Tropes I'm Sick Of, Books I Don't Like, And Authors I Can't Get Into | Unpopular Opinions

[@merphynapier42]

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[@Elisabeht-Swan]

I actually agree with you concerning Senor Pink from OP.

[@kodytiffany5686]

I have only seen the Silent voice movie... so I am very confused by your answer because I only know of one pair. Please refresh my memory of the hinted relationship. The ones I am thinking of are not hinted at but directly said in the movie so I can't remember a triangle existing. It was exceptionally well done in the movie and the acting and such had me feeling both the protags pain and confusion. I do suggest watching Wolf Children. Its roughly about an emotional family journey and discovery of ones place in the world. One of the best moms from an animated movie... for reasons of believability. I believe it is even child friendly, nothing gorey really depicted but in case I forgot a scene or your outlook differs I do suggest watching it first to be sure its good for kids.

[@kodytiffany5686]

My faith in Oda is that we simply have yet to see how his back story added to the main story so far. But later on it will play a part.

[@marocat4749]

I hope with temperature is lrtting red wine drink warm and breath and whit and whitish oi mean pink leaning and orange cold. Oh yes love good fruity wine too. That can be cold too. Oh sandersion "shocking confession" Regarding anime i would recommand black lagoon, and for a change the english in hous dub is better. It also very piraty, its more about a mercendary crew doing jobs and it has great characters and the developement, is facinating, and honestly it oddly enough, modern pirate vibes if dark. Ther is a similar jormagund. but black lagoon is very piratey. And the classic outlaw star. which is a space utlaw. it literally has them going after a legendary treasure.

[@kodytiffany5686]

My takes on the questions are: 1) Firefly. Its considered a pretty popular Sci-Fi series and by fan demand it got a Movie named Serenity after the series ended. But honestly I can't answer the why of what I do not like. I just know that they put me to sleep or make me want to focus elsewhere each time I tried to watch them. 2) Yugioh the anime beyond the first series. So here's the thing. The Manga is a floater and the series are also floaters. What I mean is you can't register their popularity without just straight asking others their opinion. Fans talk about the anime with other fans vs One Piece where fans have no issue recommending the series to everything and anyone. Yugioh floats on its fan base but never gets to close to the top as far as I can tell. But if you want the most Guano insane plots and character motives and what not out there, it as a franchise has few equals. Some might slander it with terms like "Asspull"; but really the hidden brilliance of the story is the complex and convoluted mess the "between the lines" creates. This series began as a set of manga and then the first anime season happened... that's when people like myself first could see the brilliance of its design. drop the filthy word of filler and actually see the full story for what it is. The card game element that the fanbase forced upon the manga and then popularized by the anime is far more metaphysical and thought provoking than people give credit. What made the series great to me as I grew up with it, is that it argues that magic and Gods and Myth are all truth and hidden by the general populace lack of faith and insight. Despite millennia separating the events that include magic and mayhem people will always forget it and write it off as clearly impossible because modern man can't do it so why should the past folk surpass them. But, its the second series where the truly divergent yet somewhat equally interesting story path branches. The anime comes first this series forward and the Manga takes the base level elements and themes and retells the events using mostly the same cast. Now I am almost exclusively an anime only overall. But I watch vids to see the manga differences and such. One thing I can say is that thanks to GX opening up a possibility of innumerable timelines or parallel worlds or dimensions the full franchise can be considered a convoluted multiverse. Sorry for the long explain but the shorter answer is to express how weird stuff can get... a villain that was raised by a tree and is an eco terrorist because his mom was cut down... Another foe that went insane because they could not fail despite wanting to... you know that time Atlantis was invaded by extradimensional beings... or the other time that Atlantis was invaded by extradimensional beings; but whoops started a cult resistance... I mean one series is about the internet invading reality. and time travel is used to try and prevent a terrible future. But in the background and almost never touched upon is a mechanical threat known as the army of light... but where they are from is arguable. The series overall is crazy wild and so long as you do not go into the show hating the gimic of card game solutions to complicated issues its possible to get invested in the crazy story. 3) So love triangels are not something I really never care about. I do not do the whole shipping thing in general and nothing turns me against a story quicker than unneeded romance as I think of it. All of that being said. This complaint is related to the question but not about a success being for one I do not agree... No I do not like stories insisting that Love must be this next level mind game simply because those involved are blind and those around them refuse to be direct about it to them. Anime/manga/LN/WN/Western Lit/Eastern Lit this deplorable dynamic is explored everywhere in all kinds of ways and is not needed or by me enjoyed at all. just tell the love struck pair whats taking place so the story can move on; I really do not want the details of thumping hearts or whatever an action was mistaken as. I care more for the main events so explain them or get to a twist that I care about. Thats why when I actually do like that element in something it means something to me. 4) I just mentioned Romance but not including that it would be non-fiction. I like to escape this reality when I read so some kind of fiction is needed. 5) Sponge-Bob Square Pants. his laugh increases my anger levels. His voice is revolting (OK that's exaggeration but I do not like that VA's work because only a few characters work with such an immature voice. Not a bad voice but selective in where it should be applied). 6) Terry Prachet. No clue why but zero motivation to start a book of his. I like the characters and settings I know of his... but yeah just no interest in being the one reading. 7) ignoring the one mentioned in 3. I can't stand violent/SAF female character... examples of characters I mean... well are they possessive of what they love, are they sweet on the outside but tempest's of debauchery or cruelty on the inside, are they stalkers or incestuos... so why the hell does a fan base love them? Its hard to think of a western lit example but a certain character from "Future Diary" is the prime example and why I hate the trope. 8) The Wheel of Time/Case Closed... same reason. Its like One Piece with others. But with books especially true. They are to big, and I am not interested enough by what I know of them to find out more for myself. Case Closed can't end and the author has proved this by having a who done it and how to take down angle for the MC for around as many chapters as One Piece... but way more than needed are cases of who killed whom filling the page count. I watched 7-10 episodes of the anime and got fed up with murder cases. The Wheel of time has X books by the actual Author before his passing and some from the other guy... I do not know if its understandable to read that story with an in universe chronology but I do not like reading a story from anywhere but the true start and go towards the final end. Yet the Wheel of time seems relatively circular so where can a starting or finish line be found. 9) One Piece actually. I stay manga current but I am content just listening to reviews of that... but the anime is what I await. The sound and colors and the fact the anime adds elements Oda could not in some cases makes it a rare exception to the rule. On that note I just want to say that "Forrest Gump" is a must experience for both and specifically both not one or the either individually. If you have experienced both you should understand where I come from. Simply put they are not the same characters or story but both Gumps are equal in my mind.

