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CharactersByChaos — You Did Not Just
#chaseyoung #xiaolin #xiaolinchronicles #shadowyoung #themightyshadow #eternallyyoung
Published: 2015-06-12 05:14:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 2381; Favourites: 33; Downloads: 0
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So how about that hair-pulling scene in "Rocco"...?[extra detail image on tumblr]
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XS Chase was fine, XC Chase was... a jerk to everyone, not just women. And I distinctly recall a scene where he wasn't a jerk to XC Kimiko and actually seemed to tease her and be... not jerky. He's a definite jerk to Shadow, especially later, and to Jack, always. He wasn't a jerk to that dragon girl he liked, not even at the end of the series.
Long story short. XC Chase is a jerk to everyone, but is somehow kinder to women... except his pseudo-clone-daughter
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Not always. He and Shadow had a riveting relationship for the first twelve episodes, then Tigress showed up and caused Shadow to question everything about Chase, which caused her to act out, which resulted in Chase turning on her, and their relationship became toxic.
And let's not forget about Longinui.
-Chaos
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I knew they had a "relationship"; fans were shipping it left and right! It's obvious Shadow got tired of Chase treating her as an subordinate, instead of a partner. Longiniu is smarter than Shadow, though. As a dragon, she could sense Chase's soul had been tainted and, as a human, she saw him turn evil. So, Chase should have still treated Shadow better.
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Where are these shippers you speak of? I have not seen them anywhere. All I've seen on Eternally Young are people saying that the forced romanticism made them uncomfortable, and that coupled with the ambiguity of what Shadow really is--is she a clone? Is she his daughter? Is she not related to Chase at all and he lied to her to keep her loyalty?--steered a lot of people towards thinking lowly of the ship. The ambiguity of their relationship even deterred Jack from pursuing Shadow, but that's a topic for another time.
Chase never got over his feelings for Longinui. This is evident from how he pauses and thinks critically for all of thirty seconds in episode 25 when her spirit shows up. No one else has ever made Chase rethink his actions like that. Not even Shadow. Canonically Chase does care for Shadow, especially before their relationship soured, however his affections are more protective and nurturing than romantic or sexual. This is heavily evident in how Chase touches Shadow. Shadow is content to practically hang off of Chase, touching his shoulder, pressing up against him, leaning on his back, basically just shy of being arm and hip candy. When Chase touches her it is always the shoulder, the back of the neck, forearm, or simply man handles her chin. All of these touches carry a psychology of power and control. This is in line with Chase constantly putting and viewing Shadow as lesser than he is. This was prevelant even when their relationship was "good" in the first three episodes. Chase says he will be "Emerpor" and Shadow shall be his "Queen." In the hierarchy of rulers, Emperors are at the top along with Empresses, then Kings and Queens. To also call Shadow his apprentice enforces this division of power in their relationship. Shadow not only got tired of being viewed as lesser in Chase's eyes, but she was tired of him holding her back and preventing her from achieving the power she saw that was rightfully hers--the Lao Mang Long Soup. Shadow wanted to be seen by Chase as his equal, and when it became evident that he would never see her as such, well, she fashioned a plan to leave his care. Worked out perfectly, didn't it? It should also be noted that "females seeking to be viewed as equals in the eyes of their male peers" is a major theme of Chronicles.
Please do not compare Shadow and Longinui. We don't know very much about Longinui, apart from her being at least partially dragon, the woman of Chase's long-devoted affections, and the dragon-partner to Chase's brother Monk Eon. With Shadow we may not know as much as we thought, but we have several episodes over the course of a season to compile her character, while Longinui didn't even get enough screen time to get a mention of who her voice actor was in the end credits. Shadow is a reckless teenager with superpowers, naturally she's going to make a lot of not-so-smart decisions. Longinui is presumably an adult with knowledge of the world. The two are even on opposing sides. I don't know if Longinui has any extra-sensory powers or abilities, as no dragon in the Xiaolin Universe has been stated or shown any signs of spirit- or soul-sensing. So yes, Longinui was around when Chase was good. Yes, she was able to witness, at least in-part, Chase's change to Heylin. Longinui saw a side of Chase that only one other might have seen, and that was Monk Eon. Look what happened to both Longinui and Eon--they're both dead.
