangerous the first order is, while Finn has become disillusioned and cynical to the galaxy that I had already abandoned him once.
When they separated
The two are not perfect either. At the end of the day, Finn started his relationship off with Rey with a lie, even if there was an understandable reason why. He is a stormtrooper, the enemy of the galaxy that no one thinks twice about shooting. Rey was also beating the hell out of anyone she thought was an enemy at the time. It turns out none of that matters now though. She doesn’t care about that now. She wants him here with her, to stay with her…he’s all she has, but Finn can’t. He doesn’t want to fight. This isn’t his war, he was just a victim of this war. Finn wants her to leave with him, runaway from the war before it can hurt her too, but she can’t either. She needs to go home, to her family.
When they found each other
Finn came back for her. Risked his life, risked being captured, all because of her. She’s awestruck and it’s one of the sweetest moments of their entire relationship just because of the sheer effort and meaning behind this moment.
When Finn was pissed
Finn is willing to die for Rey. Point blank. She’s the only person he has left. His fellow Stormtroopers think he’s a traitor and that’s the only home he ever had. Now Rey has become that home. He knows how dangerous Kylo Ren is. He just killed his own father. The chances of his survival is non existent. It doesn’t matter though. He’s willing to die if it means giving her a chance to live.
When Rey gave up
Rey is ready to die WITH Finn. He’s the only person who ever came back for her and now he’s dying because he got back involved in a life wanted nothing to do with for the greater good, for her. She’s come to adore this man and now he’s dying in her arms as the planet is about to kill them both. Maybe she could run, find a tie fighter, but that would mean having to leave Finn and she just can’t do that. Shed rather die.
When they found each other again
This is the first time they’ve seen the other way in so long. They’ve been through so much apart and holy fuck they miss the other. I originally hated that they said no words, but really, what can you say when you’re meeting someone you love again for the first time again.
I know a lot of people want some big love declarations in Ep 9, but I think I’d be happy with the two already just being a fucking couple and it just working like normal.
Just a simple I love you and a kiss before leaving to kick some First Order ass.
I love them because
I love these two together because it’s simple yet original. They’re 2 people that no one would ever think much of. A simple Stormtroopers and a scavenger, yet together they are so much more. They love each other, but they accept the other’s individuality. They’re not just a great couple, they’re best friends.
All this, and even when they’re apart they’re always thinking about each other and yearning for each other. It’s so sweet to watch and I’m pumped that they’re together for Episode IX again.
L.J.'s Obsessions 