[@pbtenchi]

Fun fact, Oda originally wasn't going to include Senior Pink's backstory, but an editor begged him to. Apparently, he makes backstories for all the minor characters. He sometimes shares them in SBS.

[@alucard347]

That sounds amazing, and makes me appreciate this man even more.

[@pbtenchi]

@@alucard347 Yeah, for instance the carpenter in water 7 who gave Usopp some rice balls was an ex-bandit.

[@charlesacker9174]

Yeah like recently Page One and Ulti were revealed as children of a Pirate captain Kaido knew (Most assume Captain John who we saw his Zombie at Thriller Bark) and to prove themselves worthy to Kaido they stole two of his Ancient Devil fruits and were like you can't get rid of us now can you? Kaido was like damn kids, alright you better be strong enough to be members of my crew.

[@Ryuksgelus]

But he didn't tell Oda to omit all the constant civilian running and screaming scenesm The arc that needed the most editing but the editor is asking him to add more instead of streamline???

[@Phantasmen]

@@Ryuksgelus I think you're confusing the stretched out anime with the more squished together manga my dude

[@tyriquesmith8850]

Going to be entirely honest, I'm not much of a reader, but I still very much enjoy to hear your opinions on reading. It's like I'm enjoying books vicariously through you 😅.

[@Morfeusm]

I love books but I do the same thing with video games, the hours I watched PlayStation content despite owning any one is criminal. 😂 Also triathlon, I can’t even swim but I am watching videos like “10 tips how to improve your swimming technique” all the time 😅

[@R89iv]

Same.

[@ApequH]

Nothing wrong with that! I do this with alot series and movies on Amanda the Jedi's channel! (especially horror and drama) I have no desire to watch them but I like listening to someone talk about it.

[@carolinehoel1997]

@Bronwyn Mary B. Being a reader is not necessarily just about reading many books…It is about reading what you are interested in and what you like and love😘😘😘What you do read is enough!!!❤️❤️❤️ What was this last book Of yours called..?🥰🥰🥰

[@kilonzok7803]

Same here Smith, same here

[@Allen-qs2xr]

One of the key themes of Dressrosa is 'double lives', toy and man, toy soldier, rebecca, king riku, corozan, donflamingo, viola, law... And of course, Senor Pink. It explores the consequences and pain that we go through, to quote dr strange, 'trying to live two lives without letting go of the other', and each story ends in somewhat a tragedy. So if you say it doesn't service the character or the plot, I politely disagree.

[@Dark_Jaguar]

So what you're saying is that while it may not advance the story, it advances the themes. I can get behind that.

[@Shadow-fb2ec]

@@Dark_Jaguar i think that it does impact the story since the more minor character backstories we get the more the overall story has room to grow

[@dianemiles2720]

I love that she admitted that Pink was still 'So Hard-Boiled', had me spit my monster drink out.

[@gehtdichnichtsan2418]

That was pretty wild and unexpected, but Merphy is hard boiled as it seems.

[@lostboi2271]

Merph: Stardust wasn't a rant-worthy book Also Merph: proceeds to lose herself in a increasingly frustrated rant for the next minute and 28 seconds

[@crisnice1]

this is funny because it's true

[@tunesmelodia]

Hahaha

[@DS-mi9ru]

Was the book really not that great? Watched the movie a dozen times and really loved everything about it.

[@ViridianForests]

@@DS-mi9ru I liked the book, but you need to know that the characters in the book and those in the movie are not the same. I think Gaiman actually mentions that either before or after the book. They're both good and there's maybe 60% of the story that's the same in both, but the other parts go in different directions. The movie is for younger audiences and the book is for adults. Tristan is an ass for certain important moments in the story, so those parts are unpleasant to read. He gets better, but the start is rough. There are parts in the movie that weren't really there in the book and there are parts in the book that were completely skipped in the movie. It's a bittersweet fairy tale for adults. The movie is a sweet fairy tale for all ages. I read the book a long time after watching the movie and was surprised by the twists it took because they weren't the same and I loved it. You get a much better feeling for the world over the wall and that's really cool. I recently rewatched the movie and still loved it, so I wouldn't say one ruins the enjoyment of the other.

[@DaniReadsFantasy]

@@DS-mi9ru this is a case where the movie is much better, they fix the characters and the main climax as well. I think there is a statement out there that Gaiman made about feeling rushed writing it and you can tell when reading it

[@wali8253]

I haven't even read half of these books and yet I laughed/smiled the entire way through. We need more grumpy Merphy! And yes fake out deaths are the worst.

[@merlinssister12]

The Princess Bride was adapted into a movie by its author who was an extremely accomplished screenwriter to begin with his other movies include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men and Misery

[@downtime86stars17]

And he wrote it for his daughters.

[@avanishdutta2658]

William Goldman is one of my favourite screenwriters. Having won academy award two times for Butch cassidy and all the president's men, he was already a big influential name in screenwriting and hollywood. He loved movies but hated hollywood kind of movies. Also he was the screenwriter for the ghost and the darkness, stepford wives, and marathon man. These are the few underrated ones that i like and maybe they have grown on me with time.

[@tronyboy6016]

The reason I like senior pink so much is that, while most of early one piece has themes of masculinity and being a man, by dressrosa oda was a husband and father, and the idea that he’s depicting senior pink as this manly man is so effective, cause what makes him strong is that he loves and cares for his family and isn’t afraid to give up his masculine demeanour to showcase how much he loves them.

