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.
Look at his fucking suit bro.
DO YOU SEE THAT?????!
DO YOU FUCKING SEE THAT???!
MILES FUCKING COPIED THE “fly ambiance down the side” FROM AARON’S SUIT. DO YOU FUCKING GET IT???! DO YOU UNDERSTAND.
“It looks like your bleeding from your armpits.” Count your fucking days Peter.
From what most Tekken enjoyers understand is that the Devil gene was retconned. But what if there was a way to watch all endings and past revelations without getting confused? Which brings my presentation.
How the Devil Gene in canon still works after Tekken 7
To be clear, I haven't refreshed my memory of what went down in the storyline but I remember the basics, so feel free to call out any incorrectness. Most of this is just a ramble and I wanted to show it to anybody who would read it, along with using a bunch of gifs for artistic reasons.
When Kazuya was a small boy his father (Heihachi) threw him off a cliff, in Tekken 7 it is because Kazuya tried to fight him after Heihachi killed Kazumi, his mother. The reason Heihachi killed her is because he found out she came from a family of devil genes (or something).
I don't think Kazuya was raised to know what the Devil gene was, so when Devil made himself present he naturally made a deal with Kazuya out of instinct of knowing what itself was but not the family history. Kind of like a kitten having the same tendencies as its parents but was taken from the litter and mother it belonged to. I think you guys know what I mean here.
I theorise that the gene itself isn't present until something tragic and emotionally distressing activates it. At least that may be the case for those with it who go untrained not knowing that they have it, I don't know how it must've been for Kazumi. Devil Jin was activated through stress, and whilst Jin was in his teens, while Devil K grew with Kazuya.
Dude's mum just disappeared and the person that's supposed to protect him betrays him with the actual intent to harm. I think Heihachi throwing Kazuya was kind of a disciplinary thing, because Kazuya still grew up with Heihachi, while Jin was left for dead. But Kazuya was 8-10 (poor memory) when he got thrown off, so his emotional/mental tolerance was... lesser. Not to say Jin losing his mum at an older age wasn't just as traumatic, but teenagers and children are different. Jun's presence also must also have something to do with it, as Devil Jin tries to resist her good powers.
Devil Jin must've been waiting to appear for quite some time, in the back of Jin's mind watching everything. What we know of Devil Jin is that he's an absolute menace to society and a typical delinquent teenager. He's very playful in comparison to Devil Kazuya's maturity. He takes his time being a menace, knowing Jin would take control eventually. TTT2's special win poses between Devil K/Kazuya and Devil J make Devil K/Kazuya look a disapproving father. From DJ firing his laser out of control and flying away, with DK either crossing his arms or showing no reaction.
In Tekken 4 the Devil in Kazuya says that he lost a part of himself and wants to take it back. In a way, when you put in the whole genetic thing he's kind of not wrong. Devil K is acknowledging that he has a son but not to the full grasp that he should. We all know how DNA works, reproduction, ect.
Devil K however believes that 'part of himself' should be taken back, not getting that the gene is in Jin's blood. While I do believe Jun was protecting Jin, I don't think that's why his body rejected the gene getting taken away. Now, as seen with Kazuya's TTT2 ending he can absorb the evil off others for his own gain which is what he did to Unknown. Thing is, Unknown is more of a possession rather than an 'in the blood' situation. Sure TTT2 isn't canon, but it has shown 'what if' scenarios. Not only that, but we see Zafrina use Azazel's ball thing for her own use.
So the Devil gene is still a thing, and it started out as just that, a gene. They can take power away from other forms of evil, but not their own family members. That may have been why Kazumi wanted Kazuya killed, because Devil couldn't be taken away from him, and she's no Jun Kazama or Angel so it's not like she could take it away from him. Not to defend her or anything, just saying.
I posted this on a YouTube comment section, but here.
Bro, Ali did not want to talk to Johnny, and Johnny was pushing it. He was being hella aggressive about it, Daniel was just returning his energy. The worst Daniel did was spray some water on Johnny, AFTER Johnny and the other Cobra kids shoved Daniel down a hill on his scooter, just because Daniel wanted to learn self defence after he realised he's attending school with the same people who humiliated him and beat him up. Guess what, they humiliated him again at the football tryouts thing, and Daniel wasn't even doing anything to them. As the movie goes on it becomes less about Ali, and more about Daniel, because it's clear the Cobra's enjoy bothering Daniel. I know Daniel isn't perfect, sometimes antagonising them, but only verbal and nothing too excessive, like pushing them down a hill in the middle of the night.I personally think Cobra Kai is an out of character take on the Karate Kid series. They made Johnny an idiot, even though we know from the first Karate Kid film that he's pretty intelligent. Miyagi was also a father figure to Daniel, but they over did it in Cobra Kai. Kreese and Terry Silver are the real villains, two grown adults who couldn't get over a Karate tournament.
They legit gave Daniel trust issues with the Terry thing. Also, didn't Terry break into the Miyagi house?
I was today years old when I found out Christian Coulson was in Weirdsister college (Worst Witch spin off).
I had just finished the Worst Witch a few weeks ago, so it is funny timing for me to find this out. I'm so glad I have Amazon.
Tom Riddle just has a thing for witches.
Dear writers,
When writing a chubby reader why does she have to be insecure? Do you all look at a plus size/chubby person and assume they don't like their body? The reader is looking for something they can relate to, and being chubby doesn't mean insecurity. People who are considered skinny also have insecurities, amongst a bunch of average people.
It's one of the reasons why readers have specific requests. For example, whenever I'm reading a normal reader post I get the impression that I reading it in a white person's perspective, which is why I occasionally request black reader, that doesn't mean I'm insecure about my blackness, I just want something I can relate to. So why is it when I read chubby and plus size reader she is an insecure mess? I'm not chubby but I like reading chubby reader because I expect the beauty standards to be challenged, and I'm a sucker for body positivity, only for the enjoyment to be ruined once I get to the insecure part.
There are a ton of plus size women who are not insecure about their body and yet this fact seems to fly over the writer's head.
I was bullied, yet I'm able to acknowledge that I deserve better, that I am normal. I get that times have changed for some and circumstances concerning support is different for everyone, but this crap is getting really old.
Edit: There's more I'd like to add and clarify. I understand that this post has already gotten a lot of attention but I'd like to make more notes. I find it bothersome that a chubby reader always has to be a victim of bullying, people have been bullied for other things. Such as being too skinny, their ethnic background, disabilities and so much more. It's as if writers lack creativity when writing chubby/plus size reader. It's actually quite sad that they see chubby people in this fashion and the fact that they've reduced a reader's request to this level. Unless someone requested their insecurity it's not necessary.