What I'm trying to say is that Chase saw Longinui as his equal. He saw her as someone--if not the one--he could achieve his destiny with. When she chose his brother, Chase felt betrayed. He never got over that. With Shadow, Chase will never see her as his equal. He refuses to even allow her the mere chance to gain power and potentially best him. He sees her as his possession, his creation, whole-heartedly his. Chase should have treated Shadow better. He should have treated her like an Empress. But people who treat the mundane as sacred are usually viewed as insane. Chase was, and still is, incapable of treating Shadow like a person. Chase is by no means a misogynist or sexist, we have Wuya, Kimiko, and the most ancient of his fallen warriors, in addition to Longinui to attest to that. Chase has yet to be put in a situation where he either accepts Shadow as his equal or falls. And what a long fall it will be.
-Chaos
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I didn't see/hear the shippers myself, but my best friend told me there were a few.
Love is funny, I guess. I'd like to find out how they are going to play out Shadow and Princess Kalia's relationship.
I'm not comparing Shadow and Longiniu. Shadow might not even be evil, though. Didn't Longinui bond with Guan? Guan is dead too.
I wish Chase was more straightforward like; in Showdown. In Chronicles, he's too hard to figure out as a character to me.
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Yeah, since it's played on in canon it's kind of obvious for shippers to want to ship it. Plus, Shadow is genuinely interested and attracted to Chase, so there's a happiness factor as well.
I honestly hope that Kaila helps Shadow to realize her full potential, regardless of what side of the conflict she chooses, if any. Shadow has already shown that she has the potential to be one of--if not the--best character on the show in terms of power and ability. Presently she is slowly getting out of a rut where she thought that she was powerless or weak because she was the feminine, the other. Having Wuya, someone that she looked up to and admired in a way, double cross her will definitely be a setback in Shadow's journey, but having Kaila along to broaden her horizons is a huge plus, and I hope the writing staff does not miss a very good opportunity to drop some feminism into the series.
It's Monk Guano now. Terrible choice of name, but whatever; copyright and reboot rules and what have you. Dragons only bond once, and if the selected Xiaolin Monk is not ready, well... Chase Young is what happens. But yes, the spirits of an unnamed Monk, Grand Master Dashi, Monk Guano, and Monk Eon are all shown when Chase is summoning spirits in episode 25. The order is kind of weird as he summons Guano, absorbs Guano, then later summons Guano again along with the other Monks. Typical Chronicles plot hole. So, yes, Guano is dead, but he never is shown with Longinui.
Chase was by no means "straight forward" in Xiaolin Showdown. He was more secretive, and his ultimate goal much clearer to himself, even if he never shared it with others. He would even go out of his way to ensure that his long-term plans stayed in effect, or would use others to do his work for him. He was a much more sophisticated, psychological villain. In Xiaolin Chronicles, Chase's plan is first depicted as the typical villain, hidden away in a shadowy, stone-cold lair, ever watchful of the Monks as they unknowingly conform to his plans. While the Chase of Showdown wasn't above watching from a distance, he was never one to cackle as his adversaries played into his hands. That Chase was also capable of doing a great many things from a distance if the Monks were in an area of land that he controlled. Chronicles Chase is very pompous in contrast. His body, almost hilariously top and chest heavy, clearly shows off his swelled ego through a puffed breast. While he was formerly content to let everyone else do his work for him, now, suddenly, only his apprentice and himself are competent enough to get the job done. And his apprentice doesn't always get the job done as swiftly as he would like. If you want something done right you have to do it yourself. Having a more assertive, aggressive Chase Young would be great if only his plans would succeed more often than not. But that's the price he paid for becoming the main villain of the series--the Monks are always meant to defeat him. His consecutive defeats would be dismissible if the repeated losses were part of a greater plan, or the lure the Monks into a false sense of security, but alas, no. The Chase Young of Chronicles is anything but this level of crafty. If anything he is more obsessed with showing off his power, both physically (as his redesign features a much more muscular build compared to his former design) and psychologically (through repeated displays of power). When Chase Young is serious he sends in everything--his Cat Warriors, his Apprentice, and when all that fails, he sends in himself. In fact, Chase appearing on his own sends the strongest message, as it means that he is confident in his strength, and confident that he will succeed. Chase is also much more vain, and actually seems like someone who would see trading his soul for power and eternal youth as a reasonable bargain. The Chase Young of Showdown never carried himself in that regard, and when it was shown how he partook of the Lao Mang Long soup, it was through trickery, or as a well-thought-out strategic ploy.