[@Dark_Jaguar]

I felt like Katakuri was an absolutely amazing deconstruction of "toxic masculinity", and Pink was a sort of prototyped preview of that idea.

[@dartagnanjames8069]

Truly a Chad of Chads

[@ufukkiblat]

This! Merphy doesn’t understand why people love him (not fangirling tho, I don’t think I know anyone who actually fangirlin him). The reason is it’s beyond everyone’s expectation and it’s an easy example of how good Oda is as a writer.

[@SoraToshiAki]

@@ufukkiblat true.. she didn't even likes bon clay tbh 😂 even after all he did. And as she said, she isn't much into plots as she is into moments of characters (which isn't actually character development, but a snippet of it only). But her analysis for storyline is most often perfect which i really appreciate her reactions

[@voidcentury4957]

@@ufukkiblat Is it really unexpected that Oda wrote a backstory for Senor Pink when he even wrote Gaimon's as early as East Blue?

[@oleksandrbyelyenko435]

Señor Pink? That is amazing character. Well because of his flashback. But you can't separate person from their past.

[@st_king_jay]

Merphy, his character didn't add to the story, hence Oda didn't want it to be included. But among all the removed backstories, this one felt so amazing to an editor and he asked Oda to include it in. Idk how true this story is, but I've been hearing this.

[@BuggyDClown-yv6or]

Aur bhai kya bolte. Bda discord?

[@aryamanndhami4244]

@@BuggyDClown-yv6or bhartiya log mil hi jaate har jagah

[@MrEtronic]

it didnt progress the plot but damn .. it made the fight awesome ... it made franky awesome for being chad ... and it was a better romance than any new romance novels in the last decade un-ironically

[@st_king_jay]

@@MrEtronic romance or toxic romance? He basically ruined her life

[@theastonishingworld7986]

@@aryamanndhami4244 shi Bola bahi

[@uglystupidloser]

Merphy grumpily answering unpopular take questions while drinking wine from a mason jar... Now that is definitely a whole mood and then some.

[@SaintNicholasFan]

I think Merphy is slowly becoming a “Wine Mom” lol.

[@caolanmoore4027]

I heard Brandon say that the princess bride was written literally as a screenplay treatment so that probably has something to do with how you feel about it

[@zugabdu1]

So I was recently listening to Cary Elwes book about the making of the movie and he said studio execs called the book "unfilmmable". Now I want to get the book and find out who's right...

[@aggietrombonist]

I love the book and the movie for very different reasons.

[@crazybiogeek]

The guy who wrote the book also wrote the screenplay for Princess Bride.

[@hei7846]

I almost spit my water when she said that Señor Pink was "Hard boiled" lmao

[@XquisiteHarmonies]

Yep, she's a One Piece stan 🤙

[@paradox_vtuber6861]

I see Señor Pink’s backstory as the implied backstory of everyone in One Piece. One Piece has such a vast, expensive, and beautiful world, and I love the idea that even random, inconsequential side characters can have these deep, complex backstories. I feel that it adds to the world building to give a random side character a great backstory because it makes the world feel more realistic that not only main characters or villains have a complicated life. I understand why you wouldn’t be a fan but I loved it.

[@Stumblingthroughlife]

On re-reads Era 2 is much better. And the first book is just what it is but Bands of Mourning really helped era 2 be better. The reason I think era 2 is better on re-reads is cause it's not finished yet so you are still trying to figure out the secrets. Sanderson has clearly said the last two books are more Cosmere aware than the others. Era 1 doesn't really have more secrets to reveal.

[@paradox_vtuber6861]

@@Stumblingthroughlife I think you commented on the wrong post

[@EdGuffy]

Merph @14:15 “I like slow plots”… that is the kind of comment that gets me pumped up with anticipation for Merph starts her journey through Ascendence of a Bookworm (Light Novel). Specially the character focus and world-building

[@LastMinuteGuess]

The two characters of A Silent Voice you are referring to develop an intimacy and closeness throughout the story, but the part of it important to the story at the moment isn't the romantic aspect. Maybe years after the events of the manga take place they do develop a romantic relationship, but the story we read, what made them become close was their connection and gradual mutual understanding because of what they were going through. Not every close relationship between people is romantic or begins as romantic.

[@RASENGAN1081]

(Spoilers for A Silent Voice) While I agree with you it doesn't need to end with a romance and I can't really agree with the comment considering she tried to confess to him but he couldn't understand it and it essentially introduces a love triangle story by the last quarter. My problem with the romance is more like it conflicts with it, I would be fine with them being friends but the fact that she's the one with feelings after the shit he did to her makes it feel like the author wanted to have their cake and eat it too. Like forgiveness and all that and yea I know it was like a decade ago but you see unrelated tramua from her that also happened to her a decade ago like really mess her up. The romance basically took me out of it, I'm not saying Stockholm because that's seems like a reach. But in terms of the story themes and like learning to forgive others and dealing with the trauma I personally feel like the romance just took me out of the story.

[@themon1100]

@@RASENGAN1081 Wait, are you saying she's ''wrong'' for having feelings for him? Lmao what a statement.

[@lronlance6366]

@@RASENGAN1081 just like op romance is super garbage as well, its a mid romance every arc lmaoo

[@mrstrangeworld5977]

@@RASENGAN1081 I disagree I truly disagree with that I've literally seen people forgive people and develop crush on them despite in the past the person they're crushing on use to bully them

[@mrstrangeworld5977]

@@lronlance6366 no it isn't that isn't true

[@gehtdichnichtsan2418]

The mangas Vinland Saga and Vagabond are pretty amazing examples for the Seinen Genre.

