the BEST WRITTEN media ive ever seen

ok so i just really need to make this list and just go on a rant for a bit because i dont have the time or energy to make a whole page to keep this on a website or in a notes document (i havent made a new website on neocities but when i do this will go on it) and i just need it to GO SOMEWHERE so yeah

this is gonna be a big list of every piece of media that i find and interact with that i find PHENOMENAL like the writing is something that i aspire to or just generally find really well made, and if theres something you think should be here but isnt then lmk and ill go watch/read/play/etc. it and either add it to the list and be happy OR ill either explain why i didnt add it ^_^

pretty spoiler free i ghink because if anyone hasnt seen one of these you NEED TO. I SWEAR. you cant call yourself someone who likes well written fiction if you havent 

ps: this list isnt in an order im just adding them as i think of them also im totally not writing this to ignore revising for a spanish test what..

INDEX:

1. SPIDERMAN INTO/ACROSS THE SPIDERVERSE
2. AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
3. THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES
4. ARCANE

1. SPIDERMAN INTO/ACROSS THE SPIDERVERSE (movies)

dont even get me started on the insane animation quality and the level of DETAIL they add to literally everything. this is the golden standard of animation, especially adaptations from comics/2d media, in my opinion and id be a marvel fan again if they started dropping bangers like this for more superheroes. also spiderman is literally just awesome hes my favourite superhero despite me having a massive batman+robin hyperfixation recently, SPIDERMAN STILL SOLOS!

the characterisation is wonderful, they can make mistakes and be awkward and have such individual traits and designs and every character feels so REAL and UNIQUE, plus the diversity makes it feel so so much more realistic (i live in a very diverse place so when media is super closeminded it feels less realistic) also BRITISH PEOPLE! HOOBIIIIEEE! hes so real guys british rep

i think you know a piece of media is just that good when everyone LOVES the main character so dearly, i would die for miles morales okay and not just because we have the same name. this is the same in percy jackson and tma and its honestly just the biggest sign of good, well written characters with an engaging main plotline, because people dont feel the need to ignore the mc just to find an interesting character/story to enjoy

2. AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER (animated series)

this series has such good characterisation too, and while it isnt as culturally diverse as media like spiderverse, i still really really love the cultural and historical references that are super important in the worldbuilding, and how loads of aspects of the world are heavily inspired by real things!! and real practices!! and real martial art styles!! the amount of research that went into writing the avatar world really astounds me because its so rich and interesting despite only meaning to be a kids show in the 2000s

ALSO the fact that it continues to be an enjoyable, funny, and genuinely engaging show that younger AND older audiences can enjoy and get very invested in, while still being able to handle really heavy topics AND REALLY WELL? there are a lot of themes about war, imperialism, gender roles/sexism, political corruption, etc. and its handled so flawlessly??? i watched it when i was younger and i didnt feel lost at all even though the plot was complicated from first glance, the show is really really good at immersing the viewer and conveying information naturally and understandably

zuko. in general. i dont mean this in a "wow.. zuko so hot so the show = good." i mean this in the way that zuko is such an incredibly well written and well rounded character, and its not just me who says his redemption arc is one of, if not the best written in modern media. hes sympathetic and tragic but hes also realistic and made bad decisions, but he *owns up to that* and genuinely makes an active effort to become a better person that he was before, not because he believes what he did was forgivable, but because he doesnt want to do unforgivable things anymore. he has such a gripping emotional journey thats honestly the main reason why hes so beloved as a character, and it adds to atla's story in such an entertaining way

3. THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES (podcast/audio drama)

im not joking when i say this is my favourite piece of horror media ever written. i dont think you can listen to all of this podcast without getting a little bit obsessed with it for life, and some of the statements give me CHIILLLLS even if ive heard them multiple times before (lost johns cave. oh god), even if they arent something that terrifies me to my bones, every episode is entertaining and so wildly immersing that i think i might go in a trance every time i listen to one

once again, my favourite thing in media, REALLY WELL WRITTEN CHARACTERS! every. single. character. is realistic. they all feel lifelike and they all have issues and strengths and weaknesses, even the eldritch beings feel like real people. jon is a very flawed main character, and yet hes still so likeable and even though he mostly makes the worst decisions, hes still constantly trying to make things better and to protect people and his relationships with the others in the archives are just so. everything.

also! once again! diversity! while yes, most of the characters dont have canon designs ebcause its a podcast so literally all of that is made up by the fandom, the podcast itself has CANON QUEER CHARACTERS! INCLUDING THE MAIN CHARACTER!! and a big variety of voice actors, and the writers are completely supportive of all the designs people make for the characters (jonny sims and alex newall i love you)

something i also really really love in media is when actions have EFFECTS! when something that a character decides to do has an impact on the story, even if its catastrophic and they had no idea it would cause so much harm (looks at jon), because it makes the story feel coherent and not just "and then! and then!" and it gives everything so much more weight, characters have to *think* and they lose things and they make bad choices and things go horribly wrong, which is easily one of the most enriching things to add to your story because it makes the audience think "how can they possibly fix this? what are they going to do now?" and its WONDERFUL

the overall style is also just.. chefs kiss.. the way that any issues or writing mistakes are resolved with in-world explanations and add to the story, and generally the entire premise of the show being so unique and creative, it just brings me so much joy and i fear i need to change topics or ill never shut up 

4. ARCANE (animated series)

when i said that spiderverse was the golden standard for animation, this series is hand in hand with spiderverse. it has that same incredible attention to detail and masterful visual storytelling that brings together the whole story in such a STUNNING way, arcane has to be the most visually appealing and gorgeous piece of media on this list, and pretty much every frame is like a classical painting in terms of beautiful imagery and composition and colour. its so iconic and unique too that it gives the series such an identity, and it does the same to it's characters with a diverse cast and individual designs with just so much detail and care put into every character that you can see the little quirks in their personalities just by looking at them

visual storytelling aside, the literal storytelling is incredible too??? the characters all have their own motivations and i know im repeating myself from earlier but really the key factor of a piece of media with godly writing is just really well written characters with depth and life like personalities, and arcane definitely does this, you can easily hate AND love pretty much the whole cast for different reasons, and their moral grayness makes them so much more interesting and their interactions more exciting

i also like the way they handle serious topics, such as how they present class struggle and childhood trauma in a very complex way, and while it does fall slightly more into the tropes it was based on (being based on a fighting game) which isn't a bad thing and definitely gives the series the really awesome, dramatic and exciting scenes and plot that it has, the series still manages to stay true to the morals that its exploring and promoting. even if they have a really cool battle scene and you think for a moment "wow! fighting is so cool! theyre awesome for having a cool battle like this" suddenly you're snapped out of it and shown the horrible reality (usually suffering) and it happens in such an emotionally jarring way that it really just HITS. i think that's such a phenomenal method of storytelling and conveying a message to the audience, by playing into internalised ideas and shattering them all at once, while still being able to give the audience those incredible actions scenes that get people excited and show off the really jawdropping animation

ok its late now and if i keep yapping i wont sleep, and ive written a LOT but this list will definitely be added to later