The Chase of Showdown was collected in his thoughts and his person. While he was somewhat obsessed with displaying his "evil" power when Hannibal Bean showed up, he was never threatened by anyone else. With Omi he saw a potential equal and sought to cultivate a relationship with the boy. The only thing about the Monks that he underestimated was their bonds of friendship. That was something that Chase never had with anyone. Chronicles really highlights this lack of bonds in Chase during the flashbacks of episode 25. Chase failed to connect with his brother, he failed to connect to his lover, and he failed to connect to his child. All he has is his power and Chase is willing to do anything to achieve his ultimate power. He also seems easily distracted by any small threat to his power, be it the Monks, or Ping Pong, or Shadow's little outbursts. It doesn't matter how many centuries pass for the Chase of Chronicles, his time stopped when he drank the elixir. The Chase of Showdown drank the elixir and had time stop only for his body, but his mind remained sharp and intact and ages like a fine wine.
Chase's end goal in Showdown, particularly for season three was never discussed. If anything, Hannibal's presence put any of Chase's plans on the shelf until the threat was either subdued or dealt with. This made Chase out to be more of a helpful or positive character than a villain. Chase's end goal in Chronicles changes from "creating a Heylin Empire" to "gaining more power for his elixir," then "destroying the Universe." Kind of a big leap. Tai Shui, the Cosmic Dragon, even corroborates that destroying the Universe is Chase's ultimate destiny. Totally out of left field there. Because Chase's body and mind are both stuck in time, his thought processes are erratic and scattered like a young adult's. In a way, this drastic change in behavior could almost be seen as reactionary to some event that happened before Chronicles began, assuming the reboot is a continuation of the original series. Jack Spicer's reaction to the doorbell ringing and whimpering something about the Monks really adds to this theory.
To conclude, both Chases are not exactly straightforward characters. Both are complex, intelligent, and clear in their ambitions, even if their goals become clouded. The Chase of Showdown is mature, and his actions often align with a greater good which makes him someone that is easy to relate to or admire, while the Chase of Chronicles is immature in his demeanor, easily threatened, and not very easy to relate to. This lack of relateabilty was a conscious decision on the part of Hui, as Shadow has similar markers, and the fact that none of the villains (with the exception of Jack) are shown in beds. This dehumanizes all of the villains making them difficult to relate to, as if their treacherous behavior wasn't enough already. So don't be off put that you can't understand Chase Young's motivations in Xiaolin Chronicles, that is what the series creator and executive producer wanted.
-Chaos
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Do you think Shadow should have KNOWN Wuya would double-cross her? I mean, she does it to EVERYBODY in XS, considering Showdown and Chronicles are the same universe.
Sadly, I don't have much hope for the writers making Chronicles more interesting. I mean, they have Showdown to work with, but Chronicles is still missing something...wait...That's it! It's so obvious! What made XS so great was the character development within the story. The actual Showdowns, which is the whole point of the show and where the characters learned something about themselves each time, and it wasn't cliche stuff, but different things like; "It's not your weight, it's how you throw it around!" THAT made Showdown interesting and they didn't win a Showdown EVERY TIME in XS, they lost a few.
I think I'll just keep the name as Guan...
Let me put it another way: XS Chase didn't sugar-coat anything, he was brutally honest. He openly displayed himself first, told everyone he just wanted to observe the monks, which he did, helped train Omi, told Omi he wanted him as an apprentice, described what evil basically is, accepted a fight each time he was faced with one, yet he still remained in complete control of himself. Only on a couple occasions did I see him surprised or startled. XC Chase doesn't do any of that!
Don't forget Jack already knew Wuya too when she appeared. This is what I think ruins Chronicles as it's own series; I tried to treat it as a different series, but it just keeps throwing up aspects from Showdown, it's impossible!