[@MrEtronic]

guts theme plays in the background , instant depression ensues

[@makima2883]

Seinen isn't really a genre

[@lelnel6242]

@@makima2883 It's the demographic, we know, but we call it genre because it works like one

[@hei7846]

Merphy should definitely read them

[@AntediluvianRomance]

Until Vinland Saga starts to pick up a bunch of assorted weirdos for the MC's team and the whole old "killing people is bad at all times" routine is accompanied by a visually celibate marriage which stops the MC from disconnecting from the teenage audience.

[@TheLastsecondhero]

I'm actually very proud the one piece group is being so chill about this, honestly I think your criticisms are valid, as you've read from other comments oda does too, I have had such a hard time finding books that kept my interest, but the way you talk about your favorites with such passion really makes me want to give them a shot.

[@TheEickert]

PSA: if you enjoy Anne of Green Gables, the Megan Follows and Jonathon Crombie movie version from the 80s is an absolute must watch. Complete perfection!

[@liglury175]

Regarding The Princess Bride: I've read the book (after seeing the movie), and while it does extend some things, and does some other things differently, it invests a lot of time in the outer story - the story about the "original" Princess Bride book. I think one of the reasons the movie is better is that the screenplay was written by the author, William Goldman, who is also an experienced screen writer (he wrote the script for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men!). That means he had the time to really understand what works and what doesn't work in the book, and (more importantly) what would work well and what wouldn't work well in a movie. Also, the movie had perfect casting to all the major roles,

[@downtime86stars17]

Read Cary Elwes' memoir on the making of the movie.

[@CapturedInWords]

Definitely agree with Mistborn era 2 being good! I still need to finish book 3 before the 4th one is out, but I was surprised at how much I enjoy era 2! Also agree with your thoughts on Labyrinth, I watched the movie SO many times growing up and still enjoyed the book but it wasn't nearly as good as the movie. I love the Princess Bride movie, but I think I like the book a little bit more. Especially since they cut The Zoo of Death! I love that part in the book. The movie has that classic happy-ending, while the book sort of hints at a more bleak end to the adventure and I kinda like that ending more. I also like how Goldman interjects into the story more in the book with his own reasons for cutting one portion of the story or another, and then later to comment on why he feels certain parts of the novel are important. But the movie honestly adapted the story perfectly for screen and it's still one of my favorites.

[@GeeksandGrub]

For Robon Hobb, The Liveship Traders is very different prose and plot wise from the Fitz books. To give a non-spoiler reason to try them: They are not first person perspective. That should give you an idea of how different they are.

[@writerguy911]

I completely agree. The Liveship Traders was an amazing series that my wife turned me on to. I basically held off for so long, but they are among my favorite books now.

[@henrywayne5724]

@@writerguy911 I read Book 1 in 9 months, finished Book 2 in a week, will probably never read Book 3 because I was spoiled for on certain very, very disgusting actions a pirate did and how it ended with regards to said character the pirate did certain actions to. Just rubbed me off the wrong way.😁

[@Etherealhorn]

I was so reluctant to read The Liveship Traders at first, because I wanted to read more Fitz. But oh boy, all the characters in this series were so vibrant. And the mystery, that what kept me going.

[@2thechase]

Also, for those who are looking for a similar pace and descriptive prose, check out The Dragonbone Chair, by Tad Williams

[@AdamFishkin]

Hot take: the way you feel about "The Princess Bride", I feel about "To Kill a Mockingbird". Harper Lee goes on a lot of tangents. A LOT ... of tangents. Meanwhile, the screenplay Horton Foote wrote finds all the right scenes and all the right tissue to connect them to make Scout Finch's journey through childhood such a dynamic experience.

[@CinematicGalaxy]

I totally agree with you.

[@dannychan0510]

I agree - I thought Era 2 was subpar Sanderson on my first read through, but after reading it again last year, I loved books 2 and 3 (and cannot wait for 4!). I think for me personally it was more because Era 2 felt less of your typical Sanderson epic fantasy with lots of lore building and reveals (Era 1 and SA), but once I got to know more about the characters on second read through, I fell in love (especially the whole Steris character arc!)

[@t3cchan]

The way you described Stardust's overarching plot as "going from point A to point B with a bunch of little detours" sounds exactly like Lord of the Rings. Or One Piece, for that matter. 😂

[@ApequH]

Or the Hobbit (the inbook name of the Hobbit is There and Back again)

[@bpsara]

It’s almost like quest stories are some sort of popular genre /s

[@benjaminwatt2436]

all genres can be broken down to a simple formula, that's what the word genre means. It feels legitimate to criticism something as formulaic because the formula doesn't work for you, but all forms of literature and music are formulaic

[@paulogaspar8295]

every journey story has that. If she doesn't really like that trope I would say 99% of books are bad then. Even if the journey isn't physical it's emotional, there's allways a journey.

[@orangmawas3858]

Saying that Lord of the Rings is about going to point A to point B with some detours is like saying Crime and Punishment is about a dude killing two women and then some talk for the rest of the book. It's hyper-reductionist ad absurdum, you could sum up all stories into 'just a chain of events where things happen' with the same reasoning if taken to it's logical end. Completely misses the context and themes which makes litterature worth reading.

[@natcommon]

Fun fact: the book for Labyrinth was written after the movie. The script for the movie was very much so pants by Terry Jones with directions from Dennis Lee and Jim Henson. Terry Jones was inspired a lot by Brain Froud’s artwork and used that to help him write the script.

[@aggietrombonist]

I agree about Outlander. People get telling me to read it and I just don’t have any interest. And you need to watch Anne of Green Gables!! I absolutely adore the 80s miniseries with Megan Follows. Anne with an E is very good too, but a lot different from the books

[@downtime86stars17]

I read about a third of Outlander and couldn't stand any more. Thank goodness I only checked it out of the library and didn't spend money on it.

[@amvibes9633]

I think the thing I love about Senor Pink is it just shows that Oda is having fun. He felt like doing this thing that he totally didn't have to do, and obviously wouldn't serve the plot at all and he just wrote it. He then wasn't going to include it but was convinced by his editor to do so. When I can tell that the writer is having fun, and not feeling like they have to write a certain way because of what people expect, the story overall makes me feel more happy :D

[@coldcoma]

Why does His Dark Materials not sound like something up your alley? It has children main characters who go through struggles, find friendships and extremely close bonds, almost a found family, hold on to hope, and eventually save the world. And it has a whimsical atmosphere and lots of colorful fantastical side characters. Isn't some of that stuff you really like?

[@amberdawn5372]

She's been pretty vocal about not liking talking animals in stories, so I wonder if that might be turning her off more than it should? Even though that's not really an accurate description for daemons IMO, and so many other aspects do seem right up her alley.

[@giuliakenway6500]

Maybe it's the criticism of religion that is in it, Merphy is very faithful if I remember correctly

[@hei7846]

@@amberdawn5372 She seemed to love talking animals in One Piece tho and even praised them

[@amberdawn5372]

@@hei7846 I'll admit that I haven't really watched that series of vids so idk if it changed her mind some. I'm just going off other unpopular opinion style vids or random reviews where she's mentioned it, probably all the ones I'm thinking of are pre-reading One Piece though.

[@hayleya.439]

​@@giuliakenway6500I think you're right. Watching the video I was thinking to myself "Why are people recommending HDM to you when you're Christian? And why are people recommending Outlander to you when you hate historical fiction?"

[@whitneylivingston5706]

The author of Princess Bride was a screenwriter and wrote both. What I love about the book that the movie doesn’t include was the commentary that went along with it. The movie played with the grandfather and kid but in the book there is so much more to the point that you forget it’s part of the story and just as fiction as the rest.

[@wishta7]

Merphy Napier is entertaining and fun to watch. 9/10 would recommend. Merphy Napier frustrated because she had to record a video twice and had as bit of wine? 🤯🎉🎉🎉🥂

[@xDanKaix]

I love how you can stay so energetic and keep me engaged. This doesn’t even feel like your second take of the video.

[@malagospodjicaf]

Grumpy Merphy is the best kind of Merphy! 😂

[@isopodshuffle]

Señor Pink's backstory does tie into some of the main themes of Dressrosa: Family, Love and Devotion

[@afnanbogey]

Bingo

[@dianemiles2720]

I want more of these wine drinking grumpy Merph videos. It was a delight!

[@Nasser851000]

Merphy should eat Snickers to stop being grumpy XD

[@annejia5382]

Hehehe snickers 🤣💙

[@harikiran4339]

😂😂😂

[@uglystupidloser]

... You know. Tipsy Merph is actually a great way of advertising her sponsor. I'm sold that she's having a good ol' time.

[@christhewritingjester3164]

Blackberry wines are so good. When I lived near Seattle, there was a self brewery place and a buddy of mine made blackberry wine (I made rootbeer) for Christmas presents. So good! I'll have to send my wife and FIL the link since they're more wine people than me.

[@Shinntoku]

Not gonna lie, I'm actually a huge fan of fake-out deaths. I love seeing characters rally and get a comeback, or even stuff like Oda's cover stories where they set up future arcs and lore, they're so good to me.

[@schroederscurrentevents3844]

Hey, we all have different preferences. Some people don’t like reading at all.

[@sleepysera]

As someone who despises fakeout deaths, I'm genuinely curious what you like about them. I'd be super happy if you could elaborate! :)

[@Shinntoku]

@@sleepysera honestly part of it is just that I often dislike when a series has an overly high bodycount because it's hard for me to invest myself in characters I know are just going to die off, especially if it happens early. Something specific about fake-out deaths that I like is comebacks. It's so satisfying when one side is on the ropes and things seem like they're ending, only for an old ally or enemy to show up and shake up the situation. The other aspect I like is imo it makes actual deaths in the series hit with even more punch. Like, Ace dying in One Piece would have been a lot less impactful if Luffy and crew had already seen dozens of named characters die already.

[@aganaom1712]

i will admit, even as someone who's as deep into one piece as i am. i have a very hard time discerning whether or not that love is solely genuine or if it's also for the meme don't get me wrong it's hard to not like the diaper man, but i have hard time saying he's in my pantheon of the greatest characters in that series

[@darknesswave100]

It's honestly a bit of both. His backstory was really endearing and added to his present self. So the actual diaper guy persona is for the meme but as a character people like him a lot

[@artistasanders8386]

I’m a simple person, I see David Bowie and I click Also I’m pretty sure the Labyrinth book was written after the movie, so maybe that’s why it’s worse?

[@ladyofnoxus6733]

That's why I clicked lol 😆 I saw David Bowie and was like welp. The goblin king has summoned me lol

[@annejia5382]

We miss you merphy 😭 even tho its just 3 days

[@kevinb5417]

Missing the One Piece arc reviews already. 😭

[@LightNight2]

It could be argued that Senior Pink's backstory and by extension his fight with Franky were actually just devices to help us love Franky more

[@namkia205]

I love your videos, they always make me happy when I'm sad or upset! ☺️💞

[@ScorpionFlower95]

Your opinions on the stardust book and the movie is exactly what I think as well. I don't get it, the book is so hyped and the movie is not, but the movie is actually fantastic???

[@eren__morwen5947]

I love so much that you do a wine ad and then drink wine the whole video😂😂😂 that's just how ads should be done

[@stephenlacey5925]

I will say with His Dark Materials I felt the exact same way you did about it until I finally just threw on the audiobook while at work and I ended up loving it and mad at myself for waiting 25 years to read it

[@luminousignesia372]

Damn I've never read the princess bride book but knowing the movie is such a true adaptation makes me happy wish we could get that more these days

[@koatam]

You're going to feel very silly when Oda decides to make Senor Pink an Emperor or something.