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Chase and Wuya are never shown on screen together, let alone interacting. Neither mentions the other in passing to anyone. This wouldn't be worth mentioning if it weren't for a common acquaintance with Salvadore Cumo. In "Xiaolin Redemption" Wuya makes several references to her past with Salvadore and how evil they were together. It is even hinted that Wuya already has a plan in motion with Salvadore and him going to prison was just part of that plan. However, Salvadore's abilities of regeneration meant that he could have escaped the Monks' clutches at any time he wished, so why did he wait for Chase to give him a signal? If anything, this was the only role Chase had for that episode, as he could not have been less interested in the Canon De Lopez. But back to Shadow. Because Chase never mentions his past around her, and when ever Shadow is out in the world she is typically with Chase, she was never allowed to interact with or exposed to others. Ever notice how Wuya is always absent when Jack is inside Chase's lair? Jack never even mentions Wuya while he's elsewhere. Jack's double crossing nature was learned from a mixture of life experiences, as well as from advisement and encouragement from Wuya. Shadow never learned that Jack and Wuya were working together and never put two and two together to think that Wuya might betray her. Shadow is also just coming out of a place where she was less than human, an object. While it remains a mystery as to how Shadow got in contact with Wuya, it is clear that Wuya deceived Shadow into believing all her talk about "girl power." Shadow had never been exposed or even considered that she had power simply by being herself, and to meet Wuya, a woman with powers comparable to Chase, Shadow was a bit star struck. Shadow is also shown a vision that leads her to Wuya after drinking a bit of the Lao Mang Long soup that empowers her. Wuya compliments Shadow on her new powers and acknowledges the girl as her equal. This is the first time anyone has treated Shadow as an equal, even if Wuya acts a bit overly familiar. Shadow went along with, and helped Wuya, because she was simply star-struck and wanted to believe that Wuya was helping her. But like all naive children, Shadow had to wake up to the evils of the world at some point, she just had no way of knowing that Wuya would be her alarm.
I find the themes of Chronicles to be solid and interesting, however the ideals are often times covered up or buried under the agitation of the Monks' individual plot lines and internal conflicts, as well as keeping the action sequences and fighting going, as Xiaolin is an action-adventure series. Another problem is that the themes are very adult in my opinion, as two of the female villains actively engage in objectifying themselves for various means. Chase was even re-purposed to fully embody the patriarchy and there is just a lot of pseudo-feminism floating in the air. Kimiko best embodies the true idea of feminism as she just wants her fellow Monks to see her as an equal and treat her that way, while she still remains herself, strong, and feminine. Shadow and Wuya make themselves appear as equals to the male characters in a more toxic way. Wuya especially makes herself desirable and available to others. Possess her and you possess her power. This is commoditization and objectification at its finest. With Shadow the case is much more severe in regards to Chase. Chase created Shadow so he could be more powerful, so he could possess more power, and when Shadow recognizes how Chase sees her, she seeks to gain power to become more attractive to him. Shadow gaining power threatens Chase and so he keeps her locked up. She is his possession, his creation, after all. In general I find it very disgusting that these wonderful women are objectified in this way, but at the end of the day I continually see Shadow slowly growing and realizing that how Chase treats and sees her is wrong, and that is what gives me hope for the writers and series. The target audience of six to twelve year olds isn't really helping the series either. Kids understand a lot, and successful series often are not targeted at such a small demographic but appeal to all ages. The episodes often feel crammed full of plot points that are relevant only to that episode, and very little of the greater arc makes it through all the clutter.
I agree with you that the morals are lost. The Showdowns, formerly a pivotal part of each episode, have been reduced to money-saving action sequences. Who wins a Showdown doesn't matter anymore, as whoever loses usually steals the Wu right out of the victor's hand, or through some course of events the Wu changes hands. If Chase wins, he gives the Wu to the Monks. Losing has no consequences, and Jack will always have the Monkey Spear to wager again next episode by some plot convenience. On the rare occasion that Jack actually wins a Showdown, the Monks don't even act like it's the end of the world. This is a bit of a plus, as it shows the maturity of the Monks, as well as not being sore losers, but some reaction would be better than no reaction. Because the episodal plots usually focus on the Monks doing something to save the world, or part of the world, or themselves, there is not enough time to focus on individual characters and develop them. It was hard enough with four main characters, but now there are seven at least. A half-hour animated show just isn't the place for something this big, or at the very least poses a very BIG challenge.