[@cooljo5881]

He'll be the King of the pirates, but he will ultimately fight against Bege's kid, which will trigger some PTSD because of his backstory and this will be his downfall

[@yaksh2953]

I gave up halfway through Royal Assassin. By that point I had lost all empathy for its characters. I didn't particularly have a problem with Fitz but every now and then I had to remind myself he is 15 or 16 to stop myself from rage quitting it. But halfway through the idiot ball in the story got to me and I began wishing for all the well meaning characters to suffer more as if they deserved misery for their incompetence. It looked like the only way for those characters to accomplish something was with the use of plot contrivances. I went ahead and spoiled myself and that is what exactly happens in the 3rd book. I was curious to see if Fitz improves. So, I spoiled myself more. Nope he doesn't change by much and rest of his life was just misery porn not worth my time. I will try The Liveship Traders because Kennit seems like a character I can get behind. Morality has never been a deciding factor for me when it comes to liking a character. After all even though I read first books of The Broken Empire and The Farseer Trilogy back to back, I ended up finishing The Broken Empire way before giving up on Farseer.

[@SuouEtsumi]

If you like Anne of Green Gables , there's a 2019 show on Netflix called 'Anne with an E', I enjoyed it :) (while checking wiki for the spelling, I found out there are a LOT of adaptations, including anime, apparently she's an icon :p)

[@th3logician]

Book 3 of Assasin’s Apprentice gave me the sort of depression that you never fully recover from. Very talented writer but HOLY CRAP… that ending…

[@Raaf97]

The reason I love senor pink is because I used to hate him before his backstory

[@AndrewWatsonChangingWay]

You started out grumpy, but brightened up when you started talking about wine!

[@mordyth]

Merphy- you should read the Tale of Desperau to your kids when they're a little older

[@niyaakbar1098]

OMG I forgot about that book! That was so popular back in like 2nd grade

[@TehSunnydayz]

I like Señor Pink but Baby-5 has always stood out more to me. Her backstory is brief but still hits emotionally and explains her personality. Her moment w Sai sticks with me. Señor Pinks backstory mostly explains his outfit lol

[@MariaMightReadThat]

Robin Hobb is an author that I expected to absolutely love but am so far stuck at just regular enjoyment level with. Her books * should * be perfect for me because character-driven, slower, political books are my jam but something about her narrative style feels too detached for me to get properly invested. I’m continuing on though and hoping that she finally clicks with me the way she has for others.

[@Sabrina-ri2qq]

I mostly enjoy(ed) more fast paced books, and only pushed through the farseer trilogy. Enjoyed book 2 a little bit, but book 3 was soo slow. But Lifeship Trader is really different, so I would really recommend everybody who is interested in the plot and slow paced books to read it. Though again I enjoyed book 2 the most. And I currently read the Tawny Man Trilogy and now I just loove the prose of Robin Hobb. Fitz, who just annoyed me most times in farseer was soo much more likeable in Tawny men. So for me it just gets better, and I hope you will find the time and the motivation to go on.

[@fizzledimglow3523]

I quite enjoy her prose, and Fitz felt really relatable to me. A lot of people think otherwise, but him being a quiet and open minded wee lad in the first book felt familiar to me. I also wept at the ending few lines of Assassin's Apprentice. For me, it definitely resonated.

[@MariaMightReadThat]

@@Sabrina-ri2qq Good to know, I’m definitely excited for Tawny Man. I did things a bit backwards and read Liveship first and then went back to Farseer. Up to Royal Assassin now. I do really enjoy her prose, it feels like I’m returning to a familiar world. But I just haven’t passed the threshold from regular enjoyment to full on favorite yet.

[@diegosoto738]

Sr pink backstory ages so well that its even used to describe how good op writing is. Without this backstory we wouldnt be talking about how good the writing is. That was what the editor wanted all to see and nailed it. Now that we can see this backstory created numerous talks about the writing, memes and always making reference point to how good writing is. After all that, i can say it was a great desicion to include the backstory as everyone apprecietes the story whithout discriminating if ads or not to the plot, this story actually proves that. Everyone was pleased to share with othrer fans how good Sr pink story was.

[@cheyannelencioni1389]

I loved Frenchman's Creek. It is the first DuMaurier book I read and definitely one I want to reread. I agree that she didn't make the best choices, but that added to her character and made me root for her to be a pirate even more. I definitely plan on buying it at some point.

[@couchpotatoe91]

What age range would you recommend this book for? I might buy it and gift it to my niece, the question is at which age.

[@cheyannelencioni1389]

I'd say maybe 14 and older. It was kept in the adult fiction section at my library, but from what I remember the content and descriptions the language is clean and any descriptions of loving or violence are toned down.

[@couchpotatoe91]

@@cheyannelencioni1389 Cool, thanks a lot!

[@Amanda-pi2nr]

I will 100% agree with you about The Princess Bride. I grew up watching that movie as a summer vacation movie with my family. We'd quote along with it. We'd start quoting it around the house throughout the year. I was so excited to read the book, and then I realized it was almost literally the movie, dialogue and all, in a book. Kudos to the director for a faithful adaptation, but if I've got to pick reading the book again or watching the movie, I'll always watch the movie.

[@sanjithechef]

I'd love to see Merphy read something like Monster by Naoki Urasawa - I think her breakdown of it's characters would be facinating

[@oana-mariauliu5828]

1. A popular book I didn't like: Piranesi 2. A popular series everyone else seems to hate but I love: Twilight vol. 1-3 3. An OTP I don't like: Harry Potter - Ginny 4. A popular book genre I hardly reach for: self-help books 5. A popular character I don't like: Vin 6. A popular author I can't seem to get into: Neil Gaiman 7. A popular book trope I'm tired of seeing: the villain confessing/explaining everything in the end 8. A popular series I have no interest in reading: Discord 9. A movie I find better than the book: Fight Club

[@Typhon6]

In regards to Frenchman's Creek (which I'll be reading next month) I think it's important for new readers to recognise that the book was written during the Second World War and du Maurier wanted to write something on the escapism side rather than something like Rebecca. If you go into it knowing it's a book meant to distract from the problems of the world at the time and be a fun read, then I think more people would enjoy it.