Showdown Chase had a sense of honor and duty that the Chase of Chronicles does not. Chase was "rarely surprised, but never fooled." Now he just gets angry whenever something doesn't go according to his plan that he never told anybody and kept inside his head. A villain's actions are much easier to accept when they announce in full face what they are going to do. Imagine if Wuya or Hannibal Bean politely stated their business to the Monks, the series would have been a lot different. Part of what makes villains terrifying is not knowing what they will do, or what their motivations, or end goals are. This lack of knowledge also alienates the villain from the viewers. What you keep telling me is that you want to connect with Chase as a character again, and how that could be done, but the role that Chase now fills is one where he is not meant to be related to. The Chase Young of Chronicles is meant to be disliked, scorned, and outright loathed. Hui and her team have so far succeeded in this. In a way I find it interesting that the former Chase is what keeps his fanbase going. The belief and knowledge that he is and can be a good person. There are small grains of that Chase around still, buried under layers of muck and sediment, just like the themes and plot work of Chronicles, but glimmers of it remain. But it's still just that. Glimmers; grains. You have every right to complain and want the return of a more relatable Chase, but he is not that person anymore. He might never be that person in Chronicles, but you should never give up hope that he will see the light.
I'll close all this up by saying that Chronicles must be very strange for a viewership that has not watched Xiaolin Showdown, and is not familiar with the original series, as Chronicles does nothing but either reference the original series, or tell the same visual jokes. I plan on making a drinking game where every time XS is referenced in XC, you drink. It's this kind of meta referencing that can potentially turn off the newer viewers or just leave them confused.
-Chaos
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Actually, I prefer Chase and Wuya NOT be on screen together or mention each other because it always ends up OOC on Wuya's end. I wouldn't mind her with Salvador. However, being half-reptile, makes him like a clone of Chase, only with less character development...! Also, the lack of Chase and Wuya mentiong each other might be another way of Hui wanting to make XC a part from XS, which has already failed.
Everything else you said, I'll agree with.
Your last statement is interesting because with VA's, some people ask for video clips or script, so I warn them about the older series, so they know what they're dealing with.
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Wuya I find to be at her truest self when she is ghostly, as her body ties her down and personifies her vainglory. Underneath all that sweet, hot self-love is a bitter, scheming cat and this is also when Wuya has the most freedom. In a body she has to keep up her appearance and take care of those "little urges" when they come up. As a ghost she doesn't have any of those distractions and can clearly focus on doing Evil. I guess her efforts are a bit wasted on regaining her body, then.
If nothing else I'm curious to hear what Wuya and Chase would say to each other if they met in XC. Would it be sultry looks, or harsh words, or death glares? I used to think about it a lot.
-Chaos
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Well, in real life, that would be the true. However, as a cartoon, it's not a problem. Plus, XS and XC don't bring up those issues, anyway.
Let's see...the last sighting of them together was in the last episode, preparing for, what would most likely be, the Final Showdown alongside the other villains of Xiaolin, even Jack. My idea is the villains, as always, suffered an epic defeat, ending with Jack running home, screaming. Wuya, being trapped back in a puzzle box and Chase's sanity broken to tie much into XC. So, they're reaction would probably be harsh words OR they might have just decided to deny they know each other existed to lessen the humiliation of the defeat.
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Ha ha! Now that I like.
-Chaos
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^_^ I'd like to see or have the creators explain it, though. I mean, speculations is fun and all, but nothing can beat the truth.
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Yeah, that's true, but sometimes the creator's intentions don't make it across or are not communicated clearly in the work itself. It would be nice to hear what was intended though.
-Chaos
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Exactly! That's what I meant.
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This looks very nice! Her face is expressive and I love the angle of it.
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I love how in the thumbnail view (the icon that displays in the preview) makes her look sexy and seductive, but as soon as it's full view her expression is less at ease and more angry.
-Chaos
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