[@MBeccaro]

This video is made SO MUCH BETTER by the glass in hand... I was listening to it while working but I peeked at my second screen at 8:19 and WOW, yeah, that's just perfect =)

[@alexhrycaj8429]

Went through Frenchman’s Creek because of you and I had a great time.

[@hodaaghaei]

That awkward moment when you have to re-film a video with wine sponsor and you are clearly buzzed and it's super cute 😂😂

[@Dekken88]

I love Mistborn era 2. Its one of my absolute favourite series. Wayne is simply hilarious (one of my all time favourite characters) and the slow developing romance between Wax and Steris is one of my favourites as well. I much prefer it compared to the first mistborn trilogy.

[@isopodshuffle]

I can totally get why His Dark Materials, when pitched to you, would sound like something you wouldn't be interested in But! that said, i legitimately think you would love the series

[@alexinator-hh5fe]

This is probably the obvious answer but a trope I'm really tired of is the love triangle. It usually has it so the first love interest is kinda toxic and pretty much the focus of the book. And the other love interest is usually the fairly bland childhood best friend. And you know pretty much from the beginning which love interest will prevail. Or worse, the love interests are pretty okay. But in the second book, one is rewritten to make them absolutely horrible so the MC has an easier time choosing. But another reason I dislike the trope is that people aren't objects. And it gets really uncomfortable occasionally reading about two love interests fighting over the main character like they're property or a prize to be won. Especially when the main character is kinda just okay with that? Didn't mean to rant but jeez.

[@ehellstrom7127]

I hate that trope so much that a single whiff of it is enough to get me to stop reading a book.

[@katethegreat4918]

I hate that too, but I don’t think what you’re describing is a proper love triangle. If I’m correct, a love triangle is when character A is pretending to be the opposite gender, but is attracted to character B (who is the gender Character A is pretending to be). Character B is not attracted to character A, but Character C, who in turn is attracted to the person character A is pretending to be. In a proper love triangle, A likes B likes C likes A.

[@DS-mi9ru]

Twilight was crappy to begin with, but Jacob suddenly turned into a pedophile, wanting to bang that baby or something. Holy fuck, did that series derail lol

[@amp7980]

The intro reminds me of a time i was writing an essay for college. It was also storm season in Florida. Power went out and i lost the entire thing. So I wrote it again grumpily. Wording got better but too rushed. Then the power went out again and i lost it again. The third time I took my time, saved after every sentence, and it was the best paper i ever wrote. I do not miss college.

[@qb4428]

My unpopular book opinion is that at least 99% of books are twice as long as they need to be. You have autobiographies of people that approach literally biblical lengths, and I just think "no one is that interesting".

[@poorlyfleshedskeleton5873]

If you like Robin Hobbs writing but find the Fitz books slogs I think you’ll love the Liveship Trader’s trilogy. I was having the exact same reactions to the Fitz series but the Liveships series is my favorite fantasy series lol. The books are multiple POVs and each character is really unique and compelling and in vastly different situations from each other which all really helps pull you along thought the story easier. Plus the areas and cultures in the Liveship books are more unique instead of traditional western fantasy style which also helps out a lot

[@topramen5344]

Oda has to cut a ton of stuff out of the story because of time and other things and senior pink was one of the ones that made it in lol I hope oda writes side stories after he’s done with one piece

[@darknesswave100]

He actually wasn't gonna add his in but I heard that the editor loved his notes on Senior Pink so much that he begged Oda to leave it in

[@devforfun5618]

he is probably going to write another epic probably, something unrelated to one piece, to be fair i wish he finished wanted, the first chapter was really cool

[@theLore2000]

I completely agreed on robin hobb but weirdly loved the third one the most even though it’s the longest. I feel like he finally moves on from a lot of his repetitive problems, he travels somewhere else, and introduces new characters (even if most of this is a little bit in, as per usual). Genuinely feels like it solved the motivation problem I personally had!

[@Lothiril]

😲 I can't say I can relate to your feelings about Robin Hobb, I love her books and read through them super fast. 😅 I remember buying one of her books as an ebook (I think it was the last Fitz book) so that i could read it at work during breaks, and reading it while doing grocery shopping because i couldn't stop reading, and then trying not to cry in the supermarket... 🙈🙈🙈

[@lewstherinteletubby50]

My answers to some of the questions: •Book(s) everbody likes that I hate: Wheel of Time (to be honest, I don't hate it, I just don't enjoy it) •Book(s) everybody hates that I like: Eragon #noApologies •Love triangle that didn't end up how you wanted it to: Vin/Elend/Zane( jk, jk😁) •Genre you don't reach for: Mystery •Character everybody likes that you don't: I like er'body •A popular author you don't care for: Robert Jordan

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

*tries to pretend I wasn't brought here solely because of Señor Pink's sheer, overwhelming aura* ...So hard-boiled...

[@andrewstambaugh8030]

When you were talking about a silent voice, I couldn't help but think of the movie "The Professional." The girl is a bit broken and attention-seekingly inclined to attach inappropriately. It was a real and true kind of portrayal that they didn't want to cheapen to something that feels fake. But they were concerned that viewers wouldn't get that and would ask "why is he even being around her if he knows that's how she's acting?" The man is supposed to be honorable and doesn't allow anything inappropriate, and instead acts in a proxy father role, giving her safety and setting some boundaries. I believe it was the actor (Gene Reneau, probably spelled that wrong) who suggested the idea that made this movie work so well. He suggested his role be changed so his character is kind of slow, which would make him seem more innocent and unaware, so it would be far from any nefarious suggestion, because he's too slow and unaware to realize she's even trying that. The movie is actively un-romantic. It totally worked, and it's on my short list of favorite quirky movies.

[@chrissyfuhrie]

You’re missing out on Outlander. It’s also one of those rare instances where the show is better than the book. (I feel this way about Shadow and Bone too, and I really enjoyed reading Shadow and Bone)

[@sleepysera]

I didn't really like the show but adored the books. That said, everyone has their own preferences, so if she can tell by the info surrounding the books that it's not up her alley, that's just how things are.

[@alannothnagle]

Frenchman‘s Creek rocks!! Sure, the plot is totally over the top, but the prologue makes it totally clear that the story is a dream and idle fantasy. It‘s extremely exciting and is one of my favorite summer reads (and I‘m a guy!).

[@Enigmanaut]

I enjoy Mistborn Era 2 a lot as well! I just want Brandon to give us more Steris. She's great.

[@grantisshananaa4906]

The thing with Baby man is he was another character * Okama my way * that reminded me not to judge a character on their appearance, one of the many real world lessons Oda reminds me of in his masterpiece.

[@heathercampbell6059]

The Anne of Green Gables movies were actually phenomenal. They were a product of their time period, so the seventies, but they did a lot in that to actually make them worthwhile. I highly recommend them. Well maybe not the third one... that ones ok. If you do watch them, realize that each 1 is 4 hours long and there are 3 of them.

[@UniversalSketch]

Señor Pink was an excellent choice. I didn't really think about how the backstory was truely unnecessary being a secondary character and all when I was watching the show. Was really interesting to hear that you still liked the character just not how it effected the story. My favorite character to come out out of dressrosa though for sure.

[@rhysalex7714]

Definitely agree on the Fitz trilogy. The third one was (for me) the weakest of them, but the Liveship Traders trilogy was *fantastic*. Personal favourite trilogy of all time. I hope that isn’t too hyperbolic, lol.

[@AvatarYoda]

The death fake-out is so common that deaths or disappearances of beloved characters don't really strike the same chord anymore because I assume the person isn't really dead. In just the past year listening to audiobooks, I always correctly guessed that a particular character who was assumed dead because of a horrific accident that "no one could survive" or when "we never found the body" is always alive. There's no more suspense. If a character actually does die, it takes a while before I'm convinced, so some of the shock is lost. In my favorite historical series, the death of a primary character took a few chapters to land because I assumed she wasn't really dead, just in a coma induced by blood loss, and only after she was buried days later did I realize, "Oh crap, she really is dead." I even wrote my feelings to the author, and she was shocked that I felt as I did and promised she would never do a death fake-out.

[@n124ajdx]

Regardless of the feeling someone would have toward Senior Pink, We can all agree that his back story is one of the best in the fiction world. It's one of those moments that make me question if the writer of One Piece is even human.

[@Ukaran]

Wow! Talk about being a fanboy!

[@ravenpotter4004]

I'll never get tired of this tag! Also no pressure but do you have any dear authors planned comming up? I lovee that series so much as a writer :)

[@Patrick-zj4qz]

Noo! You can't skip Assassin's Quest! That's the one where the world and magic really open up. Try it on audio book. The narrator is fantastic. First half is a slog, second half is some of my favorite high fantasy.

[@rain_and_daisies]

I'm really glad you mentioned Anne of Green Gables! The whole video I was wondering if you had read that series and wanted to know your opinion of them. I've seen the Megan Follows Anne of Green Gables movies and really enjoyed them, and that got me into reading the books! Sadly, as I've been reading the books, I don't think I like them very well. I've read through Anne of the Island and I'll have to keep going and give them a chance. So far, I feel the same way about the books that you did about The Princess Bride. I think the movies cut out the excess and focused on the better points while the books expand too much or for too long on the points that don't matter. Anyway, I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on Anne 😊

[@mcrbelieve3923]

About Señor Pink: Franky and he fight to know who is the manliest, but in a very pathetic way. Up to this point, this just seems like a stupid fight that doesn't mean anything. You can't understand what's going on, Does Oda really find this impressive? Why are those girls ""moaning"" over this? And then, the flashback comes. Young Señor Pink was the "definition" of a "MAN". He was cool, goodlooking, rich, powerful, etc, but at the end of the day, he failed the person he cared for the most. He changed after that, instead of looking cool and powerful, he started to give his all for the person he loved. He truly became a man, a true man. Basically, Oda is telling us what a "true man" is, just someone who does his best for the people he loves. It is also what Franky always does. He is a critique to "manliness" alongside Franky, and it perfectly fits the themes of Dressrosa, Love and Passion. The flashback is totally needed. An arc is not all about the story, but what the story tries to tell us, and for that, the flashback is a must. Sorry if I explained myself poorly, hope you get the point.

[@ziloe]

Honestly? The more I watch your content, the more I can say that yes, you Would like Outlander. 100%, hands down, no question. That said, I've never recommended it to you, however, I'm also genuinely surprised you haven't read it already, because it is absolutely your thing

[@zOctaa]

Weirdly enough I enjoyed the hint of romance in a silent voice. I almost wanted it to lean into it just a little bit more. Not too much to take away from anything else tho.

[@ConstanzaRigazio]

You broke my heart when you said you don't feel like reading HIS DARK MATERIALS...

[@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

You definitely need to read Liveship Trsders.... it's not as slow as Farseer. But it has the same great character moments and more plot. I guarantee you will like it! I'm one of those who love Du Maurier the same as you.....

[@RH-ko6pz]

I inhaled (is that a thing) the Robin Hobb series all 16 books. The world just pulled me in, and I was absorbed, hopefully you pick it up again and the series draws you in!

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Señor Pink disrespect? Don't do it Merph, wouldn't be hard boiled of you Edit: Or maybe it would be 🤔 Edit Edit: I understand your stance. Hard Boildness no longer questioned. In all seriousness though, I think most ppl would logically agree with what you said, but like... He still hits hard and is a highlight of the arc lol. Probably helps most others of his crew aside from his boss have nowhere near that depth (not that they need it, as you said, Oda definitely was probably just having fun with the design and how he could craft a story around it lol)

[@jay15951]

I think most if bit all of odas side characters have backstories they're just usually cut

[@MagillanicaLouM]

@@jay15951 yeah that is true, usually come through in SBS

[@Frozenfrog18]

I think he is one of he best side character in one piece. And what is amazing about it is that no one expected a back story from him, and it to be that kind of story. honestly I want to have a cover story or something of him and franky just hanging out.